A Sniper in the Tower: The Charles Whitman Murders (Paperback)

~ (Author) "During the post-World War II era, middle class workers populated the community of Lake Worth, Florida, a seaside community along the Atlantic Coast..." (more)
Key Phrases: nice facade, marine career, rain spouts, Charles Whitman, Austin American-Statesman, Ramiro Martinez (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

A true crime classic, Gary M. Lavergne's book gives the most complete analysis of the man who climbed the tower at the University of Texas in 1966 and shot 45 people, besides killing his wife and mother the night before. Also revealed is the shocking information about Whitman's family life; he was not the all-American young man gone suddenly insane as he was depicted in the media. Instead, the dark secrets of his relationship with his father and his father's own violence is woven into this account of calculated evil. This book has been hailed by experts as an excellent depiction of a case that defined mass murder, the largest mass murder in U.S. history at that time. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

In the summer of 1966, America lost its innocence when two mass murders were committed. In Chicago Richard Speck murdered eight student nurses, and 19 days later, on August 1, Charles Whitman gunned down people from the tower at the University of Texas at Austin, killing 16 and wounding 31. Lavergne, director of admissions and guidance services of the College Board's Southwest Regional Office, attempts to answer this question by writing the first full historical analysis of the event. Using primary sources and photographs, the author has done an excellent job of describing Whitman's murdering rampage. Was it caused by his domineering father, a brain tumor found during an autopsy, or both of the above? Lavergne examines these explanations and others as to why Whitman committed such a terrible deed. A good choice for true-crime collections.?Michael Sawyer, Clinton P.L., Iowa
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 324 pages
• Publisher: University of North Texas Press (March 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1574410296
• ISBN-13: 978-1574410297
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #165,388 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #55 in	Books > History > United States > State & Local > Southwest
  #91 in	Books > History > United States > State & Local > Texas

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating story, July 8, 2000

By	Tim Hrenchir (Topeka, KS) - See all my reviews

For 96 minutes in August 1966, Charles Whitman rained death on the University of Texas campus, shooting 45 people from the 28th-floor observation deck of its bell tower. The ex-Marine shot people more than 400 yards away and put two bullets through the fabric of an airplane flying overhead before two Austin police officers killed him. If this sounds like the makings of a great story, it is -- and Gary Lavergne is just the man to tell it. Lavergne's well-researched book delves into Whitman's past to reveal how he evolved into a person who could kill 16 people. The author then cranks the story-telling into high gear by delivering a blow-by-blow account of Whitman's reign of terror. Lavergne's words are accompanied by many interesting photos, including one taken of the tower as Austin residents fired back at Whitman 12 minutes before his death. I read this book in one sitting. My favorite part was the last chapter, which detailed Lavergne's interviews 30 years after the event with the two men who killed Whitman. The literary picture he paints of long, tall Texan Houston McCoy -- whose life since his heroic act has been anything but happy -- was really compelling.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Meticulously Well Stated!, May 2, 2004

By	JMack (Chicago) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Some true crime books are not well written. In terms of the total product, this is without a doubt the one of the best true crime books written. Gary Lavergne meticuliously researched the events of August 1, 1966 in Austin, Texas. The book is worthy of the envy of other true crime writers.

Lavergne details the significant events in the life of Charles Whitman in the days leading to the massacre. Whitman's abusive homelife leads him to join the marines, leaving his family behind. Whitman struggles to find his niche. His continual search to better the success of his father became obsessive. The obsession grows to the point where he feels that he is a success at nothing. Lavergne's account is factual without skewing from personal opinion or theories. His objective view is important when he tells the controversial information behind the killing of Charles Whitman and the end to the massacre. Rather than taking the of Ramiro Martinez or Houston McCoy, Lavergne prefers to make the point that they both got the sniper. Similarly, little attention is paid the the brain tumor that a select few believe cause Whitman to initiate his attack on the University of Texas Campus.

I am particulary appreciative of the endnotes at the end of each chapter. Because there was a lot of research into the project, many sources were used. It makes more sense to have the sources listed at the end to the chapters so they are more readily available to the reader. The book is easy for those interested in the topic to enjoy.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars factually frightening, February 9, 2001

By	Jim (Philly) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sniper in the Tower: The Charles Whitman Murders (Mass Market Paperback)

This book reads very quickly and easily. It is SO well researched and organized that I skipped the Time Life Books version of the Whitman story. The split second action and microscopic details are all here. It will make your heart race if you imagine what Houston McCoy and Ramiro Martinez must have felt.