The 35 most famous trials of the 20th century, as recorded by the people who were there including Truman Capote, Norman Mailer, Brian Masters, Damon Runyon and other star turns in true crime writing. Among the cases featured: the longest ever US trial, of deadly duo Bianchi and Buono for the Hillside Stranglings of 12 young women; Brady and Hindley - the iconic case of multiple child murder by a couple obsessed with sadism, Nazism and pornography; America's trial of the 1990s - O.J. Simpson; the media frenzy around Bruno Hauptmann's alleged kidnap and murder of the infant son of American hero, Charles Lindbergh; gagged press during the 1968 trial of eleven-year-old Mary Bell, convicted for killing two little boys; Oscar Wilde - one of the earliest trials to earn blanket press coverage; and the nine-month trial of 'one of the most evil, satanic men who ever walked the face of the earth', Charles Manson.

This engaging and accessible book focuses on high-profile criminal trials and examines the strategy of the lawyers, the reasons for conviction or acquittal, as well as the social importance of these famous cases.

Four days after the opening of Oscar Wilde's most popular and witty play The Importance of Being Earnest, the Marquess of Queensberry threw down a gauntlet to the playwright in the form of a card - the catalyst for one of the most bizarre contests ever staged at the Old Bailey. Wilde's prosecution for libel and his own subsequent prosecution by the Crown for gross indecency showed a man completely at odds with a class-ridden society that was rife with snobbery and narrow-mindedness. This book describes the case.

A wonderful summary of famous trials throughout history, from Jesus Christ to Oscar Wilde

Summoned to the Roman Courts is the first work by Detlef Liebs, an internationally recognized expert on ancient Roman law, to be made available in English. Originally presented as a series of popular lectures, this book brings to life a thousand years of Roman history through sixteen studies of famous court cases—from the legendary trial of Horatius for the killing of his sister, to the trial of Jesus Christ, to that of the Christian leader Priscillian for heresy. Drawing on a wide variety of ancient sources, the author not only paints a vivid picture of ancient Roman society, but also illuminates how ancient legal practices still profoundly affect how the law is implemented today.

Discusses the famous espionage trial of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, covering both the prosecution and defense, the government's pursuit of this couple, and the aftermath of the trial.