Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsRivals Bugliosi’s “Helter Skelter” …
Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2016
FX’s “American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson” was the key that opened my memory’s locked vault of the O.J. Simpson trial. While I found the event both tragic and fascinating over twenty years ago, the media’s smothering coverage eventually wore on me and after reading Chris Darden’s and Mark Fuhrman’s books, I was done with “all-things-OJ”. But, after being completely mesmerized by the “American Crime Story” mini-series, I was compelled to read the book it was based on: Jeff Toobin’s THE RUN OF HIS LIFE. I found Toobin’s book presenting itself as an unequaled authority on the subject matter, similar to how Bugliosi’s “Helter Skelter” masterfully chronicled the Manson murders and subsequent trial.
Why it took me 20 years to read this book is easy to explain … I watched that trial daily during lunch breaks at work and was disgusted with the direction it took, especially how a jury could be seemingly manipulated to believe that the entire LAPD (or a large part of it) had secretly and unanimously conspired to frame a has-been athlete for murder. Issues of national security known by select few individuals can’t be kept secret for days, weeks or months but after twenty years, the LAPD’s lips are, amazingly, still sealed … yeah right. But, after all this time, I realize the Simpson trial was less about convicting someone of murder than a personal battle of wills between a savvy defenders and bumbling prosecutors. Add personal grudges, huge egos, racial tension and the media/celebrity hype to the mix and there is quite an interesting story to tell. Toobin masterfully adds/stirs all these ingredients at the right moments to create a condensed soup that is easy and enjoyable to consume.
From beginning to end, the RUN OF HIS LIFE is interesting and thought-provoking. The book provides bookend coverage of the entire case, from the murder scene discovery to the verdict. In between, Toobin merges a truly fascinating series of storylines that never fail to generate interest. The author digs deep to bring forth details that seem to answer a lot of the “why” questions I remember thinking while watching events unfurl in 1994/95. What makes the book even more credible is Toobin’s legal expertise (1986 magna cum laude Harvard Law graduate). This allows him to disseminate the intense legal wrangling that occurred during the trial that lets readers appreciate the intense gamesmanship between trial lawyers and the court itself. Toobin often injects his personal/professional legal opinion to further illustrate the consequences of actions taken by lawyers and the judge (Lance Ito) and manages to do so in an unbiased manner. At no point in the book did I sense the author leaning to one side of the case; his presentation is remarkably neutral. By doing so, readers get a centralized/neutral perspective of the courtroom atmosphere and see the complicated, tense relationships that all participants in the trial shared with each other throughout the ordeal. Additionally, readers are presented with a thorough background on all major players in the case as the author strategically injects detailed biographies of individuals throughout the book (not all at once). These biographies expose backgrounds, upbringings, beliefs and character flaws that eventually surface at various moments throughout the trial. We see the petulance of Robert Shapiro, the brilliance of Johnnie Cochran, the arrogance of F. Lee Bailey, the frantic nature of Marcia Clark and O.J. Simpson giving credence to the “dumb-jock” persona. While I found the trial rather boring to watch, Toobin manages to make it interesting by elaborating on all the behind-the-scenes drama that occurred throughout. In fact, I felt the inter-lawyer drama stealing attention from the main issue: a murder trial.
THE RUN OF HIS LIFE is a thoroughly entertaining and thought-provoking read that encompasses every imaginable facet of the Simpson case and more. The screen-adaptation of the book (the FX miniseries) is simply outstanding (and the motivation behind me reading this book). Looking back, the Simpson case leaves an indelible and tragic mark in modern American history. It, in many ways, parallels the Manson case in terms of notoriety, media hype and trial longevity. There is an abundance of books covering both subjects, but sifting through it all to find the most comprehensive and informative source is made simple. For the Manson case, it’s arguably Bugliosi’s “Helter Skelter” and for the Simpson case, it’s Toobin’s THE RUN OF HIS LIFE.