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21st out of 314 books
—
437 voters
And the Sea Will Tell
ALONE WITH HER NEW HUSBAND on a tiny Pacific atoll, a young woman, combing the beach, finds an odd aluminum container washed up out of the lagoon, and beside it on the sand something glitters -- a gold tooth in a scorched human skull. The investigation that follows uncovers an extraordinarily complex and puzzling true-crime story. Only Vincent Bugliosi, who recounted his s
...morePaperback, 729 pages
Published
April 17th 2006
by W. W. Norton & Company
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May 12, 2012
Emily
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
i hate hippies give me another excuse, i might get lost one day, true mystery fans
Recommended to Emily by:
mami via garage sale
seafaring was never so dangerous as it was when the hippies arrived. mac and muff seemingly vanish into thin air while attemping to live off the land in an idyllic south pacific island. while muff isn't necessarily crazy about living off the land for a year, her love for her husband and his love for the sea edge her into sailing to palmyra island, 1,000 miles south of hawaii for a dream getaway of a lifetime.
while living on their yacht in palmyra, they encounter another young couple who have the...more
while living on their yacht in palmyra, they encounter another young couple who have the...more
This book is not just a true story, but it is comprised of actual journal entries. If you like crime drama, this book is amazing. It is split into two parts, first part is journal entries, the second part is ths story of the trial.
This book is definitely one of my all time favorites.
*heads up-language and adult themes.
This book is definitely one of my all time favorites.
*heads up-language and adult themes.
I did enjoy the book. It however, fall far short of my expectations. I had 3 main issues with it. 1) the write up on the back cover indicates that Bugliosi solves the mystery and pieces together what happened.. he pieces together a conjecture of what happened...don't expect this solved 2) there were too many descriptions of the case and trial that seemed self serving to an arrogance of what a "great" lawyer Bugliosi was 3) I was left with a lingering sense that Bugliosi a)outright concealed the...more
K, I'm going to try and type this on my phone. This was the first book I read by Vincent Bugliosi and I can't wait to read more. I found myself even more intrigued with the author than with the crime....periodically shouting out to my husband, 'Ahh!! VB is the man!!' I loved reading about his strategies - it's fascinating how every word and nuance, even the most mundane, is methodically placed in his case for the defense.
Throughout the book, he discusses the importance of his final summation and...more
Throughout the book, he discusses the importance of his final summation and...more
There was a book I read a long time ago, The Lord of the Flies, about a group of young British boys from affluent families who survived a plane crash in an isolated island. Deprived of adult supervision and having to fend for themselves in order to live, it didn't take them long to revert to barbaric practices, turn on each other and descend to murder. I told myself that was fiction, and now I read this book based on a true crime.
Once I started reading the book, there was no way I'm going to put...more
Once I started reading the book, there was no way I'm going to put...more
Okay I don't think this counts as a "spoiler" so I am just going to say it, this man can get a little long winded in places. It is over all a good book but some of it reads like some of Stephen King's works (I am a big fan of King's) there are places where I thought okay you can cut to the chase already my sweet Lord. Otherwise a great read the first part is excellent, full of mystery and knowing what is going to happen, being that it's true and from the "Helter Skelter" guy there are times when...more
Sep 30, 2007
Leftbanker
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone with a long flight ahead of them
That's why I love this site; it forces me to remember things I've read. I was handed this book before boarding a rather long airplane flight and I devoured it. A creepy story of murder and the high seas. Completely readable, instantly forgettable (unless you are racking your brain here at goodreads).
A yuppie couple takes there yacht to a remote south pacific island. They encounter a hippie couple from hell. Aren't they all? Murder happens. The best part it is a true story. Even better Diedre Hall and Rachel Ward stared in the amazing TV Miniseries in the mid 90's.
Great book. The first half follows the true story of Mac and Muff Graham and Buck Walker and Jennifer Jenkins. In 1974, these two couples met on Palmyra, a largely deserted atoll in the Pacific, 1,000 miles from Hawaii. A few months later, Buck Walker and Jennifer Jenkins left Palmyra in the Graham's boat. The Grahams were nowhere to be found. Over the next twelve years, Buck and Jennifer were tried for theft and then for murder, once Muff Graham's body was found. The second half of the book fol...more
Aug 13, 2010
Christi
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
books-read-prior-to-2010
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Vincent Bugliosi is the best and bravest defense lawyer who ever lived. You know how I know? He told me in this book.
Not a bad account of a crime and the trial of the woman accused, but please, Vinnie, get over yourself already.
Not a bad account of a crime and the trial of the woman accused, but please, Vinnie, get over yourself already.
6 likes · like · see review
I have read this book 2 or 3 times ... I found it particularly fascinating - not only because it is true crime, but it captures the imagination with such gorgeous settings as Hawaii and the South Pacific. It also appeals to the adventure-on-a-deserted island fantasy.
Vincent Bugliosi, an excellent high-profile criminal lawyer, turns out to also be a fantastic crime writer. He is so wonderfully descriptive, that I felt I could imagine myself in every scene, down to the last detail. The book also c...more
Vincent Bugliosi, an excellent high-profile criminal lawyer, turns out to also be a fantastic crime writer. He is so wonderfully descriptive, that I felt I could imagine myself in every scene, down to the last detail. The book also c...more
This is an amazing accounting of a case that Vincent Bugliosi worked, investigated and tried in the courts. The crime infuriated me, frightend many and went to trial after a lot of hard investigation and leg work. Two people were murdered for their boat and belongings by persons who coveted what they did not have.
One person prosecuted as the murderer was as despicable as Charles Manson, another case this master detective / attorney was involved with. The other person, as you will see also is an...more
One person prosecuted as the murderer was as despicable as Charles Manson, another case this master detective / attorney was involved with. The other person, as you will see also is an...more
This is a true story of a murder which took place on an extremely remote atoll 1000 miles south of Hawaii named Palmyra. Two couples, each expecting to have the island to themselves, are from comepetely different backgrounds. Only one couple leaves the island as the other couple is murdered. The author is also the defense attorney for the female half of the surviving couple. The 1st half covers the crime and the 2nd half covers the trial. Vincent Bugliosi does an excellent job of explaining our...more
If you liked "Helter Skelter," you will like this one too! It is written in much the same way (the first half is what is known to have happened, it reads almost like a crime novel; and the second part is the trial). I couldn't put the book down. It is fascinating and intriguing, and Bugliosi is a fantastic writer. Some of the other reviews complained that the mystery isn't solved, but this isn't a book about solving the mystery, instead, it is the account of the defense and the main character's...more
I read this a long time ago, and from what I recall the first part tells one of the most fascinating true stories I've come across. It takes place on a small island in the Pacific Ocean. The second part reports on the legal consequences. You may recall that Vincent Bugliosi is/was a legal professional in Los Angeles, and wrote Helter Skelter. I didn't read the second part, since I'm not interested in legal details. I give the book 4 stars because the story in the first half of the book is just a...more
A story of murder and mystery broken into 2 parts - the set up of what possibly happened on a "deserted" island in the Pacific (and I swear, for a deserted island, it sure had a lot of people showing up!) and the court case the events on the island spawned.
Unfortunately, we'll never know what truly happened on the island (though there are only a few possible outcomes) but Bugliosi strives to give the reader as much information as possible. And, without getting into spoiler territory, I can't sa...more
Unfortunately, we'll never know what truly happened on the island (though there are only a few possible outcomes) but Bugliosi strives to give the reader as much information as possible. And, without getting into spoiler territory, I can't sa...more
I've read this one before. Bone chilling. Can't put down true story of murder on the high seas.
Kindness repaid by unbelievable evil....so happy the sea gave up the secret.
My son snagged this from the family lake cottage; it was a discard from the local library which my sister had picked up. I was sucked in immediately by the mystery in Book One, "The Crime." However, Book Two, "Justice," began about a third of the way in, and it was hard going from then on. If you are a fan of court procedurals, or want to be a trial lawyer, you may find this book fascinating, but if you're a layperson like me, you'll start flipping pages. Obviously, I was interested enough to wa...more
2 likes · like · see review
Palmyra Atoll was featured in a recent issue of The Nature Conservancy's magazine. The article also mentioned this book, which is how I learned of its existence.
If your experience with criminal trial consists of Law & Order, you will find the very detailed trial retelling hard to slog through. The trial is the meat of the book. After the initial sunshine and excitement on Palmyra, the courtroom in rainy San Francisco isn't quite as scintillating, especially since it takes place 11 years lat...more
If your experience with criminal trial consists of Law & Order, you will find the very detailed trial retelling hard to slog through. The trial is the meat of the book. After the initial sunshine and excitement on Palmyra, the courtroom in rainy San Francisco isn't quite as scintillating, especially since it takes place 11 years lat...more
This is an excellent account of a true-crime from the author of "Helter Skelter", Vincent Bugliosi. Bugliosi famously was the prosecuting attorney in the Manson trial and in this book, "And the sea will tell" he is the defense attorney for Jennifer Jenkins. The story takes us out to the far remote pacific atoll of Palmyra and tells the bizarre story of two couples who meet up and everyone's life is changed forever. I found it to be an enthralling, amazing tale and is one of the best "true crime"...more
Incredible read. Couldn't put it down.
I read Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi years ago and have never forgotten it. After you read the history of a complex crime drama the way this author presents it, you have seen every facet of every piece in the puzzle, why it was shaped the way it was and how it fits into the whole. I read And the Sea Will Tell because Vincent Bugliosi wrote it and I wasn't disappointed.
It's told in two segments. First, the story leading up to the crime is told with journal entries, memories of family member...more
It's told in two segments. First, the story leading up to the crime is told with journal entries, memories of family member...more
Every bit the equal of Bugliosi's "Helter Skelter," this book is a comprehensive ripper of a true-crime yarn that feels structured like an Agatha Christie tale.
To wit: Four people are on a remote, even spooky South Pacific island named Palmyra. Two, a married couple, disappear and are presumed dead. The other two — a hippie with a murky criminal past and his maybe-not-as-naive-as-she-seems girlfriend — turn up months later in Hawaii with the boat belonging to the vanished couple. The man is fou...more
To wit: Four people are on a remote, even spooky South Pacific island named Palmyra. Two, a married couple, disappear and are presumed dead. The other two — a hippie with a murky criminal past and his maybe-not-as-naive-as-she-seems girlfriend — turn up months later in Hawaii with the boat belonging to the vanished couple. The man is fou...more
Jul 16, 2012
Adrian
added it
The full 638 page (pb) story of the murder of Mac and Muff Graham on the Pacific atoll of Palmyra in 1974 and another couples' culpability in this crime. Fascinating and as gripping as it surely was Bugliosi manages to repeat much of the same evidence (there were several trials) numerous times. The reader is drawn on just to get to the verdict. I was relieved when I finally got there. Bugliosi has many trenchant things to say about judges and the use of lawyerly tactics.
1 like · like · see review
On one of the most remote islands of the world, Palmyra, smack dab in the centre of the Pacific, a group of sailboats tied up together. These are people who have quit the rat race, and are having the adventures of their lives, sailing around the world. Into this happy mix comes a rather broken and patched up boat holding a hippie girl and her scary boyfriend and their dog. They try to fit in with the others, but one by one the other boats leave. Two months later, the hippie girl and her boyfrien...more
Great story of a disappearance and murder of a couple in the mid-70's on an secluded island in
the south pacific. Bugliosi (who co-wrote Helter Skelter of Manson fame)writes well and clearly
as he takes you through the relationship of people that were on the island and then eventuallly
through the court case (he's a defense representative). I picked the book up because I watch a
horror film (called Unihabited Australia 2010)which claimed the movie was based on true events, which is was'nt of course...more
the south pacific. Bugliosi (who co-wrote Helter Skelter of Manson fame)writes well and clearly
as he takes you through the relationship of people that were on the island and then eventuallly
through the court case (he's a defense representative). I picked the book up because I watch a
horror film (called Unihabited Australia 2010)which claimed the movie was based on true events, which is was'nt of course...more
Although more than 700 pages long, I could hardly put this book down. Written in Law and Order fashion, Bugliosi first tells the story of the crime. Then he tells how he defended one of the accused. I admit, though, that I skimmed most of the retelling of his closing remarks (summation) as all the facts and arguments had already been detailed. Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed to book. Now for "Helter Skelter", which I never read but lived through via the media.
This was probably one of the most interesting stories I've ever read... until you get to the actual trial. Like Helter Skelter, Bugliosi's egotistical style of writing is hard to get past but it was cool to read this after Helter Skelter because in this trial he was a defense lawyer. The first half is unbelievable and shocking. The second half is a snore. Great mystery with an ending that leaves you VERY unsatisfied. Beware.
2 likes · like · see review
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Around the United...: And the Sea Will Tell by Vincent Bugliosi | 2 | 5 | Nov 01, 2011 12:54pm |
American attorney and author, best known for prosecuting Charles Manson and his followers for the murder of Sharon Tate and others.
In his books he claimed that O.J Simpson and Lee Harvey Oswald were guilty of the crimes they were accused of.
In his latest book he states that George W. Bush should be prosecuted for murder.
Bugliosi lives in Pasadena, CA.
More about Vincent Bugliosi...
In his books he claimed that O.J Simpson and Lee Harvey Oswald were guilty of the crimes they were accused of.
In his latest book he states that George W. Bush should be prosecuted for murder.
Bugliosi lives in Pasadena, CA.
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“And I believe the truth is mighty, and shines by its own light.”
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“A murder trial is not a Sunday-afternoon tea party.”
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May 12, 2012 08:16am
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