Incendiary
The Psychiatrist, the Mad Bomber, and the Invention of Criminal Profiling
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Narrated by:
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Peter Berkrot
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By:
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Michael Cannell
About this listen
Long before the specter of terrorism haunted the public imagination, a serial bomber stalked the streets of 1950s New York. The race to catch him would give birth to a new science called criminal profiling.
Grand Central, Penn Station, Radio City Music Hall - for almost two decades, no place was safe from the man who signed his anonymous letters "FP" and left his lethal devices in phone booths, storage lockers, even tucked into the plush seats of movie theaters. His victims were left cruelly maimed. Tabloids called him "the greatest individual menace New York City ever faced."
In desperation, Police Captain Howard Finney sought the help of a little known psychiatrist, Dr. James Brussel, whose expertise was the criminal mind. Examining crime scene evidence and the strange wording in the bomber's letters, he compiled a portrait of the suspect down to the cut of his jacket. But how to put a name to the description?
Seymour Berkson - a handsome New York socialite, protégé of William Randolph Hearst, and publisher of the tabloid The Journal-American - joined in pursuit of the Mad Bomber. The three men hatched a brilliant scheme to catch him at his own game. Together they would capture a monster and change the face of American law enforcement.
This program includes a prologue read by the author.
©2017 Michael Cannell (P)2017 Macmillan AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Editorial reviews
Editors Select, April 2017 - Michael Cannell's latest book transports listeners to 1950s New York, when a serial bomber was terrorizing the city. The race to bring the aptly named "Mad Bomber" to justice ultimately leads to the development of criminal profiling, a fascinating subset of psychology. This highly accessible investigative work uniquely combines the perspectives of a handful of important players in order to create a suspenseful and engaging storyline. Narrator Peter Berkrot makes this captivating tale that much more captivating with his "facts first" tone of voice. Incendiary is perfect for fans of true crime - or really anyone who finds themselves watching CSI marathons for hours straight. A fair warning from personal experience - try not to listen to this when you're in a crowded, public place. You may find yourself suspiciously eyeing everyone. Laura, Audible Editor
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- Unabridged
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A real-life thriller in the vein of The Devil in the White City, Kate Winkler Dawson's debut, Death in the Air, is a gripping, historical narrative of a serial killer, an environmental disaster, and an iconic city struggling to regain its footing. In winter 1952, London automobiles and thousands of coal-burning hearths belched particulate matter into the air. But the smog that descended on December fifth of 1952 was different; it was a type that held the city hostage for five long days.
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Interesting
- By irene on 11-27-17
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Tinseltown
- Murder, Morphine, and Madness at the Dawn of Hollywood
- By: William J. Mann
- Narrated by: Christopher Lane
- Length: 15 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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By 1920, the movies had suddenly become America's new favorite pastime and one of the nation's largest industries. Never before had a medium possessed such power to influence; yet Hollywood's glittering ascendancy was threatened by a string of headline-grabbing tragedies - including the murder of William Desmond Taylor, the popular president of the Motion Picture Directors Association, a legendary crime that has remained unsolved until now.
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Everybody's a dreamer...
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By: William J. Mann
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The Girls of Murder City
- Fame, Lust, and the Beautiful Killers Who Inspired Chicago
- By: Douglas Perry
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 10 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Chicago, 1924. There was nothing surprising about men turning up dead in the Second City. Life was cheaper than a quart of illicit gin in the gangland capital of the world. But two murders that spring were special - worthy of celebration. So believed Maurine Watkins, a wanna-be playwright and a "girl reporter" for the Chicago Tribune, the city's "hanging paper".
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Some books should be read
- By zoomcity on 07-31-11
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A Death in Belmont
- By: Sebastian Junger
- Narrated by: Kevin Conway
- Length: 8 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1963, with the city of Boston already terrified by a series of savage crimes known as the Boston Stranglings, a murder occurred in Belmont, just a few blocks from the house of Sebastian Junger's family, a murder that seemed to fit exactly the pattern of the Strangler. Roy Smith, a black man who had cleaned the victim's house that day, was convicted, but the terror of the Strangler continued.
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Excellent
- By Susanna on 01-13-15
By: Sebastian Junger
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American Lightning
- Terror, Mystery, the Birth of Hollywood, and the Crime of the Century
- By: Howard Blum
- Narrated by: John H. Mayer
- Length: 10 hrs and 33 mins
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It was an explosion that reverberated across the country—and into the very heart of early-twentieth-century America. On the morning of October 1, 1910, the walls of the Los Angeles Times Building buckled as a thunderous detonation sent men, machinery, and mortar rocketing into the night air. When at last the wreckage had been sifted and the hospital triage units consulted, twenty-one people were declared dead and dozens more injured. But as it turned out, this was just a prelude to the devastation that was to come.
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very interesting popular history
- By D. Littman on 11-28-08
By: Howard Blum
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Panic
- Bloodlands collection
- By: Harold Schechter
- Narrated by: Steven Weber
- Length: 1 hr and 36 mins
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During the Depression, economic anxieties found an outlet in a series of child murders that triggered an irrational nationwide hysteria: pedophiliac psychopaths were overrunning the country. As America was brought to rage and fury by the press and the FBI, lynch mobs took to the streets, reason gave way to doomsday scenarios, and one father was even driven to murder his three daughters to “save them” from a degenerate crime wave. A terrifying cautionary essay, Panic explores the combustible mix of unfounded fears, moral crusades, and the dangers of collective thinking.
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Too sensational
- By Texaspaz on 10-14-20
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Get Capone
- The Secret Plot That Captured America's Most Wanted Gangster
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Acclaimed journalist and bestselling author Jonathan Eig blows the lid off the Al Capone story. Based on never-before-seen government documents and newly discovered letters written by Al Capone himself, Get Capone presents America's greatest gangster as you’ve never seen him before.
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Get this book
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Days of Rage
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From the best-selling author of Public Enemies and The Big Rich, an explosive account of the decade-long battle between the FBI and the homegrown revolutionary movements of the 1970s. The FBI combated these groups and others as nodes in a single revolutionary underground, dedicated to the violent overthrow of the American government. The FBI’s response to the leftist revolutionary counterculture has not been treated kindly by history, and in hindsight many of its efforts seem almost comically ineffectual, if not criminal in themselves.
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Amazing treatment of tough history
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Zodiac
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After Jack the Ripper and before Son of Sam there was only one name their equal in terror: the deadly, elusive, and mysterious Zodiac. Beginning in 1968 the hooded mass murderer terrified the city of San Francisco and the Bay Area with a string of brutal killings. A sexual sadist, his pleasure was torture and murder.
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Interesting
- By Z on 05-19-06
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S Street Rising
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- Unabridged
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During the height of the crack epidemic that decimated the streets of D.C., Ruben Castaneda covered the crime beat for the Washington Post. The first in his family to graduate from college, he had landed a job at one of the country’s premier newspapers. But his apparent success masked a devastating secret: he was a crack addict. Even as he covered the drug-fueled violence that was destroying the city, he was prowling S Street, a 24/7 open-air crack market, during his off hours, looking for his next fix.
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Some good DC history & time travel
- By Marie on 07-12-16
By: Ruben Castaneda
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JFK
- The Smoking Gun
- By: Colin McLaren
- Narrated by: Grant Cartwright
- Length: 10 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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On November 22, 1963, the 35th president of the United States, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, and his wife Jackie were taking part in a presidential motorcade through Dallas. Thousands lined the streets cheering; others hung out of windows to catch a glimpse of the much-loved First Lady and President. Suddenly, the unthinkable happened. Three shots rang out. In front of the world, John F. Kennedy was fatally wounded. Lee Harvey Oswald was caught. But did he pull the trigger? Who really killed JFK?
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Complete Trash
- By James on 12-11-13
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The Savage City
- By: T. J. English
- Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris
- Length: 10 hrs and 18 mins
- Abridged
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In the early 1960s, uncertainty and menace gripped New York, crystallizing in a poisonous divide between a deeply corrupt, cynical, and racist police force, and an African American community buffeted by economic distress, brutality, and narcotics. On August 28, 1963 - the day Martin Luther King Jr. declared "I have a dream" on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial - two young white women were murdered in their Manhattan apartment. Dubbed the Career Girls Murders case, the crime sent ripples of fear throughout the city, as police scrambled fruitlessly for months to find the killer.
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I Highly Recommend This Book!
- By R on 05-15-13
By: T. J. English
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Case Closed
- Lee Harvey Oswald and the Assassination of JFK
- By: Gerald Posner
- Narrated by: Scott Aiello
- Length: 20 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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The assassination of John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963, continues to inspire interest ranging from well-meaning speculation to bizarre conspiracy theories and controversial filmmaking. But in this landmark audiobook, reissued with a new afterword for the 40th anniversary of the assassination, Gerald Posner examines all of the available evidence and reaches the only possible conclusion: Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone.
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Giving the truth - with some attitude
- By Amazon Customer on 06-13-15
By: Gerald Posner
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Boston Mob
- The Rise and Fall of the New England Mob and Its Most Notorious Killer
- By: Marc Songini
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 10 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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The New England Mafia was a hugely powerful organization that survived by using violence to ruthlessly crush anyone that threatened it, or its lucrative gambling, loansharking, bootlegging, and other enterprises. From information based on newly declassified documents and the use of underworld sources, Boston Mob spans the gutters and alleyways of East Boston, Providence, and Charlestown to the halls of Congress in Washington, D.C., and Boston's Beacon Hill. Its players include governors and mayors, and the Mafia Commission of New York City.
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Entertaining
- By joeyg1963 on 12-07-19
By: Marc Songini
What listeners say about Incendiary
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- C.Graham
- 08-07-18
Mind blowing
I thought this was going to be a quick listening to fill time as I travel to and from work. I couldn't stop listening to it when I got home.
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- frances payne
- 09-16-21
A true life thriller
I stayed up most of last night listening to the the book, I finished it today. What an exciting read, if you lived on the east coast or near New York city or in New York city it would have been very scary to take your kids to radio city music music hall, unless you had my parents. we were always visiting relatives in NYC from our home in NJ. This book is unique, not just because it's so well written but because the author happened to come across a part of the story while the library! Well I am on to the next Michael Channel book.
Frances Payne
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- JMP
- 06-20-23
Great Story
Well done! A great story and glimpse into psychological profiling! The perfect balance of history, facts, and entertainment
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- Gotta Tellya
- 07-21-17
Rambling, redundant and anti-climactic.
Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
No. Most of the words in this book served as padding. The actual info imparted could have been distilled down to a few chapters.
How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?
Eliminate unnecessary expeditions down tangential story lines, like the overly detailed descriptions of peripheral characters. Heavily edit or omit the lengthy story about the eventual demise of the NY City newspaper that corresponded with the Mad Bomber before his capture. There's the preface in which the author declares that all quotes in his book are genuine, except of course the actual thoughts of the bomber, which the author attempted to recreate. Turns out that a good portion of the book consists of these author-generated thoughts, which gave me a sense of fiction more so than of genuine insight. Most of all, the book leads to the edge of but does not explore in detail criminal profiling as it exists today. This was a topic where more words could have made for a better book.
What three words best describe Peter Berkrot’s voice?
A bit snide.
Did Incendiary inspire you to do anything?
Almost inspired me to stop listening. One sign of a poor book is its inability to hold my attention. During this one, my mind wandered often. Other times, especially when the author indulged in lengthy detours of subject matter and character description, I deliberately skipped ahead until the action resumed. The eventual discovery of the bomber's identity was less than thrilling, a let down more than anything else. The most interesting aspect of the story was the application of early profiling techniques by a uniquely imaginative, perceptive psychiatrist.
Any additional comments?
I'm returning this book to Audible.
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3 people found this helpful
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- MJH
- 01-01-19
Incendiary is fantastic
The story is not only right on but the narration is one of the best I’ve heard so far. Sometimes history can be dry, but Peter Berkot did an awesome job with keeping the listen engaged. Highly recommend.
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- Lloyd Fales
- 04-30-20
Brilliantly researched and written book
Epic and fascinating story about pursuit of notorious NYC bomber and the birth of criminal profiling. Rich descriptions of hard boiled bomb squad detectives, and news men, and the many colorful politicians and prosecutors are totally entertaining. A great period crime yarn!
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- in1ear (John Row)
- 04-27-17
16 Years NYC Held Hostage
Where does Incendiary rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
I had pre ordered this several weeks before its release. I wasn't disappointed! The story develops quickly after some historic background. I've been enthralled with Criminal Profiling going back to Silence of the Lambs, books by John Douglas and Robert Ressler and even its use after the fact in setting a psychological print. Cases like Columbine, for example.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Incendiary?
The highlight moment came after the background chapters as still "unsub" status George Metesky's spree progressed and law enforcement began to develop his profile. Public fear and the bombings effects.
What about Peter Berkrot’s performance did you like?
Peter Berkrot's narrative was perfect. Pleasant voice, easily understood, good pace. I was able to get into the story without being distracted. And without mouth noises that seem to show up more in audio books. Which indicates good engineering, I think.
A strong True Crime effort, with good production values and good narration!
What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?
That Metesky went on for 16 years before caught. Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber had as long of a criminal career. Domestic bombing is difficult to solve. Even today.
Any additional comments?
Combines True Crime, in the context of social history and development of a major field of law enforcement. Add good research, writing and excellent narration and quality production. Incendiary has it covered!
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7 people found this helpful
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- Daniel
- 09-15-18
great listen.
Very informative to the history behind criminal profiling. Also, a great look into the history of the mad bomber. Well told and exciting.
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- R. Yerby Ray
- 06-16-17
this is one you wont put down
What made the experience of listening to Incendiary the most enjoyable?
I really liked the writers style and his ability to make this book want to be read. He didn't dwell on needless details but kept it captivating
What other book might you compare Incendiary to and why?
Devil in the White City
What about Peter Berkrot’s performance did you like?
He did real well and caught the accents perfectly
Any additional comments?
I hope he writes more soon.
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- sara
- 04-27-18
Well written and well told.
Excellent from start to finish. Well researched and expertly told piece of history. I strongly recommend.
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