Son of Sam: Based on the Authorized Transcription of the Tapes, Official Documents and Diaries of David Berkowitz [Hardcover]

Lawrence D. Klausner (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 430 pages
• Publisher: Mcgraw-Hill; 1ST edition (December 1980)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0070350272
• ISBN-13: 978-0070350274
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #266,978 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars David Berkowitz and the angry lone nut theory, September 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Son of Sam: Based on the Authorized Transcription of the Tapes, Official Documents and Diaries of David Berkowitz (Hardcover)

Did David act alone? After hearing a number of different things about the Son of Sam crimes, I decided to do my own research. I read many articles and accounts of "what really happened", including this book.

Now, after all this research...I'm more confused than ever.

The author of 'Son of Sam' is obviously bent on the fact that David was, as the theory says, another "angry lone nut". I have a hard time believing this theory in any case, so of course I had a hard time believing it here.

Was David really part of a Satanic cult? (Namely the Process - Church of the Final Judgement, a name that, curiously, has come up in a few criminal investigations, including the Manson murders. Though generally described as "non-violent", a number of newspaper and internet articles have associated David Berkowitz and the Son of Sam murders with this cult.) If so, why doesn't Klausner mention this? Surely he seemed to focus on David's spirituality, but even in the exerpts from the diaries at the back of the book, I'm pretty sure I read something about a "church group". If it wasn't there, I'm sure I read comments David made in a number of other articles.

In defense of the book, David's psychosis definately suggests that he was capable of committing these crimes alone. He did know the specific details, and nothing directly implies that anyone else was involved.

Yes, David is given to exagerration, childish bragging and self-empowering lies. He reminds you of a confused child in a man's body. In other words, he's a paranoid schizophrenic. He has often blamed unseen forces, specifically demons and the devil, for his actions. He thought he was a victim of demonic possession, that he and the "Son of Sam" were different people. As anyone who has read the book will remember, David considered himself to be a "good" person. Could he have lied about the church group, consciously of unconsciously, to shift blame from himself? It's definately possible. But did he?

Also, was there new evidence, after the book written, that Klausner didn't know about? I've heard a bit about this, though I don't know the specifics.

After what I've read, I'm not sure what to believe, except that Berkowitz committed the actual crimes alone. However, all we get from that conclusion is that he deserves life imprisonment. (365 years, whatever.) It doesn't offer us any guidance as to the actual motive, which, in my opinion, is the most important part of any crime, so we can ensure that something this horrible wouldn't happen again. There are no reasons for crimes like this, just contributing factors. Like I said, I'm still confused.

As for the book itself, it's quite good, though at times it reminded me of a novel based on a movie, adding melodramatic little touches and outstanding, supposedly "shocking" statements. Recently having read Helter Skelter, I probably would have appreciated Klausner to include more facts and make this less "entertaining". Entertainment is good, but to see a story that carefully introduces characters, charts their progress with small yet memorable details, and ends in emotional payoff...well, that's why I go to the movies. The reason I read true crime is to know the little things: the details of the crimes, the investigation, lie detector tests, complete interviews... I greatly appreciated the pages from David's diary at the back, though I wonder about the author's intent on including it.

I realize that I'm the first person to give this book any less than five stars, but I'm not going to lie; that's simply how I feel about it.

Anyone with any comments about David Berkowitz, his involvement in this crime, any theories (however outlandish they may be, I keep an open mind)...any comments about my review, or anything related to this book can e-mail me at

[e-mail]

Thank you to anyone who actually read all of this. Lisa.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, April 14, 2007

By 

Biz - See all my reviews

This review is from: Son of Sam: Based on the Authorized Transcription of the Tapes, Official Documents and Diaries of David Berkowitz (Hardcover)

This is an excellent account of the Son of Sam murders. The author writes from the point of view of the detectives, victim and Berkowitz. The reader will feel at times as if they are part of the investigation. Very well written and factual account. Please don't believe the garbage in Maury Terrys' book. Berkowitz acted alone and was not part of a world wide cult. He was, in reality, just an anti-social, fat, loser who held a city in fear for a few months in the late 1970s.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Straightforward, believable and breathless...read this one!, July 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Son of Sam: Based on the Authorized Transcription of the Tapes, Official Documents and Diaries of David Berkowitz (Hardcover)

You want to learn the real NON-exploitative story of the Summer of 1977 and how David Berkowitz terrorized us here in NYC?

Then read this book: It's straightforward, painstakingly researched, fast-paced, and provides extremely sympathetic portraits of the police, the politicians, the victims, and even the killer himself.

As the True Crime genre goes, this book is up there with the best of them: Helter-Skelter and Fatal Vision.

My only quibble: I wanted to know more about the legal process after Sam's arrest...Mr Klausner is there an unedited version of the book?

NOTE TO CONSPIRACY THEORISTS: I tried reading the updated version of "The Ultimate Evil." After a terrific opening about the Arlis Perry murder and summarizing the earlier events of the "Sam" terror, the author goes into some far-out detail about the Stacey Moskowitz murder...the story lost me there it was so convoluted and complicated. I felt as if alternate events were "fitted" into the real time-frame to make the event more interesting.