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Bezig met laden... The Unspeakable Crimes of Dr. Petiot (1981)door Thomas Maeder
Holocaust (28) Bezig met laden...
Meld je aan bij LibraryThing om erachter te komen of je dit boek goed zult vinden. Op dit moment geen Discussie gesprekken over dit boek. The Unspeakable Crimes of Dr. Petiot by Thomas Maeder is a non-fiction crime book taking place in France during World War II. The Unspeakable Crimes of Dr. Petiot by Thomas Maeder is an entertaining and interesting book, well written and factual. Dr. Petiot was a brilliant psychopath who besides a medical degree, can also add mayor to his resume. The time of the crimes which Dr. Petiot is accused of actually makes the story much more intriguing. The time: France is occupied by Nazi German and Dr. Petiot claims he killed only Nazi sympathizers and French traitors. The French authorities, trying not to seem unpatriotic by arresting the good doctor, took their time arresting him, allowing him much freedom until his story starts to fall apart. Mr. Maeder spends time allowing the reader to understand the daily life in occupied Paris. The sense of uncertainty and occupation certainly lends credibility to authorities difficulty in assessing whether Petiot was resisting the Nazis or an insane serial murder. The second half of the book concerns the trial of Dr. Petiot. The author incorporate much of the trial’s transcript, paragraphs which in many books I simply skim over, however Petiot’s unbelievable repertoire with the lawyers and witnesses makes an amusing read to what I could only describe is outrageous chutzpah, gall and either extreme stupidity or courage. The lack of decorum in trial, investigation and, of course, crimes makes this book very enjoyable. For more reviews and bookish posts please visit: http://www.ManOfLaBook.com I'm a fan of True Crime when it is well done .... and Thomas Maeder weaves the facts of Docteur Petiot's life and crimes in a fluid narrative that sketches his flawed and unremorseful character thoroughly. We are left with no doubt that this man is without a conscience and his remarkable crimes and equally remarkable elusion of justice during and post-Nazi occupied France makes for a really good read. geen besprekingen | voeg een bespreking toe
Was he a sadistic mass killer who lured innocent people to their deaths, or a hero of German-occupied Paris who liquidated members of the Gestapo and helped persecuted Jews escape from tormented France? This was the question as one of the twentieth century's most sensational murder cases came to trial in Paris in 1946. Thomas Maeder meticulously reconstructs one of the most horrifying true stories in the annals of crime: the vile crimes themselves (presumably Dr. Petiot dismembered his victims, then buried them in a lime pit), an incisive psychological portrait of the doctor, and a re-creation of his Daumieresque trial, in which he was charged with luring twenty-seven people with the promise of escape, then murdering them for plunder. Just how the murders were committed was a secret Dr. Petiot took to his grave; why he committed them remains to this day a chilling mystery. Geen bibliotheekbeschrijvingen gevonden. |
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Google Books — Bezig met laden... GenresDewey Decimale Classificatie (DDC)364.1523092Social sciences Social problems and services; associations Criminology Crimes and Offenses Offenses against persons Homicide Murder History, geographic treatment, biography BiographyLC-classificatieWaarderingGemiddelde:
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There are a fair few questions about Petiot's murders, the victims, and Petiot himself that remain unanswered, so Maeder's account is in a sense confined and no doubt because of that can occasionally seem simply a series of descriptions of the victims and their encounters with the doctor. (A list in the back of characters and their roles is very helpful.) But again, there are glimpses of much more: the person who decided not to accept Petiot's 'help' because of his dirty hands, the villagers up in arms against/on behalf of Mayor Petiot, the family and acquaintances of Petiot who might have known early on of his murders.
But what makes the book not only solidly informative but delightful is Petiot's trial. I knew that I'd most likely skim the last 100 pages, the ones given over to the trial and including chunks of the transcript, because I always do resort to skimming that sort of thing. Not a bit of it. Farce, chaos, wittiness, unbelievable chutzpah, shouting, assault (Petiot actually threw exhibits at the clerk), boredom (naps were taken), loopy conspiracy theory as summation, uncontrolled crowds, confusion, autograph-hunting. At some point, it seems, everyone in the court seemed to recognise the absurdity of much of the trial and even the judges and lawyers found it difficult not to join in the laughter of the crowds. Absorbing and sometimes hilarious, and I'm grinning as I sit here remembering it.