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elizabethise's review
3.0
Wow, this seems like a truly relevant book for these Covid times! I didn't know much about the London Fog before seeing it on The Crown. Then, while strolling my local Half Prices Books true crime section I saw this and thought it was fate. It pairs historical non-fiction of the London Fog crisis with a true story of a serial killer. I thought it was going to be about a killer who took advantage of the week-long fog craziness to snatch and kill people but it was more about someone who happened to kill during that time (before and after as well). So that was a little bit of a bummer, but both story lines were really interesting! If you are a history buff, anglophile and a true crime junkie than this is a great one for you! I also highly suggest [a:Kate Winkler Dawson|16428209|Kate Winkler Dawson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1494880605p2/16428209.jpg]'s podcast 'Tenfold More Wicked'! I just binged the first season and her second one was coming out weekly now (Feb 2021).
themadmadmadeline's review against another edition
4.0
As a public health person and a true crime enthusiast, this was the perfect marriage of the two. Great information, and the two prevailing themes were masterfully crafted to intertwine with each other. A little slow at times but highly enjoyable.
jeaneem22's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed the juxtaposition of a traditional serial killer and the deaths brought on by the London fog. I'd never realized how truly disgusting that sort of pollution was until the author described people on the street unable to see their feet in the unrecognizable landscape of their familiar neighborhood.
andrewotey's review
3.0
This book would have been more successful without the serial killer storyline. It wasn’t all that thrilling, and trying to weave it in to the story about the fog wasn’t particularly successful. But the fog story was fascinating and well written.
inspiretruth's review
3.0
Every time I go to Costco, I find a book that catches my eye. First, it was The Perfect Horse, which was a fascinating story; and then it was this book, Death in the Air. The title alone made me curious, but as I read the synopsis, I knew that this was a book I needed to read. Though a dark story that was difficult to swallow at times, this book contained a lot of new information I had never heard about.
Death in the Air followed two different events which shared a connection. The first was a serial killer with a hunger for death; the other was a silent killer that claimed over 12,000 lives in a matter of five days! Both dangerous and both almost walked away without getting caught. However, justice prevailed, and these events caused a significant stir in British Parliament.
The Great London Smog, though an influential catastrophe, was kept quiet by the government for over 50 years. This deadly smog forced Parliament, under Winston Churchill at that time, to take off their blindfolds and address this horrid fog that threatened to kill the people of London. But, they discussed it without drawing public attention as the smog was, in fact, the government's fault.
John Reginald Christie, a maniac who only felt at peace as he strangled the life out of a person, played a key role in the outcome of the death penalty in Britain. Thought to be a kind, yet strange, man, Christie lived a double life which took the soul of his wife and other helpless women.
Just three years prior, a man, Christie's neighbor, was hung on the gallows for the murder of his baby girl. However, the case was reopened after the discovery of the hidden bodies at 10 Rillington Place. Was Christie, in fact, the murderer or were his confessions just as false as the man who was buried in the prison cemetery?
Death in the Air was an important book to read because it focused on the events and circumstances that caused a major shift not only in Parliament but the world. This book showed me just how thankful I am for modern technology and shocked me when I read that there are still parts of the world that are currently being affected by this silent killer!
This book was also a great conversation starter with my grandparents who were living in London during the Great London Smog! My nan even used to live near John Reginald Christie!! The tales they told of being trapped at a friend's house and walking to school through smog, unable to see their hand if they held it in front of them, were truly unreal.
The author, Kate Winkler Dawson, wrote this book with excellence! It was invigorating and felt like a thriller rather than non-fiction. I would recommend this book just to read her words! The way she told the story and incorporated the different events was perfect. If you enjoy a good thriller or learning about the horrors of the past, this a book for you!
Death in the Air followed two different events which shared a connection. The first was a serial killer with a hunger for death; the other was a silent killer that claimed over 12,000 lives in a matter of five days! Both dangerous and both almost walked away without getting caught. However, justice prevailed, and these events caused a significant stir in British Parliament.
The Great London Smog, though an influential catastrophe, was kept quiet by the government for over 50 years. This deadly smog forced Parliament, under Winston Churchill at that time, to take off their blindfolds and address this horrid fog that threatened to kill the people of London. But, they discussed it without drawing public attention as the smog was, in fact, the government's fault.
John Reginald Christie, a maniac who only felt at peace as he strangled the life out of a person, played a key role in the outcome of the death penalty in Britain. Thought to be a kind, yet strange, man, Christie lived a double life which took the soul of his wife and other helpless women.
Just three years prior, a man, Christie's neighbor, was hung on the gallows for the murder of his baby girl. However, the case was reopened after the discovery of the hidden bodies at 10 Rillington Place. Was Christie, in fact, the murderer or were his confessions just as false as the man who was buried in the prison cemetery?
Death in the Air was an important book to read because it focused on the events and circumstances that caused a major shift not only in Parliament but the world. This book showed me just how thankful I am for modern technology and shocked me when I read that there are still parts of the world that are currently being affected by this silent killer!
This book was also a great conversation starter with my grandparents who were living in London during the Great London Smog! My nan even used to live near John Reginald Christie!! The tales they told of being trapped at a friend's house and walking to school through smog, unable to see their hand if they held it in front of them, were truly unreal.
The author, Kate Winkler Dawson, wrote this book with excellence! It was invigorating and felt like a thriller rather than non-fiction. I would recommend this book just to read her words! The way she told the story and incorporated the different events was perfect. If you enjoy a good thriller or learning about the horrors of the past, this a book for you!
michellejaclyn's review
3.0
Such a clear writing style but lacked the drama or suspense you want from this sort of parallel story.
ashley_po's review
I got a free copy of this book through NetGalley.
Unfortunately, I was unable to finish this book. It just didn't draw the reader in enough to make it compelling and easy to read. The chapters were incredibly long, and all seemed to describe the same thing.
Unfortunately, I was unable to finish this book. It just didn't draw the reader in enough to make it compelling and easy to read. The chapters were incredibly long, and all seemed to describe the same thing.
emily_kayser's review against another edition
1.0
Oh man, this book.
If it had just been a story about the smog, it would have been ... fine. I'd love to learn more about this era of British history, but I don't want to hear it from Dawson. Her research seemed confined to a handful of people she happened across as opposed to a curated list of witnesses who could provide multiple perspectives, and I wanted a lot more about the historical conditions and austerity measures that led to these events - as well as a more thorough examination of its aftermath.
But the piece of the book about the serial killer is just appallingly bad. First, let's be clear: there is NO connection between this story and the smog, other than that they happened at roughly the same time and place. And second, the author allows him to voice his reprehensible views without challenge. There's almost nothing about the women he killed, or the lives they led. It's borderline irresponsible.
And, to add insult to injury, the book is riddled with typos. Stuff so obvious that a simple spell check should have caught it.
My recommendation? Read pretty much anything other than this.
If it had just been a story about the smog, it would have been ... fine. I'd love to learn more about this era of British history, but I don't want to hear it from Dawson. Her research seemed confined to a handful of people she happened across as opposed to a curated list of witnesses who could provide multiple perspectives, and I wanted a lot more about the historical conditions and austerity measures that led to these events - as well as a more thorough examination of its aftermath.
But the piece of the book about the serial killer is just appallingly bad. First, let's be clear: there is NO connection between this story and the smog, other than that they happened at roughly the same time and place. And second, the author allows him to voice his reprehensible views without challenge. There's almost nothing about the women he killed, or the lives they led. It's borderline irresponsible.
And, to add insult to injury, the book is riddled with typos. Stuff so obvious that a simple spell check should have caught it.
My recommendation? Read pretty much anything other than this.
ialwayshaveabook's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
tense
medium-paced
3.5
I did enjoy this book over all, I thought it was incredibly informative and still very important as we continue dealing with the effects of industrialization and climate change.
However, there were a lot of people, dates, and figures to try and keep track of - which may have been easier if I was reading the book in paper or ebook, rather than listening to the audio book. Additionally, some of the events for regarding Christie were seemingly out of order, and I would have preferred if Winkler Dawson would have followed the victims in order.
However, there were a lot of people, dates, and figures to try and keep track of - which may have been easier if I was reading the book in paper or ebook, rather than listening to the audio book. Additionally, some of the events for regarding Christie were seemingly out of order, and I would have preferred if Winkler Dawson would have followed the victims in order.