The Suspect

An Olympic Bombing, the FBI, the Media, and Richard Jewell, the Man Caught in the Middle

By: Kent Alexander, Kevin Salwen

Narrated by: Paul Michael

Length: 14 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's Summary

A contributing source for the Warner Bros.’ film Richard Jewell starring Sam Rockwell, Kathy Bates, Jon Hamm, Olivia Wilde, and Paul Walter Hauser!

A gripping insider account of the terrorist bombing at the 1996 Olympic Games that captured the world’s attention, and the heroic security guard-turned-suspect at the heart of it all

On July 27, 1996, a hapless former cop turned hypervigilant security guard named Richard Jewell spotted a suspicious bag in Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park, the town square of the 1996 Summer Games. Inside was a bomb, the largest of its kind in FBI and ATF history. Minutes later, the bomb remotely detonated by the attacker amid a crowd of 50,000 people. But thanks to Jewell, it only killed two and wounded 111, not the hundreds who authorities estimated could have otherwise died. With the eyes of the world on Atlanta, the games continued. But the pressure to find the bomber was intense. Within 72 hours, Jewell went from the hero to the FBI’s main suspect, a false accusation that forever changed his life and let the true bomber roam free to strike again.

In a triumph of reporting and access, Kent Alexander and Kevin Salwen’s The Suspect is a gripping story of the rise of domestic terrorism in America, the advent of the 24/7 news cycle, and an innocent man’s fight to clear his name.

©2019 by Kent Alexander and Kevin Salwen. Published in 2019 by Abrams Press, and imprint of ABRAMS, Inc. All rights reserved (P)2019 Blackstone Publishing

Kudos !

Incredible! I remember the Atlanta Olympic bombing incident and that a guard (Jewell) had been implicated, but lost track of how the matter was resolved. Now I see why. It lasted over such a long time period, and living in Oregon it was not something that we out here were reminded of or kept updated on. In fact I have always thought that it ended with Jewell's arrest and conviction (which I now gradfully find that didn't happened ). The recent ads (November 2019) for the coming Kllint Eastwood movie on the subject reminded me of the matter and brought me to this book. When I started the book I did not really know the details of what happened or what happened to Jewell, so I avoided learning from other sources and purposefully let the book tell me. It is great writing and the reader is excellent (I go though 3-4 audio books a month so can tell the quality difference). I'm sorry to see this book adventure end.

Thrilling and insightful

Terrific story-telling and character development. What seems to be a mundane, aging news story springs to life as the authors show how the foibles of the three main characters enmesh them in a drama that takes over their lives. Super listenable. The reader does a great job with accents.

Surprisingly taut, engaging, and necessary read

Very pleasantly surprised to discover the full backstory to the Jewel / Rudolph cases. As a native Atlantan and Olympic volunteer in 1996 I had long relegated the Jewel case to a far back burner of my mind. Now that we have a bigger and more accurate picture of the events discussed in the book there is no question it was a book that had to be written... and one whose themes remain painfully timely. My only critique of the audio book is the narrater’s pronunciation of “A.C.O.G.” as “aeseeohgee” (ph.) and not as the acronym that it had become to us Atlantans: “akog” (ph.). Otherwise a fine narration.

I LOVED this though I hate what Richard went through.

I’ve always been interested in the Jewell case since I’m from Georgia. This book was great and seemed well researched. The only complaint I have is that the narrator kept pronouncing the county as ‘DeCobb’ rather than ‘DeCab’.

Troubiling

Good straightforward reporting and excellent narration .Explains how the media will do anything even ruin people's lives in an effort to get a feather in their cap and sell advertising. Even when found to be completely wrong they continue to insist what they have done is right no matter what the cost to anyone else. This story was made into a movie and the media immediately attacked it and director Clint Eastwood for the portrayal of the reporter who was at the head of the charge for a media lynching in an effort to shift focus from their many and continued transgressions . It's really interesting that the fourth estate continually portrays itself is the arbiter of truth and justice and yet they are an extremely corrupt Institution.

Great Factual Story

Great factual story which I had a hard time putting down. I highly recommend the book or audible book.

Humble herorism

Narration: clear.

Story:

Compelling, important, informative, arresting story. An excellent example of the harms resulting from jumping to conclusions based on stereotyping and self-righteous deceit.

Good book

Informative, heart-breaking yet heart-warming. The Narrator’s character portrayals are effortless , consistent and believable.

Scarlett O’Hara

I couldn’t listen to the book because the narrator was intolerable to me. His southern accents sound like Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With the Wind!!

Falls flat, drags on

Started off with such a promising, interesting subject but really dragged on. Author too verbose