Book Review: 101 Crimes of the Century
A Compilation of True Crime Stories by Alan J. Whiticker
In 101 Crimes of the Century (New Holland, 2008) Australian author Alan J Whiticker has compiled a list of 101 infamous crimes known throughout the world. As Whiticker explains in the introduction, this is not meant to be a definitive list, but rather an overview of crimes that have had significant impact on society.
The timeline of crimes commences with Jack the Ripper, outlined in the introduction, up to the 2007 disappearance of three-year-old Madeleine McCann in Portugal.
Presented in chronological order, each chapter is headed by a fact file outlining what the crime was (murder, espionage, theft etc.), who the victim or victims were and their ages, the date and place where the crime occurred, who the perpetrator or perpetrators were and what sentence was handed down. Following the fact file is a brief paragraph summarising the case, and then a two page run down of the events.
This brief format provides the reader with a reasonable impression of the central and most interesting information pertaining to the crimes discussed, without overloading the reader with too many details. For readers wishing to study any particular case more closely, there is a reference section at the end of each chapter detailing books and websites that offer more comprehensive coverage of that specific crime.
Infamous Murders
It is not surprising that the majority of the crimes included in the book are murders. It is the human element, rather than the political that seems to hold the most fascination - whether so-called crimes of passion, such as the “Pyjama Girl” case from Melbourne Australia in 1934 or the mass murders of serial killers and lone gunmen such as Martin Bryant, responsible for the Port Arthur massacre in 1996.
Espionage, Intrigue and Theft
Only very well-known cases are included. The Cambridge Spies, the Rosenburg Scandal, Watergate and the theft of the Mona Lisa are some examples.
Political Crimes
Obviously it is difficult to cover the full reasons behind terrorist attacks, war crimes and the assassination of world leaders and political figures in just two to three short pages, however for readers just wanting a summary of the events leading to these crimes, Whiticker’s overviews are mostly sufficient. However in the chapters on the holocaust and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 the brevity of the description feels inappropriate in comparison with the scale of the crime.
Historical and Social Significance
At the end of many chapters, Whiticker includes a note about ways in which the crime has affected society. This includes any legal changes that may have been brought about due to the crime, such as the introduction of the Lindbergh Law, or the abolishment of capital punishment in Great Britain due to the wrongful hanging of Timothy Evans. Mention is also made in this section of any books or films based upon the events – whether biographical as in the film Monster about serial killer Aileen Wuornos, or fictional like Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, which was inspired by the Lindbergh kidnapping.
For aficionados of true crime, 101 Crimes of the Century provides a broad overview of the crimes that have shocked and intrigued the world over the past one hundred years.
