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How to Kill
Assassin, noun: a person who commits murder; especially; one who murders a politically important person either for hire or from fanatical motives.
Fact: between 1950 and 2000, over 4,000 assassinations were carried out - including 40 on heads of state.
Methods: 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, an 'infernal machine' (a gun that fires 25 bullets at once), samurai swords, karate chops, poisoned umbrellas and a fuel-laden light aircraft. Sometimes even a regular gun.
Targets: popes, politicians, presidents, prime ministers, pop-stars, spin doctors, judges, businessmen, writers, revolutionaries, actors, royals, generals and dictators.
Secret case files: George W. Bush, Saddam Hussein, Uday Hussein, Ronald Reagan, Joseph Stalin, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Harry Truman, Martin Luther King, JFK, RFK, Medgar Evers, Georgi Markov, Woody Harrelson and the Serbian warlord Arkan.
Coroner's verdict: The definitive book on assassination, "How to Kill" shows that sometimes, one murder can change the world.
Fact: between 1950 and 2000, over 4,000 assassinations were carried out - including 40 on heads of state.
Methods: 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, an 'infernal machine' (a gun that fires 25 bullets at once), samurai swords, karate chops, poisoned umbrellas and a fuel-laden light aircraft. Sometimes even a regular gun.
Targets: popes, politicians, presidents, prime ministers, pop-stars, spin doctors, judges, businessmen, writers, revolutionaries, actors, royals, generals and dictators.
Secret case files: George W. Bush, Saddam Hussein, Uday Hussein, Ronald Reagan, Joseph Stalin, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Harry Truman, Martin Luther King, JFK, RFK, Medgar Evers, Georgi Markov, Woody Harrelson and the Serbian warlord Arkan.
Coroner's verdict: The definitive book on assassination, "How to Kill" shows that sometimes, one murder can change the world.
- GenresHistoryNonfictionCrime
400 pages, Paperback
First published June 7, 2007
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82 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 29, 2016
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
November 10, 2024
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.
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.
November 9, 2025
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.
It's sort of darkly brilliant and brutally addictive - one cannot stop turning the pages.
February 2, 2017
Read the Norwegian translation. Highly recommended. Gets a bit dry towards the end, but worth it.
September 22, 2014
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.
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.
December 19, 2008
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.
January 11, 2013
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.
June 30, 2008
Interesting history of assassination. The successful and unsuccessful attempts, and whether the assassination had the desired effect, or completely the opposite.
September 1, 2014
I really like it. I recommend it.
June 20, 2015
Entertaining. Nothing too deep, only intended as a reenactment of historical murders.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews