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329 reviews for:
American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst
Jeffrey Toobin
3.83 AVERAGE
329 reviews for:
American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst
Jeffrey Toobin
3.83 AVERAGE
This book invaded my life in the best way possible. I thought this would be just the tale of Patty Hurst and her saga, but the story blossomed into a fully inclusive and colorful history of the late 1960s and 1970s. What took me so long to get through this book was that I kept stopping to read other books and watch documentaries about the participating parties in this story. The Weather Underground documentary from 2002, The Seventies miniseries, excerpts from Blood in My Eye, by George L Jackson, and Every Secret Thing, Patty Hurst's own memoir. Biography, true crime, and history all together, and it is fantastic.
Listened to most of this, though read the end. Really fascinating story. Very well-written and compelling. Felt like an engaging presentation of facts, without maximizing on scandal or speculation.
I love books about San Francisco in the 70s, but this was a bit on the dry side.
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
Patty Hearst’s story is unlike anything else I have heard. I listened to the audiobook and it was fine in that medium but not amazing. Yet her story is one that will fascinate you.
After watching the CNN documentary about this subject I wanted to learn more. After all the documentary was a bit biased against Patricia Hearst mostly because she refused to be interviewed and it relied more on the words of her kidnappers and the damming comuniques released during her captivity. So what did this book offer that was different? It presented a more rounded balanced picture of both Hearst and her actions during the kidnapping. On February 4th 1974 Patricia Hearst was taken from her home by the SLA Symbianese Liberation Army. Her fiance Steven Weed basically let them take her and ran away, nice guy then proceeded to act like the concerned lover he wasn't during her captivity to the disdain of Patty and her family. During her captivity Patty would take part in three bank robberies a shooting and several bombings. She would also fall in love with two of her captors. This all lead to the question of was she a willing accomplice or actually scared for her life? While we may never really know the book presents both sides of the case and allows the reader to decide for themselves. Taken into account are news events of the time, the bank robbery in Stockholm which created the term Stockholm Syndrome, even the tragic events at Jonestown which helped Hearst get an early release thanks in small part to Congressman Leo Ryan who championed her cause and sadly lost his life along with over 900 others in Guyana. To my surprise the story even tied into more recent events with one Robert Mueller speaking out against Patricia Hearst getting a presidential pardon, that's right, that Robert Mueller. In the end though Patricia Hearst proved to be quite adaptable, adjusting quickly to life in captivity and going back to normal life afterward. She married, a police officer of all things, had children and participated in dog shows even having one of her dogs win in a category at Westminster and of course wrote a book about her experiences. And so most of the world has forgotten this saga of the 70's memories of it have faded and the Hearst name is known more for publishing and the castle William Randolph Hearst built years ago. A truly fascinating tale, I'm still puzzling over if Miss Hearst really was as radical as she was painted by the press or if she was truly a victim who did whatever she could to survive.
This story continues to seem almost unbelievable - I knew the outline but not the details. This book takes you through the remarkable events in which Patricia Hearst was kidnapped by an urban terrorist group then joined them in their terrorist and criminal activities, went to prison for it, then returned to the life of an heiress and quietly raised shih tzus. (Well, maybe not that quietly. She persistently protested her innocence to anyone who would listen, despite a lot of evidence against her). Was she coerced? Probably not, but there's enough info here to let you make your own decision. Again, what a story!
I knew nothing but nothing about this story aside from the defining photo of Patty Hearst with her gun and that it was a case of Stockholm Syndrome. OR WAS IT. (No, it pretty much wasn't.) There's kind of no one I'd want to tell it to me more than Jeffrey Toobin, who has such an excellent way of crafting a narrative when it's complicated, packed with different versions from the participants, and just kind of all-around crazy to begin with.
I wish he'd provided a little more commentary on what exactly the legal actions meant, because the only part of this that felt rushed was around the final portion, with the trial and Patty's subsequent pardon/commutation (unbelievable). But otherwise this was a brilliantly told look at a bit of 70s culture that's more often than not misunderstood and misrepresented.
I wish he'd provided a little more commentary on what exactly the legal actions meant, because the only part of this that felt rushed was around the final portion, with the trial and Patty's subsequent pardon/commutation (unbelievable). But otherwise this was a brilliantly told look at a bit of 70s culture that's more often than not misunderstood and misrepresented.
In this brilliantly crafted piece of non-fiction, Toobin explores one of the most sensational events of the 1970s, which commenced with the kidnapping of teenager Patricia Campbell Hearst. In a decade still hungover on the push for counterculture and raging against the Man, the capture and turning of Patty Hearst illuminated how things had changed from the active 1960s, where change through any mean was acceptable. Toobin uses the early portion of the book to lay the groundwork for Hearst kidnapping, describing the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) and their rationale for choosing Hearst, whose family riches could surely be used to the Army's advantage. After Hearst was taken and locked away from her captors, the SLA began making demands, not to line their own pockets with the millions the Hearst Empire surely possessed, but to feed those in need. As Toobin describes, the SLA's demands helped create the People in Need (PIN) food distribution network. While there were some good incentives to be realised, the delivery was fraught with mishaps, including riots, injuries, and collusion within the chain of command. Negative reactions by the Hearst family to the PIN initiative soured their connection to the SLA, who continued to profess demands to facilitate Patty's safe release. It was at this time, posits Toobin, that Patty Hearst may have not only softened towards her captors, but also sought a role in the Army. Hearst went from being their captive to a member of the team in a series of events within the SLA's 'clubhouse'. From here, Toobin explores the SLA and their hiding while they plotted to line their own pockets with cash, through a major bank heist, where they would publicly prove that Patty Hearst, using the moniker Tania, was no longer a prisoner but a willing combatant in the war against the fascist state. As the Toobin narrative flows, the reader is able to see the extent to which 'Tania' sympathised with the SLA and how she took on a life in the underground to keep herself from being caught. One of the FBI's Most Wanted, Hearst was forced to sneak around in order to protect herself and those around her, which would lead to further crimes so that she might stay afloat. The tumultuous 18 month manhunt ended when Hearst was arrested for her crimes and sent to trial, which turned out to be another circus of media frenzy. It was during her trial, now in front of the spotlight, that her notoriety rose even more and those closest to her at the defence table, namely F. Lee Bailey, sought to use her fame to boost his own reputation. Toobin goes through the trial in his legal analyst manner and recounts some of the foibles, which would lead to her conviction. However, many questions were raised in testimony, some of which I am happy to explore below. That Patty Hearst became a name most anyone in the 1970s could have recognised is beyond dispute. However, the transformation this 19 year old took from the day she was forced into the trunk of a car until she was eventually led away in handcuffs over a year later is fascinating. Toobin did a fabulous job directing this journey, sure to impress the reader who has the patience to wade through the rollercoaster journey.
I thought I ought to take a few minutes to explore the Symbionese Liberation Army as presented by the author. Formed by the politically-minded Donald DeFreeze and some like-minded youths, the SLA sought to create a renewed buzz of the counterculture movement, pitting themselves against the State, which it felt was fascist in nature. However, as Toobin mentions repeatedly, no other groups on the left trying to make political statements within the United States would associate themselves with the SLA. They were too radical and tried to make statements with little regard for the larger picture. While DeFreeze tried to align himself with some Central and South American guerrilla groups, the associations floated out in the public without solidarity on the part of the international organisations, a deafening two-step away from the SLA and their creed. That said, there was a brief time during which the SLA captured the minds of the public, immediately after the Patty Hearst kidnapping. As mentioned above, forcing the creation of the People in Need initiative allowed the poor in California to receive food, funded by Randy and Catherine Hearst in order to see their daughter returned safely. This 'Robin Hood Complex' allowed the SLA to make themselves somewhat respected, if only for doing the right thing and not falling into being greedy while lauding the fact that they held Hearst as their captive. Their early communiqués were poignant and even pushed a commentary that had been strong in the 60s, but it soon turned into excessive rambling. Even before the 24-hour news cycle, the SLA lost the general public, which the ongoing search for Patty Hearst never lost its buzz, partially because of the SLA. When Hearst agreed to become a soldier in the SLA and took up the name Tania, her public prominence on-screen during the bank robbery injected new drama into the SLA-Hearst situation, as speculation swirled about what had been done to turn Hearst. For the months that followed, it was a manhunt around the country and the FBI using their Most Wanted List to turn Americans into snitches and forced them to be on the lookout at every moment. Toobin clearly illustrates how the cat and mouse game was what fuelled television ratings, rather that the SLA's ongoing desires to change the way things were being done in America. Perhaps losing their way and becoming a bunch of criminals on the run is what truly killed the impetus of the SLA movement.
One cannot review this book and not spend at least a little time looking at Patty Hearst, whose life was turned upside down that February 4, 1974 night when she was pulled from her home. Toobin effectively argues that this was both a fearful experience for her and one that made her a symbol of her family's vast empire and collection of assets. However, being the granddaughter of the famous William Randolph Hearst did not work in her favour, as Patty was not able to garner the financial means that it was expected she might. Her father, Randy, was not as wealthy as might have been expected, much of his wealth tied up in trusts and third-party holdings. Additionally, Patty was not political, so her being held was not the coup the SLA might have expected when they undertook to remove her from the house. As has been insinuated above, there came a time when Patty Hearst changed, not only adopting the Tania persona, but left being the victim and became a member of the cause. Much was made at her trial about brainwashing or the newly-coined term 'Stockholm Syndrome', something that the Toobin narrative does not posit during the kidnapping period. However, while the transition Hearst undertook as a captive took a month or so, she appears to have reverted after her capture, happy to sell anyone and everyone up the river to save her skin. Toobin exemplifies how quickly Hearst was prepared to cry 'rape' and 'inhumane conditions', which led her to make choices she would not have otherwise made. The State left the question on which the jury could percolate during deliberations: "Why did Hearst not flee at some point during the eighteen months in the SLA?" Surely, there must have been at least one instance when she could have revealed herself and allowed the authorities to take her into protective custody. The innocent kidnap victim became not only a hardened criminal, but duplicitous along the way. Surely the silver spoon upbringing helped to foster a belief that she need only act and the world would do as she wanted. Toobin presents this theory as the Hearst family lobbied many of those in positions of power to commute Patty's sentence because she was acting under duress while a captive of the SLA. Former California Governor Reagan bought into it, John Wayne lassoed it as his own personal truth, and even President Jimmy Carter succumbed to the pressures and signed the commutation order. Further political maneuvering had Carter pull on the heartstrings of the departing President Clinton to offer a full pardon to Patty Hearst on his final day in office. Power and money surely turn the winds of justice, allowing a woman who played the system to flip the bird at the entire population incarcerated in the United States and those whose lives she affected while a soldier with the SLA.
As with many of the Toobin books I have read, this was laid out in such a way that the reader can easily follow all arguments made and keep the historical references in some semblance of order. Toobin pulls on a period that was dramatic, with its iconoclastic photo of Patty Hearst holding the machine gun ahead of her first bank heist. However, having not lived through these events, I relied heavily on the author's ability to act as narrator and historical tour guide as I tried to make sense of the entire ordeal. Toobin has taken much time to develop some of the backstories of key characters who crossed paths with Hearst, as well as tangential events in history that helped precipitate the key events known to many who followed the Patty Hearst saga in 1974-75. While there is surely a bias woven into the perspective, Toobin gives the reader the reins to synthesise much of the information and evidence presented within these pages, which makes the book all the more enjoyable. I left this feeling better informed and have created some of my own sentiments on those stormy eighteen months. Surely a collection of events people can use to ask "do you remember when...?"
Kudos, Mr. Toobin for another great effort. I will surely recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Patty Hearst, as well as those who might not know the details of the SLA and all that went down.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
I thought I ought to take a few minutes to explore the Symbionese Liberation Army as presented by the author. Formed by the politically-minded Donald DeFreeze and some like-minded youths, the SLA sought to create a renewed buzz of the counterculture movement, pitting themselves against the State, which it felt was fascist in nature. However, as Toobin mentions repeatedly, no other groups on the left trying to make political statements within the United States would associate themselves with the SLA. They were too radical and tried to make statements with little regard for the larger picture. While DeFreeze tried to align himself with some Central and South American guerrilla groups, the associations floated out in the public without solidarity on the part of the international organisations, a deafening two-step away from the SLA and their creed. That said, there was a brief time during which the SLA captured the minds of the public, immediately after the Patty Hearst kidnapping. As mentioned above, forcing the creation of the People in Need initiative allowed the poor in California to receive food, funded by Randy and Catherine Hearst in order to see their daughter returned safely. This 'Robin Hood Complex' allowed the SLA to make themselves somewhat respected, if only for doing the right thing and not falling into being greedy while lauding the fact that they held Hearst as their captive. Their early communiqués were poignant and even pushed a commentary that had been strong in the 60s, but it soon turned into excessive rambling. Even before the 24-hour news cycle, the SLA lost the general public, which the ongoing search for Patty Hearst never lost its buzz, partially because of the SLA. When Hearst agreed to become a soldier in the SLA and took up the name Tania, her public prominence on-screen during the bank robbery injected new drama into the SLA-Hearst situation, as speculation swirled about what had been done to turn Hearst. For the months that followed, it was a manhunt around the country and the FBI using their Most Wanted List to turn Americans into snitches and forced them to be on the lookout at every moment. Toobin clearly illustrates how the cat and mouse game was what fuelled television ratings, rather that the SLA's ongoing desires to change the way things were being done in America. Perhaps losing their way and becoming a bunch of criminals on the run is what truly killed the impetus of the SLA movement.
One cannot review this book and not spend at least a little time looking at Patty Hearst, whose life was turned upside down that February 4, 1974 night when she was pulled from her home. Toobin effectively argues that this was both a fearful experience for her and one that made her a symbol of her family's vast empire and collection of assets. However, being the granddaughter of the famous William Randolph Hearst did not work in her favour, as Patty was not able to garner the financial means that it was expected she might. Her father, Randy, was not as wealthy as might have been expected, much of his wealth tied up in trusts and third-party holdings. Additionally, Patty was not political, so her being held was not the coup the SLA might have expected when they undertook to remove her from the house. As has been insinuated above, there came a time when Patty Hearst changed, not only adopting the Tania persona, but left being the victim and became a member of the cause. Much was made at her trial about brainwashing or the newly-coined term 'Stockholm Syndrome', something that the Toobin narrative does not posit during the kidnapping period. However, while the transition Hearst undertook as a captive took a month or so, she appears to have reverted after her capture, happy to sell anyone and everyone up the river to save her skin. Toobin exemplifies how quickly Hearst was prepared to cry 'rape' and 'inhumane conditions', which led her to make choices she would not have otherwise made. The State left the question on which the jury could percolate during deliberations: "Why did Hearst not flee at some point during the eighteen months in the SLA?" Surely, there must have been at least one instance when she could have revealed herself and allowed the authorities to take her into protective custody. The innocent kidnap victim became not only a hardened criminal, but duplicitous along the way. Surely the silver spoon upbringing helped to foster a belief that she need only act and the world would do as she wanted. Toobin presents this theory as the Hearst family lobbied many of those in positions of power to commute Patty's sentence because she was acting under duress while a captive of the SLA. Former California Governor Reagan bought into it, John Wayne lassoed it as his own personal truth, and even President Jimmy Carter succumbed to the pressures and signed the commutation order. Further political maneuvering had Carter pull on the heartstrings of the departing President Clinton to offer a full pardon to Patty Hearst on his final day in office. Power and money surely turn the winds of justice, allowing a woman who played the system to flip the bird at the entire population incarcerated in the United States and those whose lives she affected while a soldier with the SLA.
As with many of the Toobin books I have read, this was laid out in such a way that the reader can easily follow all arguments made and keep the historical references in some semblance of order. Toobin pulls on a period that was dramatic, with its iconoclastic photo of Patty Hearst holding the machine gun ahead of her first bank heist. However, having not lived through these events, I relied heavily on the author's ability to act as narrator and historical tour guide as I tried to make sense of the entire ordeal. Toobin has taken much time to develop some of the backstories of key characters who crossed paths with Hearst, as well as tangential events in history that helped precipitate the key events known to many who followed the Patty Hearst saga in 1974-75. While there is surely a bias woven into the perspective, Toobin gives the reader the reins to synthesise much of the information and evidence presented within these pages, which makes the book all the more enjoyable. I left this feeling better informed and have created some of my own sentiments on those stormy eighteen months. Surely a collection of events people can use to ask "do you remember when...?"
Kudos, Mr. Toobin for another great effort. I will surely recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Patty Hearst, as well as those who might not know the details of the SLA and all that went down.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
This book is an incredible journey and a well written, researched and fair account of the Patty Hearst saga. Jeffrey Toobin is one of my favorite authors, so I expected something great and he certainly delivered. I could easily see this being a television show in a few years.