Hunting the Unabomber: The FBI, Ted Kaczynski, and the Capture of America's Most Notorious Domestic Terrorist

by Lis Wiehl, Lisa Pulitzer Narrated by Lis Wiehl

Overview

The spellbinding account of the most complex and captivating manhunt in American history.* "A true-crime masterpiece." --*Booklist*(starred review)

On April 3, 1996, a team of FBI agents closed in on an isolated cabin in remote Montana, marking the end of the longest and most expensive investigation in FBI history. The cabin's lone inhabitant was a former mathematics prodigy and professor who had abandoned society decades earlier. Few people knew his name, Theodore Kaczynski, but everyone knew the mayhem and death associated with his nickname: the Unabomber.

For two decades, Kaczynski had masterminded a campaign of random terror, killing and maiming innocent people through bombs sent in untraceable packages. The FBI task force charged with finding the perpetrator of these horrifying crimes grew to 150 people, yet his identity remained a maddening mystery. Then, in 1995, a "manifesto" from the Unabomber was published in the*New York Times*and*Washington Post, resulting in a cascade of tips--including the one that cracked the case.

Hunting the Unabomber*includes:

• Exclusive interviews with key law enforcement agents who attempted to track down Kaczynski, correcting the history distorted by earlier films and streaming series
• Never-before-told stories of inter-agency law enforcement conflicts that changed the course of the investigation
• An in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at why the hunt for the Unabomber was almost shut down by the FBI

New York Times*bestselling author and former federal prosecutor Lis Wiehl meticulously reconstructs the white-knuckle, tension-filled hunt to identify and capture the mysterious killer. This is a can't-miss, true crime thriller of the years-long battle of wits between the FBI and the brilliant-but-criminally insane Ted Kaczynski.

"A powerful dual narrative of the unfolding investigation*and the life story of Ted Kaczynski...The action progresses with drama and nail-biting intensity, the conclusion foregone yet nonetheless compelling. A true-crime masterpiece." --*Booklist*(starred review)

Editorial Reviews

Library Journal

04/01/2020

Intent on bringing down the government and destroying technology, Ted Kaczynski, aka the Unabomber, terrorized American universities and airports for decades with his handcrafted bombs. Why did it take so long to find him? Former Fox News analyst Wiehl (The Separatists), with crime writer Pulitzer (coauthor, Imperfect Justice: Prosecuting Casey Anthony), investigates the case undertaken by the FBI, the postal service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Wiehl relies primarily on the memories and documents of FBI agent Patrick Webb, the longest-serving member of the UNABOM task force, but also draws from the FBI's UNABOM file and the Kaczynski Papers special collection, held at the University of Michigan. With an overwhelming volume of minutia, the book is at times a slog. However, because Kaczynski was ultracareful not to leave traces, these details were crucial to identifying him, and Wiehl's laserlike focus is warranted. VERDICT This meticulous history of the hunt for the Unabomber will appeal to true crime readers who enjoy immersive scene setting and don't mind a slow pace.—Ahliah Bratzler, Indianapolis P.L.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940173778949
Publisher:	Nelson, Thomas, Inc.
Publication date:	04/28/2020
Edition description:	Unabridged

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