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Death in the Air
- The True Story of a Serial Killer, the Great London Smog, and the Strangling of a City
- Narrated by: Graeme Malcolm
- Length: 9 hrs and 30 mins
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Death in the Air
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Summary
A real-life thriller in the vein of The Devil in the White City, Kate Winkler Dawson's debut, Death in the Air, is a gripping, historical narrative of a serial killer, an environmental disaster, and an iconic city struggling to regain its footing.
In winter 1952, London automobiles and thousands of coal-burning hearths belched particulate matter into the air. But the smog that descended on December fifth of 1952 was different; it was a type that held the city hostage for five long days. Mass transit ground to a halt, criminals roamed the streets, and 12,000 people died. That same month, there was another killer at large in London: John Reginald Christie, who murdered at least six women. In a braided narrative that draws on extensive interviews, never-before-published material, and archival research, Dawson captivatingly recounts the intersecting stories of the these two killers and their longstanding impact on modern history.
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What listeners say about Death in the Air
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Steven P.
- 19-04-21
A very cleverly written book. Thoroughly recommended!
My interest in the Christie case started in the early 60’s when my mother took me as a little boy to visit Madame Tussaud’s. The tableau of him seen through the bars in the door of the condemned cell at Pentonville Prison, is a vivid image and one I can still recall very clearly today. I had heard of the London Smog of 1952 but had no real conception of its devastating effect. To weave the tale of the infamous serial killer with that of the silent deadly fog is in my opinion, nothing short of brilliant. The picture that the narrative paints of life in post war London is tangibly atmospheric. Sadly, the competence of Government in reaction to a crisis was no better at the time than it is now. A most worthwhile listen and one I cannot recommend highly enough. Thanks Audible.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Anne Arnold
- 24-10-18
A tale of two cities
An enthralling story that covers two intertwining threads. Cleverly written and shows how even then that governments lie.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Caroline
- 11-09-19
interesting linking of 2 events
This book explains the causes and political apathy about the 1952 smog which killed thousands of people and attempts to force the Government to act to protect people from its effects and the murders committed by John Christie at about the same time. Its message is about why people focused on the latter which was far less deadly than the former which is a good question. I didn't know much about the smog so that was interesting. One thing which was quite jarring, though, was the American terminology e.g. diapers, fall etc which sounded really out of place in this book.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Katherine
- 30-06-23
history and true crime
I love that the story of the murderer is told with the history of the city at the time, with legislation and stories told that are irrelevant to the murderer. Very well done, Kate 👏🏻
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 30-04-22
well written,well spoken historical true crime
like her podcast, really love this book. as a londoner myself interesting history on a great behemoth of a city,never mind the insight into the duplicitous machinations of government
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Mark Pullen
- 19-11-20
interesting
Good old fashioned British history.... why oh why are there American words in it
DIAPERS
SIDEWALK
PURSE
NYLONS
plus others, these are not English words an english person would use ; I dont know why this irritates me but it does...
British history... pease you British words
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