William J. Birnes – författare

Serial killers like Seattle's Ted Bundy, Maryland's Beltway Sniper, Atlanta's Wayne Williams, or England's Peter Sutcliffe usually outsmart the task forces on their trail for long periods of time. Keppel and Birnes take readers inside the operations of serial killer task forces to learn why. What is the underlying psychology of a serial killer and why this defeats task force investigations? This is the first book of its kind that combines state-of-the-art psychological assessment experience with the expertise of a homicide investigator who has tracked some of this country's most notorious serial killers. The author also brings to the book hands-on best practices gleaned from the experience of other task forces. Readers, both professionals and students, will benefit from the comprehensive and critical case reviews, the analysis of what went wrong, what went right, and the after-action recommendations of evaluators in the US, UK, and Canada. The book covers: * The nature of the psychology of a serial killer * How crime assessment profiling reveals that psychology * Why psychological profiles fail * How serial killer task forces defeat themselves * How the media can, and usually does, undermine the task force operation * The big secret of all serial killer investigations: police already have the killer's name * The best practices for catching a serial killerComprehensive case reviews of some of the US's and UK's most baffling serial killer casesA list of best practices for serial killer task force investigatorsRecommendations for how to manage comprehensive files and computer recordsPractical advice on how to manage the media: what to say and not to sayInsight into what a serial killer might be thinking and doing to stay away from policeRecommendations for setting up and administering long-term investigationsPractical tips on how to maintain a task force's psychological edge and avoid defeatism

With over 5,000 entries, revealing photographs and diagrams, and the editorial review of UFO experts, the book draws from a database of 17 years worth of articles featured in UFO Magazine. The encyclopedia will feature entries on the science of time travel, antigravity propulsion, psycho kinesis, astral projection and teleportation, as well as alien abduction and evidence of extra-terrestrial presence on Earth. Exploring all points of view on this controversial topic, THE UFO MAGAZINE UFO ENCYCLOPEDIA features the latest scientific evidence about UFOs, but also addresses the views of UFO sceptics. Featuring information on all aspects of UFO studies, from Area 51 to Nikola Tesla's attempts to communicate with beings in outer space, the UFO MAGAZINE UFO ENCYCLOPEDIA will be the most thorough single-volume UFO reference in print.

Michael J. Coumatos, former US Space Command Director in charge of war games and a former National Security Agency advisor, and William B. Scott, editor-in-chief of "Aviation Week & Space Technology" and a nine-year Air Force veteran, collaborate with William J. Birnes, host of the History Channel's "UFO Hunters", to imagine how the first six hours of World War III might play out. The authors take the reader deep inside the top secret facility that houses America's Strategic Command in Omaha, where US military commanders are playing a nuclear war game. They don't know that the war they are gaming has already begun - in space. Financed by Iran, a rogue Russian scientist destroys military surveillance and communications satellites with an intense particle beam. Soon the United States will be completely blind, allowing the Iranians to launch a nuclear-tipped Sahab 4 missile into the soft underbelly of Europe. It's a race against time. Chock full of the actual technologies and strategies the United States will have to use to protect their near-space assets, "Space Wars" describes a near-future nuclear threat that puts us all in the terrorists' nuclear sights.In a more quiet time, "Space Wars" would be an exciting work of fiction. But the United States is at war, and the most frightening thing about Space Wars is that it's all too real.

In this sequel to "The Haunting of America", national bestselling authors Joel Martin and William J. Birnes bring up to the present the story of how paranormal events influenced and sometimes even drove political events. In unearthing the roots of America's fascination with the ghosts, goblins, and demons that possess our imaginations and nightmares, Martin and Birnes show how the paranormal has driven America's political, public, and military policies. The authors examine the social history of the United States through the lens of the paranormal and investigate the spiritual events that inspired momentous national decisions: UFOs that frightened the nation's military into launching nuclear bomber squadrons toward the Soviet Union, out-of-body experiences used to gather sensitive intelligence on other countries and even spirits summoned to communicate with living politicians.

Linking the murders of an alleged serial killer to successfully present a case in court involves a specific methodology that has been scrutinized by the judicial system but is largely absent in the current literature. Serial Violence: Analysis of Modus Operandi and Signature Characteristics of Killers fully explains the process of finding the nexus between one violent crime and another for the purpose of pursuing the same offender at trial.Examines real cases of some of the world’s most notorious serial killersWritten by renowned experts, this book focuses on analyzing crimes of violence to unveil common characteristics that might prove useful in the identification, apprehension, and conviction of murderers. It begins by detailing the historical origins of modus operandi as an investigative tool. It examines murderous ritualistic behavior in a variety of cases, including William Heirens, Harvey Glatman, Morris Frampton, and Jack the Ripper. Later chapters discuss serial murders accompanied by burglary, torture, picquerism, sexual violence, sexual degradation, and a host of other behaviors.Includes color photographs of actual crime scenesContaining numerous color photos, this volume includes useful information for expert witnesses and portions of transcripts of original testimony. The scintillating detail and rigorous analysis presented in this volume enables those charged with solving these violent crimes to discern the types of modus operandi and ritualistic behaviors that can be linked to the same offender, helping law enforcement bring these dangerous offenders to justice.About the AuthorsBob Keppel served on the King County homicide task force that investigated the infamous Ted Bundy and has been an expert witness on scores of serial killer signature profile cases across the United States. Along with coauthor William Birnes, Dr. Keppel worked on a United States Department of Justice grant to evaluate how local police homicide units use computer database technology to track serial killer and sexual offender cases by cross-referencing offender psychological signatures.

A definitive biography of the iconic actor and Hollywood legend Mickey Rooney (1920-2014) and his extravagant, sometimes tawdry life, drawing on never-before-seen excerpts from Rooney's diary and exclusive interviews with Mickey, and with those who knew him best, including his heretofore unknown mistress of sixty years. "I lived like a rock star," said Mickey Rooney. "I had all I ever wanted, from Lana Turner and Joan Crawford to every starlet in Hollywood, and then some. They were mine to have. Ava [Gardner] was the best. I screwed up my life. I pissed away millions. I was #1, the biggest star in the world." Mickey Rooney began his career almost a century ago as a one-year-old performer in burlesque and stamped his mark in vaudeville, silent films, talking films, Broadway, and television. He acted in his final motion picture just weeks before he died at age ninety-three. He was an iconic presence in movies, the poster boy for American youth in the idyllic small-town 1930s. Yet, by World War II, Mickey Rooney had become frozen in time. A perpetual teenager in an aging body, he was an anachronism by the time he hit his forties. His child-star status haunted him as the gilded safety net of Hollywood fell away, and he was forced to find support anywhere he could, including affairs with beautiful women, multiple marriages, alcohol, and drugs. Authors Richard A. Lertzman and William J. Birnes present Mickey's nearly century-long career within the context of America's changing entertainment and social landscape. In addition to material from Mickey's own diary, they chronicle his life story using little-known interviews with the star himself, his children, his former coauthor Roger Kahn, collaborator Arthur Marx, and costar Margaret O'Brien. This Old Hollywood biography presents Mickey Rooney from every angle, revealing the man Laurence Olivier once dubbed "the best there has ever been."

Suicide rates among Army soldiers increased 80 percent between 2004 and 2008, according to a recent report published in Injury Prevention. In the last several years, the number of soldiers returning from the Middle East with mental and physical wounds has continued to climb. According to Dr. Simon Rego, a supervising psychologist at Montefiore Medical Center, “Unlike any other time in history, U.S. military suicide rates now appear to have surpassed those among comparable civilian populations. It is therefore critical that we address this emerging public-health problem.”In this groundbreaking book, Dr. Liebert, a psychiatrist who has examined hundreds of violent offenders with combat experience, and bestselling author Dr. William Birnes uncover the disturbing truths of why post-traumatic stress injury is on the rise, how it’s threatening society, and how the military is failing to properly address this serious issue. In addition, they describe the most recent research and methods that have been developed to help soldiers heal their mental and emotional wounds.Wounded Minds dissects several high profile cases of suicide and massacre, including Staff Sergeant Robert Bales’s murder of sixteen Afghan citizens and Major Nidal Malik Hasan, who opened fire on a room full of defenseless American troops. Through these stories the authors paint a clear picture of the very real threat PTSD poses to individuals and society. They then go on to explain how to diagnose and understand the brain abnormalities associated with PTSD, the diagnostic problems confronting military medicine today, and both immediate and ongoing medical solutions.

From Sandy Hook, Connecticut, to Aurora, Colorado, to Tucson, Arizona, this nation has been racked from coast to coast with mass shootings perpetrated by criminals with sick minds. Authors Dr. Liebert and Dr. Birnes believe the increase in violence is an epidemic and dig deep into the causes of mental illness to determine what exactly is going on with these individuals and society as a whole, and what action can be taken to slow this frightening trend toward mass violence.Dr. Liebert and Dr. Birnes believe that many mass suicides are predictable and preventable. Dr. Liebert uses his extensive experience in psychopathology and criminal psychology to describe how clinicians can identify the behaviors of potential suicidal mass killers and possibly prevent their crimes if they read the warning signs when legal opportunities present themselves, such as when recurrent domestic violence or psychotic communications are reported to authorities. The authors also discuss the influence of media—particularly violent video games—and how the evolution of American culture affects suicidal mental illness. With startling statistics, fascinating case studies, and practical, no-nonsense solutions, the authors present a groundbreaking and compelling treatise on violence in America.

Doctor Max Jacobson, whom the Secret Service under President John F. Kennedy code-named “Dr. Feelgood,” developed a unique “energy formula” that altered the paths of some of the twentieth century’s most iconic figures, including President and Jackie Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, and Elvis. JFK received his first injection (a special mix of “vitamins and hormones,” according to Jacobson) just before his first debate with Vice President Richard Nixon. The shot into JFK’s throat not only cured his laryngitis, but also diminished the pain in his back, allowed him to stand up straighter, and invigorated the tired candidate. Kennedy demolished Nixon in that first debate and turned a tide of skepticism about Kennedy into an audience that appreciated his energy and crispness. What JFK didn’t know then was that the injections were actually powerful doses of a combination of highly addictive liquid methamphetamine and steroids.Author and researcher Rick Lertzman and New York Times bestselling author Bill Birnes reveal heretofore unpublished material about the mysterious Dr. Feelgood. Through well-researched prose and interviews with celebrities including George Clooney, Jerry Lewis, Yogi Berra, and Sid Caesar, the authors reveal Jacobson’s vast influence on events such as the assassination of JFK, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Kennedy-Khrushchev Vienna Summit, the murder of Marilyn Monroe, the filming of the C. B. DeMille classic The Ten Commandments, and the work of many of the great artists of that era. Jacobson destroyed the lives of several famous patients in the entertainment industry and accidentally killed his own wife, Nina, with an overdose of his formula.Skyhorse Publishing, along with our Arcade, Good Books, Sports Publishing, and Yucca imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs. Our list includes biographies on well-known historical figures like Benjamin Franklin, Nelson Mandela, and Alexander Graham Bell, as well as villains from history, such as Heinrich Himmler, John Wayne Gacy, and O. J. Simpson. We have also published survivor stories of World War II, memoirs about overcoming adversity, first-hand tales of adventure, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

A compelling look at one of the most pressing public health issues of our time.In this groundbreaking book, Dr. John Liebert, a psychiatrist who has treated hundreds of veterans, and Dr. William Birnes, a New York Times bestselling author, uncover the disturbing truths about post-traumatic stress disorder among veterans. Using scientific, historical, and anecdotal evidence, these two experts reveal why PTSD is on the rise, the threats it poses to society, and how the military is dramatically failing to give their men and women the help they desperately need. In addition, Liebert and Birnes detail the cutting-edge methods that have been developed to help soldiers heal the emotional wounds of combat.Wounded Minds also provides readers with fascinating analyses of several high-profile suicide and massacre cases, including Staff Sergeant Robert Bales’s murder of sixteen Afghan citizens and Major Nidal Malik Hasan, who opened fire on a room full of defenseless American troops. Through these stories, the authors further illustrate the very real threat posed by post-traumatic stress disorder. They also explain how to diagnose and understand the brain abnormalities associated with post-traumatic stress disorder, the diagnostic problems confronting military medicine today, and what we can do now and in the future to curb this devastating epidemic.