Popular Crime

Reflections on the Celebration of Violence

By: Bill James

Narrated by: Kyle Tait

From the one-of-kind mind of Bill James, famous for revolutionizing the way we think about baseball, comes a “thought-provoking meditation” (Seattle Times) and epic tour through American crime—now available in paperback.

The man who revolutionized the way we think about baseball examines our cultural obsession with murder—delivering a unique, engrossing, brilliant history of tabloid crime in America.

Celebrated writer and contrarian Bill James has voraciously read true crime throughout his life and has been interested in writing a book on the topic for decades. With Popular Crime, James takes readers on an epic journey from Lizzie Borden to the Lindbergh baby, from the Black Dahlia to O. J. Simpson, explaining how crimes have been committed, investigated, prosecuted and written about, and how that has profoundly influenced our culture over the last few centuries—even if we haven’t always taken notice.

Exploring such phenomena as serial murder, the fluctuation of crime rates, the value of evidence, radicalism and crime, prison reform and the hidden ways in which crimes have shaped, or reflected, our society, James chronicles murder and misdeeds from the 1600s to the present day. James pays particular attention to crimes that were sensations during their time but have faded into obscurity, as well as still-famous cases, some that have never been solved, including the Lindbergh kidnapping, the Boston Strangler and JonBenet Ramsey. Satisfyingly sprawling and tremendously entertaining, Popular Crime is a professed amateur’s powerful examination of the incredible impact crime stories have on our society, culture and history.

Interesting ideas

A very thoughtful and well written book. Straightforward style without being preachy. A very objective look at how crimes and their notoriety. Start in the first place and have an effect on society. Very worthwhile read in my opinion.

Pretty entertaining

Well worth a listen if you are into true crime, as someone who is well versed in true crime this is worth a listen. Not your typical “ Ted bundy was a bad guy he did this and that.” I do find it funny that James shits on a ton of writers and their books in this.

Enjoyable with humor

Many different cases…good to sleep on and voice was nice. Some cases were new to me.