Customer Reviews

Patty's Got a Gun: Patricia Hearst in 1970s America

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The kidnapping of Patty Hearst by the Symbionese Liberation Army and her (apparent) conversion to their social mayhem undoubtedly fascinated many Americans who now are in their 50's and 60's. It obviously continues to intrigue me enough to prompt me, a third of a century later, to buy and read this book with the expectation that it would give me a comprehensive and responsible historical account of the Patty Hearst episode. But PATTY'S GOT A GUN is not nearly as detailed and comprehensive a history as I desired or expected. Instead, much of the book is devoted to arguing for the place of the episode as one of exceptional significance in the "cultural history" of the United States. This is a highly subjective, and suspect, exercise. By the time Graebner indirectly states, near the end of the book, that the Patty Hearst trial was a pivotal event in American cultural history on a par with the Scopes monkey trial, I have come to the conclusion that he has assumed and tendentiously asserted his thesis rather than proving or demonstrating it in any meaningful, rigorous way.

Graebner's writing style is choppy and wearisome. And his trendy word usage -- for example, "foreground" is used as a verb at least four times -- is grating to this reader.

PATTY'S GOT A GUN doesn't really deserve a full three stars, but it warrants more than just two stars.

Graebner has a wonderfully engaging style. The book tells the still amazing story of Patty's abduction, ordeal, and trial. But more than that, the author then gives a compelling analysis of people's reactions to Patty's story in terms of the cultural history of the time. His insights into the psychology of identity are sophisticated, but these sections nevertheless read like a novel. Graebner has an amazing ability to make the cultural analysis just as exciting as the kidnapping. I highly recommend it.

If you're looking for your standard retelling of the Patty Hearst saga, look no further than the discount aisle at your local Borders. If, however, you're like me and you want more than just a historical rehash and a few mug shots, check out Patty's Got a Gun. I've always had an interest in Patty Hearst and what she went through, but I've never come close to truly comprehending what her story meant until reading Graebner's book. The author's not only a master storyteller, but an astute interpreter who views the kidnapped heiress turned criminal through the eyes of a post-Vietnam America. Referencing works as varied as Kubrick's Barry Lyndon and David Bowie's The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust, Graebner sheds new light not only on the events surrounding Patty Hearst, but on the identity of our country in the tumultuous 70s.