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American Heiress

The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst

Audiobook
3 of 3 copies available
3 of 3 copies available
From New Yorker staff writer and bestselling author of The Nine and The Run of His Life: The People v. O. J. Simpson, the definitive account of the kidnapping and trial that defined an insane era in American history
 
On February 4, 1974, Patty Hearst, a sophomore in college and heiress to the Hearst family fortune, was kidnapped by a ragtag group of self-styled revolutionaries calling itself the Symbionese Liberation Army. The already sensational story took the first of many incredible twists on April 3, when the group released a tape of Patty saying she had joined the SLA and had adopted the nom de guerre “Tania.”
     The weird turns of the tale are truly astonishing—the Hearst family trying to secure Patty’s release by feeding all the people of Oakland and San Francisco for free; the bank security cameras capturing “Tania” wielding a machine gun during a robbery; a cast of characters including everyone from Bill Walton to the Black Panthers to Ronald Reagan to F. Lee Bailey; the largest police shoot-out in American history; the first breaking news event to be broadcast live on television stations across the country; Patty’s year on the lam, running from authorities; and her circuslike trial, filled with theatrical courtroom confrontations and a dramatic last-minute reversal, after which the term “Stockholm syndrome” entered the lexicon.  
     The saga of Patty Hearst highlighted a decade in which America seemed to be suffering a collective nervous breakdown. Based on more than a hundred interviews and thousands of previously secret documents, American Heiress thrillingly recounts the craziness of the times (there were an average of 1,500 terrorist bombings a year in the early 1970s). Toobin portrays the lunacy of the half-baked radicals of the SLA and the toxic mix of sex, politics, and violence that swept up Patty Hearst and re-creates her melodramatic trial. American Heiress examines the life of a young woman who suffered an unimaginable trauma and then made the stunning decision to join her captors’ crusade.   
     Or did she?
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  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Accomplished narrator Paul Michael hits all the right notes in Toobin's detailed account of heiress Patricia Hearst's notorious 1974 kidnapping. The young woman was grabbed by a ragtag group of self-proclaimed revolutionaries who called themselves the Symbionese Liberation Army. Toobin, a CNN senior legal analyst and NEW YORKER magazine writer, employs his expertise to clearly explain the legal details as Hearst is tried for the criminal activities she was persuaded to participate in. Michael is an excellent choice to deliver the myriad facts and critical analyses of the proceedings, such as the inebriated shenanigans of Hearst's defense attorney, F. Lee Bailey. Despite Hearst's refusal to cooperate with the author, this elegantly written book, paired with Michael's excellent narration, makes for absorbing listening. W.A.G. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from June 27, 2016
      Toobin (The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson), a New Yorker staff writer and CNN senior legal analyst, provides another definitive and nuanced look at a notorious crime case—this time, the 1974 abduction of heiress Patty Hearst in San Francisco by the Symbionese Liberation Army, and its sensational aftermath. Two months into the kidnapping, in a tape released by the SLA, Hearst declared that she’d joined the group; two years later, she faced a federal trial for armed bank robbery. Toobin’s rigorous detective work is enhanced by his placement of the Hearst case in the context of its times, with the U.S. shaken by the continuing Watergate revelations as well as the devastating OAPEC oil embargo, and his expert critique of the work of both prosecution and defense in Hearst’s 1976 trial. His thorough research, careful parsing of all the evidence, and superior prose make the book read like a summertime thriller. Agent: Esther Newberg, ICM.

    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from October 3, 2016
      Audiobook veteran Michael brings his considerable skill to Toobin’s sprawling biographical narrative tackling one of the most controversial criminal cases in American history. Michael adroitly moves back and forth between Toobin’s expository elements and the colorful dialogue among the principal players involved. As Patricia Hearst shifts from diffident young heiress to fiery revolutionary to celebrity defendant eager to return to her former life, Michael doesn’t miss a beat, consistently maintaining vocal mannerisms and personality quirks in his portrayal of her. Michael’s chilling turn as career criminal Donald David DeFreeze leaves a lasting impression. His rendering of crime-scene detail—including multiple bank robberies and Hearst’s infamous sporting-goods store shootout—never fails to enthrall. Yet he also hits the right notes in undertaking the soap opera elements of Hearst and her captors turned comrades, especially the constantly bickering husband-and-wife team of Bill and Emily Harris. Toobin’s writing and Michael’s performance make for an enthralling listening experience. A Doubleday hardcover.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Lexile® Measure:1110
  • Text Difficulty:7-9

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