Rating: 
Summary: A Gang of Martian Drug Dealers Did It!
Review: 3 1/2 starsThis book is the work of a brilliant, vital, insightful mind, who nonetheless shied away from at least one crucial, unavoidable conclusion of the facts he presented. Vincent Bugliosi, the celebrated, former L.A. prosecutor who put away the Charles Manson cult of serial killers (and wrote about it in Helter Skelter) surveys the mountain of evidence that showed that O.J. Simpson was guilty beyond a shadow of a doubt (i.e., beyond the legal requirement of "reasonable doubt") of having murdered his estranged wife, Nicole, and her friend, Ron Goodman, and draws the inevitable conclusion, that Simpson was in fact guilty. Unfortunately, in Bugliosi's romantic wish to maintain positive race relations with black Los Angelenos, he blames the jury's innocent verdict on prosecutors Marcia Clark and Christopher Darden. Others might have done a little better or worse, but Clark and Darden did their jobs competently. The jury's verdict had nothing to do with any flaws in the prosecutors' presentation of the case. (O.J. could have been caught in the act, drenched in blood, and they still would have voted to acquit him!) Rather, it was the result of the sort of hardcore, obscene racism on the black jurors' part that once led a white southern jury to acquit the deputies who had butchered young Emmit Till. In both cases, jurors voted to acquit not because they were convinced that the defendant (defendants) had not comitted the crime in question, but because they were convinced that he (they) HAD. (By the way, contrary to the fantasies of a previous reviewer, O.J. did have cuts on his fingers, not to mention blood on his sock, on the door of his SUV, its steering wheel, dashboard, etc., etc., ad infinitem, ad nauseam). And yet, Bugliosi's is such a rich sensibility that it is worth it to buy his book, even if one does not agree with all of his positions. Having written a stack of articles on philosophy of religion, I can also safely say that the former Catholic school student even considers theological issues in a much more compelling and original fashion than do contemporary philosophers.
Rating: 
Summary: Extremely Insightful Book on the Trial of the Century
Review: Vincent Bugliosi has written one of the most insightful books on not only on the OJ Simpson case, but the issue of the rule of law, our court system, what constitutes effective and competent counsel, outrageous conduct on the part of the defense. Bugliosi first outlines the basic facts of the case: first, OJ is obviously guilty. His blood is found at the crime scene, in his Bronco, and at his estate. Nicole and Ron Goldman's blood are also found in all three locations. OJ created a suicide note, got a mask, and ran away from the cops. He told the police he "didn't know" why he was bleeding at the night of the murders -- at the exact same time the crime was being committed. He told Nicole he would kill her one day. The murder was not a burglary -- because nothing was taken. And the crime was definitely one of passion -- notice the knife. All the signs point to Simpson. This book is an extremely useful one for myself because I do intend to be an attorney one day. Bugliosi provided many very simple tips on how best to argue one's case and to destroy one's opponents arguments. This is certainly a book I would recommend. There is no nonsense or hodgepodge in this book. A+! -- Michael Gordon
Los Angeles
Rating:
Summary: Very Well Written and Argued Case for the Prosecution
Review: This book is a very well written and argued case for the prosecution - that was never presented in court. We only learned after the trial was over of the real story. Yes, years later we have a better understanding that the media, despite its overwhelming presence at the trial and non stop coverage, was not really privy to all the facts. Only later after the trial ended and people wrote their books did we find out all the information, or at least enough critical information. This is a great book and brings up some of the key details such as O.J.'s confession (for all practical purposes) after his arrest, and the way the case was bungled, and the antics of Judge Ito. What a mess. This is a very well written and entertaining book that reveals all of the major flaws of the O.J.Trial. the author makes a very convincing case - that can be understood by rational people. I enjoyed reading the book and thought that it was worth 4 or 5 stars. But I want to make one comment to the author. The case was lost because the jury was essentially 12 black women that loved O.J. and Johnny, did not want to convict. They gave O.J. the benefit of every doubt multiplied by ten, and that sealed it for the prosecution. It was obvious to every sane person that O.J. was guilty so that changing the strategy probably would have had little effect. Jack in Toronto
Rating:
Summary: Bugliosi should have prosecuted
Review: If Vince Bugliosi had prosecuted this case, O.J. Simpson would now be eating prison food. The book presents an excellent analysis of the successes and failures of each side's legal strategy. Mr. Bugliosi blasts almost everyone connected with the trial for their lack of ethics, respect for the court system, and overall competence. He also presents his ideas as to how he would examine and cross-examine different witnesses, and how he would refute the outlandish defense charges of conspiracy. This fascinating and engrossing book is well-documented with, at times, incredible facts. For example, take a look at the Notes to page 134 of the hardcover version. Detective Mark Fuhrman, years ago, had a complaint filed against him by a civil rights leader. The complaint made it all the way to the number three man in the LA District Attorney's office. That person did not recommend prosecution against Fuhrman. As Bugliosi writes, "I could give you a hundred guesses and you still wouldn't guess who that person was. It was Johnny Cochran." This is an outstanding book.
Rating:
Summary: Justifiable "Outrage" .....Gratuitous Criticism
Review: In the first week of October 1995, only one person on the planet was angrier than I was - and that person was none other than Vincent Bugliosi - star prosecutor of the Manson gang. Thus, I was drawn to his account of the debacle known as the O.J. trial as if it contained the secrets of Tutankhamen. There are many attributes to this seething indictment of our legal system, the brain-dead jury who rendered the laughable verdict, and the bunglings of the prosecutors (and the eunuch-like judge) involved in this case. However...... Bugliosi gives an "F" grade to Marcia Clark, Chris Darden, et. al. A failing grade? Really now, Mr. Bugliosi. The same evidence that convinced you, me and millions of other non-retarded individuals was presented by the very prosecutors you excoriate in this book. Yes, they were clumsy. Yes, they made critical errors. But let's face some salient facts here. Forrest Gump could have presented the overwhelming (and irrefutable) evidence in this case - merely by calling in the DNA experts, who proved beyond ANY doubt that Simpson's blood was dropped at the crime scene. Virginia Woolf, in the midst of a lithium overdose, could have been convinced of the disgraced NFL star's guilt. Mr. Bugliosi states, with the supreme confidence of someone supremely confident, that "he could have convinced the O.J. juty to convict O.J." Come again? Let's be reasonable here. The genius prosecutor of Manson and his trogledyte terrorists did not have a jury inflamed by Rodney King, nor were Manson and his co-defendants sports icons. The Manson jurors were reasonable, compassionate people who listened to the evidence, maintained a healthy respect for justice, and saw through the sophomoric antics of the defense team. (Anyone remember Irving Kanarek? If you don't, count your lucky stars.) "Outrage" marked the first and only time I've ever been somewhat annoyed with Vince Bugliosi. He can't expect every prosecutor, especially someone with a mountain-sized chip on their shoulder (C. Darden) to perform to his standards. Lightning doesn't strike twice - and neither will Bugliosi's genius of the early seventies. Bugliosi is absolutely correct in disdaining the woeful verdict that exonerated O.J. for his despicable behavior. His meticulous examination of the mistakes that pervaded the trial is beyond reproach. However, I believe he fails to recognize another irrefutable fact: His own staggering brilliance would not have swayed O.J.'s jury; rather, it would have worked against him. It's fairly obvious that this jury would not have convicted the wife-battering O.J. - not even if they had witnessed the crime first-hand. (Two words: "Brenda" and "Moran" come to mind. As Dominick Dunne so succinctly said, "Never underestimate the power of stupidity.") Yes, there was plenty of blame to go around in one of the bleakest events in the history of American justice. Bugliosi is justifiably bitter; I too shall be saddened until the day I leave this earth. Like Bugliosi, I cannot regard the lives of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman as any less sacred than those of Emmett Till or Medgar Evers. I regret that I was not old enough to vote on those juries so many years ago, because I despise the mockery of justice and virulent racism that pervaded those proceedings. Like O.J.'s jury, those panels were populated by ignorant persons possessed of personal animus, limited intelligence and misdirected rage. "We've got to protect our own," Carrie Bess allegedly belched to one her fellow jurors. Let's put the blame where it belongs, Mr. Bugliosi: on a defense attorney whose insipid blatherings shouldn't have scared a two-year-old; on a jury who refused to see the truth - and who deliberated for an appallingly short time - and a flaccidly foolish judge who couldn't control his own courtroom. It is Bugliosi's heavy-handed condemnation of the prosecution that detracts from an otherwise excellent presentation. Yet, I shall always admire and respect Mr. Bugliosi for his years of dedication to the cause of justice, and my loyalty is unwavering - now and for always.
Rating: 
Summary: It's all about Vincent
Review: With the exception of Helter Skelter, I find that Vincent Bugliosi's books are all about him. He has an incredible opinion of himself, and everything relates to that. Will never buy another book by him again.
Rating:
Summary: "THE TRIAL [BOOK] OF THE CENTURY!!"
Review: Anybody that has even the tiniest microgram of doubt as to whether Orenthal James Simpson is guilty of murdering Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman in 1994 will have that doubt irrevocably washed from his or her mind forever after reading this incredibly-forthright volume, penned by Vincent T. Bugliosi. Employing his unparalleled brand of logic and common sense, along with wit, humor, and an almost savage fury which has coursed through his veins since the disastrous outcome of the Simpson trial in October 1995, Bugliosi takes no prisoners, as he systematically hammers unrelentingly at the "mind-boggling incompetence" of the prosecution's case. As Mr. B. so aptly points out to we who were previously blind to it, it really is hard to imagine how the prosecution's case could possibly have been worse. Particularly, I think, Christopher Darden's seemingly-endless string of abominations he uttered to the jury during closing arguments. These were statements that had to be some of the very LAST things a prosecutor should say to a jury when he is trying to convict a man for murders he so obviously was guilty of. Such gems like .... "I'm glad I'm not in your shoes" ... "You've got a tough job here." ... "We don't want to do anything to this man; I don't" (almost apologetic toward Simpson!) ... "The decision is yours, and I'm glad it's not mine." When thinking back to when I watched these proceedings live on national TV in September 1995, I can't believe, now, after having it "spoon-fed" to me (as Vince is wont to say) by Mr. Bugliosi that I wasn't screaming at my TV set at the top of my lungs due to the sheer idiotic nature of such Darden statements in closing arguments! But, as Vincent points out multiple times in this book, it's amazing how something obvious only becomes obvious once it's pointed out by someone else. This has got to be one of the very best "Why Didn't I Think Of That?" books ever published. I watched the majority of this long trial, and not once did I have the overwhelming opinion that the prosecutors were performing in such a dreadful manner. But, then too, I'm no lawyer. But Mr. Bugliosi is. He seems to have a built-in radar of some kind that enables him to see the most obvious of things. Things that every person, even non-attorneys, probably should be able to detect, but most do not. The amount of evidence that irresistibly points towards Simpson's guilt that the prosecutors, for one flimsy reason or another, decided NOT to introduce at the trial is staggering! The two most important items being Simpson's very incriminating 32-minute interview with the police the day after the murders...and the infamous "slow-speed Bronco chase" of June 17, 1994. I had always thought, while watching the trial on TV, that there simply MUST be some legal reason for excluding such valuable evidence of guilt. But there was NO such legal basis. Unbelievable! You'll truly believe, as I sincerely now do, that if Mr. Bugliosi had been the lead prosecutor in the Simpson case, Mr. Simpson would NOT be on the streets or on a fairway right now! He'd be where he belongs...behind bars! Detective Mark Fuhrman is not the "devil incarnate" the defense made him out to be. Far from it. Vince tells us why. BOTH sides' opening & closing remarks to the jury were pitifully lacking. Find out the details here. And find out what Vince is convinced is the #1 Key reason for the jury having acquitted Simpson. A very nice 21-page bonus in the book is the inclusion of the entire verbatim transcript of Simpson's interview with the police the day after the murders where he admits to dripping blood the previous night, an interview that points without question to a guilty state of mind, as Simpson gives several hesitant, convoluted answers. A passage from this interview I found extremely telling and interesting was when Simpson tells the detectives after being asked if he's had any recent "problems" with Nicole: "I always have problems with her. ... Our relationship has been a problem relationship." There's an additional snippet from this interview I found quite humorous (although it wasn't meant to be), and somewhat revealing of Simpson's willingness to tell a lie. Simpson tells the detectives, in a very round-about way after stammering for the right words for half a minute or so, that after Nicole returned two pieces of jewelry to O.J. that she had previously received from Simpson as gifts, Simpson turned around, just days later, and presented one of these two gifts to his then-current girlfriend, Paula Barbieri! "I told her [Paula] I bought it for her. ... What am I going to do with it?", Simpson told the police detectives. I now wonder just what Miss Barbieri thinks about getting this "used" gift from Mr. Simpson, and what does she now think of this lie she was told about the gift being purchased for her. "Outrage" is a fascinatingly-absorbing true-crime tale, which will have you wondering (as I did) how it was possible for the lawyers for the State of California to have been this inept.
Rating:
Summary: Truly outrageous
Review: Having read all of the reviews of this book, I am not convinced that even had Vince Bugliosi prosecuted Simpson, he could have secured a guilty verdict.
I seems that despite having read Bugliosi's irrefutable - not just persuasive, but irrefutable - arguments, a small minority of readers still believe Simpson to be innocent of the murder of Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman. No, I don't mean "not guilty beyond a reasonable doubt" (thanks to the bumbling and incompetent - Bugliosi's word - prosecution team), but actually innocent! Why do they think this? I really have no idea. Why do people believe in alien abductions, paranormal phenomena, or the tooth fairy? People have actually written books arguing Simpson's innocence, but then again, people have written books claiming that alien abductions and ghosts are real.
Was it a case of a predominantly black jury seeking revenge on "White America" for hundreds of years of injustice? As if freeing Simpson - a white man in black skin - of the murder of two innocent people could ever do that! Was it simply that the prosecution was so unbelievably bad that it made it seem that Simpson must truly be innocent? (Having read Darden's words to the jury - which virtually said "there is real doubt about this man's guilt, so free him" - I can't understand why he was not disbarred.) Was it because Fuhrman had made racist remarks 10 years ago, remarks that had nothing to do with the case, and which he was too embarrassed to admit to? It seems that a reformed racist (who had none-the-less gone out of his way at one time to prove the innocence of a black suspect, and got on well with black officers) could never be believed but a wife-beater could. Was it because one juror couldn't distinguish DNA from the racing guide, or Madam Foreman didn't think that the suspect's blood at the murder scene was significant to the case? Could an entire police force hatch an elaborate conspiracy literally at the drop of a hat? Anyway, read the book if you want to know more.
There are some valid criticisms of this book - it is somewhat repetitive and it does seem that Bugliosi is indulging his ego at times. However, in his defence, I would say that he is writing as if he were spoon-feeding a jury - ie. say it over and over again, say it in different ways, leave no room for doubt. Also, he can't avoid telling the reader how he would have argued certain points - that isn't "Monday morning quarterbacking", it's just showing how simple and obvious it really was. Don't forget that had he been the prosecutor he would have actually had a lot more time (and access to evidence, and witnesses and co-prosecutors and assistance of many other forms) to prepare his case than he did in the writing of the book.
Read it. If you don't believe in the tooth fairy then you will be as outraged as Mr Bugliosi!
Rating:
Summary: For those thirsty for justice and truth, believe in Bugliosi
Review: This month marks nine years since the murders of Ron and Nicole by Simpson. As such, I feel that it is appropriate to send this review during this month. I regret that I can only give the book five stars. As someone who does not watch television and does not own one, I was impartial on the subject of Simpson's guilt or non-guilt when I first spotted Outrage on an O'Hare airport bookshelf shortly after the trial was over. Having avoided all information about the case while the trial was in progress, I was no doubt viewed as quite dull during water cooler debates on the case, bashfully indicating that I was waiting to become informed until Vincent Bugliosi (the guy who wrote Helter Skelter, I would explain) wrote a book about it. I was quite satisfied with my prediction and my purchase as I boarded the plane to Boston. As I started reading the book, I was somewhat taken aback by the ferocity of Bugliosi's tone. I was startled when he recommended that I put the book down if I had even the slightest doubt that Mr. Simpson had committed the double murder. Even though I surely fell into that category, having formed no opinion yet, I read on. As the plane began its descent into Boston in what seemed to be only seconds later, I was so deeply engrossed in the narrative that I felt annoyed by the disruption my arrival in Boston caused my reading. I finished the book that night (the next morning). My emotions which at first were just simmering were now boiling. I was unable to sleep, having made Bugliosi's outrage my own. The tone I once thought ferocious now seemed singularly temperate. There is no doubt as to what happened in this case. The outrage comes not because the crime was extraordinary (double murders are tragically all too common), but partly because of Simpson's behavior before, during and after the trial and primarily because of the unfathomable incompetence of the prosecution team. I was also intrigued by several general observations Bugliosi makes in this book. He briefly discusses the following: 1) The sad fact that incompetence is the norm, not the exception; 2) The lack of evidence supporting the existence of God; 3) Misleading legal terms such as 'beyond a reasonable doubt' and 'presumed innocent until proven guilty'; 4) Elements of our culture that make a fiasco such as the Simpson trial not only possible but probable; 5) Simple legal analogies like that of circumstantial evidence to a rope (and not a chain); 6) The plight of the black man and why it is nearly impossible for most white men to understand this plight. After reading this book, I began a two-year after-the-fact obsession with the case. I last counted fifteen books relating to the case on my bookshelves, all well worn. I also purchased the video based on this book in which Bugliosi himself narrates and offers his summation to a mock jury. Each time I read the book or view the video (via my computer, not a TV), I glean more insight into the prosecution's shocking incompetence. At the risk of sounding obsequious, I aver that I remain in awe of Vincent Bugliosi. It might be useful to use Bugliosi's reputation as a litmus test before retaining any attorney; ask the prospective lawyer for his or her opinions on the works of Bugliosi and gauge accordingly. My personal opinion is that this book should be required reading not only for law students, but also for all people (within reason). Furthermore, the requirement should retroactive (again, within reason). If someone were to read only one book about the Simpson case, Outrage should be that book.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: This book is an excellent account of why the Simpson case was lost. Bugliosi is no doubt one of the best prosecutors--if not the best prosecutor-- in the nation. If you had any doubts about the case, you won't have any when you are done reading this book. Bugliosi does not pull any punches. He bores in and he doesn't tolerate any smoke-and-mirror tricks. Vincent is extremely candid in his critisims, but he is fair and gives clear reasons for his criticisms. He has something to say and he says it. I found this book equally fascinating for its reflection on human nature. Bugliosi, gives an insightful and sometimes humorous account of what influences the jury (and people in general). As a lawyer, he is in a league by himself.
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