The murder of a young teenage boy shocked the Chicago area - and then horrified an entire nation. Two young men, both from a privileged background, were accused, and later convicted of the crime.

Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb had everything one could think of - but they craved adventure. From petty crimes, they eventually graduated to murder. Their victim was a relative of one of the young men. It seemed to be an unsolvable case - until a pair of glasses led to a suspect, and eventually confessions from the killers.

This case - no matter how many times you read or hear about it still sparks anger within communities. It was senseless, and just used as a thrill for two young men.
Nothing But The Night dives into the lives of the men, the families, and eventually through the case and their life in prison. I enjoyed this book, and the informative way it was laid out.

Well I’m a sucker for true crime so this book was right up my alley! You could really tell there was a lot of research done to make everything about the original case accurate. I loved learning new things that weren’t in easily accessed articles. It was a lot of information, but it was present in a very clear way and wasn’t boring to read. I do wish it spent less time on the trial, but that was so minuscule that I still rate it 5 stars!

This book was a marvelous, detail-rich deep dive into the murder of 14-year-old Bobby Franks by Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb in Prohibition Age Chicago. Meticulously researched and put together in a fashion that was intriguing and informative, I couldn't put the book down; wanting to devour every little detail. I'd heard of the murder previously, being an avid true crime fan, but the famous case often has the facts mangled and the background of the time isn't often taken into context. I very much appreciate the work the authors did on this.

SYNOPSIS
On 21 May, 1924, 14-year-old Robert “Bobby” Franks was found brutally murdered. Bobby was the son of a millionaire business owner. Although murders were commonplace, Bobby Franks killing was, arguably, the first of its kind for America; its first “thrill killing.”

The two accused, both teenagers, viewed themselves as Übermensch; a phrase meaning Supermen as described by nihilist and philosopher Frederick Nietzsche in his book1 Thus Spake Zarathustra. Übermensch is a term to describe men for whom the normal rules do not apply. The grim truth of the crime was even more vomitus than anyone could ever imagine.

Dubbed “the crime of the century,” the court case proved to reveal more than the details of a crime, but introduced America to a sickening new criminal trend; the thrill killers! In the dock were the two accused: 18-year-old Richard “Dick” Loeb and 19-year-old Nathan “Babe” Leopold Junior.

Richard Loeb was the son of a wealthy lawyer who became a senior executive at Sears, Roebuck & Company. He was handsome, well-healed, charming and liked by his peers. Next to Loeb sat his co-conspirator, Nathan Leopold Jr. In contrast to Loeb, Leopold was described as “sinister.” He was once admired for his prodigious intelligence and yet he appeared to some of his cohorts to be “peculiar” because of his haughty attitude and aloof nature; preferring book-learning to social situations.

Due to the nature of the crime, the two teenagers faced a charge of murder in the first degree. Their legal counsel was the highly esteemed defense attorney, 67-year-old, Clarence Darrow Esquire. Who was arguably the most feared attorney in America at the time.

Their case was infamous for being the first recognized case of a ‘thrill kill.’ It was also noteworthy due to the fact that it was extensively planned and coordinated for the sole purpose of committing the ‘perfect’ crime and escaping subsequent justice. You can probably appreciate by now that the latter part of the plan failed, or we would not be here analyzing it today. A crime committed not by the usual suspects, but exceptional because of the social status of the individuals, their education and their religious/national identity.

The horrendous crime that Leopold and Loeb committed was so complex, notorious and shocking to the world, that it inspired Alfred Hitchcock to write the 1948 movie Rope starring James Stewart.

CONCLUSION
In a carefully crafted narrative, King and Wilson breathe new life into an old case of murder and mayhem with this, their latest literary masterpiece. Nothing But The Night is a high quality detailed accounting of ‘the murder of the century,’ as it was labeled at the time. The authors provide an unocculted view into the devious nature of the two murderers covering how they conspired together to kill without risk of capture. They guide us through the comprehensive, elaborate, and intricate planning that preceded the crime; to the actual murder, their eventual apprehension and their subsequent trial.

The trial is the end of the book, but the beginning of the conundrum. It is a view into the minds of men who believe that they were outside the norm, superior in every way, exceptional, special and entitled. They believed they held dominion over the life of their chosen, hapless victim.

King and Wilson avoid the trap of focusing on the deviancy of the two men, Leopold and Loeb. Hints of sexual indiscretion are implied but not explicit. Some things are obvious without reference, and this technique adds to the power of the work overall.

There are some books that one reads and discards without a second thought, and then there are others that resonate with us. Well, this is a work that you will contemplate for some time. You will find yourself dwelling on some aspect of the story, and weeks or months later still remember the contents and imagery of this book.

Nothing But The Night is written with consummate skill and unrivaled clarity. It is an exceptional work of its kind, and an absolute must have for true crime aficionados, students of psychology, law, or criminal justice.

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1Nietzsche F. Thomas Common (trans.), New York: The Modern Library Press, 2017 (1883–5).

I found the organization of this book appealing - it really encompasses the whole story of the infamous murder by Leopold and Loeb of Bobby Franks (aka the “Crime of the Century”). It includes all aspects of this case - the victim and his family, the murderers and theirs, 1920s society (specifically around wealth, homosexuality, and psychology), the trial, prison. and the years after.

I did find the trial section rather dull and hard to get through but found the epilogue to be a good ending. To see how utterly useless the judicial system was in the end was disheartening but not surprising.

I think the book sheds newfound light on the book (but mostly due to how society has change its views vs, new facts introduced) it is another retelling of the murder case and you might as well read the latest.

I do wish photos were included of the different people involved.

Who doesn’t love a real life true crime book!?

Well this one is fantastically messed up! I hadn’t heard this story before and it was fascinating.

This was interesting. I had heard about the Leopoldo and Loeb case for years but never really read about it before now. I can see why it was so shocking back in the day, it would be shocking now still. It seems well researched, detailed without being graphic and was enlightening.

I had never heard of the Loeb and Leopold case but I enjoyed reading this updated view of it. I love a book that immediately grabs my attention and this book does that.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

A story that I knew nothing about though I heard of Clarence Darrow many times just for some reason don’t remember this case. It evolves two rich young boys who murder another boy and then Clarence Darrow argues against the death penalty for them and wins a sentence of life without parole. That he was able to do this a hundred years ago is amazing. Parts of this book are slow like some true crime but still, it was a good read

Unfortunately dull and nothing included which I couldn't find from another source. Sadly, this one was not at all what I hoped it would be.

Thank you for sending this book to me.

NOTHING BUT THE NIGHT is a fresh, trade-press book on the notorious Leopold and Loeb story. Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb were rich, young geniuses who read Nietzsche, felt bored, and gruesomely murdered their neighbor Bobby Franks. crime resulted in the death penalty going on trial. Clarence Darrow presented a case against the death penalty, winning life sentences for Leopold and Loeb. a quintessentially early-twentieth century media circus surrounded the trial. NOTHING BUT THE NIGHT covers all of the above and more, examining deeper than the themes of capital punishment, media and modernism. for example, the authors criticize Darrow’s renowned closing argument: “His arguments about responsibility, or lack thereof, were absurd: Darrow blamed the killers’ parents, the University of Chicago, Nietzsche, the philosopher’s publisher – anyone and everyone except Richard and Nathan.” American reception history of Friedrich Nietzsche is captured in historian Jennifer Ratner-Rosenhagen’s 2011 book AMERICAN NIETZSCHE.

I had no idea about the Leopold and Loeb murder scandal that rocked Chicago in 1924. I dived right into this true crime book head first. I was fascinated with the wealth and the why of how they could kidnap and kill a child.
The authors did a great job of piecing together all of the evidence of this duos nefarious ways.
It was like watching a fast moving runaway train.

The only downside is that the authors spent a LOT of time on the closing arguments of the court case. It was so repetitive that I began to skim the pages.
OVerall a great true crime book that highlights an important crime from almost 100 years ago.

Nearly one hundred years ago Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, both intelligent, privileged teenagers, were accused of killing young Bobby Franks in a gruesome fashion. What followed these atrocious events was the “Trial of the Century,” a trial that garnered a lot of attention from the press and Chicagoinas, and people's fascination with the case continues even today. With the advances in forensics and psychology, King and Wilson investigate the case, aided by the advances in these fields, bringing the case and motives into a new light. 

I liked this piece of nonfiction. While there was a lot in it that I already knew, there were some new things that I was unaware of, and my previous knowledge didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the novel. I found Nothing but the Night easy to read. It read like a story; while full of facts, information and insights, I didn’t feel overloaded with information and I could simply enjoy the novel’s telling of the horrors that occurred and the aftermath. 

I highly recommend Nothing but the Night: Leoplod & Loeb and the Truth Behind the Murder that Rocked 1920s America to any fan of true crime novels. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for gifting to me an electronic copy of Nothing but the Night, given in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are my own.

Chicago, 1924
It's been called the first "crime of the century." Two rich, highly educated teens kill a boy for the "fun of it." They were tight friends only because each was scared the other might spill secrets about their sexual relationship.

Authors Greg King and Penny Wilson revisit the crime in the book NOTHING BUT THE NIGHT: LEOPOLD & LOEB and the truth behind the murder that rocked 1920s America (StMartinsPress). Up until that fateful day, the two had committed petty crimes and property damage. They kidnapped the young boy, killed him in the back of a rented car, drove him out into the woods and dumped his body in a water drain. Police were soon on to Leopold and Loeb after the discovery of the body. The case started to unravel beginning with the discovery of Loeb's special glasses. They arrogantly thought they had planned a perfect crime. It was anything but clever. Loeb was the first one to cave in to cops' interrogation and Leopold soon followed. Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb never showed remorse for the murder.

Their parents rallied around them, hiring the best defense money could buy and hoping to save them from being hanged. Their highly paid, famous defense attorney pulled all kind of tricks out of his hat to get them life in prison, even repeatedly lying. It was the first court case to introduce psychologist and psychiatrist's testimony.

Greg King has written several books about notorious crimes. This book unfolds flawlessly, is well researched and provides thoughtful insight for those aware or unaware of the crime. I'd never heard about this crime before reading this book and was captivated. A perfect novel for true crime aficionados.

This book is a true story, serial killers and their background, how they grew up has a big play in how they turned out in adulthood. Many were abused, some had head injuries, many just normal childhood. This book was eye opening and a disturbing to say the least. I'm glad I read it and got an insight on what's in the head of serial killers.

I thought this was very informative book. Honestly I skipped through quite a few sections because they were very graphic. I don’t think it was necessary to go into such specific detail about the angry and sadistic sexual events of the boys (from age 8-12) when they were very young. A general description would have still allowed the understanding of their lives. I was fascinated by these two men and thought this book covers new in-depth ground and gives us the true story and dynamic between the two killers.

I thought this was really well-researched. I usually have a few hang-ups with the true crime genre, but this wasn't exploitative at all. Having not heard of L&L until a few years ago, and then watching a few movies inspired by/about them, I was very interested to read this book and I definitely recommend it for those interested in the case.

I really enjoyed how the story was laid out. It 1st tells about the families involved in the crime. I tells about the 2 boys young life and And goes on to explain how they came to be who they were. I thoroughly enjoyed this updated new look at the Leopold and Loeb murder of the 1920s. I’ve read about the case and was really glad to get this new book on the subject.
I didn't think this book was very graphic which is not for me as well as being extremely long and tedious. Overall I think this book was well written, well researched, and definitely tells all the details of the murder that took place.

Before diving into this one, I had only the most cursory of knowledge regarding the case. An infamous Chicago murder, Leonard and Loeb kidnapped and murdered a young boy from their neighborhood. Here, the author presents a much more detailed account of the crime, the teenage murderers and their victim as the 100-year anniversary approaches. This book certainly feels thoroughly researched and lot of this was completely new to me. Along the way, I had thought the pair were both current University of Chicago students - which they were not. At 18 and 19, they were both already college graduates. Nor was I aware that Loeb and the victim, Bobby Franks, were actually second cousins. I didn't pick up on the Anti-Semitic overtones of the newspaper coverage at the times, or the homosexual angle overall. And I didn't know that Clarence Darrow of Scopes Trial fame was one of the defense attorneys!

In this detailed and well-researched account, the book spans background on those involved, the crime itself, the investigation, trial and aftermath. I have to admit, that this was a slower read overall for me. And I am not quite sure why... though in the beginning it really bothered me the way that the authors interchangeably referred to the killers by either their first or last names. It made it seem inconsistent to say "Richard and Leonard" or "Loeb and Nathan". It just really distracted me and made the opening really drag on. But, from the trial onward, I really enjoyed it. I certainly learned quite a bit more in this deep dive into this infamous Chicago crime - it just wasn't quite the pageturner that I was expecting.

forensic never fails to amaze me and I am so thankful that the technology we have today are able to help with cases that did not have the chance to be solved properly in the past. this novel is so well written and the emotions are well explained!