One of my favorite true crime authors flops.

Narration was fine. Most of the book isn't about Bath School Bombing or Andrew Kehoe. I wanted to learn more about the attack on my hometown 94 years ago. This book was highly anticipated by me because I love Harold Schechter's books. This book, however, mentions the bombing in from the "big stories that happened shortly after the attack helped to wipe this incident from memory due to short coverage", then Schechter proceeds to do the same thing as he goes into short detail about the people involved and the bombing itself, and then proceeds to go into massive detail about completely unrelated events. I had to shut it off after a while because this book really irritated me. I understand that it can be hard to get the gritty details on a story like this and be able to narrate them as fact, but he could have absolutely done better. This book does not do my hometown, nor any of the families who were affected, any justice. Just another instance like so often seems to happen, where the Bath School Bombing is simply overlooked and forgotten.

10 people found this helpful

thumbs up

interesting without dissolving into gory sensationalism. excellent narration. subject treated with respect, covering personalities, motivations and outcome.

4 people found this helpful

A Lot of Wasted Time

As a Michigan native, I'm quite familiar with the Bath School Massacre and had high hopes for this book. What a disappointment! Andrew Kehoe is scarcely mentioned in the first hour as the listener is led down a rabbit hole of discussions focused on local geology and early settlers to the area. The middle of the book also gets bogged down by a very lengthy monologue regarding the achievements of Charles Lindbergh. Fascinating in its way but totally unnecessary. Andrew Kehoe was a peculiarly twisted individual and I wish the author had devoted more energy into delving into his life, his actions that horrific day, the survivor's stories and the disaster aftermath. Others have done so and there is more than enough material to fill a book. All the extraneous padding was unnecessary, and honestly, quite boring.

3 people found this helpful

Harold Schechter at his best

Absolutely brilliant. Narration was stellar as was the story itself. Pick up this audiobook now.

3 people found this helpful

Fascinating sad story

I first became fascinated by this story when I happened apon a copy of Arnie Bernsteins

Bath Massacre: America's First School Bombing

Such a sad devastating, yet unfortunately, little known story.
Maniac, I would say is very good, but more of a companion reading for those interested in the story.

2 people found this helpful

Waste of Time

Apparently there must be little information about this tragedy because the author filled the book with unrelated information from practically every American mass-casualty event of the twentieth century: Tim McVeigh, Columbine, Richard Speck, Charles Whitman and a particularly long -winded account about Charles Lindberg. Just frustrating!

1 person found this helpful

Outstanding

Harolds work is as always exemplary. The narrator is wonderful as well. Looking forward to the next one

1 person found this helpful

Local history comes to life.

As a resident of Michigan, I had only a vague knowledge of this event. The book covered every detail of this event to a satisfying conclusion.

1 person found this helpful

American LARGEST school attack

Gripping story of America's first & LARGEST attack of a school killing scores od students and staff a century ago, followed by a chapter of its footnotes in history and media vs later attacks through to Sandy Hook.

Disappointed

3/4 of the book is about headlining news that has nothing to to with the Bath massacre.