In LEOPOLD AND LOEB, Hal Higdon presents a thorough, thoughtful and appropriately eerie account of the evil deeds perpetrated by two highly gifted young men seeking to achieve the “perfect crime.”

The book opens in May 1924 when 19-year-old Nathan Leopold and his friend and accomplice, 18-year-old Richard Loeb, kidnapped 14-year-old Bobby Franks, which was planned and carried out to prove their innate superiority. Leopold and Loeb had cemented a close relationship, having grown up in posh circumstances and attended the University of Chicago. Both were possessed of above-average intelligence, avidly examining and pursuing the benefits of their intellects, and fascinated by such anomalies as Nietzsche’s concept of the “superman.” Believing themselves to be far superior to ordinary human beings, they began committing various petty crimes together.

"The book’s fresh appearance will be appreciated by those who have read the earlier publication, as well as those who wish to learn more about the infamous crime that shocked the nation and has reverberated through the years."

Then Leopold suggested a grand scheme to pull off the perfect crime. It was to be an abduction, and it took months to plan, with the victim selected and a series of ransom notes composed. But it was not perfect and did not go as planned. The tragic result was the senseless slaughter of an innocent child. When at last identified and arrested, Leopold and Loeb blamed each other. With a defense that favored sparing their sin-scarred lives, masterfully delivered by the renowned Clarence Darrow, the pair avoided execution and instead were sentenced to life in prison. They remained friends for a time but would meet very different ends.

Higdon, who has garnered praise for this book and others, includes diligently collected details of this heinous act and its perpetrators --- their personalities, plans and total disregard for the law. His writing style brings this series of events to full, cinematic view, making it plain why their deeds could be deemed “the crime of the century.” News sources all over America and beyond covered the story of the brutal, seemingly uncaring actions and attitudes of Leopold and Loeb. Higdon offers a unique behind-the-scenes view of the investigation and their arrest, noting that once word was out about Franks’ kidnapping and murder, readers thirsted for more.

And they will again with the release of this centenary edition of LEOPOLD AND LOEB by the University of Illinois Press. The book’s fresh appearance will be appreciated by those who have read the earlier publication, as well as those who wish to learn more about the infamous crime that shocked the nation and has reverberated through the years.