Crimes of the Century

Crimes of the Century by The Great Courses

I liked this so much that I've given it as a gift to several crime aficionados (with the hope of hooking them on history.)

This covers various murders that were dubbed “THE Crime of the Century” during the 20th century. Many are forgotten today. Many are misunderstood. The professor - Richard B. Spence - does a great job of correcting both phenomena.

The lectures start with the unsolved murder of a film producer, who apparently skipped out on his family in New York to start a new life in Hollywood. The professor presents the background, the players, and a possible solution in an interesting and coherent manner. Although a history lecture about a grisly topic, the narration is captivating. It's at least as good as the best documentary, although lasting only 30 minutes.

I was surprised at how much I did not know about the Manson murders, the Son of Sam, and the assassination of Leon Trotsky.

What fascinates me about historical murder is how they introduce us to history at ground level. We are not talking about the lives of the rich and influential in many of these cases. Even when we are, the forgotten people of history play important roles. It is a way of seeing “the other side of history” in one of those rare moments when the spotlight shifts for a moment to the life of real people living their real ives.

I recommend this series without reservation.