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A Question of Evidence: The Casebook of Great Forensic Controversies, from Napoleon to O.J.
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Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 363.25
EAN: 9780471440147
Edition: 1
ISBN: 0471440140
Label: Wiley
Manufacturer: Wiley
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 256
Publication Date: December 18, 2002
Publisher: Wiley
Studio: Wiley
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Editorial Review:
Scientific sleuthing and slip-ups in the investigations of fifteen famous cases
Ranging from the Turin Shroud and the suspicious death of Napoleon Bonaparte to the murder cases of Dr. Sam "The Fugitive" Sheppard and O. J. Simpson, A Question of Evidence takes readers inside some of the most vexing forensic controversies of all time. In each case, Colin Evans lays out the conflicting medical and scientific evidence and shows how it was used or mishandled in reaching a verdict. Among the other cases: the assassination of JFK, the strange history of Alfred Packer (the only convicted American cannibal), the death of Vatican banker Roberto Calvi, and the trials of Lindy Chamberlain (the "dingo baby" case) and Dr. Jeffrey MacDonald (the case recounted in Fatal Vision). Though the science of forensics has helped solve a huge number of crimes, it's clear from A Question of Evidence that many cases are more open than shut.
Colin Evans (Pembroke, UK) is the author of the popular Casebook of Forensic Detection (Wiley: 0-471-28369-X) as well as Great Feuds in History (Wiley: 0-471-38038-5).
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - The dingo really did eat your baby!
Intriguing review of forensic controversies, wherein one learns that forensic "science" consists in equal parts of science, art, persuasion, fraud, and bribery, with people's lives at stake.
Highlights: a review of "The dingo ate your baby!" (referenced in a hilarious Sienfeld episode), in which it turns out the dingo really did, and of course a thumbnail of the OJ case. Evans points out that cases of the OJ type are rare because it takes massive amounts of money to buy private forensic ... Read More
Rating: - Very well done
Interesting take on many of the controversies of the past. Good use of science, as opposed to heated opinion, to come up with some answers to "did they or didn't they"? I liked the author's historical approach, using cases to trace the development of forensics over time. Overall, a very good read.
Rating: - Clever, tawdry, and opinionated
This is the sort of book that may provide amusement for an idle hour and then make you wish you had spent your time reading something with greater depth. Evans is a clever writer, and his opinionated handling of fifteen stories doesn't bother me because I usually agree with him. But his narrative treatment is (like many of his subjects) tawdry. Furthermore, the reader should be wary of factual errors. Some years ago I enjoyed reading Evan's short version of the Sacco-Vanzetti case in his Casebook of ... Read More
Rating:  - Not even enchanted
If you're expecting an unbiased view of the cases you need to look elsewhere. I got to the third case feeling like I was reading a trashy novel and wondering if this guy Evans even worked in this field. Apparently he doesn't. Glad I didn't buy it.
Rating: - Colossal Disappointment
As a professional in this field I expected a fine book. Unfortunately, this is written by a writer, not by someone truly experienced in the field, and the writer appeared to do minimal research. It appears to be intended to appeal to weak-minded television soap opera viewers seeking a "true crime" thrill. It's claimed facts on some cases are misleading or incorrect. Some sections repeat other writer's errors that would be easily corrected or refuted by minimal research or thought, which obviously ... Read More
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