The Life and Trial of Lizzie Borden: The History of 19th Century America’s Most Famous Murder Case

by Charles River Editors

*Includes pictures *Includes reports and witness testimony regarding the murders *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents “I don't know what I have said. I have answered so many questions and I am so confused I don't know one thing from another. I am telling you just as nearly as I know.” – Lizzie Borden “I knew there was an old axe down cellar; that is all I knew.” – Lizzie Borden “Lizzie Borden took an axe, and gave her mother forty whacks, when she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one.” Like so many others, this ditty and similar ones sacrificed accuracy in the name of rhyme and rhythm, as Abby and Andrew Borden were not hit 81 times but “only” 29. Of course, that still proved to be more than enough to kill both of them and propel their daughter, Elizabeth, into infamy. Today, cases are often referred to as the trial of the century, but few could lay claim in the 19th century like Lizzie Borden’s in the wake of her parents’ murders. After all, the story included the grisly axe murders of wealthy socialites and a young daughter as the prime suspect. As Trey Wyatt, author of The Life, Legend, and Mystery of Lizzie Borden, put it, “Women were held to strict standards and genteel women were pampered, while at the same time they were expected to behave within a strict code of conduct. In 1892, Fall River, Massachusetts wealthy society ladies were not guilty of murder, and if they did kill someone, it would not be with an axe.” When questioned, Lizzie gave contradictory accounts to the police, which ultimately helped lead to her arrest and trial, but supporters claimed it may have been the effects of morphine that she had a prescription to take. Much like subsequent famous murder cases, such as the O.J. Simpson case or Leopold & Loeb, Lizzie Borden’s trial garnered national attention unlike just about anything that had come before. The case sparked Americans’ interest in legal proceedings, and as with Simpson, even an acquittal didn’t take the spotlight off the Borden case, which has been depicted in all forms of media ever since. Lizzie became a pariah among contemporaries who believed she’d escaped justice, and she remains the prime suspect, but the unsolved nature of the case has allowed other writers to advance other theories and point at other suspects. The Life and Trial of Lizzie The History of 19th Century America’s Most Famous Murder Case looks at the personal background of the Borden family and the shocking true crime that captivated America at the end of the 19th century. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Lizzie Borden like never before, in no time at all.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, History, Biography, American History

63 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 2, 2015

About the author

Charles River Editors is an independent publisher of thousands of ebooks on Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and Apple iBookstore & provider of original content for third parties.

Reviews

[Rachel (Into a Story) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some interesting info but very short and not that well written.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Life and Trial of Lizzie Borden: The History of 19th Century America's Most Famous Murder Case is a 56 page summary of the events that took place in 1892 Fall River, Massachusetts.

If you do not have any knowledge of this true crime story or only the very tiniest idea of the legend of Lizzie Borden, then this book is a great introduction into the facts surrounding the case.

I am already familiar with the basics, so this book was nothing more than a recap for me , but I did find the recommended reading at the end of the book to be helpful, and after you finish this book, you will most likely want to read a more in depth study of the case.

I admit I pulled the "one-click" stunt and didn't realize until it was too late the book was so short, because if I had been paying attention to the details I would have passed on this one, but while this is merely a summation, it is well organized and will give a researcher or true crime reader a place to start with the basic facts laid out for you.

So, although the book was not of much help to me and I didn't learn anything I didn't already know, this book is good place start for the novice.

Overall 3 stars

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Choppy and disjointed. It was a starting point for me so I appreciated it for what it’s worth - pretty much a collection of quotes and summaries of other texts on the subject - so I gave it two stars instead of one.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brief but informative overview of the highlights of the case, Lizzie, and what we know.

[Karen Voitik · Rating 4 out of 5]

>Book Review – The Life and Trial of Lizzie Borden

>I am an independent reviewer. This book is a step-by-step account of events leading up to and directly after the murder of Lizzie Borden’s father and stepmother. The book doesn’t tell the whole background of events leading up to the murders, especially in regard to Lizzie’s uncle. The book mentions that the Bordens suffered from stomach ailments in the days before their deaths. The story also mentions the family eating mutton for an entire week. What the story fails to mention is the lack of proper refrigeration and the extreme heat of the days causing the mutton to turn, possibly causing the stomach issues.

>This book is appropriate for an adult audience. I am giving this book 4 stars. The synopsis is particularly good. Motives for murder were never discussed though.

[Lora Graham · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was not intending to get the full picture from this; I only planned to read this as a precursor/warm-up to a longer book. I did like the pictures, but I'd have to say that was the most interesting thing about the whole "book". Even though this case is one I've been fascinated with for years, it was rather dull, which is why it took me about 3 days to finish a 44 page book (I kept putting it down). There were a few facts that I wasn't previously aware of, so that was a plus (if they are accurate). But I hope it was not this writer's intention to come off as unbiased because by the end I had the impression that he was in Lizzie's corner, as were some of the witnesses who clearly weren't telling the truth.

[JZ · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a disappointment to find that this was so cursory, so boring, and the 'narrator' is 'William Crocket.' It's one of the best machine readings, but nonetheless, no one talks like that naturally. I dozed repeatedly, jarred by the mispronunciations back into consciousness. The robotic effect is unsettling. The authors are anonymous, too. Pathetic.

If this is the life of Lizzie, it was as if she was a paper doll. Save your pennies for a better book. Check this out from your library if you want to get the references at the end, so you can read a real book about this story. This is not what it purports to be.

[Marlene · Rating 2 out of 5]

Most people know the rhyme - "Lizzie Borden took an axe, gave her mother 40 wacks. When she saw what she had done, she gave her father 41." In reality, it was a total of 29 between the two and Lizzie was aquitted. This book reviews the most famous case of the 19th century including witness statements and the case itself. It's brief but shows just how much police work has improved in regards to collecting evidence as well as arresting and trying a murder suspect.

[Tj · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a brief outline of the case evidence and trial of Lizzie Borden. Innocent or guilty? For over a hundred years this has been debated in books, movies, and jump rope rhymes. Like most intriguing mysteries, it's hard to separate fact from fiction. Perhaps this why books continue to be written. All mystery readers like to play "armchair" detective in hopes of solving the case.

[Marissa]

I won't rate this, because it was a little nonfiction book about the Lizzie Borden case. But I will say that I enjoyed listening to more information regarding how Lizzie was viewed in the town she lived in and how she was brought up as well. I love true crime and I am glad that I was able to listen to this.

[Laurie Fosburgh · Rating 1 out of 5]

Meh

There's nothing here I couldn't get from Wikipedia.It's a quick read and the information is good for people unfamiliar with the case, but I'll look for more interesting books elsewhere.

[Miranda Frey-myers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good short read

Good read but in the beginning the author calls Lizzie Elizabeth which was not her name. She was named Lizzie at birth and later changed her name to Lizbeth after the acquittal.

[Mariette T · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book paints Lizzie's life and trial in broad strokes. I was able to read the book in one day. There are more thorough books out there on Lizzie Borden and this book leaves you hungry for more. The bibliography at the book is a great place to start your search.

[J Layne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing. The reproduced newspaper accounts are verbose, repetitive and hard to follow. I think it was just the way it was done in 1892.

[Jess marsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good

I liked it and I learned a lot. It was so interesting and it taught me so much. Very good

[Cinnamon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good

Short book but pretty good. Nothing earth shattering. Great for of you need a quick idea about what happened but nothing too in-depth.

[Dawn C]

Did not like this book.I thought there would be so much more to it. It seems to be a household of very iffy people,
who can not, know what they are doing, much less solve a murder!

[Carrie Webb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lizzie's trial

A quick overview of the sensationalized murder of the Bordan's, and the trial that followed. Did she or didn't she?

[Shiloh Peacemaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting book. :)

[marcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

great concise short telling of the famous trial of Lizzie Borden and a background of her life.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting Read

I loved this book. A very interesting read if you love learning about crimes through history this would be a great read for you

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such an interesting story. I think it could have been more in depth. It was read without emotion.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Listened to as an audio book… worst voiceover ever! But the story has always fascinated me.

[Becky Beemer · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's everything you already know, and read by someone without emotion, like an AI

[Susan Forsgren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chilling, nonfiction, story of a famous case.

[Georgi_Lvs_Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting quick read. I loved that photos were provided…. Some I had never seen before!

[Selkie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has been criticised for length and poor print quality, but if one looks beyond that it is rather informative for its size. From most media does not go into the case as well---it is mainly a blurb asserting that Lizzy did commit the murders and not making it clear that she had been a quitted.
This book concentrates on the morning of the murders and ends with her acquittal. But the book does raise more questions that one does wish had been dealt with further. For example, it states that Lizzy had attempted to buy cyanide a few days prior to the murders but had been denied by the pharmacist. It does not state what reason she had given the pharmacist to try to obtain it, however. It states that another reason she came under suspicion was because she had destroyed a blue dress, but nowhere was it stated what she had been wearing on the day of the murders (the dress had also been destroyed in the presence of witnesses that had told investigators they had not seen any blood on the garment).
The book does not assert that she was wrongly accused, but that she was believed guilty by her odd behaviour and inability to reply properly to questions during the investigation. It also brought up the question (but not the answer, unfortunately) why her sister or the servant, or the stranger lurking outside the house (observed by two people the week of the murders) were not investigated more throughly.
Over all this is a good starting get point if you want to know more about the case, but it is certainly not a full case record or biography.

[Lindsay Ewing · Rating 2 out of 5]

a brief retelling of the Borden murders

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommended

This a very short and concise presentation of the evidence available on the events as they relate to the legend of Lizzie Borden.

[Jennifer Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like real stories read this one