Current book: Old Whiskey and Young Women“Murder and mystery, society, sex and suspense were combined in this case in such a manner as to intrigue and captivate the public fancy to a degree perhaps unparalleled in recent annals.” Ohio vs. Sheppard, 165 Ohio St. 293, 294 (1956).
While this should no longer occur in a criminal trial, it can in a book. And this is the book in which it does. Here, some of the most notorious legal cases in American history are explored. What they have in common is that they titillated, if not repulsed, the entire nation when they first occurred. What they still have in common is that, for the most part, they are today nearly totally forgotten. From the unfair framing for murder of America’s most famous comedian, to America’s first capital case involving an older woman and her much younger lover murdering her husband, to Mad Harry Thaw, the wealthy and mad son of a steel magnate, killing America’s foremost architect over a beautiful woman, all come to life in gripping detail and drama. And meet the real Norman Bates of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, whose mother fixation and real life gruesome crimes far outmatched those of any fictional character. This book brings to life these notorious characters and many more from the rich pages of history. |
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Previous books
Images of America: Canton, Arcadia Press, 2000
The town of Canton is a celebration of New England history, from its early days when Paul Revere opened the nation's first copper rolling mill in 1801 to its beautiful nineteenth-century architecture and its economic growth through the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Here, in more than 200 rare and striking photographs, the story of Canton unfolds, full of rich tradition and Yankee pride. Canton's reputation as the center of the nation's copper industry helped the town contribute to the young country's history. The first copper plates for the hull of the USS Constitution came from Canton, as did the copper work for the nation's first steam-powered warship. Many of the brass cannons used during the Civil War were also made in this Massachusetts town. Canton will immerse the reader in days gone by, taking a nostalgic look at a time thought by many to be the best. Images of schools, churches, families, police, and firefighters compose a picture of another era, where one can see Canton at work, play, and war. 
Images of America: Ashland, co-author, Arcadia Press, 2001
The beginning of the exciting history of Ashland was rooted in the development of farms and mills to utilize the waters of the Sudbury River. Ashland's fortunes grew as industries changed from small gristmill and sawmill operations to paper and cotton mills, boot and shoe factories. Because of Boston's thirst for drinking water, Ashland soon lost its rights to the Sudbury river. This put the town in decline until small industrial plants came in and with them, growth resumed. With the Warren Telechron Company, the town became the birthplace and home of electric timekeeping. It is still referred to as "Clocktown," and its sports teams are nicknamed the "Clockers." Ashland follows this historical development with over two hundred vintage images, many of which have rarely been seen before. Through photographs beyond memory and others that many may recall, meet the people of this great town and see the buildings and events that make up this incredible story. Ashland takes the reader on a journey from the days of its early settlement, through its development into the village of Unionville and its incorporation into the town of Ashland, to its twentieth-century growth and revival. |
Walking Tours of Civil War Boston, Freedom Trail Foundation
No Civil War battles were fought in Massachusetts, but Boston was at the vanguard of the run up to the war. Visit the places of speeches, jailhouse breaks, anti-slavery riots, recruitment centers and churches and the abolitionist movement described and mapped in this full color, 64-page book. This book includes four themed walks with detailed maps that take you through neighborhoods of downtown Boston. Organized into approximately 90-minute self-guided walks, this book includes Civil War on the Freedom Trail, important roles played by the black and white communities living and working on Beacon Hill, Back Bay Statues and public art that commemorates the heroes of abolition and the Civil War, and an adventure that takes you to Boston Harbor, USS Constitution and the islands where Union soldiers were garrisoned and Confederates were imprisoned. The routes are enhanced with color images, reproductions and illustrations that bring the stories to life. 
Framingham State College, The College History Series, co-author, Arcadia Press, 2003
Framingham State College was founded as the first public institution for the education of teachers in the United States. Started in large part with the support of the legendary Horace Mann, it opened on July 3, 1839, in Lexington, Massachusetts. Due to its popularity, it was compelled on two occasions to move to larger quarters. In 1844, it relocated to West Newton and, in 1853, to its current location on Bare Hill in Framingham, Massachusetts. Framingham State College chronicles the history of the institution from when it first started in 1839 with three students. Buildings are seen as they originally looked and as they look today. Animating these views are stories of how the buildings were named and of the students who lived and learned in them. In addition, the teachers and administrators who walked and taught on these grounds are highlighted in rich detail. |