The Suspect, Kent Alexander
The Suspect, Kent Alexander
13 Rating(s)
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The Suspect
An Olympic Bombing, the FBI, the Media, and Richard Jewell, the Man Caught in the Middle

Author: Kent Alexander, Kevin Salwen

Narrator: Paul Michael

Unabridged: 14 hr 12 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 11/12/2019

Synopsis

A contributing source for the Warner Bros.’ film Richard Jewell starring Sam Rockwell, Kathy Bates, Jon Hamm, Olivia Wilde and Paul Walter Hauser!A gripping insider account of the terrorist bombing at the 1996 Olympic Games that captured the world’s attention, and the heroic security guard-turned-suspect at the heart of it allOn July 27, 1996, a hapless former cop turned hypervigilant security guard named Richard Jewell spotted a suspicious bag in Atlanta’s 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 remotely detonated by the attacker amid a crowd of 50,000 people. But thanks to Jewell, it only killed two and wounded 111, not the hundreds who authorities estimated could 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 FBI’s main suspect, a false accusation that forever changed his life and let the true bomber roam free to strike again.In a triumph of reporting and access, Kent Alexander and Kevin Salwen’s The Suspect is a gripping story of the rise of domestic terrorism in America, the advent of the 24/7 news cycle, and an innocent man’s fight to clear his name.

About Kent Alexander

Kent Alexander was the US Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia at the time of the 1996 Olympics. He spent hundreds of hours working with the FBI to find the bomber, and he ultimately wrote and hand-delivered Richard Jewell’s clearance letter.

About Kevin Salwen

Journalist Kevin Salwen was a longtime Wall Street Journal reporter and editor who ran the paper’s southeastern section during the Olympic Games. He is the coauthor (with his daughter, Hannah) of The Power of Half: One Family’s Decision to Stop Taking and Start Giving Back.

About Paul Michael

Paul Michael, winner of several Earphones Awards, has also won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. He has acted on stage, radio, television, and in feature films in Canada, Great Britain, and the United States. He has had leading roles in series and made-for-television movies and has guest starred in such series as VIP and Alias. He has been nominated for a Canadian Emmy and has recorded over 150 audiobooks, including the international bestseller The Da Vinci Code.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Valerity (Val) on September 27, 2019

This is a thoroughly researched book about the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and the bombing that happened. It also goes into the suspicion of Richard Jewell and all of the media surrounding the whole thing. There were reasons for them to look at Jewell, but he was just a little too convenient a patsy. I li......more

Goodreads review by Katie on October 04, 2019

There were certainly many good moments that came out of the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta such as Muhammad Ali lighting the Olympic Cauldron during the Opening Ceremonies and Kerri Strug competing on an injured ankle and securing a gold medal for the U.S. women's gymnastics team. However, tragedy......more

Goodreads review by Regina on August 28, 2020

THE SUSPECT was a contributing source to Clint Eastwood's "Richard Jewell," and - shocker - the book is better than the movie. Not only do we get an in depth look at how things went so wrong in the pursuit of the Olympic Park bomber, but we also get a fascinating backstory on the efforts made to bri......more

Goodreads review by Rebecca on September 27, 2023

I could have done without the somewhat sexist descriptions of journalist, Kathy Scrugg’s outfit choices. She’s certainly a problematic figure in this tale of injustice but to have so many references to her flirty nature, short skirts and low cut tops just felt a bit off. One reference to this in the......more

Goodreads review by Mariah Roze on March 03, 2021

This was a great story that told the amazing story of Richard Jewell. "On July 27, 1996, a hapless former cop turned hypervigilant security guard named Richard Jewell spotted a suspicious bag in Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park, the town square of the 1996 Summer Games. Inside was a bomb, the large......more

Quotes

“Intensively reported and fluidly written.” Wall Street Journal

“A thorough recounting of failures by federal law enforcement and the media that upended the life of an innocent man.” Los Angeles Times

"Marvelously rich with fresh insights and authority…Alexander kept a detailed journal, and his unique perspective powers the book.” Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"[A] compelling, insightful new investigative account of the bombing and the immediate aftermath…[of] this misunderstood tragedy.” Crime Reads

“Meticulously reported, bracingly written, full of memorable and bizarre characters…It’s a story with no winners—except for readers of this terrific book.” Jeffrey Toobin, New York Times bestselling author

“Domestic terror, white nationalism, FBI profilers, a trial by punchline in the infancy of the twenty-four-hour news cycle—what happened in Atlanta’s Centennial Park during the ’96 Olympics still echoes like a bomb blast today in this engrossing and meticulously researched ticktock about the railroading of Richard Jewell and the killer who almost got away.” Charles Graeber, author of The Breakthrough

“Lays bare how Jewell became their unwitting victim in the rush to solve the biggest and most public crime of the era. It is a cautionary tale that reminds us that criminal investigations are often lengthy and painstaking, ill-suited for today’s media frenzy. The Suspect is an important, highly relevant book.” Janet Napolitano, president of the University of California, former US Secretary of Homeland Security, and former governor of Arizona

Awards

  • CrimeReads Pick
  • Los Angeles Times Best Book
  • Amazon Editors' Pick
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