Crime of the century

The kidnapping and murder of airman Charles "Lucky Lindy" Lindbergh's infant son stunned the nation in 1932. Bruno Richard Hauptmann, an illegal alien from Germany with a criminal record, was tried, convicted, and executed for what came to be known as "the crime of the century." Ludovic Kennedy's detailed account of the investigation and trial reveals a shocking array of perjury, cover-up, manufactured evidence, and inept legal work, pushed through in a lynch-mob atmosphere. His compelling book leaves readers with grave doubts about the American criminal justice system and little doubt as to the wrongful conviction of Hauptmann.