What do you think?
Rate this book
During the Depression, economic anxieties found an outlet in a series of child murders that triggered an irrational nationwide hysteria: pedophiliac psychopaths were overrunning the country.
As America was brought to rage and fury by the press and the FBI, lynch mobs took to the streets, reason gave way to doomsday scenarios, and one father was even driven to murder his three daughters to “save them” from a degenerate crime wave. A terrifying cautionary essay, Panic explores the combustible mix of unfounded fears, moral crusades, and the dangers of collective thinking.
Panic is part of Bloodlands, a chilling collection of short page-turning historical narratives from bestselling true-crime master Harold Schechter. Spanning a century in our nation’s murderous past, Schechter resurrects nearly forgotten tales of madmen and thrill-killers that dominated the most sensational headlines of their day.
62 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 28, 2018
761 people are currently reading
773 people want to read
About the author
Harold Schechter
77 books1,357 followersAka Jon A. Harrald (joint pseudonym with Jonna Gormley Semeiks)
Harold Schechter is a true crime writer who specializes in serial killers. He attended the State University of New York in Buffalo, where he obtained a Ph.D. A resident of New York City, Schechter is professor of American literature and popular culture at Queens College of the City University of New York.
Among his nonfiction works are the historical true-crime classics Fatal, Fiend, Deviant, Deranged, and Depraved. He also authors a critically acclaimed mystery series featuring Edgar Allan Poe, which includes The Hum Bug and Nevermore and The Mask of Red Death.
Schechter is married to poet Kimiko Hahn. He has two daughters from a previous marriage: the writer Lauren Oliver and professor of philosophy Elizabeth Schechter.
Harold Schechter is a true crime writer who specializes in serial killers. He attended the State University of New York in Buffalo, where he obtained a Ph.D. A resident of New York City, Schechter is professor of American literature and popular culture at Queens College of the City University of New York.
Among his nonfiction works are the historical true-crime classics Fatal, Fiend, Deviant, Deranged, and Depraved. He also authors a critically acclaimed mystery series featuring Edgar Allan Poe, which includes The Hum Bug and Nevermore and The Mask of Red Death.
Schechter is married to poet Kimiko Hahn. He has two daughters from a previous marriage: the writer Lauren Oliver and professor of philosophy Elizabeth Schechter.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 234 reviews
June 19, 2024
0- واقعا خواندن این مرور و رفتن به سراغ این کتاب محدودیت سن دارد، و اینکه مطالعه این کتاب رو اصلا و ابدا به کسی پیشنهاد نمیکنم.
1- این مجلد از سلسله مجلد های پرونده جنایی‌های آمریکا که توسط نشر خوب منتشر می‌شود، وحشتناک‌ترین جلد بود.
یعنی این حجم از عیان و شفاف بودن متن روح آدم رو فسرده می‌کرد. قطع به یقین کتاب سانسور داشته است و هُری دلم می‌ریزد که متن اصلی کتاب چقدر تلخ است.
2- نکته‌های آماری و دقت‌های نویسنده در شرح اپیدمی ترس از بیمارانِ جنسی و قاتلانِ جنسیِ کودکان مهم است، اما حجم رذالت و سیاهی در پس تک تک روایت‌های این کتاب، باری دیگر به من اثبات می‌کند چیزی فراتر از اعداد در اینگونه کیس‌ها و پرونده‌ها موجود است.
تک تک قربانیان و خانواده‌هایشان. تک تک مجرمان و اطرافیانشان. تک تک خوانندگان روزنامه‌ها و خانواده‌های ترسا. تک تک قضات و اعضای هیئت منصفه. تک تک آفیسرها و کارآگاهان پلیس.
یک جنایت روابطی عمیق و پیچیده از انسان‌ها را خلق می‌کند که سعی میکنند غم، خشم، اندوه، ترس، انزجار و مختصات و ارزش‌های اخلاقیِ خودشون رو نسبت به این رخدادِ تلخ و عجیب را سامان بدهند...
اصلا هر چه‌قدر از حجم ابهام، روابط تودرتو و ترسی که از خواندن اینگونه متون در جانم رسوخ می‌کند بگویم، به هیچ وجه من الوجوه حق مطلب را ادا نمی‌کند.
نخوانید.
1- این مجلد از سلسله مجلد های پرونده جنایی‌های آمریکا که توسط نشر خوب منتشر می‌شود، وحشتناک‌ترین جلد بود.
یعنی این حجم از عیان و شفاف بودن متن روح آدم رو فسرده می‌کرد. قطع به یقین کتاب سانسور داشته است و هُری دلم می‌ریزد که متن اصلی کتاب چقدر تلخ است.
2- نکته‌های آماری و دقت‌های نویسنده در شرح اپیدمی ترس از بیمارانِ جنسی و قاتلانِ جنسیِ کودکان مهم است، اما حجم رذالت و سیاهی در پس تک تک روایت‌های این کتاب، باری دیگر به من اثبات می‌کند چیزی فراتر از اعداد در اینگونه کیس‌ها و پرونده‌ها موجود است.
تک تک قربانیان و خانواده‌هایشان. تک تک مجرمان و اطرافیانشان. تک تک خوانندگان روزنامه‌ها و خانواده‌های ترسا. تک تک قضات و اعضای هیئت منصفه. تک تک آفیسرها و کارآگاهان پلیس.
یک جنایت روابطی عمیق و پیچیده از انسان‌ها را خلق می‌کند که سعی میکنند غم، خشم، اندوه، ترس، انزجار و مختصات و ارزش‌های اخلاقیِ خودشون رو نسبت به این رخدادِ تلخ و عجیب را سامان بدهند...
اصلا هر چه‌قدر از حجم ابهام، روابط تودرتو و ترسی که از خواندن اینگونه متون در جانم رسوخ می‌کند بگویم، به هیچ وجه من الوجوه حق مطلب را ادا نمی‌کند.
نخوانید.
October 8, 2020
This was very good, but definitely hard to read given the subject matter.
October 26, 2023
Hard to Listen to - DNF
This one wasn’t like the others in the sense that it has several different accounts of criminals instead of focusing on just one.
This was also hard to listen to due to the nature of the material being crimes against children. I gave up and DNF this one unfortunately.
This one wasn’t like the others in the sense that it has several different accounts of criminals instead of focusing on just one.
This was also hard to listen to due to the nature of the material being crimes against children. I gave up and DNF this one unfortunately.
December 21, 2024
توی این جلد، نه یک پرونده بلکه چندین پرونده‌ی مشابه در یک برهه زمانی بررسی میشه.
موضوع اصلی این پرونده‌ها، تجاوز و قتلِ دختر بچه‌هاست که در یک دوره بسیار شدت یافته بود.
به قدری که یک پدر، با تفنگ سه فرزند کوچکِ خودش رو به قتل می‌رسونه تا مبادا گیر چنین منحرفان جنسی بیفتند و سپس خودکشی میکنه!
توی این پرونده مشخص میشه که اکثر این منحرفان جنسی، سابقه‌ی انحراف داشتند و به قید وثیقه یا مشروط، آزاد شده بودند اما باز هم این جرم رو تکرار میکنند.
یکی از همین مجرمان، صرفا برای اینکه خبر قتل و تجاوز رو توی روزنامه خونده، وسوسه میشه و این جرم رو تکرار میکنه!
مردم، دولت رو محکوم میکنند که چنین منحرفانی لایق هیچ‌گونه عفو و تخفیف در مجازات نیستند و حتما باید اعدام شوند وگرنه باز هم وجودشون جامعه رو تهدید میکنه.
علاوه بر برخورد جدی با افراد پدوفیل، چیزی که خیلی اهمیت داره، آموزش به بچه‌هاست. بچه‌ها باید و باید و باید به آموزه‌های جنسی و مراقب از خودشون و عدم اعتماد به غریبه‌ها آگاه باشند و والدین اگر عرضه‌ی مراقبت از فرزند خودشون رو ندارند و قراره اون‌ها رو به دست خانواده یا پارک و کوچه بسپارند، غلط می‌کنن بچه‌دار میشن.
موضوع اصلی این پرونده‌ها، تجاوز و قتلِ دختر بچه‌هاست که در یک دوره بسیار شدت یافته بود.
به قدری که یک پدر، با تفنگ سه فرزند کوچکِ خودش رو به قتل می‌رسونه تا مبادا گیر چنین منحرفان جنسی بیفتند و سپس خودکشی میکنه!
توی این پرونده مشخص میشه که اکثر این منحرفان جنسی، سابقه‌ی انحراف داشتند و به قید وثیقه یا مشروط، آزاد شده بودند اما باز هم این جرم رو تکرار میکنند.
یکی از همین مجرمان، صرفا برای اینکه خبر قتل و تجاوز رو توی روزنامه خونده، وسوسه میشه و این جرم رو تکرار میکنه!
مردم، دولت رو محکوم میکنند که چنین منحرفانی لایق هیچ‌گونه عفو و تخفیف در مجازات نیستند و حتما باید اعدام شوند وگرنه باز هم وجودشون جامعه رو تهدید میکنه.
علاوه بر برخورد جدی با افراد پدوفیل، چیزی که خیلی اهمیت داره، آموزش به بچه‌هاست. بچه‌ها باید و باید و باید به آموزه‌های جنسی و مراقب از خودشون و عدم اعتماد به غریبه‌ها آگاه باشند و والدین اگر عرضه‌ی مراقبت از فرزند خودشون رو ندارند و قراره اون‌ها رو به دست خانواده یا پارک و کوچه بسپارند، غلط می‌کنن بچه‌دار میشن.
November 11, 2018
Panic is about sex and murder crimes against children in the past. It gives a run down of some some of the most sensational ones. It was hard to listen too.😢 The information was good and so was the narration but it was heartbreaking.
January 1, 2019
The United States was paralyzed by The Depression when a series of child murders incited a national panic about killer pedophiles. Reports from the FBI in the media about these cases riled the downtrodden masses into hysteria about supposed huge numbers pedophile sex criminals targeting American children. Turns out, those types of crimes, while scary, terrifying and horrible, were not increasing in number at all, but the public was in a particularly vulnerable state and susceptible to hysteria and fear. Panic, part of the Bloodlands Collection from Audible/Amazon Originals outlines some of the child murder cases that incited the fear about pedophile sex perverts in 1937.
The Bloodlands Collection gathers six true crime stories by Harold Schechter. Schechter is also the author of several true crime novels. I listened to the audio version of Panic. The audio is just over 1.5 hours long, so an easy, short listen. Steven Webber narrates. He reads at a nice even pace and has a good voice. Even with my partial hearing loss, I was easily able to understand and enjoy the entire audio book.
I found Panic to be interesting, informative and poignant even after the passing of 81 years. Sensationalized reporting in the media can still incite emotion, panic, and fear in the public even now. And, with the instant news feeds of the internet age, the spread of news reports -- sensationalized, true, false and otherwise -- is lightning quick. I found myself comparing the scare of 1937 to present day panics as I listened. Some things never change. Public sentiments can still be manipulated by the media. In some ways it's even worse now than 80 years ago as information is passed so much faster now, often times with no fact checking whatsoever.
Another great listen in the Bloodlands Collection! I have enjoyed each story. I'm definitely going to check out some of Harold Schechter's other writings.
The Bloodlands Collection gathers six true crime stories by Harold Schechter. Schechter is also the author of several true crime novels. I listened to the audio version of Panic. The audio is just over 1.5 hours long, so an easy, short listen. Steven Webber narrates. He reads at a nice even pace and has a good voice. Even with my partial hearing loss, I was easily able to understand and enjoy the entire audio book.
I found Panic to be interesting, informative and poignant even after the passing of 81 years. Sensationalized reporting in the media can still incite emotion, panic, and fear in the public even now. And, with the instant news feeds of the internet age, the spread of news reports -- sensationalized, true, false and otherwise -- is lightning quick. I found myself comparing the scare of 1937 to present day panics as I listened. Some things never change. Public sentiments can still be manipulated by the media. In some ways it's even worse now than 80 years ago as information is passed so much faster now, often times with no fact checking whatsoever.
Another great listen in the Bloodlands Collection! I have enjoyed each story. I'm definitely going to check out some of Harold Schechter's other writings.
December 20, 2019
Wow that was difficult to read
April 18, 2025
فکر کنم این تنها کتابیه که به هییییچ کسی پیشنهاد نمیکنم بخونه.
انقدررر که روح و روانم رو اذیت کرد.
تمام پوست لبمو کندم موقع خوندن کتاب و هر بخس کتاب رو میذاشتم کنار و یه سیگار میکشیدم.
فکر کنم از این هفت جلد(اگر اشتباه نکنم!)، این وحشتناک‌ترین جلدش بود!
بعد از این همه سال پرونده‌های جنایی خوندن و دیدن و پیگیری کردن، هیچوقت پرونده‌هایی که مربوط به کودکان بوده برام عادی نمیشه.
درباره‌ی مجموعه هم بگم که هارولد شکتر نویسنده‌ی مستند جناییه.
اینم یه مجموعه مستنده از قتل‌های سریالی آمریکا.
همه‌شون یک کتاب بوده، که هم‌وطن‌های عزیز ایرانیمون برداشتن کتاب‌های کوچیک کوچیک کردنش.
انقدررر که روح و روانم رو اذیت کرد.
تمام پوست لبمو کندم موقع خوندن کتاب و هر بخس کتاب رو میذاشتم کنار و یه سیگار میکشیدم.
فکر کنم از این هفت جلد(اگر اشتباه نکنم!)، این وحشتناک‌ترین جلدش بود!
بعد از این همه سال پرونده‌های جنایی خوندن و دیدن و پیگیری کردن، هیچوقت پرونده‌هایی که مربوط به کودکان بوده برام عادی نمیشه.
درباره‌ی مجموعه هم بگم که هارولد شکتر نویسنده‌ی مستند جناییه.
اینم یه مجموعه مستنده از قتل‌های سریالی آمریکا.
همه‌شون یک کتاب بوده، که هم‌وطن‌های عزیز ایرانیمون برداشتن کتاب‌های کوچیک کوچیک کردنش.
May 6, 2019
This entry in Amazon's Bloodlands collections concerns a perceived increase in pedophiliac sex murders in the late 30s, and how the public was in a panic about it. It discusses several of these crimes across the country during that time. The author also talks about how some experts of the time blamed swing music for corrupting the minds of people, causing them to perpetrate these horrible crimes. Much like rock, punk, metal etc have been blamed for crime waves in more recent times.
June 19, 2024
عجب کتاب مریض و اعصاب خورد کنی بود.
August 19, 2018
I liked that this piece has a little more societal context surrounding it than the others I’ve read so far. This one felt a little incomplete, I would’ve like more of this context. Definitely a difficult read due to the identities of the victims (young girls) and the crimes committed against them. One thing I wish had been explored more was this charge of “impairing the morals of a minor” as a charge— I need more context on this lesser charge as an alternative to the actual violent sexual crime committed.
August 7, 2021
this was so disturbing.
rating: 3/5 stars
rating: 3/5 stars
January 1, 2019
Very intriguing!
In this short work, Schechter focuses on a single sex-crime panic in the USA, in 1937. He does a good job sketching out the cases that dominated the headlines in that dim, dead year, but I wish he had told us more about some of the other cases he mentioned in passing. He helped me understand the overall level of outrage already simmering in the country the day of the Everett-Stephens murder and the underpinnings of a number of other crimes I've read about from this era. As always the author leaves me wanting to know so much more. Don't miss this one.
In this short work, Schechter focuses on a single sex-crime panic in the USA, in 1937. He does a good job sketching out the cases that dominated the headlines in that dim, dead year, but I wish he had told us more about some of the other cases he mentioned in passing. He helped me understand the overall level of outrage already simmering in the country the day of the Everett-Stephens murder and the underpinnings of a number of other crimes I've read about from this era. As always the author leaves me wanting to know so much more. Don't miss this one.
August 20, 2018
Pedophilia is nothing new.
This book discusses several episodes of children being taped and murdered during the 1930’s. It was interesting to learn about these crimes and how the “good old days” weren’t that good.
This book discusses several episodes of children being taped and murdered during the 1930’s. It was interesting to learn about these crimes and how the “good old days” weren’t that good.
August 19, 2024
Like other moral panics before and since, the sex crime hysteria of 1937 had far more to do with fantasy than reality. The monster that haunted the American imagination—the maddened sex-beast preying on women and children—was the incarnation of widespread anxieties generated by the social conditions of the Great Depression: fears about family dissolution; the threat of social anarchy; the impotent fury of vast numbers of men, suddenly deprived of their traditional roles as breadwinners. It was no accident that the panic would come to a very abrupt end.
Just as a reminder for people that care about trigger warnings, the focus of this book is the horrible murder of young girls and it could be hard to read or listen.
The author does a good job of showing how America tends to go through panic phenomenon's from time to time and they are always or almost 99% of the time tied to crimes. During the Depression times, America went through a pedophile panic with the murders of young girls and the police had more questions than answer about who was the culprit.
I don't know how to rate this since it's so informative but disturbing that for some reason leaves you wanting to know more.
These are some of the extra readings that I'm going to consider later from the Notes section:
● The Culture of Fear: Why Americans Are Afraid of the Wrong Things by Barry Glassner
● The Sexual Criminal: A Psychoanalytical Study by J. Paul De River
Just as a reminder for people that care about trigger warnings, the focus of this book is the horrible murder of young girls and it could be hard to read or listen.
The author does a good job of showing how America tends to go through panic phenomenon's from time to time and they are always or almost 99% of the time tied to crimes. During the Depression times, America went through a pedophile panic with the murders of young girls and the police had more questions than answer about who was the culprit.
I don't know how to rate this since it's so informative but disturbing that for some reason leaves you wanting to know more.
These are some of the extra readings that I'm going to consider later from the Notes section:
● The Culture of Fear: Why Americans Are Afraid of the Wrong Things by Barry Glassner
● The Sexual Criminal: A Psychoanalytical Study by J. Paul De River
August 13, 2019
Our world is prone to panics. Harold Schechter wants you to know this. And he wants you to know that criminal panics are a particularly American (US) phenomenon.
To that end, Schechter dives into the child rape-murder panic of 30s depression-era U.S.A., moving from case to case to case before finally connecting us explicitly to his overarching Bloodlands Collection theme or unlocking US history through the history of criminology.
Here, Schechter digs into the difference between reality and perception. The perception in this moment of nationwide madness was that paedophiles were everywhere and committing heinous crimes at unprecedented levels that needed to be blamed on anything and everything -- loose morals, crime magazines, and (uh oh! look out) swing music. The truth was that violence against women and children had gone down since the twenties, but the press had gotten hold of things, there was a social reaction that sold papers, and a feedback loop kicked in. Panic ensued. People freaked out. Then Hitler attacked Poland and everyone had bigger fish to fry, so the panic died down.
It makes one wonder, doesn't it?
To that end, Schechter dives into the child rape-murder panic of 30s depression-era U.S.A., moving from case to case to case before finally connecting us explicitly to his overarching Bloodlands Collection theme or unlocking US history through the history of criminology.
Here, Schechter digs into the difference between reality and perception. The perception in this moment of nationwide madness was that paedophiles were everywhere and committing heinous crimes at unprecedented levels that needed to be blamed on anything and everything -- loose morals, crime magazines, and (uh oh! look out) swing music. The truth was that violence against women and children had gone down since the twenties, but the press had gotten hold of things, there was a social reaction that sold papers, and a feedback loop kicked in. Panic ensued. People freaked out. Then Hitler attacked Poland and everyone had bigger fish to fry, so the panic died down.
It makes one wonder, doesn't it?
February 6, 2022
This story was difficult to read and hear. Crimes against children are - disturbing and disgusting!
It centers around, what was believed to be at the time, a wave of pedophiliac rapes and murders perpetrated during the late 1930s and the panic that ensued. The essay opens with the horrific shooting of three children by their father, who was so terrified that his children would become victims of this wave that he felt death was better than risking their safety out in the world.
Included are the beliefs and speculations of the time as to why these predators are the way they are and the apparent frustration of what to do with them once they have been caught. The laws, at the time, were woefully lacking. Arguments of nature vs. nurture; madness vs. coldbloodedness.
Oh, and don't forget to blame the music of the time (n0 - not joking).
I don't know how to rate this - it was informative and interesting but distressing, depressing, and heartbreaking, as well. The one "comfort" is that all of the perpetrators of the leading crimes outlined in the story were caught and tried - with two of the three also being executed.
It centers around, what was believed to be at the time, a wave of pedophiliac rapes and murders perpetrated during the late 1930s and the panic that ensued. The essay opens with the horrific shooting of three children by their father, who was so terrified that his children would become victims of this wave that he felt death was better than risking their safety out in the world.
Included are the beliefs and speculations of the time as to why these predators are the way they are and the apparent frustration of what to do with them once they have been caught. The laws, at the time, were woefully lacking. Arguments of nature vs. nurture; madness vs. coldbloodedness.
Oh, and don't forget to blame the music of the time (n0 - not joking).
I don't know how to rate this - it was informative and interesting but distressing, depressing, and heartbreaking, as well. The one "comfort" is that all of the perpetrators of the leading crimes outlined in the story were caught and tried - with two of the three also being executed.
September 16, 2023
از مجموعه «مشاهیر مرگ»(Bloodlands Collection) نوشته شکتر که استاد ادبیات در امریکاست و تخصصش داستان‌های جنایی مستند است. این مجموعه شش جلد کم‌حجم در قطع پالتویی است که در هرکدام به جنایت و قاتلانی مشهور در تاریخ امریکا می‌پردازد. تمامی اتفاق‌هایی که در هر کدام آورده شده مستند است و مرجع آن در انتهای کتاب آورده شده است. شکتر استادانه این فکت‌ها را کنار هم چیده و به شکل داستان‌هایی جذاب درآورده است.
داستان سال ۱۹۳۷-۱۹۳۸ امریکاست که جو روانی زیاد شدن کشتن کودکان فراگیر شده بود. در این کتاب داستان چندین جنایت آن سال‌ها روایت می‌شود و نحوه دستگیری و محاکمه و بررسی جذابی دارد.
ترجمه بسیار عالی و چاپ کتاب هم بسیار شکیل و درجه یک است.
داستان سال ۱۹۳۷-۱۹۳۸ امریکاست که جو روانی زیاد شدن کشتن کودکان فراگیر شده بود. در این کتاب داستان چندین جنایت آن سال‌ها روایت می‌شود و نحوه دستگیری و محاکمه و بررسی جذابی دارد.
ترجمه بسیار عالی و چاپ کتاب هم بسیار شکیل و درجه یک است.
August 21, 2018
2.5/5, this one was a little tougher to listen to based on the subject matter of child rape and murder (though the author presents the facts accurately without being superfluous). I also found it a little more confusing and disjointed then the others, but it did go a slightly deeper into the Bloodlands' series overarching theme over the social and sensationalist aspect of the history of homicide in America.
June 3, 2023
قیمت این کتاب در سال 1402، پنجاه و چهار هزار تومان است. و صرفا گزارشی کلی از یک سری جنایات جنسی در قرن بیستم امریکا هست. هیچ جذابیت رمان گونه و داستانی نداشت.
November 25, 2024
I know the overall theme is about this widespread "sex offender panic" that struck major cities in the late 30s, but what I took away more than anything from this is how longstanding the issue has been that our justice system completely fucking fails sexual assault victims of all ages.
August 6, 2022
My fault with this book is not the information presented, rather, the framing of the information presented. This book details several heinous child rape/murders that occurred across the US in 1937. While I’m sure the media contributed to the over sensationalization of these crimes, these are crimes worth panicking over. And since it was the 30s, people pointed to some ridiculous possible causes for the perceived increase in sexual crimes, namely jazz music. This is ridiculous and cannot be excused. The author points out that according to statistics, sex related crimes and murder actually decreased in the year 1937. However, the statistics also stated that less than one hundred murders of women that year were rape related. Give me a fucking break. That may be the data collected by the biased men of the day, but there’s no way that number is accurate. Only 100 in the entire US for an entire year?! And then the author uses a quote by a law official of the day, which basically amounted to “only 5% of all sex criminals are of the dangerous variety, aka, the kind that injure or murder their victims”. I find it strange that he included this quote because excuse me but every sex offender is of the dangerous variety. So the women and children that weren’t tortured or murdered after they were raped weren’t injured by the rape itself?!” Why use a quote that is so disgustingly downplaying the trauma of sexual assault. The reason I wanted to read this is because I often hear people from older generations talking about how bad people have become, and I thought it would be interesting to read about older sex related crimes and see how they compare to modern crimes. It seems that sexual predators have existed for much longer than the 21st century, and it also seems, unfortunately, that people in the past did not take sex crimes as seriously as they should have. Every single cases presented showed that the rapist/murder was had committed multiple acts of sexual assault/molestation before they eventually escalated to murder. If this book taught me anything, it’s that America needs to punish sex offenders much more harshly. It’s insane how many times a man can rape and still walk free. Unfortunately, while there may be some improvements, it’s crazy to see how little has changed in the handling of sex criminals. I’m disappointed by how the author framed such a serious topic.
August 8, 2018
This was less a single case than a trend in how cases were discussed in the media. The narrative moved quickly through a number of unrelated cases. Interesting, but I will be honest that I was very off-put by the dismissal of the Columbine school shooting as significant or indicative of an increasing trend in violence by youth. In reviewing the footnotes, the statistics cited that this sort of violence was on the decrease dated from nearly 15 years ago. I checked the copyright date for this short work and found it to be 2018. It seems a little absurd to use such dated statistics, particularly in the wake of events over the last 4-5 years.
August 28, 2020
TW: sexual violence, rape, murder, pedophilia.
I'm truly baffled by what this book was trying to achieve. The author just throws these cases at you with no correlation of whatsoever, there's no saying in that book, it's completely redundant.
Don't waste your (little but precious) time.
I'm truly baffled by what this book was trying to achieve. The author just throws these cases at you with no correlation of whatsoever, there's no saying in that book, it's completely redundant.
Don't waste your (little but precious) time.
August 10, 2018
Panic by Harold Schechter is listed on an Amazon page as Best Sellers in Fiction. On the Amazon page for the book itself, we have this paragraph: “Panic is part of Bloodlands, a chilling collection of short page-turning historical narratives from bestselling true-crime master Harold Schechter. Spanning a century in our nation’s murderous past, Schechter resurrects nearly forgotten tales of madmen and thrill-killers that dominated the most sensational headlines of their day.” Is this meant to be another mystery for me to solve? Are the Schechter works fiction or non-fiction?
The synopsis
This 88-page novel published in 2018 focuses on a series of sexually motivated child killings that occurred in 1937. Schechter introduces a sociological term “moral panic” to describe the near hysterical reaction of the citizenry that is akin to an “end of days” scenario. It is unclear from this work when the term “moral panic” came into common use among sociologists but it is easy to see the usefulness of the label in 1937 and today. School shootings, seemingly unreasoned attacks by knife-wielding “crazies,” and cars piloted into crowds for no purpose other than to kill or wound as many as possible all provoke moral panic today. Schechter makes the case that this phenomenon occurred in 1937 and occurs today with nearly fourteen pages of references. The focus of this novel is on the 1937 events and the social rage the events provoked.
Schechter does not use graphic sexual or violent language to describe either the crimes or the descriptions of bodies once they are found. The author uses almost clinical language for his descriptions. The shock some readers may feel comes from the age of the victims, usually under 12 and as young as four. I suppose this serves as some sort of trigger warning.
The publicity surrounding the 1937 events demanded the motivation for the killings. The immediate motivation was for the sexual gratification of the perpetrators; that part is clear. But what caused these individuals to develop into the persons they became? The proposed reasons for deviant behavior sound familiar. Young people no longer valued or followed religious teachings. Prohibition had been repealed so alcohol could again be blamed. Burlesque fueled sexual fantasies. And my all-time favorite, weird music. Nineteen thirty-seven may not have had Heavy Metal but they had Jazz. Good enough, let’s blame that. Schechter presents reactions of very prominent Jazz pioneers in the defense of music.
The Author
Harold Schechter specializes in writing about serial killers. I counted approximately twenty-two Kindle publications. These are the only publications I read because of the high cost of print media where I live. Schechter also has many paperback publications, some of which he has co-authored. His Amazon author site has five pages with 12 publications per page; he has been around for a while. He is a professor of American literature and popular culture at Queens College of the City University of New York.
My Opinion
I like crime novels whether fiction or non-fiction. My expectations for each are different. If non-fiction, I want to see references. For fiction, I want twists and surprises. Sometimes I get both such as with a recently reviewed Rogue Divorce Lawyer, an excellent reading experience with a mixture of solid references and creative writing that covered possible motivation. I like Schechter’s writing style; he projects credibility. Which leads me to a rant about what I do not like.
The absolute worst in non-fiction crime writing is that produced by a “writer” who cobbles together publicly available headlines and newspaper reports and struggles to write transition sentences containing psychobabble clichés. It is amazing to me that such writers make a living from their “craft” but their names appear often enough to assure me they do so. Usually, I am able to identify such plagiaristic rip-offs and abandon the novel after a few pages. Every once in a while I write a one-star review out of rage but I think I am getting over that.
Harold Schechter is a good writer who presents reasoned and logical arguments. Some may find his style dry and almost academic. I like the style and gave this novel four Amazon stars, not five because I would have liked a longer, more detailed examination of issues introduced. I will next read Hell’s Princess, a 336-page novel, to see how Schechter treats a case in greater depth.
The synopsis
This 88-page novel published in 2018 focuses on a series of sexually motivated child killings that occurred in 1937. Schechter introduces a sociological term “moral panic” to describe the near hysterical reaction of the citizenry that is akin to an “end of days” scenario. It is unclear from this work when the term “moral panic” came into common use among sociologists but it is easy to see the usefulness of the label in 1937 and today. School shootings, seemingly unreasoned attacks by knife-wielding “crazies,” and cars piloted into crowds for no purpose other than to kill or wound as many as possible all provoke moral panic today. Schechter makes the case that this phenomenon occurred in 1937 and occurs today with nearly fourteen pages of references. The focus of this novel is on the 1937 events and the social rage the events provoked.
Schechter does not use graphic sexual or violent language to describe either the crimes or the descriptions of bodies once they are found. The author uses almost clinical language for his descriptions. The shock some readers may feel comes from the age of the victims, usually under 12 and as young as four. I suppose this serves as some sort of trigger warning.
The publicity surrounding the 1937 events demanded the motivation for the killings. The immediate motivation was for the sexual gratification of the perpetrators; that part is clear. But what caused these individuals to develop into the persons they became? The proposed reasons for deviant behavior sound familiar. Young people no longer valued or followed religious teachings. Prohibition had been repealed so alcohol could again be blamed. Burlesque fueled sexual fantasies. And my all-time favorite, weird music. Nineteen thirty-seven may not have had Heavy Metal but they had Jazz. Good enough, let’s blame that. Schechter presents reactions of very prominent Jazz pioneers in the defense of music.
The Author
Harold Schechter specializes in writing about serial killers. I counted approximately twenty-two Kindle publications. These are the only publications I read because of the high cost of print media where I live. Schechter also has many paperback publications, some of which he has co-authored. His Amazon author site has five pages with 12 publications per page; he has been around for a while. He is a professor of American literature and popular culture at Queens College of the City University of New York.
My Opinion
I like crime novels whether fiction or non-fiction. My expectations for each are different. If non-fiction, I want to see references. For fiction, I want twists and surprises. Sometimes I get both such as with a recently reviewed Rogue Divorce Lawyer, an excellent reading experience with a mixture of solid references and creative writing that covered possible motivation. I like Schechter’s writing style; he projects credibility. Which leads me to a rant about what I do not like.
The absolute worst in non-fiction crime writing is that produced by a “writer” who cobbles together publicly available headlines and newspaper reports and struggles to write transition sentences containing psychobabble clichés. It is amazing to me that such writers make a living from their “craft” but their names appear often enough to assure me they do so. Usually, I am able to identify such plagiaristic rip-offs and abandon the novel after a few pages. Every once in a while I write a one-star review out of rage but I think I am getting over that.
Harold Schechter is a good writer who presents reasoned and logical arguments. Some may find his style dry and almost academic. I like the style and gave this novel four Amazon stars, not five because I would have liked a longer, more detailed examination of issues introduced. I will next read Hell’s Princess, a 336-page novel, to see how Schechter treats a case in greater depth.
June 1, 2020
Once the girls had polished off their treats, Horbachewski led them upstairs to the bedroom they shared with their infant sister, eleven-month-old Sonia. He tucked them into bed and kissed them good night. Then he went into his bedroom, fetched his .22-caliber rifle from the closet, and, returning to his children’s room, shot infant Sonia and three-year-old Nina both in the head.
The forth book in the Bloodlands Collection, a series of true crime stories from America's past, again takes us to the 1930s. This time it focuses on the power of the media to whip up a storm of fear following a number of sexual attacks on young girls.
For much of the summer of 1937, the sex crime panic raged mostly in New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago (where the preferred term for the perpetrators was not “sex fiends” or “sex maniacs” but “sex morons”).
This fear led Michael Horbachewski, a thirty one year old Polish immigrant and landscape gardener, to murder his children.
“These terrible things are happening every day,” his wife quoted him as saying. “I have a great fear—that one of my little darlings is going to meet one of these wild men someday.”
“Horbachewski’s love for his three daughters was so great that he shot them to death to save them from sex degenerates.”
The fear of the nation was stoked not only by the press but by people in positions of power, such as J. Edgar Hoover.
In a widely syndicated newspaper piece called “War on the Sex Criminal!,” FBI chief J. Edgar Hoover issued a similar alarm, proclaiming, “The sex fiend, most loathsome of all the vast army of crime, has become a threat to the safety of American childhood and womanhood.”
The books is difficult to read in places given the graphic details provided in the confessions of many of the men found guilty of sex crimes at the time. However, it is an important book as it highlights the responsibility and power the press and media has over the population. Fortunately, in some ways, the rise of Hitler and the Second World War put an end to the hysteria by replacing it with a greater fear.
Nine months later, in September 1939, Adolf Hitler’s troops marched into Poland. World War II had begun. Stories about an epidemic of pedophiliac rape-murders would vanish from the news, as America confronted a threat infinitely graver—and far more real—than the largely imaginary “wave” of sex crimes.
The forth book in the Bloodlands Collection, a series of true crime stories from America's past, again takes us to the 1930s. This time it focuses on the power of the media to whip up a storm of fear following a number of sexual attacks on young girls.
For much of the summer of 1937, the sex crime panic raged mostly in New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago (where the preferred term for the perpetrators was not “sex fiends” or “sex maniacs” but “sex morons”).
This fear led Michael Horbachewski, a thirty one year old Polish immigrant and landscape gardener, to murder his children.
“These terrible things are happening every day,” his wife quoted him as saying. “I have a great fear—that one of my little darlings is going to meet one of these wild men someday.”
“Horbachewski’s love for his three daughters was so great that he shot them to death to save them from sex degenerates.”
The fear of the nation was stoked not only by the press but by people in positions of power, such as J. Edgar Hoover.
In a widely syndicated newspaper piece called “War on the Sex Criminal!,” FBI chief J. Edgar Hoover issued a similar alarm, proclaiming, “The sex fiend, most loathsome of all the vast army of crime, has become a threat to the safety of American childhood and womanhood.”
The books is difficult to read in places given the graphic details provided in the confessions of many of the men found guilty of sex crimes at the time. However, it is an important book as it highlights the responsibility and power the press and media has over the population. Fortunately, in some ways, the rise of Hitler and the Second World War put an end to the hysteria by replacing it with a greater fear.
Nine months later, in September 1939, Adolf Hitler’s troops marched into Poland. World War II had begun. Stories about an epidemic of pedophiliac rape-murders would vanish from the news, as America confronted a threat infinitely graver—and far more real—than the largely imaginary “wave” of sex crimes.
December 24, 2018
I love it when Amazon groups these books all together, would enjoy seeing why and how they decide to do this?? all these are by: Harold Schechter? that is a 1st, right?? don't they usually have book by different authors? i made a list of my most favorite and in which order!! (I apparently did not read them in order, just jumped around and listen/read what i wanted to, that is how i roll!!!) 1. Rampage, 2. Brick Slayer, 3. Panic, 4. Pied Piper, 5. Little Slaughterhouse, & 6. Pirate (auto and books Kindle Unlimited, Bloodlines) I definitely think you have to have both the listen and read ...'cause there are so many awesome must see stuff. I love the narrator. "Steve Weber". then when you read the books .. u get like these amazing visuals. so cool! i will say these are not always pleasant stories ...they are pretty harsh ...but I would imagine that was well known before you starting reading?? right??! i mean these are not romances ... but i wonder ... i guess i could read some of the reviews (have yet to do that. some reviewers get kind of weird about certain things??!) I really enjoyed it ...and glad i found these. i know i wanna see more from Harold soon enough!! way cool! I do wonder ... can you really lump killers or folks who commit similar crimes into one box??! i recall when i was in college my teacher said we all have similar thoughts or feelings ...but the ones who go about carrying out the evilness ...that is what makes us different. it makes you wonder what sends them over the edge or make them so mean?? hateful?? have they been hurt in their past? treat wrong when raised ...what is it?? can you just narrow it all down to 1,2, and 3 ..and these reasons make you so to carry out evil ways??! i wonder??!
September 11, 2020
Panic is the fourth book in the series Bloodlands. Instead of focusing on one story, it focuses on an overlying theme: the 1937 child murders that seemed to dominate the news.
The stories involved many young girls who were raped and murdered, not far from their own homes or the safety of family members. America was in the Great Depression, and everyone’s anxieties were high. Despite crimes like this being on the decline during the time, they dominated the news and scared parents nationwide that perverted sex criminals were roaming the streets in the thousands.
They scared some to the point of a father killing his 3 young daughters with a gun, just so they wouldn’t fall victim to one of these people.
This book explores a mix of unfounded fears, moral crusades, and the dangers of collective thinking.
The stories involved many young girls who were raped and murdered, not far from their own homes or the safety of family members. America was in the Great Depression, and everyone’s anxieties were high. Despite crimes like this being on the decline during the time, they dominated the news and scared parents nationwide that perverted sex criminals were roaming the streets in the thousands.
They scared some to the point of a father killing his 3 young daughters with a gun, just so they wouldn’t fall victim to one of these people.
This book explores a mix of unfounded fears, moral crusades, and the dangers of collective thinking.
April 24, 2024
Okay
It's not my favorite of the books he's written. It's a compilation of several different pedophile cases. One part I did catch, which I've always felt was an issue, was the rise in cases of this type of crime so quickly was due in part because of the publicity and putting the depraved ideas into the heads of other men. Upon confessions, there were men who said this was where they learned about the idea and thoughts, got the urge, and acted on the feelings. I've always disagreed with giving any mention to this type of news coverage, mass shootings, etc. It fills people's heads.
It's not my favorite of the books he's written. It's a compilation of several different pedophile cases. One part I did catch, which I've always felt was an issue, was the rise in cases of this type of crime so quickly was due in part because of the publicity and putting the depraved ideas into the heads of other men. Upon confessions, there were men who said this was where they learned about the idea and thoughts, got the urge, and acted on the feelings. I've always disagreed with giving any mention to this type of news coverage, mass shootings, etc. It fills people's heads.
October 4, 2018
Interesting.
In short, nothing changes.
Even before the advent of the internet panics managed to spread and alarm people. (Panic on the streets of London, panic on the streets of Birmingham...)
It was horrible to read about how many of the sex offenders had previous convictions but were let out early and then re-offended. Anyway, let's not get into that discussion here on Goodreads.
Enjoying these short books.
In short, nothing changes.
Even before the advent of the internet panics managed to spread and alarm people. (Panic on the streets of London, panic on the streets of Birmingham...)
It was horrible to read about how many of the sex offenders had previous convictions but were let out early and then re-offended. Anyway, let's not get into that discussion here on Goodreads.
Enjoying these short books.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 234 reviews