Blood in the Soil: A True Tale of Racism, Sex, and Murder in the South

Townsend, Carole

ISBN 10: 1634507517 / ISBN 13: 9781634507516

Published by Skyhorse, 2016

About this Item

Inscribed and SIGNED by Author on Half Title Page.

Seller Inventory # 004533

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Blood in the Soil: A True Tale of Racism, Sex, and Murder in the South
• Publisher: Skyhorse
• Publication Date: 2016
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1634507517
• ISBN 13: 9781634507516
• Binding: Hardcover
• Printing: 1st Printing
• Condition: Fine
• Dust Jacket Condition: Fine
• Signed: Inscribed by Author(s)

About this title

Synopsis

Blood in the Soil is the first book about the investigation into the shooting of Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt and his country attorney in Gwinnett County, Georgia, in 1978. But this book is not primarily about Larry Flynt, or even his shooter (the serial killer Joseph Paul Franklin), though both men are of course important characters in the story.

This true account is told alternately from the perspective of Detective J. Michael Cowart and by following Franklin’s life from childhood through his execution. The monster that was Joseph Paul Franklin was the result of a perfect storm of circumstances, which included poverty, cruel abuse as a child, the detestation and mistrust between blacks and whites, integration, and the hate groups that operated and recruited openly. Detective Cowart tells the story of his first introduction to Franklin, and the cat-and-mouse game that ensued. A self-proclaimed truth-seeker, the detective had to appear to befriend Franklin to get him to provide enough information to prosecute him in the Flynt shooting. In the course of developing this rapport, Cowart gains astonishing insight into many of Franklin’s other cold-blooded killings and crimes, and his twisted justification for them.

This book tells of a very real struggle between right and wrong. It details with stark honesty the terrible truths that characterized the South during the volatility of the sixties and seventies, and of the ugly reality that lies just beneath the veneer of a beautiful region known for its warm hospitality. Along the way, it examines some hard lessons about life, trust, and compromise.

About the Author

Carole Townsend is a correspondent and columnist for the Gwinnett Citizen newspaper and the author of Magnolias, Sweet Tea, and Exhaust. She resides in Atlanta, Georgia.