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Lone Wolf: Eric Rudolph: Murder, Myth, and the Pursuit of an American Outlaw
He was supposed to be dead. Five years after Eric Rudolph escaped into the mountains of North Carolina, the FBI had long since abandoned the largest manhunt ever launched on U.S. soil. The fugitive accused of bombing the Atlanta Olympics, a gay bar, and two abortion clinics, leaving a trail of carnage across the southeast, had become a figure of folk legend. Many of his pursuers thought he had either skipped the country or crawled into a cave to die. In fact, Rudolph had been haunting the mountains and towns he knew best, pilfering food, stealing trucks, stalking the men who hunted him, and keeping his secrets buried in the woods. Then one night Rudolph got careless, and a rookie cop captured him a few miles from where he had first disappeared. But even in custody, Rudolph remained a mystery. In Lone Wolf , Maryanne Vollers brings the reader inside one of the most sensational cases of domestic terrorism in American history. In addition to her unprecedented correspondence with Rudolph, Vollers had access to the FBI, the ATF, federal prosecutors, members of Rudolph's defense team, and his family to re-create the story in all its sweeping breadth and complexity. Lone Wolf asks the inevitable Who is Eric Rudolph, and why did he kill? Is he the hate-filled neo-Nazi described by federal agents, or is he the passionate, curious, and engaging man described by his lawyers and his family? Can both personalities exist in one rare, complicated, and deadly individual? The profilers and psychologists Vollers interviews identify Rudolph as a "lone offender," a self-appointed avenger with no real alliances and no meaningful social ties. It puts Rudolph in the same category as Timothy McVeigh, the Oklahoma City bomber, and Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber. The "lone wolf" believes history will judge him to be a hero. Society judges him to be a monster. Without losing sight of the hideous violence of his crimes, Lone Wolf seeks to put a human face on this iconic killer as it explores the painful mysteries of the human heart.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
52 people are currently reading
403 people want to read
About the author
Maryanne Vollers
10 books21 followersMaryanne Vollers is an American author, journalist and ghostwriter. Her first book, Ghosts of Mississippi, was a finalist in non-fiction for the 1995 National Book Award. Her many collaborations include the memoirs of Hillary Rodham Clinton, Dr. Jerri Nielsen, Sissy Spacek, Ashley Judd, and Billie Jean King. Her second book on domestic terrorism, Lone Wolf: Eric Rudolph – Murder, Myth, and the Pursuit of an American Outlaw, was published in 2006. A former editor at Rolling Stone she has written articles for publications such as Esquire, GQ, Sports Illustrated, Time, and The New York Times Magazine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
January 4, 2020
*** spoilers contained within ***
A great crime story of Eric Rudolph who detonated bombs in four different places. The first was during the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, the second at an abortion clinic outside Atlanta, the third at a gay/lesbian bar in midtown Atlanta, and the fourth at an abortion clinic in Birmingham, Alabama – and this is where he was caught. A citizen spotted Eric Rudolph casually walking away from the explosion – and he thought this very unusual as everyone was either panicking or running towards the site of the explosion. He, and then another citizen, decided to follow Eric and eventually saw him enter a vehicle and got the license plate number. From this point onwards Eric Robert’s life started to unravel and he became a fugitive.
The author provides us with a really outstanding portrait of Eric’s life – in Florida, a religious commune in Missouri, but mostly on his upbringing in rural western North Carolina. His large family drifted into various religious cults. After his father died his mother was looking for a “religious utopia” (the author’s words). This brought Eric into contact in the 1990’s with the various crazies out there – like those virulently opposed to abortion and gay rights. Some, like Identity believers, were racist and anti-Semitic. He saw the Olympics as part of a world-wide liberal conspiracy and this led him to plant his first bomb. Many of the people he came in contact with espoused the libertarian anti-government lifestyle and they liked guns (lots of them).
Eric Rudolph decided on his own to take action. There are many parallels between Eric Rudolph and Timothy McVeigh, the Oklahoma bomber. Both joined the army, but became disenchanted with it. Neither of them was a team player.
We also come away with the view that Eric Rudolph was a person who lacked empathy. He could, at times, put on a good social show, but that steely, icy, malevolence could break through. During his long incarceration prior to his trial he expressed no remorse whatsoever – his statements were all about him.
Eric was indeed a survivalist who spent four years evading a massive manhunt for him in rural western North Carolina. He was caught by local police in May, 2003 when he was foraging for food in a dumpster in Murphy, North Carolina.
We really get a startling view of all the various police organizations (FBI, ATF, Georgia State, Alabama State and local police) who investigated the bomb sites, worked together and competed, and then congregated together in western North Carolina to pursue and apprehend Eric Rudolph. They looked into all aspects of Eric’s lifestyle, his family, friends and the communities where he lived. This is an excellent true crime book. Fortunately, after a lengthy opening prior to his trial, Eric Rudolph finally pleaded guilty and is now serving a life sentence in the Supermax prison in Colorado in a solitary cell.
A great crime story of Eric Rudolph who detonated bombs in four different places. The first was during the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, the second at an abortion clinic outside Atlanta, the third at a gay/lesbian bar in midtown Atlanta, and the fourth at an abortion clinic in Birmingham, Alabama – and this is where he was caught. A citizen spotted Eric Rudolph casually walking away from the explosion – and he thought this very unusual as everyone was either panicking or running towards the site of the explosion. He, and then another citizen, decided to follow Eric and eventually saw him enter a vehicle and got the license plate number. From this point onwards Eric Robert’s life started to unravel and he became a fugitive.
The author provides us with a really outstanding portrait of Eric’s life – in Florida, a religious commune in Missouri, but mostly on his upbringing in rural western North Carolina. His large family drifted into various religious cults. After his father died his mother was looking for a “religious utopia” (the author’s words). This brought Eric into contact in the 1990’s with the various crazies out there – like those virulently opposed to abortion and gay rights. Some, like Identity believers, were racist and anti-Semitic. He saw the Olympics as part of a world-wide liberal conspiracy and this led him to plant his first bomb. Many of the people he came in contact with espoused the libertarian anti-government lifestyle and they liked guns (lots of them).
Eric Rudolph decided on his own to take action. There are many parallels between Eric Rudolph and Timothy McVeigh, the Oklahoma bomber. Both joined the army, but became disenchanted with it. Neither of them was a team player.
We also come away with the view that Eric Rudolph was a person who lacked empathy. He could, at times, put on a good social show, but that steely, icy, malevolence could break through. During his long incarceration prior to his trial he expressed no remorse whatsoever – his statements were all about him.
Eric was indeed a survivalist who spent four years evading a massive manhunt for him in rural western North Carolina. He was caught by local police in May, 2003 when he was foraging for food in a dumpster in Murphy, North Carolina.
We really get a startling view of all the various police organizations (FBI, ATF, Georgia State, Alabama State and local police) who investigated the bomb sites, worked together and competed, and then congregated together in western North Carolina to pursue and apprehend Eric Rudolph. They looked into all aspects of Eric’s lifestyle, his family, friends and the communities where he lived. This is an excellent true crime book. Fortunately, after a lengthy opening prior to his trial, Eric Rudolph finally pleaded guilty and is now serving a life sentence in the Supermax prison in Colorado in a solitary cell.
November 13, 2014
Vollers takes a close look at Eric Rudolph, the anti-abortionist guilty of bombing the 1996 Olympics and blowing up a women’s clinic in Birmingham, in which a cop and a nurse were killed. This is a very interesting, journalistic look. There are elements of biography in this but it covers the events surrounding the bombings rather than his life. I found it interesting for bringing to my attention several groups of extremist Americans that I had not been much aware of before. One is Identity Christians. These lovely folks believe that blacks and Jews are literally “mud Races,” that is, a genetic product of Eve and the devil. It would appear that contrary to popular belief Rudolph did not survive in a five-year underground life with help from locals, at least not voluntary help. Rudolph had amassed sufficient funds to buy what he needed. Even when he took goods from people’s homes, he left money to cover what he had taken. Rudolph is a racist of the first order, but he is not dumb. It may or not be a form of psychopathy at work in Rudolph, but there is a very clear disconnect between what he did and any feeling for those to whom he did it. I would recommend the book. It is not great, but holds ones interest sufficiently to validate the time investment, if only for the reportage on how various government agencies interact when faced with such a multi-jurisdictional situation.
July 24, 2017
True crime. It tells the story of Eric Rudolph's crimes, his life on the run, capture and his trial in court. He plans and bombs various clinics which offer abortion services to women who wish to terminate their pregnancies. He is believed to be an anti-semitic who is unwilling to associate himself with jews. He even rejects the happening of the Holocaust, a fact that surprises his teachers. It all starts when he meets his mentor (name withheld) who shares some of his books with the young Rudolph. He immediately looses interest in his studies. Though he is very intelligent, he chooses to eliminate what he considers to be murder of the innocent. Following his faith, he decides to eliminate the problems which he believes is plaguing the society around him. In short, he plays God and decide to punish what is evil in his eyes. After eluding authorities for years he is eventually apprehended and is tried and later imprisoned. This is his story, and it is as shocking as it is interesting.
June 4, 2017
I've come to believe that the motivation a terrorist professes, whether it's religion, nationalism, racism, revenge for bullying, revenge in general, misanthropy, luddism, environmentalism, anarchism, or something I happen to have missed here, is simply a wrap for some kind of personality disorder. Mental illness may be involved--most likely is. I doubt there are clear dividing lines between narcissism, sociopathy, and psychopathy, each being, I think, a prerequisite for the next. And each terrorist likely has his/her own brew of whichever, plus a few more, like schizoid, or autistic spectrum or something else that makes connections with others difficult, or that skews their view of the world in some way that is not.like.most.of.us. And loops their thoughts around in ways that are hard for most of us to follow. But are obsessive and self-reinforcing.
I'm sure culture plays a role in each case. Many believe that Islam produces more terrorists, but in this country, white male terrorists are more common and kill more people, or have so far.
This book profiles the man who fatally bombed the Atlanta Olympics, a gay bar, and two abortion clinics, eluding authorities for years by camping alone in the North Carolina mountains. By alone I mean without connection to another human being, except one extremely brief interaction, for five years. That's pretty lone, as lone wolves go.
In the end, the desire for notoriety, I believe, is the ultimate driver. Having no other way to make a connection with others that comes from the heart, and having worked their way into a weird belief structure that prevents them from connecting with society, they have no way to make a mark except via violence. In the case of people like Rudolph, their personality disorder + intelligence level keeps them from acknowledging external authority, which in turn prevents making a mark through forms of achievement that require any kind of apprenticeship or traditional path of education or initiation.
I'm sure culture plays a role in each case. Many believe that Islam produces more terrorists, but in this country, white male terrorists are more common and kill more people, or have so far.
This book profiles the man who fatally bombed the Atlanta Olympics, a gay bar, and two abortion clinics, eluding authorities for years by camping alone in the North Carolina mountains. By alone I mean without connection to another human being, except one extremely brief interaction, for five years. That's pretty lone, as lone wolves go.
In the end, the desire for notoriety, I believe, is the ultimate driver. Having no other way to make a connection with others that comes from the heart, and having worked their way into a weird belief structure that prevents them from connecting with society, they have no way to make a mark except via violence. In the case of people like Rudolph, their personality disorder + intelligence level keeps them from acknowledging external authority, which in turn prevents making a mark through forms of achievement that require any kind of apprenticeship or traditional path of education or initiation.
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November 27, 2024I did not realize I would read two books in a row that had connections to my former home in Georgia and the times I lived through. After Praying for Sheetrock, I cracked open Lone Wolf, which is a detailed account by journalist Maryanne Vollers of Eric Rudolph, domestic terrorist (or so labeled). I’d prefer not to give the “self-righteous bastard in sunglasses and a cheap wig, his blue eyes darkening as he clutches his remote control and flipped the switch. Thankfully, Rudolph is to spend the rest of his life in a maximum security cell where he spends 23 hours of every day. In case you don’t remember or don’t know he is the person who evaded capture for five years after bombing Centennial Park in Atlanta during the 1996 Olympics, two abortion clinics, and a gay nightclub.
At 330 pages, it is perhaps more than I needed to know about Rudolph, but still a well-researched and well-written account.
At 330 pages, it is perhaps more than I needed to know about Rudolph, but still a well-researched and well-written account.
March 15, 2009
“The Lone Wolf” should be required reading for those moving into the mountains of southwestern North Carolina. Those who have lived through the droning helicopters, caravans of law enforcement, and the media circus that followed the search for one of America’s most sought after criminals should also pour over the book.
The integrity of the journalism is such that mountain people are viewed in a positive light, but not without a lens that reveals their unique approach to life. Similarly, Eric Robert Rudolph and law enforcement receive fair treatment that is based on facts acknowledged by both parties. Those matters that are still unresolved are pointed out to the reader.
Aside from reading about neighbors and familiar places, the book attempts to reconstruct the long series of events from several different perspectives. Documented are the government’s attempts at a valid psychological profile, a Rudolph family perspective that is quite confounding, and those recollections from persons that knew or were connected to the events in some way.
For those of us that followed the events in the media and at the checkout lines at the local grocery, the book provides enough explanation to help sort out fact from myth. To those unacquainted with the day-to-day operations, the book weaves a tale that is exciting, and at times, simply hard to put down.
The events are now almost forgotten, and with each passing year many of the characters have dropped into obscurity, ill health, or death. For a period of time, factions of many marginal organizations found comfort and security in the mountains. Today, the mountains are a different place, but forever shaped by those whose story intersected this moment in time. Undoubtedly, there are sympathizers for both the cause and the man, but they remain largely innocuous. “The Lone Wolf” has helped to piece together the bigger picture and make some sense out of something that will never make sense.
The integrity of the journalism is such that mountain people are viewed in a positive light, but not without a lens that reveals their unique approach to life. Similarly, Eric Robert Rudolph and law enforcement receive fair treatment that is based on facts acknowledged by both parties. Those matters that are still unresolved are pointed out to the reader.
Aside from reading about neighbors and familiar places, the book attempts to reconstruct the long series of events from several different perspectives. Documented are the government’s attempts at a valid psychological profile, a Rudolph family perspective that is quite confounding, and those recollections from persons that knew or were connected to the events in some way.
For those of us that followed the events in the media and at the checkout lines at the local grocery, the book provides enough explanation to help sort out fact from myth. To those unacquainted with the day-to-day operations, the book weaves a tale that is exciting, and at times, simply hard to put down.
The events are now almost forgotten, and with each passing year many of the characters have dropped into obscurity, ill health, or death. For a period of time, factions of many marginal organizations found comfort and security in the mountains. Today, the mountains are a different place, but forever shaped by those whose story intersected this moment in time. Undoubtedly, there are sympathizers for both the cause and the man, but they remain largely innocuous. “The Lone Wolf” has helped to piece together the bigger picture and make some sense out of something that will never make sense.
June 30, 2010
Living and having lived in two of the Western NC towns in which Rudolph hid, I found the majority of Lone Wolf to be an electric read. After finishing The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, I was expecting an overly journalistic (read: boring) piece, but was instead fully captivated by the events depicted within, nearly to level of Stieg Larsson's writing. The first 2/3, especially, played out like a thriller, its flames fed by descriptions of sights that I see on a daily basis and folks who, though not acquaintances, remain known around the area. In fact, as I was finishing the last few chapters, one key area character walked into my workplace. Fortunately, I was at my desk and the book wasn't seen by him as he likely would have disapproved.
Other than being wholly informative and a great "insiders" read for those in the tri-county area, what deserves the most praise is Vollers' expert pacing. Instead of giving away answers to certain key questions as they arise, she provides information as the respective authorities learned it. In doing so, she's able to cast sufficient doubt on Rudolph's guilt up to his conviction, conveying how his defense team and mother felt. She presents an intelligent, reasoned man who very well may have gone on the run to avoid framing by the government he so distrusted. But post-sentence, when Rudolph's manifestos begin to fly, his true self is exposed and his motives are made clear.
Many journalists would have gone directly for the proverbial throat, damning Rudolph from the start. Vollers' presentation eschews such an approach, instead thoughtfully rolling out information as it was discovered, thereby recreating the near 10-year ordeal (and beyond) and preserving it as an historical record for future generations. If the necessary legal proceedings didn't bog down the story's flow a few times, I'd put Lone Wolf up there with the all-time non-fiction greats. Instead, it's not far off.
Other than being wholly informative and a great "insiders" read for those in the tri-county area, what deserves the most praise is Vollers' expert pacing. Instead of giving away answers to certain key questions as they arise, she provides information as the respective authorities learned it. In doing so, she's able to cast sufficient doubt on Rudolph's guilt up to his conviction, conveying how his defense team and mother felt. She presents an intelligent, reasoned man who very well may have gone on the run to avoid framing by the government he so distrusted. But post-sentence, when Rudolph's manifestos begin to fly, his true self is exposed and his motives are made clear.
Many journalists would have gone directly for the proverbial throat, damning Rudolph from the start. Vollers' presentation eschews such an approach, instead thoughtfully rolling out information as it was discovered, thereby recreating the near 10-year ordeal (and beyond) and preserving it as an historical record for future generations. If the necessary legal proceedings didn't bog down the story's flow a few times, I'd put Lone Wolf up there with the all-time non-fiction greats. Instead, it's not far off.
June 10, 2007
An interesting story told in more detail than the narrative warrants; ultimately, Rudolph is emblematic of nothing, and the book quickly runs out of steam
July 17, 2008
Good book, well written, very interesting. Good story about the biggest domestic manhut on US soil.
August 9, 2016
Exceptional biography of Eric Rudolph. He was a confused bomber of abortion clinics. He wanted to make a statement against abortion even though he never had any children or even a girlfriend.
May 11, 2022
The aspect of the book that deals with the manhunt and Rudolph's ability to survive in the wild was interesting but otherwise it was the basic standard that most of these pseudo biographies follow.
June 26, 2022
Very detailed regarding investigation and key persons involved. Not much about the life of the perpetrator, which was what I expected.
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November 13, 2020Definitely recommend this book. It is a quick read and gives vivid color to the explosions, contains a series of interesting anecdotes, and touches on religion and criminality. Cool fact that erics parents worked for dorothy day. It was very fair politically too. I remember a part where someone is quoted begging not to let eric taint the pro-life movement. It ends by finally putting eric in relief and we get to know him. I was even motivated to look up his latest writings. Not sure if hes spoken about our new scotus. America is more pro-life than ever. He must be thrilled, but violence did not make it come any sooner. And the book ends with several fascinating anecdotes about erics current muslim neighbors that can be appreciated so well after so much religion in the book.
October 23, 2017
Vollers presents a readable work of narrative history. The sheer cascade of detail and source work seems overwhelming, but one is not lost in the details and minutiae. In fact, reader races through hoping that justice is served for the heinous crimes.
In a world and country that still continues to suffer from these mass acts of terror, Vollers tries to ask the larger psychological and social questions. While the answers and justifications, don't make anything better and don't presume that an end to this villainy will come about; we have to keep asking the questions and searching solutions.
In a world and country that still continues to suffer from these mass acts of terror, Vollers tries to ask the larger psychological and social questions. While the answers and justifications, don't make anything better and don't presume that an end to this villainy will come about; we have to keep asking the questions and searching solutions.
January 15, 2024
This is a solid exploration of the story of Eric Rudolph. Vollers stated her intention was to tell the story from as many perspectives as possible and she does just that. Many writings on American terrorism are effectively attempting to tell the perspective of law enforcement or indict the perpetrator(s) as insane or something like that. This book actually makes an effort to explore the Rudolph case from every side, interviewing not only Rudolph himself, but his family members, victims, agents sent to find him, etc. Through this she is able to provide an all encompassing look into a strange story of an American lone wolf attacker, uncovering nearly every detail.
July 5, 2018
Does a good job of telling the story of Eric Rudolph. Less so the story of "the Legacy of American Terror." The micro-level story is interesting, and the bulk of the book is devoted to it. The bigger story isn't really there, but it doesn't need to be.
Also, serious points for doing the best job I've ever seen a non-lawyer do of writing about the criminal justice system in a relatively even-handed and accurate way.
Also, serious points for doing the best job I've ever seen a non-lawyer do of writing about the criminal justice system in a relatively even-handed and accurate way.
August 27, 2022
Really absorbing description of Eric Rudolph's serial bombings, his escape to the woods, his capture and his trial. Nothing can really explain the mind of a psychopath, but Vollers examined Rudolph's rationalizations and his twisted thinking. This was a gripping account of the crimes, the members of law enforcement closing in on Rudolph, and a sympathetic portrait of the victims and survivors. A must for true-crime readers.
March 10, 2020
I was looking for more insight into the early life and interests of Eric Rudolph, hoping to get a tenuous understanding of why he developed into what he did. Sadly, only the last two chapters of the book dealt with this, while the remainder focused on the basic details anybody with google access could find out—The Manhunt, the FBI agents involved, the legal proceedings, etc.
April 3, 2020
A spellbinding story of Eric Rudolf, a domestic terrorist who was responsible for the Olympic bombing that killed one and injured many, as well as a bombing of an abortion clinic where innocent life was taken and another person horribly maimed. Rudolf eluded law enforcement for years hiding in the mountains of NC. The book gives you a haunting journey into the mind of a psychopath.
January 16, 2021
Fascinating! I originally selected this book because I saw the miniseries Manhunt: Deadly Games. The miniseries was half about Richard Jewell, half Eric Rudolph, but credited Maryanne Vollers. Lone Wolf was all about Eric.
She uses many sources and is definitely a work of nonfiction. She corresponded directly with Rudolph, a very private and articulate man. She does not make a hero out of him, but shows many sides to his life.
She also portrays the law enforcement agents who searched for him and the lawyers who defended him. Several of the victims were mentioned, but could have been explored further, particularly the Centennial Park victims. I enjoyed the interviews with his mother.
If you think you’ll learn Rudolph’s motive or terrible upbringing, you will be disappointed. He’s a complex person who survived in the woods for 5 years. He barely mentions this feat, like it was no big deal.
She uses many sources and is definitely a work of nonfiction. She corresponded directly with Rudolph, a very private and articulate man. She does not make a hero out of him, but shows many sides to his life.
She also portrays the law enforcement agents who searched for him and the lawyers who defended him. Several of the victims were mentioned, but could have been explored further, particularly the Centennial Park victims. I enjoyed the interviews with his mother.
If you think you’ll learn Rudolph’s motive or terrible upbringing, you will be disappointed. He’s a complex person who survived in the woods for 5 years. He barely mentions this feat, like it was no big deal.
March 17, 2025
Interesting and Revealing
It was interesting to read details of the Olympic Bomber. I found it enlightening to hear the bomber’s regrets and reasons for his bombings.
If you’re looking for an easy to read non fiction book, this is a great one.
It was interesting to read details of the Olympic Bomber. I found it enlightening to hear the bomber’s regrets and reasons for his bombings.
If you’re looking for an easy to read non fiction book, this is a great one.
January 14, 2024
Captivating read.
June 2, 2024
4.5 stars, rounded down
December 14, 2023
Comprehensive accounting of Rudolph's Olympic, abortion clinic, and gay nightclub bombings. His flight from justice, almost 5 years living/hiding in the woods of western North Carolina, and his subsequent trial and conviction are all well covered. Rudolph's manifesto, published before his ultimate incarceration at ADX Florence Supermax was unexpectedly thought provoking. While one might not agree with McVeigh, Kaczynski, and Rudolph, their writings show that they are anything but insane or otherwise cognitively compromised.
January 3, 2022
Fascinating look at a strange case spanning several years. There were so many things I didn't know about Eric Rudolph and the hunt for him, and I feel like this book was well-researched and easy to follow in spite of a complicated timeline.
August 28, 2013
I don't really know how I feel about this book.
It kind of felt like a non-event. After reading about Eric Rudolph for more than 300 pages, we still don't know much about him except that depending on your personal beliefs he is either the world's biggest dirtbag or a folk hero. There is also a sickening sense of reverence shown to Rudolph (in response to allegations that he is a racist, the author speaks of the respect and friendliness that he shows towards his prison guard who is a large person of color, there is a large amount of page space used to describe how much people who meet him respect him and think he is a friendly guy, his articles are said to be written well enough to have been penned by someone with a PHD, etc..) which seems like it is beyond the scope of presenting both sides of an argument.
I also feel Vollers perhaps should have probed more into what exactly he means when he says that he has a controversial view of WWII and perhaps ask him how exactly his fellow soldiers "misunderstood" his interest in WWII as sympathy to Nazi-ism, when he called himself Adolf Rudolph in a letter to one of his friends.
But perhaps the biggest problem is the subject matter. Eric Rudolph is a bad person. He is a such a bad person that he wore a shit-eating grin throughout all of his legal proceedings and rather than show a shred of remorse at his sentencing hearing, he decided to preach and say to a room full of victim's families that he was doing what was right and fighting to save Western Civilization.
But that is not Vollers fault.
She mostly does a very good job of sticking to reporting just the facts. And the first half of the book (before delving into showing how "human" Eric Rudolph is) is a very fin work of journalism. I also do not believe that she had any desire to portray any of the individuals in any but an objective light. She is critical and fair
However, this book suffers from a lack of true depth of analysis and by the end the reader feels cheated. There is no revelation, there is no closure, there is only a smug piece of shit sitting in his jail cell convinced that he has done nothing wrong, convinced that the "sinners" he killed deserved to die, churning out his hatred through the Army Of God website and Vollers ending with a letter by him that makes him ALMOST not seem like the waste of life he is....
It kind of felt like a non-event. After reading about Eric Rudolph for more than 300 pages, we still don't know much about him except that depending on your personal beliefs he is either the world's biggest dirtbag or a folk hero. There is also a sickening sense of reverence shown to Rudolph (in response to allegations that he is a racist, the author speaks of the respect and friendliness that he shows towards his prison guard who is a large person of color, there is a large amount of page space used to describe how much people who meet him respect him and think he is a friendly guy, his articles are said to be written well enough to have been penned by someone with a PHD, etc..) which seems like it is beyond the scope of presenting both sides of an argument.
I also feel Vollers perhaps should have probed more into what exactly he means when he says that he has a controversial view of WWII and perhaps ask him how exactly his fellow soldiers "misunderstood" his interest in WWII as sympathy to Nazi-ism, when he called himself Adolf Rudolph in a letter to one of his friends.
But perhaps the biggest problem is the subject matter. Eric Rudolph is a bad person. He is a such a bad person that he wore a shit-eating grin throughout all of his legal proceedings and rather than show a shred of remorse at his sentencing hearing, he decided to preach and say to a room full of victim's families that he was doing what was right and fighting to save Western Civilization.
But that is not Vollers fault.
She mostly does a very good job of sticking to reporting just the facts. And the first half of the book (before delving into showing how "human" Eric Rudolph is) is a very fin work of journalism. I also do not believe that she had any desire to portray any of the individuals in any but an objective light. She is critical and fair
However, this book suffers from a lack of true depth of analysis and by the end the reader feels cheated. There is no revelation, there is no closure, there is only a smug piece of shit sitting in his jail cell convinced that he has done nothing wrong, convinced that the "sinners" he killed deserved to die, churning out his hatred through the Army Of God website and Vollers ending with a letter by him that makes him ALMOST not seem like the waste of life he is....
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February 5, 2009That Eric Rudolph admired the film version of Maryanne Vollers's book Ghosts of Mississippi perhaps explains why Vollers was the only journalist with whom he corresponded while awaiting trial. On the basis of Rudolph's letters, FBI files, and interviews with his family, this compelling true-crime storydraws a portrait of a "lone-wolf" criminal who, fueled by antiabortion and antihomosexual sentiment, felt compelled to kill. The best parts center on Rudolph; when he disappears, the narrative slows down. While most reviewers agree that Vollers's grisly details and humanistic approach create a "gripping investigation of the bomber's mind" (New York Times Book Review), a few contend that readers never fully understand Rudolph's actions. In the end, notes the Los Angeles Times, Voller acknowledges that a satisfying answer to the question "Who is Eric Rudolph?" may be "as elusive as the man himself once was."
This is an excerpt from a review published in Bookmarks magazine.
August 22, 2012
A fascinating true crime story in which the author does a great job of providing the details and answers the readers want to know. The book is well-paced, interesting, and does a decent job of not giving away too much too early in the story. It was an interesting read and the only aspect I disliked was that it was a little anticlimactic toward the end. I would recommend this book for any lover of the true-crime genre.
September 7, 2007
Unbelievable read. Eric Rudolph survived five years running from the FBI in the North Carolina Mountains after bombing the Olympic Village in Atlanta GA. He also bombed a gay bar and abortion clinic. Interesting, disturbed, misguided, intelligent, resourceful are but a few words that describe Eric Rudolph.
February 8, 2012
I chose this book to study Eric Rudolph's techniques for surviving in the wild for an extended period while evading the FBI. One of my novels strands the main characters in the wilderness and I thought this would be good research material. However, I found myself engrossed in the story and fascinated by Eric's complex character. Great material for a future antagonist.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews