Cemetery John: The Undiscovered Mastermind Behind The Lindbergh Kidnapping (2012) - Plot & Excerpts
An excellent read. I highly encourage anyone who wants to pick this up to read the Foreword and Introduction - it helps sort of set the tone and makes sure you understand who the author is as well as JohnDouglas and Mark Olshaker, if you're not already familiar with them. Overall this was a wonderful and insightful book. I was captivated, moved and loved the authors style of writing. Additionally I felt that he (the author) took care and consideration for what he was writing when it came to living family members of those written about, ie B. R. Hauptmann's son and so forth. This was a detailed retelling of the Lindbergh case and trial, with interesting facts and a carefully worded presentation of a new "theory" although I must admit I am completely sold on the facts presented to me, including several photographs of handwriting, the suspect named and more. If you take delight in true crime then add this to your list. Cemetery John: The Undiscovered Master Mind Behind the Lindbergh Kidnapping, by Robert Zorn, Narrated by Sean Runnette, Produced by Tantor Audio, downloaded from audible.com.This book is based on memories the author’s father had of the likely collaborators in, and master mind of, the Charles Lindbergh baby kidnapping. His father contends that he was with the master mind, John Knowles, when he met his friends, the Hauptmann brothers, at Palisades Park. The author’s father was a teenager, but heard them speak particular words in German which, to him, many years later, had more meaning. While the kidnapping and trial took place in the 1930’s, Robert’s father didn’t tell him of his memories and suspicions until 1980. Since that time, Robert and his father worked together, until the father’s death, and then Robert Zorn afterward, to research the lives of the three suspects and come up with a plausible chain of events leading to the kidnapping and the death of the baby. It is hard to prove or disprove the story now. As the author says, most people believe that Bruno Hauptmann didn’t act alone and couldn’t have carried out the kidnapping plot alone. And the author certainly did a masterful job of collecting research and interviewing remaining witnesses to determine what might have, or even what probably did, happen. However, I think it’s hard to make a claim that this is the “whole story”, that we now know exactly what happened. But it’s very good reading and gives us a view of those times and of the Lindbergh family itself. Very good.
What do You think about Cemetery John: The Undiscovered Mastermind Behind The Lindbergh Kidnapping (2012)?
Amazingly well written and extremely touching book. Highly recommended read!!
—xoxohotchellebabexoxo
A fascinating look at the Lindberg baby kidnapping.
—McFonzie
they know who did it and one member got away
—tehreem
