23 Days of Terror: The Compelling True Story of the Hunt and Capture of the Beltway Snipers

by Angie Cannon

In October 2002, a nation still recovering from the 9/11 attacks found itself under siege once more -- by an unseen, unknown, and seemingly unstoppable enemy. For 23 days, the area around Washington, D.C., was the hunting ground for a pair of serial snipers who struck at random, killing from afar, only to vanish time and time again. With each attack, they raised the stakes, taunting the authorities to try to stop them -- until their luck ran out. Here, from veteran reporter Angie Cannon and the staff of U.S. News & World Report, comes the complete story of one of the most heinous crimes in American history -- a chronicle of the harrowing days in October that took ten innocent lives and wounded three others; the means and methods used by law enforcement -- and their mistakes; the suspects' backgrounds and possible motives; and the fear that gripped a region of five million people and the effect these shocking acts of terror continue to have on American society.

Genres: True Crime

288 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 1, 2003

Reviews

[Jazz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really terrific true crime read - not just about crime but also human nature e.g. what depriving a man (however flawed) of his children can do to him. But, it also gives a great insight into one of America's fundimental "blind spots" i.e. what the liberal availability of guns can do to a society.

[Heather G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

Respectful of the victims, fair minded about law enforcement 's investigation, I can't recommend this book enough. The only issue is there's no update for what happened after the trials.

[Donna Humble · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written, a lot of details and pictures. The writer captured the fear felt by everyone in the area.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having lived in the immediate area as a college student during the sniper attacks, I found this book to be very interesting. I recall quite clearly Chief Moose scolding the Post & local news for releasing information they shouldn't, and I remember driving roommates to school as no one wanted to risk it. The list of key players at the start of the book was very helpful. But what surprised me the most is that I remembered the names of just about all of the victims in the case. The behind the scenes information was what I was curious about, and this book delivered that information. If only all federal agencies and local governments could cooperate like in this case, the bad guys wouldn't win as often as they do.