Terry Gross is interviewing Jeffrey Toobin on her “Fresh Air” program today about his new book American Heiress, which is about Hearst empire heiress Patty Hearst. Toobin says he was 13 when Patty Hearst was kidnapped at age 19 and a UC Berkeley sophomore by a violent rogue group self-named the Symbionese Liberation Army.
It is supremely irritating to hear Gross identify Toobin as author of the “definitive book about the O.J. Simpson trial.” That book is so filled with errors and character assassination, some based on hearsay which I point out in Anatomy of a Trial, I can only hope that Toobin did a more accurate job with his new tome.
Anatomy of a Trial blog 
I bought Toobin’s new book yesterday and am reading it. One point I can make now is Toobin favors people who give him interviews over those who do not.
Patricia Hearst declined to cooperate and it shows. William Harris, guilty of kidnapping, robbery, and murder, is a very nice guy-Toobin calls him “Bill” throughout and takes Harris (who is totally unrepenant) at face value on everything.
The U.S. Attorney who prosecuted Hearst is described as “apolitical.” Well, as soon as the trial was over, he ran for California Attorney General.
You see, he gave Toobin plenty of interview time.
The Florida Supreme Court PIO who dealt w/Toobin during the Bush v. Gore debacle had no good words to say about him.
And I’ll wait to read it when its available at the library
There isn’t anything new in “American Heiress.” I was around back then and it was not much of a surprise when Patty, a cloistered rich girl, joined her captors.
And we’ve seen quite a few young girls kidnapped in recent years staying with their captors for a decade or more without running off when they had the chance.
I know nothing about the so-called Stockholm syndrome or how it would affect me psychologically to be held captive blindfolded for two months, etc. I do know I won’t be spemding any money on any of Toobin’s books.