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The Suspect
The Suspect: An Olympic Bombing, the FBI, the Media, and Richard Jewell, the Man Caught in the Middle | Kevin Salwen, Kent Alexander
11 posts | 7 read | 16 to read
"Meticulously reported, bracingly written, full of memorable and bizarre characters, the book casts a wary eye on the worlds of law enforcement and journalism, and their multiple failures in this tale. Its a story with no winners except for readers of this terrific book. Jeffrey Toobin The masterful true-crime account of the 1996 Centennial Olympic Park bombing that captured the world's attention, and the heroic security guard-turned-suspect at the heart of it all On July 27, 1996, a hapless former cop turned hypervigilant security guard named Richard Jewell spotted a suspicious bag in Atlantas Centennial Olympic Park, the town square of the 1996 Summer Games. Inside was a bomb, the largest of its kind in FBI and ATF history. Minutes later, the bomb detonated amid a crowd of fifty thousand people. But thanks to Jewell, it only wounded 111 and killed two, not the untold scores who would have otherwise died. With the eyes of the world on Atlanta, the Games continued. But the pressure to find the bomber was intense. Within seventy-two hours, Jewell went from the hero to the FBIs main suspect. The news leaked and the intense focus on the guard forever changed his life. The worst part: It let the true bomber roam free to strike again. What really happened that evening during the Olympic Games? The attack left a mark on American history, but most of what we remember is wrong. In a triumph of reporting and access in the tradition of the best investigative journalism, former U.S. Attorney Kent Alexander and former Wall Street Journal reporter Kevin Salwen reconstruct all the events leading up to, during, and after the Olympic bombing from mountains of law enforcement evidence and the extensive personal records of key players, including Richard himself. The Suspect, the culmination of more than five years of reporting, is a gripping story of the rise of domestic terrorism in America, the advent of the 24/7 news cycle, and an innocent mans fight to clear his name.
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Megabooks
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Is it sad that I remembered Jewell as the bomber in Atlanta instead of the victim of overzealous media and FBI profiling? I think it is. This book set the record straight in my head and was a fascinating look at the case from many angles. If you‘re a fan of Jeffery Toobin‘s true crime, this book is for you! (It is also a Netflix limited series.)

Great way to end August…now it‘s happy fall y‘all! 🍂🍎

Bookwormjillk Um, you‘re not alone! 3y
Megabooks @Bookwormjillk I just find that so sad because we aren‘t alone. I hope having this as a book and Netflix series has corrected his reputation. 3y
Bookwormjillk @Megabooks for sure! Poor guy! 3y
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EKonrad I thought the movie, “Richard Jewell,” that came out a few years ago was really interesting too. Such a sad story. 3y
Cinfhen Great review and insight!! And yes…. He‘s become a trivia question and I don‘t really know his story. Will look for this one on audio!! 3y
Megabooks @EKonrad I missed that. I‘ll see if it‘s on streaming anywhere. Thanks. And yes, very sad, especially since he died so young, too. 3y
Megabooks @Cinfhen it was part of an audible sale awhile back, which is how I picked it up. Honestly cindy, sometimes I wish I could just share every good audible title with you!! 😀 3y
Cinfhen If ONLY XXXX 3y
Hooked_on_books His story is the perfect example of the media jumping ravenously on something with ratings rather than truth as their interest and then entirely failing to follow up on the story while leaving someone in tatters. I think because of their tendencies, the media contributes just as much to misinformation as social media. This was a really good book; my husband watched the series and liked it. 3y
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squirrelbrain
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I loved this NF book that I added to my TBR following Holly‘s review @Hooked_on_books and thanks to @TrishB for stalking said TBR and sending me it as a pressie!

It‘s a subject I didn‘t know anything about - a security guard at the Atlanta Olympics who saved lives when he spotted a suspicious package, but was then pursued as the only suspect, leaving the actual bomber to wreak more destruction.

Definitely in my #20bestof2020 #NFedition

TrishB Always good when you get a late great read in the year! 3y
Hooked_on_books I‘m so glad you liked it! I remember hearing a bit about the story when it happened, but then it completely went off my radar. I think they were smart to write this years later rather than too soon. It gives it a bit more heft. 3y
Crazeedi I knew about the grave injustice this man suffered. And I think the lawyer who defended him was Lin Wood? Very sad that sometimes the pursuit of justice leads to easy answers instead of the truth . Adding 3y
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squirrelbrain @Hooked_on_books - you‘re right, a much better book for having waited. The outcome for many of the MCs was sad though. 3y
squirrelbrain Yes, that‘s right Crazeedi, although I just had to look him up as I wondered why you knew him. He‘s certainly had an interesting career! 3y
Oryx I watched a film about this recently - crazy story! Recommend the film - I think it's just called Richard Jewel 3y
squirrelbrain I‘ll check the film out soon @Oryx - hubby said he might try the book but he might prefer the film... 3y
Cinfhen Oh...thanks for reminding me about this book, Helen!!!! 3y
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Hooked_on_books
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In 1996, a bomb went off at Atlanta‘s Centennial Olympic Park during the Games. Security guard Richard Jewell was first lauded as saving lives then accused of being the bomber when the FBI leaked his name to the press as a suspect. He then lived under siege for 90 days. The problem? He didn‘t do it and did, in fact, help save lives. This is an engaging story and an important reminder not to jump to conclusions.

squirrelbrain Sounds really interesting! 4y
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Hooked_on_books
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I put the tagged book on hold before the shut down and was able to finally get it today, as my library is now offering “take out.” 🥡 I love their phrasing. 😆 And then I swung by the post office, as my May #botm arrived today as did my #indiespensable subscription! Good day for books!

Sace 🎉🎉🎉🎉 4y
Cinfhen Great day!!!!! Lovely photo ❤️ 4y
JennyM Yey...book days are good days! Enjoy Holly 😊 4y
Megabooks Awesome!! 4y
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ReadingisMyPassion
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BittersweetBooks
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I feel like I am a person that did a job I was supposed to do. I was in the right place at the right time and used my training the way I was taught. The real heroes of this are the paramedics, the firemen, all the agents who placed theirselves between the bomb and the people that were refusing to move 👮🏽‍♀️👩🏼‍🚒👩🏼‍⚕️🕵🏾

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keithmalek
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With a brief exception in the preface, the bomb doesn't go off until 26% of the way through the book. Until then, the authors provide a lot of backstory and "setting of the scene." Too much so, in fact (do I really need to know the entire story of why the Olympic games chose Atlanta, or the outcomes of the sports being played?). But be patient, because once the bomb goes off, this book becomes very, VERY interesting.

Cortg Thanks for the review! Sounds like a great NF read 😀 4y
Suet624 Thanks for the warning. 4y
keithmalek @Suet624 Some of the background information is important, like how Jewell was a bit overzealous when it came to policing. But some of the background information was useless. I definitely recommend this one though. 4y
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Suet624 You‘ve sold me on it. 😀 4y
keithmalek @Suet624 Great! I was just looking at your TBR, and I added The Tunnels. 4y
Suet624 Hopefully you get to it before I do! I have shelves of books I have to read before I can get to it. 😁 4y
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keithmalek
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keithmalek
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That's interesting, considering that the bombing took place in 1996, and Saving Private Ryan didn't come out until 1998. I guess he had a time machine.

Megabooks Lol 4y
Lcsmcat Editors, people, editors! 4y
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Well-ReadNeck
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I enjoyed this book about the Atlanta Olympic suspect, Richard Jewell and the ultimate uncovering of Eric Randolph as the actual bomber.

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Well-ReadNeck
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#TBRTuesday

Hoping to finish up some ARCs before the month‘s out. 🤞🏼