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Books > Fiction > True stories
On November 21, 1992, Thomas Monfils, an employee at the James
River paper mill in Green Bay, Wisconsin, disappeared. After an
intensive search, his body was found the next evening, submerged in
a pulp vat. The police called it murder. In 1995, six of Monfils'
coworkers were wrongfully convicted of his death, the result of a
preordained theory and a reckless prosecution.
Highly detailed and meticulously researched, "The Monfils
Conspiracy" reveals the true story of a botched case that landed
six innocent men in prison. Through extensive interviews, court
documents, police reports, and other documentation, Denis
Gullickson and John Gaie present a powerful look at the troubling
events surrounding the death of Thomas Monfils and the
mistake-riddled investigation that followed.
Gullickson and Gaie trace the futile twenty-nine month
investigation between the time of Monfils' death and the
conviction, one pock-marked with dead end leads and overlooked
evidence. Using solid facts, they lay bare the weaknesses,
inconsistencies, and secrets in the prosecution's case and the
jury's erroneous rush to judgment. As recently as 2001, a federal
judge ordered the release of one of the men, citing a lack of
evidence, and further suggesting the original proof as unsound.
Fifteen years after Monfils' death and a dozen years after his
coworkers' convictions, "The Monfils Conspiracy" shatters the myths
surrounding this case and opens the door to justice-and the
truth.
WINNER OF THE SUNDAY TIMES ALAN PATON AWARD
In the spring of 1999, in the beautiful and seemingly tranquil hills of the KwaZulu-Natal midlands, a young white farmer is shot dead on the dirt road running from his father's farmhouse to his irrigation fields. The murder is the work of assassins rather than robbers.
Journalist Jonny Steinberg travels to the midlands to investigate.
It is clear that the young white man is not the only one who will die and that the story of his and other deaths will illuminate a great deal about the early days of post-apartheid South Africa.
Midlands is a triumph of literary investigative journalism.
An intimate account of one family's astonishing bravery in the face
of brutality, as well as perhaps the outside world's only real
glimpse of what it is like to live inside the terror of Mugabe's
Zimbabwe Ben Freeth has an extraordinary story to tell. Like that
of many white farmers, his family's land was "reclaimed" by
Mugabe's government for redistribution--but Ben's family fought
back. Appealing to international law, they instigated a suit
against Mugabe's government in the SADC, the Southern African
equivalent of NATO. The case was deferred time and again while
Mugabe's men applied political pressure to have the case thrown
out. But after Freeth and his parents-in-law were abducted and
beaten within inches of death in 2008, the SADC deemed any further
delay to be an obstruction of justice. The case was heard, and
successful on all counts. But the story doesn't end there--in 2009,
the family farm was burned to the ground. The fight for justice in
Zimbabwe is far from over; this book is for anyone who wants to see
into the heart of one of today's hardest places, and how human
dignity flourishes even in the most adverse circumstances.
Brighton in the 1870s is a popular tourist destination, but when
little Sidney Barker dies mysteriously from Strychnine-poisoned
chocolates the town is thrown into panic. Could it have been an
accident or is someone out to harm Brighton? When more children
start being poisoned by packets of sweets they find lying about the
town and strange parcels of arsenic-laced cakes are sent to
prominent Brighton residents the police step up the search for a
serial poisoner. Who is determined to take revenge on the town?
Brighton policeman, Inspector Gibbs, finds himself on the toughest
case he has ever faced with what at first appears to be a
motiveless crime, but as he delves into the lives of the victims he
realises there is cold calculation behind the poisonings. His hunt
takes him into the dark side of middle-class poverty, family
insanity, and the Victorian obsession with sex and scandal.
What are the hidden factors that motivate armies to prevail and
conquer against all the odds? What is it that encourages soldiers
to perform unbelievable acts of courage even when the odds against
them look overwhelming? The words of inspired leaders and generals
are often the key factor. Sometimes it is just the soldier on
ground who sums up the situation best. It would seem that the day
of the set-piece conventional battle is over. For centuries their
format changed little. Even if this scenario has now changed, the
need for leaders to communicate in times of adversity has not.
Words of War covers an immense breadth - from Ancient Greece,
Alexander the Great, mediaeval battles, the American Civil War, the
two World Wars through to 21st century conflicts. Words of War
highlights the fascinating contrasts in style and content of
military and political leaders (most absorbing of all are the
extraordinary differences, and also some of the similarities it has
to be said, between the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill
and German leader Adolf Hitler during WWII). Interspersed with the
longer speeches are brief quotes, insightful one-liners and the
light-hearted look at conflict. All throw some light onto what
words drive heroic deeds in the face of adversity.
An extraordinary account of one woman's single-minded campaign to
restore a Victorian steamship to her former glory and make her an
Andean attraction Here is a vivid account of Meriel Larken's
incredible quest to restore the "Yavari" steamship against the
odds--a ship that is now celebrating its 150 year anniversary in
2012. In 1862 the English-built "Yavari" was taken to bits and
shipped to South America. In an epic logistical feat it was carried
in thousands of pieces, by mule, up the Andes to Lake Titicaca,
12,500 feet above sea level, the world's highest navigable
waterway. She was reconstructed and for more than a century plied
her trade up and down the lake, but by 1985 she was a sad rotting
hulk--until she was found by Larken, who led the quest to project
to restore and preserve the ship. The oldest single screw iron
passenger ship in the world, this nautical and engineering jewel is
now a major Peruvian tourist attraction.
Perhaps no other television show captures our innate fascination
with crime and criminals better than the original Forensic Files.
Examining true crime cases from murders to insurance fraud,
hit-and-runs to kidnappings, every case featured on the show is
solved in large part with the help of forensic science like DNA
evidence. While the original Forensic Files stopped production in
2011 with over 400 original episodes, re-runs now air in 142
countries, not to mention on streaming services, making the show
perfect for binge watchers, daunting for new-comers, and as much a
mainstay as any program in the history of television. But, most of
all, the cases always leave viewers wanting to know more. In
Forensic Files Now, author Rebecca Reisner shares her own gripping
retellings of 40 favorite cases profiled on the show along with
fascinating updates adapted from her popular blog,
ForensicFilesNow.com. From classic cases like the Harvard-educated
architect who opted for arsenic instead of divorce, to the Texas
lovebirds who robbed a grave in an insurance fraud plot that made
international headlines, the Ohio doctor who attempted a fresh
start by burying his wife in the basement of their house, and some
cases that are so captivating that they have sparked spinoff
mini-series of their own, readers will be enthralled by these vivid
recaps and detailed updates. Also featuring an in-depth interview
with Forensic Files creator Paul Dowling and a profile on the
show's beloved narrator, Peter Thomas, Forensic Files Now is a
must-read for diehard Forensic Files fans and a welcome find for
true crime readers who are always looking for more riveting and
well-told stories.
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