It was so interesting to learn about the origin of the phrase “Stockholm Syndrome”! I enjoyed the chronological and balanced structure of events. This book starts off with the Morning one of the six day bank heist and it follows all the players (police, hostages, criminals, press) as the story progresses. It was not a long book but it didn’t leave out important events and nothing felt wasted. This was a great True Crime to read!

I received an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Prior to reading this, I did not actually know where the phrase 'Stockholm Syndrome' came from, aside from some vague notion that there was a hostage situation in the 70s that resulted in the coining of that term.

Even after reading the book, it still boggles the mind as to how people held hostage could want to save their captor, but I have never been in that situation so I don't think I can or even am meant to understand it. This is, simply or not so simply, what happened and how it happen, and the aftermath.

On August 23rd, 1973 Jan-Erik Olsson walked into the downtown branch of Sveriges Kreditbank. He wore a wig and sunglasses to hide his identity, fired off rounds from his gun, and what followed became a really weird hostage situation.

From the start this whole thing was a clusterfuck. The media absolutely went nuts for it - and that's saying something, considering the nonsense we are dealing with today. I can't even imagine what it would look like had this happened in now instead of in 1973. The world was captivated by the unfolding drama playing out live on television.

During that six days in captivity, Olsson's hostages became quite attached to him, as well as his buddy Clark Olofsson, who was released from prison in the hopes that he would somehow assist the authorities with bringing Olsson out. I mean, seriously? Come on, like that was going to happen.

After six day, the whole thing finally came to an end and the hostages defended their captors, going so far as to refuse to testify against them. Instead, they helped fundraise to pay for their defense. One of the women also asked Olofsson to father a child a few years later, to which he agreed but wanted nothing to do with the child. Like, what...?

There is a wealth of information here. So much, in fact, that it is nearly a minute-by-minute account from across the entire six days which the group spent within one of the bank vaults. Based on information provided by the publisher, the account also contains information from sources and documents that have not been published before. Many involved in the original event were also interviewed and contributed to the book. I have no basis for how much of this is actually new, as it is my first book on the subject but it does seem quite thorough and detailed.

Even so, this book was a struggle for me to get through at times. Much of that does have to do with the fact that no matter how much I read of the book itself, or what I looked up on my own as I was reading, I could not wrap my head around the fact that the hostages wanted to protect their captors. Self-preservation is one thing, but to continue to defend them afterwards? I just don't get it. And like I said before, maybe we are not meant to, and that's fine, but DAMN, did I want to smack some of these people around after the first couple days.

The author has done a fine job in bringing the story to life and tells it in a readable way. He leaves some questions unanswered here and in this instance that decision actually works - things like whether or not both men were equally guilty in the situation (yes), and if the police knew what they were doing (no).

I don't know that I will pursue this subject further, as it seems that this account is well-told and thorough enough for me. Also, not really as interesting of a story as I thought it would be.

Stockholm Syndrome has always been fascinating to me. I really had some misconceptions about it though. This book does a phenomenal job taking you back to its etymology. A very interesting read, perfect for any lovers of true crime.

This was a fascinating book about the Sveriges Kreditbank hostage situation in Sweden that occurred over a six day period. The author laid this out so that the reader could grasp what was happening in a minute by minute manner. I had never heard of this event prior to reading this and learned a lot about Stockholm syndrome.

I never really knew much about this case going into this book, which is why I was initially interested in it. However, I found this book to be an extremely slow burn that I didn’t particularly enjoy - though
I did find the details of the case extremely fascinating - which is why I am giving it a 3 star review. The case is absolutely mindblowing, but I just felt like this book could have shorter and more enthralling. Nonetheless, David King did a great job of presenting the facts in an unbiased & non-judgmental way.

Thank you to the author, W.W Norton and Co., and NetGalley for a copy of the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Very interesting story. Highly recommend. I knew about the story but the way the author wrote it made it flow. It seems like a film and I could picture each moment occurring. I'm very glad I picked this one to read and I will recommend it for purchase at the library I work at.

I first heard of Stockholm Syndrome with Patty Hearst and her kidnapping. I have since heard it, recently, being applied to women who stay in domestic violence relationships. I never knew how or why the term came about though. When I saw this book I knew I wanted to read it. I was afraid, though, that it might be boring. I’m happy to say I wasn’t bored at all. David King wrote an extensive and intelligible story. I read some every day, taking time to think over what I was reading. He took us inside the bank with Janne, Clark and the hostages and also outside it with the police, politicians and reporters. Mr King also followed up on the hostages, Janne and Clark, which was fascinating. It was interesting to read how the hostages, especially Kristin, acted and felt after being released. I must say I was surprised that Clark was brought in to aid the police. I can’t imagine that happening now. It was a very riveting part of the story for me. I imagine that coming in after the hostages had been taken, with police permission, the hostages must of seen him as a rescuer from the start. I think, perhaps, this is why it was easy to form an attachment to him. It may be why, when he showed them he was with Janne, they changed their view of the bank robber. Maybe it opened the door to them seeing Janne as someone who just wanted the best outcome for them. It was certainly a distorted view as Janne took them hostage and threatened them repeatedly with death. This is only a glimpse into all I am thinking over after reading Six Days in August. I would love to see this book in a book club as there is much to discuss in it. From reading this book I have learned a lot about Stockholm Syndrome and I have been given a lot to think about. I would recommend it to readers who are interested in true crime and psychology. I was given an advanced reader electronic copy of the book, through NetGalley, for review consideration. I voluntarily reviewed this book. My review is based on my experience with reading the book and how I felt afterwards.

This book pulls the reader right in and keeps them turning pages as they watch the situation unfold. Very well researched, but it reads like fiction.

This was an interesting snapshot of the origin of “Stockholm Syndrome” and the complexities of those relationships built between two would-be bank robbers and their captives during a few crazy days at a bank in Stockholm, Sweden in 1973. From a psychological perspective this account of events was fascinating. The story was engaging and well told. It read like a true crime docuseries, unfolding, gripping and suspenseful enough to keep the reader coming back for more!

Thank you to W. W. Norton for giving me a free digital galley of this book in exchange for feedback.

One of the most important things I've learned as I've matured is that everything is more complicated than it seems.

I've heard the phrase "Stockholm syndrome," and I knew what it meant - the situation in which victims, especially hostages, come to see themselves as allies of their captors.

I never really wondered about the name, or what had happened in Stockholm.

David King has done an excellent job here, both of thoroughly researching the hostage situation that occurred in Stockholm in August 1973, and of telling the story in a way that's honest and readable.

It turns out that this is one of those situations that really is a lot more complicated than it seems. Were the captors violent terrorists? Were both captors equally guilty? Did the hostages really believe that their captors were their friends? Were the police really making the best choices?

King lays out the evidence clearly, and leaves the reader to reach their own conclusions. He even follows up with the criminals and the hostages in the present day.

This book is well worth reading, for readers who enjoy true crime stories or people who want some food for thought about human psychology.

This was a very informative and fascinating read. I didn't know much about the hostage crisis at the Kreditbanken in Normalmstorg that inspired the term "Stockholm Syndrome," but this book gives us a very good look at both the criminals and the hostages that were involved in the crisis, as well as what happened afterwards. It's a fascinating situation and it has led to the study of power dynamics between criminals and hostages in high stress situations. Highly recommended for any true crime fans.