The Encyclopedia of the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List: Over Fifty Years of Convicts, Robbers, Terrorists, and Other Rogues

by Duane Swierczynski

In 1949, a crime reporter looking for a way to fill a column published the nation’s ten worst criminals as classified by the FBI: two accused murderers, four escaped convicts, a bank robber, and three “confidence men.” In addition to the stark black and white photos that accompanied the article, the public was most moved by the idea that law enforcement was asking them for help. Fired up by the gesture of confidence, Americans banded together to wholeheartedly support the motion, leading to tips that helped facilitate the capture of the advertised criminals. Some of those on the list even surrendered voluntarily due to the increased publicity. The rogues’ gallery showcases fugitives such as:
• William Raymond Nesbit, first on the list to be captured
• James Earl Ray, assassin of Martin Luther King Jr.
• Ted Bundy, ruthless serial killer
• Ruth Eisemann-Schier, kidnapper and first woman to make the Top Ten
• Ramzi Ahmed Yousef, 1993 World Trade Center bomber
This encyclopedia includes criminals’ photographs, crime details, and “interesting fugitive facts” as well as a brief history of the list and what it has accomplished in more than fifty years.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction

340 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Duane Swierczynski is an American crime writer who has written a number of non-fiction books, novels and also writes for comic books.

Reviews

[Aimee Massey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing book, both because it is well-written and because it is extremely comprehensive. Rather than focusing on the Top Tenners who made the biggest headlines, Swierczynski has an entry for Every. Single. Fugitive. who ever made the top ten most-wanted list from its inception to ... well, as close to publication as possible. (He is also a really, super-nice guy.) Being of a somewhat compulsive and detail-oriented person, I am made happiest by any book with "encyclopedia of ..." in the title, especially when it truly is encyclopedic. (I confess I didn't really feel drawn to "The Encyclopedia of Peach and Plum Diseases" so that kind of title doesn't *always* grab me, but I digress.)
Among other bits of what most people might call "useless trivia" I picked up in this encyclopedia:
There've been three men named to the Top Ten list at different times named Jesse James. Two of them were bank robbers. To be fair, one was Jessie, but same difference.
The obesity epidemic hasn't made as many inroads on the fugitive community, or else maybe the really fat guys don't stay hidden for very long.
The FBI always referred to Bin Laden as Usama, while most of the rest of the world knew him as Osama.
Top Tenners have been captured in all but three US states: Maine, Alaska, and my very own Delaware.
And lots of other fun stuff like that, which I hope Charles the Emcee asks about at my weekly trivia game, but which he probably won't.

[Christian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting read with some astounding stories of bad guys (and occasional gals) past. Big fan of Philly's own, Duane Swierczynski.