Hunting the American Terrorist: The FBI's War on Homegrown Terror (Hardcover)

~ Terry Turchie (Author), Kathleen Puckett (Author)
Key Phrases: profiling unit, fugitive hunt, fugitive search, San Francisco, Hunting the American Terrorist, Theodore Kaczynski (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The authors provide insight into the Unabomber's psychological makeup that could help foil future national and international terrorist plots." -- Foreword Magazine

Bronze Book of the Year Award Winner (IPPY) -- Independent Publishers Award

Finalist for Book of the Year Award -- Foreword Magazine

Product Description

The bombs were perfect. The metal he'd so painstakingly cast glimmered in the dim light of the cabin. The hickory wood on the flipper switch was smooth and well shaped. The chemical compound had been perfected, and the target selected. All that remained was to wrap them in heavy paper and add the addresses and the stamps. After a hiatus of over six years from his deadly mission, he was ready to remind them all of them, all the unconscious drones in the technological nightmare the country had become that he was still here, still dangerous, still watching them. And so worked the dark mind of the most elusive man in the history of the FBI. For sixteen years he stayed ahead of them. The old techniques in the Bureau just didn't work any more, at least for this kind of mind. It was time to change the rules and time to find the right type of people to change them. The book written by the people who changed the rules on the run takes you on the chase for the dark minds of Theodore Kaczynski, the Unabomber and Eric Rudolph. Dr. Puckett, the clinical psychologist who played such a vital role in the capture of those men also peers into the mind of Timothy McVeigh to provide an analysis to better understand the mindset of the domestic terrorist. This title will be available July 14th.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: History Publishing Company; 1 edition (September 5, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 193390934X
• ISBN-13: 978-1933909349
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #259,978 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Captivating story, July 29, 2007

By	Mark W. Beinke - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The FBI's head agent in charge of the Unabomber Task Force and one of the FBI's top behavioral analyst combine to write a fascinating book on the homegrown terrorists that have plagued our country in recent memory.
The criminal cases of Theodore Kaczynski, Timothy McVeigh and Eric Rudolph are the primary focus of the book. I can only imagine the monotony that might come from spending thousands of man hours tracking down false leads and suspects; but you won't find any of that here. Author Terry Turchie keeps the events fast paced and interesting.
My favorite part of the book is the telling of David and Linda Kaczynski's heroic role in the Unabomber case. They are the brother and sister-in-law of Theodore Kaczynski and their sense of duty born of a most difficult situation are very inspiring.
I came away with a new found respect for Louis Freeh and Janet Reno. In an age of a centralized FBI, this book credits their leadership that allowed agent Turchie to put in place new ideas and procedures that led to solving these cases. His methods were sometimes extremely controversial but ultimately lead to the capture and conviction of the Unabomber and drove Eric Rudolph deeply underground.
Agent Kathleen Puckett wrote Part II of the book. In it she details her work in providing a monumental psychological study of ten homegrown American terrorists. She established a set of criteria and conclusions that looked at the behavioral aspects of these ten criminals and labeled it the `Lone Wolf' mindset.
Hunting The American Terrorist is a book that is hard to put down. Although I knew the outcome and fate of the Unabomber, reading the story of how these two key FBI agents finally `get their man' is compelling.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Important Primer for all Forensic Scientists and Students...and a Great Read, August 10, 2007

By	Emily Keram - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As a forensic psychiatrist, I believe this is an extremely important book, which works on many levels. First of all, it is the ultimate page-turner true life crime story, told by the ultimate insiders. Turchie and Puckett let their tale of hunting the Unabomber and other domestic terrorists unfold as they experienced it, allowing us a rare view of the politics and personalities that presented assistance and obstacles along the way. Told in a matter-of-fact voice, and absent the rigid and self-congratulatory tone that rightly diminishes lesser "insider" true crime books, the authors reveal their methods to us: pain-staking attention to detail, thinking outside the ultimate bureaucratic box, and, in the Unabomb case, the careful maintenance of an inquisitive and open mind in the face of FBI profilers unwilling to adapt to new evidence.

The first half of the book concentrates on the successful search for and arrest of Theodore Kaczynski, with a fascinating look at the relationship developed by Agent Puckett and Kaczynski's brother, which has evidently remained intact as David Kaczynski provides a back cover review. Puckett served as the Behavioral Analyst on the Unabomb task force, and provides unique insights into Kaczynski's personality, decision-making, and motives.

The second half of the book discusses Puckett's study of American Lone Wolf Domestic Terrorists. The reader learns the value and method of taking a multi-disciplinary approach to understanding these offenders, as Puckett takes us on an investigative "road trip," visiting law enforecment officers, forensic scientists, and mental health experts who worked on the cases. It is rare that these disciplines reach out to each other, but each could benefit from the others knowledge and expertise. Puckett's study is the template for this type of collaboration. This is the heart of the book, and is an invaluable manual for those who hunt terrorists, domestic and foreign.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Riveting, July 27, 2007

By	Woodrow S. "Woodie" (California) - See all my reviews

Fascinating story, read it in one sitting. Finally the true story of the Unabom investigation and the dedicated group of people who worked tirelessly to solve the case. The book also demonstrates that the lessons learned from that investigation assisted in the identification of Eric Rudolph . Recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn the true story of the Unabom investigation.