Not my favorite read.
Too too much adulation and information on The Rolling Stones, and even on the social climate of the '70's. While it's important to set the stage for those who weren't around to experience ' hippies ' and the culture of the 70's I grew tired the many, many pages of background on the times 30-40 years ago.
Sometimes less is more...
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

Thank you to Netgalley for this advanced copy. I was thoroughly fascinated by this book. The author did an impeccable job of painting the scene of the time in which this horrific tragedy took place. He also did an excellent job of switching between past and present tense to indicate where he was in the timeline- something that usually is jarring in a book but was seamless in this. The story itself was told so respectfully and gave dignity where it was due. In a world where true crime is often sensationalized or seen as entertainment, it was very tastefully executed.

"On July 3, 1972, twenty-four hippies from Clearwater, Florida, set up tents and settled in for the night at Briar Bottom, a public US Forest Service campground in western North Carolina. The impromptu campout was a pit stop for the group on their way to a Rolling Stones concert in Charlotte. Early that evening, they drank beer, smoked marijuana, and listened to rock music as they anticipated the good times that lay ahead. Near midnight, the county sheriff showed up with six deputies, allegedly responding to a noise complaint. They were armed with pistols and five sawed-off 12-gauge shotguns, one of which discharged, killing a young man named Stanley Altland. To this day, no one has been held responsible for the tragic incident, though it happened in front of over a dozen eyewitnesses."

This is a well written take on a fascinating case. It's sad to see how little things have changed in more than 50 years. Maybe it's not the "longhairs" that are tormented and murdered by the police but we all know too well that it still happens. It was dry at times. Maybe I would have enjoyed listening to it as an audio book a little bit more. I prefer reading about/listening to the case and analysis rather than personal feelings and the research process. The writing was excellent and concise. Overall, I would recommend.

Death in Briar Bottom: The True Story of Hippies, Mountian Lawmen, and the Search for Justice in Early 1970's
by: Timothy Silver
pub. due 11-12-24
University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill

Interesting and arousing true crime story, that happened in the 1970's, that expose the suppression of police misconduct, and cover-up, that still persists today, in some communities. A sheriff's misuse of his power, and belief in his entitlement, led to the deaths of 2 young men, who were camping in North Carolina. The intrigue of the story, and the issues it presents are still relevant and made this even more fascinating to read. Using achival research, interviews with survivng Clearwater, Florida campers from that night, and newly found FBI files, the crime is presented again, using the new information to tell a compelling story.

The crime took place in Yancey County, North Carolina, in the mountains called Briar Bottom. In 1972, over a Fourth of July weekend, a group of young friends from Clearwater, Florida, excited to attend a Rolling Stones concert, in a caravan of cars, wanted to make it a special trip. They decided to camp overnight at Briar Bottom in North Carolina, after a long day of driving. They went to bed early, in anticipation of their drive, and the concert the next day, when suddenly Sheriff Banks bursts into the campground with a loaded gun, yelling commands and demanding to search everyone at the camp for gun and drugs. They found neither, but kept the loaded gun pointed at Stanley Altland. The shriff shot Stanley, for no reason, and so began hours of intimidation before he let them go. The new evidence is essential to the case and changes the perspective of everything.

I enjoyed reading this short novel, and highly recommend it to readers interested in the abuse of power by shrieffs and police cover-ups, true crime fans, or anyone looking for a great, and intriguing story.
Thanks netgalley for sending this e-book ARC for an honest review.
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