Drap: Snikmordets moderne historie

by Kris Hollington

Exploding telephones, pipe-guns and bullets made of teeth, aspirin explosives, cobra-venom darts, a rifle that shoots around corners, a 'piss bomb' (10 cups of boiled urine mixed with nitric acid), exploding clams, samurai swords, karate chops, poisoned umbrellas and a fuel-laden light aircraft. Sometimes even a regular gun. These are just some of the methods that have been used over the last fifty years to speed 4,000 VIPs to a premature end.





How to Kill is not an encyclopaedia of assassination but rather a gripping history that charts the development of the modern world through the eyes of the assassins that tried to change it. It is also a work of investigation, surprising conspiracies and remarkable connections are uncovered throughout.


This book is the first to study in detail not only the causes and surprising consequences of assassination, but also the crucial seconds of the act itself and the psychology of the assassin in an effort to understand why some assassinations succeed where others fail - and what might be done to prevent them. It is also the first book to examine the fascinating facts and figures of assassination, revealing everything from the success rate by type of weapon and the escape and survival rates of assassins to the most popular time of year and location for assassination.





The definitive book on assassination, How to Kill shows that sometimes, one murder can change the world.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

419 pages, Hardcover

First published June 7, 2007

Reviews

[Robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well summarized book of various successful (and unsuccessful) assassinations. NOT a guide on how to get away with murder, but none the less extremely interesting

[Ajay · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book only scratches the surface of a truly intriguing series of topics -- a history of assassinations, the techniques, the reasons why killers do it, the difference between pros and amateurs, and the fascinating question -- can murder change the world?

However, I found the book extremely surface-level, with a narrow scope -- primarily focused on the US post-WW2. The chapter structure was a bit confusing. Overall, felt like it's a bad book and unable to achieve it's objectives. There is something to learn here, but overall not worth reading.

The largest gripe I had was the lack of empathy that the author showed for the targets / victims.

[Boštjan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book features lots of examples of assassinations throughout history, the ones I most remember from this book is about the poisoned umbrella in late 1970s' London and about the "First Spanish Astronaut". Also, the RAF killing of a banker is interesting, too, as it was featured in many documentaries.
It's sort of darkly brilliant and brutally addictive - one cannot stop turning the pages.

[Joachim Strandberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read the Norwegian translation. Highly recommended. Gets a bit dry towards the end, but worth it.

[Alistair Greenhalgh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basically a how and why of assassinations. The research is mostly based on those who got caught.

The opening examines differences between amateur and professional killers (such as getting caught and not getting caught). What probably separates the professional from the amateur is General Sun Tzu's maxim of first seek victory then seek battle. The amateur is too impulsive to observe it.

There is little discussion of the latter and instead largely concentrates on the amateurs: typical profile, their upbringing which led to their psychological maladies which motivated them to kill high profile targets (ideological or 'to steal [their victim's] fame'). How they got caught. Hollington's analysis of this is quite thorough.

(For material concerning professionals the works of Philip Carlo, The Ice Man for example, are more insightful.)

Also discussed is how assassins were thwarted or could have been thwarted.

The statistics at the end are comprehensive but don't differ between amateur and professional.

The research is good and sometimes the analysis not as good. Hollington's estimates of Alfred Herrhausen the CEO of Deutsche Bank in 1989 was murdered because he was a powerful advocate of easing Third World debt, and the shooting dead of the economist Detlev Karsten Rohwedder in 1991 because he opposed privatisation, and the accompanying redundancies, are unconvincing.

Overall, this is a survey of assassination attempts, either by government agents or lone-nuts, of key political-actors.

[Bree · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating look into some of the most notorious assassinations/attempts, including the CIA’s botched and often insane attempts to kill Fidel Castro. This book was an easy flowing read and very enjoyable.

[Jarrad Bock · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great review of different assassinations that have occurred throughout history and the details of what led to and resulted from the murders. Recommended if looking for an overview of the different events.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting history of assassination. The successful and unsuccessful attempts, and whether the assassination had the desired effect, or completely the opposite.

[Isabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like it. I recommend it.

[Vitor Hugo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Entertaining. Nothing too deep, only intended as a reenactment of historical murders.