Five Bullets

The Story of Bernie Goetz, New York's Explosive '80s, and the Subway Vigilante Trial That Divided the Nation

De: Elliot Williams

Narrado por: Elliot Williams

Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2026 by The New York Times and The Washington Post

"Read this book to understand human nature." (Preet Bharara) • "An amazing story, well told.” (Anderson Cooper) • "A masterful telling." (Dahlia Lithwick)

From CNN legal analyst Elliot Williams, a revelatory account of how one man, four teenagers, and a struggling city collided over race, vigilantism, and public safety . . . exposing the fault lines of a nation

On a dirty New York subway car on December 22, 1984, Bernhard Goetz shot Barry Allen, Darrell Cabey, Troy Canty, and James Ramseur, four teenagers from the Bronx, at point blank range. Goetz claimed they were going to mug him; the teens claim that one of them had simply asked for five dollars.

Crime was at an all-time high. So was racial tension. Was Goetz, who was white, a hero who finally fought back? Or a bigot whose itchy trigger finger seriously wounded three unarmed black kids and condemned a fourth to irreversible brain damage? By the time Goetz went on trial for quadruple attempted murder, the “Subway Vigilante” saga had become a global sensation, and New Yorkers across race and class were split over whether he deserved decades in prison…or a medal.

In Five Bullets, Elliot Williams vaults back to gritty 1980s Manhattan and reexamines the first major true-crime story of the cable news era. Drawing on archives and interviews with many main characters, including Goetz, Williams presents a masterful and vivid tale that also tells the origin stories of larger-than-life figures: Al Sharpton, a polarizing young local activist rocketing to national prominence; Rudy Giuliani, a rising-star prosecutor with an important decision to make; the NRA, which needed a poster boy for its transition from hunting club to political juggernaut; and Rupert Murdoch, whose new purchase, the New York Post, grew his empire by keeping a scary story in the headlines.

A shocking account of a pivotal moment in our history, Five Bullets demonstrates why, in order to understand today’s debates about race, crime, safety, and the media, it’s imperative to reflect on what went down in the subway four decades ago. As Williams’s powerful narrative reveals, it was not just Goetz on trial, but the conscience of a nation.

Crazy 80s

I wanted to listen to this book because I can remember the Gaetz shooting vividly - even though I was only six years old when it happened. My grandmother was a news junkie and had talk radio on all day long. She also had very strong opinions, opinions that she frequently expressed to her six year old granddaughter. I’m glad that I finally am able to know about these events from all sides, put them into context, and formulate a more informed opinion.

Candid and In-Depth Account of Historic Case

Having grown up in NYC, I really appreciated how deep this book goes into the case. I especially appreciated learning all of the societal factors that contributed to the incident, national reactions, and how NYC went from its crime ridden near bankrupt state to what it is today. I plan to use it in the undergraduate and law school classes that I teach.

Riveting, essential play-by-play of the trial that shook New York.

In Five Bullets, Elliot Williams delivers a riveting, essential play-by-play of the trial that shook New York. This timely, lawyerly deep dive provides a supportable and sound analysis of a case that continues to define our modern political culture.

extremely problematic voicing spoils a great read

This is a fascinating primer on the saga of the "subway vigilante" of 1984 New York City, though it does cover much of the same ground explored in Leon Neyfakh's "Vigilante" podcast. But: this is a very difficult book to listen to, as read by the author. The reading is in a breathless, near-hysterical tone, and never modulates. It comes off more as an amateur podcast than an extremely well-researched book by a respected lawyer with a keen grasp of making legalese clear to the lay person. It's a real shame, because a professional reader would have done an excellent job with this material.