The Mystery of the Lone Wolf Killer
Anders Behring Breivik and the Threat of Terror in Plain Sight
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
For the first time, the life and mind of Anders Behring Breivik, the most unexpected of mass murderers, is examined and set in the context of wider criminal psychology.
*Winner of the 2016 Silver Falchion Award for Best Nonfiction Adult Book*
July 22, 2011 was the darkest day in Norway’s history since Nazi Germany’s invasion. It was one hundred eighty-nine minutes of terror, from the moment the bomb exploded outside a government building until Anders Behring Breivik was apprehended by the police at Utøya Island. Breivik murdered seventy-seven people, most of them teenagers and young adults, and wounded hundreds more. The massacre left the world in shock.
Breivik is the archetypal "lone wolf killer," often overlooked until the moment they commit their crime. He has inspired others like him, just as Breivik was inspired by Timothy McVeigh and Theodore Kaczynski. No other killer has murdered more people single-handedly in one day. Adam Lanza studied Breivik’s now infamous manifesto prior to his own unthinkable crime. Breivik was Lanza’s role model, as he will no doubt be for others in the future who are frustrated with their societies, and most of all, their lives.
Breivik is also unique as he is the only "lone wolf" killer in recent history to still be alive and in captivity. With unparalleled research and a unique international perspective, The Mystery of the Lone Wolf Killer examines the massacre itself and why this lone-killer phenomenon is increasing worldwide.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Readers interested in learning how mass murderers who act alone can be stopped are likely to be disappointed by this unpersuasive book. Turrettini, a Norwegian expat residing in the U.S., starts with Anders Behring Breivik's horrific 2011 crimes: he set off a powerful bomb outside the offices of the Norwegian prime minister in Oslo that killed eight people and then fatally shot 69 more at a nearby summer camp. Turrettini's account of this massacre is riddled with generalizations. For example, she describes Norwegians as "sleepwalkers" who "don't take care of one another." The author is quick to dilute the narrative by frequently switching to discussions of the Unabomber (Ted Kacyzinski) and Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh. An entire chapter devoted to dismissing the value of gun control adds little to the book's central argument, which is that such massacres are preventable. Turrettini further weakens the book with inconsistent claims (she cites the Virginia Tech massacre as a case where gun control might have made a difference) and spotty reasoning (she claims that the Virginia Tech shooter was technically not a "lone wolf" because he left a paper trail). The book's most profound flaw is Turrettini's argument that lone wolf killers can only be thwarted if members of their communities speak out about their unusual behavior before they strike. The very limited practical value of such an approach is glossed over.
