Airman and the Carpenter by Ludovic Henry Kennedy (1985)

The Airman and the Carpenter
by Ludovic Kennedy
Publisher:  Viking Penguin Inc.
Copyright:  1985

The airman was Charles A. Lindbergh, "Lucky Lindy," the quintessential American hero; the carpenter was Richard Hauptmann, an illegal alien from Germany with a criminal record.  They were brought together in "the crime of the century," the 1932 kidnapping and murder of the Lindbergh baby in New Jersey.  Before an outraged nation, Richard Hauptmann was arrested, tried, and executed for that crime, and in the decades since, a constant stream of newsprint, books, and film documentaries has been devoted to the extraordinary trial that determined his fate.

Now, on the fiftieth anniversary of Richard Hauptmann's conviction and death sentence, journalist Ludovic Kennedy presents new evidence in the case, evidence so startling and compelling that it calls into question not only the result, but also the entire course of the trial.  Kennedy, whose books have reversed the verdicts in three other murder cases, delves into the methods of both the police and the judiciary as they tried desperately to solve the case and convict Hauptmann.  He also focuses on the role the American public played, and as he re-creates the social and political climate of the time, he sheds new and often disturbing light on this classic case.

Using official New Jersey, New York and FBI files previously unavailable, and drawing on recent interviews with principal actors in this drama, Kennedy shows us a trial so stained with perjury, so blinded by withheld evidence, and so prejudiced by public outcry that it will be impossible for anyone to accept Hauptmann's guilt without reservation.  While some may argue with the author's conclusions, no one will be able to ignore the facts -- some new, some seen in new light -- presented in this book.  And as he takes us from the youth of Lindbergh and Hauptmann to the final denouement in the Trenton Death House, Ludovic Kennedy carries us on a narrative of such sweep, power, and conviction that it will channge our perspective on the Lindbergh case for all time.

Condition:  Used.  Hardcover.  Dust cover is lightly discolored and shows light creases and shelf wear. Pages are tanning from age.  Previous owner's "Library Of" stamp is on the front endpaper.

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