The Amityville Horror Conspiracy [Illustrated] [Paperback]

Stephen Kaplan; Roxanne Salch Kaplan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1995

Was it horror or was it hoax? For years, the question went unanswered while everyone who ever glanced at the tabloids in a supermarket knew about the Amityville Horror-a house haunted by the remembered evil of mass murder. For 20 years, parapsychologist Stephen Kaplan and his wife, Roxanne, investigated the phenomenon keeping a detailed diary of everything that happened. This book is the result of that diary. Follow step-by-step and day-by-day as the Kaplans locate witnesses battle rival ghostbusters track down leads and attend an unlikely Halloween party at the Horror House. the result of all this effort? The Kaplans exposed a hoax that was almost as unnerving as the haunting itself. A real page-turner for anyone who is fascinated by things that go bump in the night!

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

The authors spent years gathering evidence to show that the claims were a hoax and the books works of fiction.

The Investigation is always engaging with its description of the strange occurrences and its uncovering of what was behind them.

Using journal entries Kaplan builds his case one event at a time. From his hospital bed, he vowed to live long enough to expose the Amityville Horror lie to the world.

A dramatic story of persistent and intelligent detective work.

A gem. The book pretty well confirms my own opinion.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Toad Hall / KatcoMedia; 2nd edition (December 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0963749803
• ISBN-13: 978-0963749802
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #999,220 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

72 of 82 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very illuminating and entertaining, July 11, 2001

By 

Mike Reilly (New England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Amityville Horror Conspiracy (Paperback)

Dr. and Mrs. Kaplan's book is THE final word on the hoax that was the "Amityville Horror," and few could finish this book with any lingering doubt as to whether this case was a fabrication. Containing factual data and quotes, interesting behind-the-scenes anecdotes, newspaper articles, radio transcripts, a slew of logical reasoning, and no small amount of humor, Dr. and Mrs. Kaplan have irrevocably refuted the avaricious fantasies (packaged as a "true story") told by the Lutzes, beyond all shadow of doubt. All one needs is an open mind and a few hours to enjoy the contents and the real story behind the multimillion-dollar industry spawned by this case is laid bare.

Proof that "The Amityville Horror" was anything but a true story can be found in several concrete examples from the book. One is Dr. Kaplan's description of an interview with author Jay Anson, who admitted he wrote "The Amityville Horror" based on tapes made by the Lutzes and that he did not verify anything, for the Lutzes "seemed like nice people" and he didn't think they would lie. Another example is a series of statements from individuals such as Sergeant Pat Cammoroto of the Amityville Police Department, reporters Steve Bauman and Marvin Scott, and the priest known in "The Amityville Horror" as Father Mancuso (real name Father Pecoraro), all of whom attest they did not observe or uncover certain paranormal phenomena despite claims by the Lutzes in their book. A third instance involves an analysis of the house itself which reveals that the supernaturally-based damage reported by the Lutzes, the spookiness of the so-called "red room," the alleged history of dead and dying Indians on the property, and the supposed uninhabitability of the place due to malevolent forces were all fabrications. A fourth example is based on the scrutiny of the seemingly countless revisions the Lutzes made to their story, as reported through various mediums including television, magazines, and the hardcover/paperback editions of "The Amityville Horror." A fifth consists of a word-for-word account from attorney William Weber describing how he and the Lutzes cooked up this fairy tale. Last but not least, one of the most powerful examples of proof appears in the form of public confessions from George Lutz himself that many of the details of this ghost story either did not happen the way they were told or did not happen at all (my personal favorite was his statement that everything in the house was just fine until the last week or so, rendering the bulk of his claims false). How anyone could continue to believe in this tale after not only seeing the number of times it evolved but also observing several false pretenses crumble under examination is a mystery. Regardless, the proof about this fraudulent ghost story is all here for anyone who cares to examine it; I have only mentioned a few of the many compelling illustrations.

Most readers will rightfully applaud the Kaplans for closing the book on an enduring myth that disrupted a real town on Long Island for 25 years and allowed scoundrels such as the Lutzes and Warrens to profit to this day from shameless deception. However, it seems there is a contingent of loyal believers who feel quite threatened by the possibility that a story they faithfully subscribed to for years was in actuality a fabrication. Rather than thank Dr. and Mrs. Kaplan for offering the truth from behind the scenes, some have engaged in a childish smear campaign against Dr. Kaplan - which only serves as a testimony to the efficacy of the Kaplans' arguments. Dr. Kaplan has been harshly portrayed as either out for money (quite hypocritical given the untold amounts made by the Lutzes' version of the story) or revenge that he wasn't included in the original investigation (which he was... until he warned George Lutz if there was any sign of a hoax he would expose it, causing Lutz to end his association with Dr. Kaplan). However, neither of these juvenile accusations can change the veracity of the information he and his wife provided in their book.

I couldn't help but notice the comments of those who insisted "Kaplan was not a parapsychologist" (he was), "Stephen Kaplan did not hold a doctorate" (he did, from Pacific College) and "There are even a few spots in the book where, if you do your own investigative work, Kaplan just plain lies" (Examples, please?) never contributed any data of their own to address any specific claims by the Kaplans. One reviewer even announced, "Well, actually it has been proven that this book is the real hoax." (By whom?) It's a rather sad commentary on the mindset of the "true believer," who ignores the facts that debunk the Lutzes' lies and instead tries to smear the opposition, usually with the assistance of the load of malarkey provided about Amityville on the Warrens' website. It's not hard to see why there is such desperation by some to change the subject from the facts; throughout the many years this case has endured there has never been a single molecule of factual evidence to support the claims of the Lutzes. People have lived in this house with absolutely no paranormal activity (and no professional investigators of the paranormal other than the Warrens detected any as well) in the quarter-century that has passed since the Lutzes "fled." The original motive for their departure? Severe financial problems caused by their purchasing a house too expensive to afford, despite it's reduced price tag. Those financial problems motivated the Lutzes to release a number of obnoxiously false book sequels (still titled "A True Story," of course) - which all on their own stand as a perfect testament to the Lutzes' lack of credibility.

In summary, this book presents a wonderfully entertaining insight not just towards this case but the world of paranormal investigation, publishing and television. I think it will greatly appeal to those interested in the true story behind the "true story."

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading for Amityville fans, January 9, 2005

By 

Chadwick H. Saxelid "Bookworm" (Concord, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Amityville Horror Conspiracy (Paperback)

No matter which side of the debate you take (i.e. was it horror or was it hokum?), Stephen Kaplan's The Amityville Horror Conspiracy is required reading. For one, it is the best written book about the Amityville circus that I have read to date (and I have polished off the books by Anson, Holzer, and two by Jones - with only two more to go) and, unlike the others, it is filled with easily verified facts. Whenever Kaplan sites an article or a particular program, he gives detailed information wherein determined readers would be able to track down the material for themselves. I have seldom seen this level of honesty in paranormal books before, where most articles seem to be referenced as being in "local papers" and with independently researchable data kept to a minimum. I know that detractors like to insult Kaplan, but read the book - his detailed analysis of the escalating differences from the first press conference, to the magazine articles, then to the book (which changed from edition to edition as the 'credible sources' complained at the fictions author Jay Anson attempted to pass off as true events) and then the movie(s) is humorous and show just how easy it is to simply tell a willing audience what it wants to hear. I doubt very much that an event such as the one in Amityville could be replicated today - though some have tried, because people are going to believe what they want to believe, regardless; and they want to believe in Amityville, demonic pigs, and bogeymen of sorts. This book is still in print and available from its publisher, Toad Hall Inc, for an affordable price. Highly recommended to both paranormal and Amityville fans (for whom it should be essential reading).

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars You get What You Paid For, January 16, 2001

By 

Justin A (Malden, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Amityville Horror Conspiracy (Paperback)

Kaplans book does a great job at debunking the Lutzes story. His writing doesnt flow very well and he does repeat himself often but he backs up all of his claims. He also seems to pat himself on the back occasionally but all in all its a good read. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the "true story" behind the horror.It is too bad it wasnt really true, i think that would have been much more interesting.