Summers & Swan - A new book - Looking For Madeleine

[faithlilly]

Perhaps you bought it and read it to enable such a review?  Perhaps there are those who purchased it and read it who formed an entirely different perspective.
I think the value of the book may lie in the presentation of an unbiased assessment of what is known of Madeleine McCann's case for those who have little knowledge of it.

No need to buy the book. A combination of the PJ files and some hack journalism will have the same outcome. That a reader who has little knowledge of the case may come to a different perspective than myself is hardly surprising considering the selective nature of the author's musings.

Of course Summers has form for this kind of junk journalism. Tom Mangold, a fellow journalist says as much  in his article for the Independent about Summers published 'conspiracy theory' articles regarding the death of Stephen Ward.

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/stephen-ward-wasnt-murdered-i-was-there-8990737.html

'Summers has lent his reputation to a conspiracy theory – please don't giggle – which has an MI5 contract killer hiding in the Chelsea flat all night, then waking the drowsy Ward every few hours and inciting him to take ever increasing overdoses of the sleeping tablets which eventually killed him. The alleged killer is now conveniently dead but allegedly told a gabby friend on his deathbed…

Summers's interviews on this well publicised theory, published by two reputable national newspapers last week, brim with weasel words. "The story ends with a question mark," says Summers darkly. No it doesn't.

It is junk journalism at its very worst, complete piffle, a disgrace to our trade. Believe it if you believe Lord Lucan and Elvis are living under pseudonyms in a mud hut in Uganda. We are in so many ways the first and often the last draft of history; newspaper records and their on-line spill-over really do matter. Lies and rotten journalism go viral in seconds. We really do have a clear compact with our readers, listeners and viewers to get it right.


Mangold also collaborated on a book with Summers which made the case for the  escape  of Her Imperial Highness the Tsarina Alexandra and her four daughters  from the blood soaked cellar of 'the house of special purpose' in Ekaterinberg  and their continued survival thereafter. Of course we now know that all the family did indeed perish that July night and their bodies lay just a few miles away from the site of their deaths.

[Mr Gray]

No need to buy the book. A combination of the PJ files and some hack journalism will have the same outcome. That a reader who has little knowledge of the case may come to a different perspective than myself is hardly surprising considering the selective nature of the author's musings.

Of course Summers has form for this kind of junk journalism. Tom Mangold, a fellow journalist says as much  in his article for the Independent about Summers published 'conspiracy theory' articles regarding the death of Stephen Ward.

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/stephen-ward-wasnt-murdered-i-was-there-8990737.html

'Summers has lent his reputation to a conspiracy theory – please don't giggle – which has an MI5 contract killer hiding in the Chelsea flat all night, then waking the drowsy Ward every few hours and inciting him to take ever increasing overdoses of the sleeping tablets which eventually killed him. The alleged killer is now conveniently dead but allegedly told a gabby friend on his deathbed…

Summers's interviews on this well publicised theory, published by two reputable national newspapers last week, brim with weasel words. "The story ends with a question mark," says Summers darkly. No it doesn't.

It is junk journalism at its very worst, complete piffle, a disgrace to our trade. Believe it if you believe Lord Lucan and Elvis are living under pseudonyms in a mud hut in Uganda. We are in so many ways the first and often the last draft of history; newspaper records and their on-line spill-over really do matter. Lies and rotten journalism go viral in seconds. We really do have a clear compact with our readers, listeners and viewers to get it right.


Mangold also collaborated on a book with Summers which made the case for the  escape  of Her Imperial Highness the Tsarina Alexandra and her four daughters  from the blood soaked cellar of 'the house of special purpose' in Ekaterinberg  and their continued survival thereafter. Of course we now know that all the family did indeed perish that July night and their bodies lay just a few miles away from the site of their deaths.

i would be interested to hear  Mangolds views on amaral's book of lies

[mercury]

No need to buy the book. A combination of the PJ files and some hack journalism will have the same outcome. That a reader who has little knowledge of the case may come to a different perspective than myself is hardly surprising considering the selective nature of the author's musings.

Of course Summers has form for this kind of junk journalism. Tom Mangold, a fellow journalist says as much  in his article for the Independent about Summers published 'conspiracy theory' articles regarding the death of Stephen Ward.

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/stephen-ward-wasnt-murdered-i-was-there-8990737.html

'Summers has lent his reputation to a conspiracy theory – please don't giggle – which has an MI5 contract killer hiding in the Chelsea flat all night, then waking the drowsy Ward every few hours and inciting him to take ever increasing overdoses of the sleeping tablets which eventually killed him. The alleged killer is now conveniently dead but allegedly told a gabby friend on his deathbed…

Summers's interviews on this well publicised theory, published by two reputable national newspapers last week, brim with weasel words. "The story ends with a question mark," says Summers darkly. No it doesn't.

It is junk journalism at its very worst, complete piffle, a disgrace to our trade. Believe it if you believe Lord Lucan and Elvis are living under pseudonyms in a mud hut in Uganda. We are in so many ways the first and often the last draft of history; newspaper records and their on-line spill-over really do matter. Lies and rotten journalism go viral in seconds. We really do have a clear compact with our readers, listeners and viewers to get it right.


Mangold also collaborated on a book with Summers which made the case for the  escape  of Her Imperial Highness the Tsarina Alexandra and her four daughters  from the blood soaked cellar of 'the house of special purpose' in Ekaterinberg  and their continued survival thereafter. Of course we now know that all the family did indeed perish that July night and their bodies lay just a few miles away from the site of their deaths.

A fresh take on the "tweedledee and twedledum" epithet then

Pat Brown had ther number, securely

http://patbrownprofiling.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/summers-and-swan-and-demise-of.html

[Alice Purjorick]

Perhaps you bought it and read it to enable such a review?  Perhaps there are those who purchased it and read it who formed an entirely different perspective.
I think the value of the book may lie in the presentation of an unbiased assessment of what is known of Madeleine McCann's case for those who have little knowledge of it.

Yup! as soon as it was available I downloaded it onto my Kindle and read it. I wasted my money. It was lightweight in my opinion, full of expressions like "as they were to learn later". I would not be surprised if others thought it was heavyweight. It depends on what one is used to.
It was rather like a Man Alive documentary put to paper.
"This is an ordinary suburban street ...............or is it"?
But chacun a son gout as they say in the better parts of Hackney.

[Brietta]

Yup! as soon as it was available I downloaded it onto my Kindle and read it. I wasted my money. It was lightweight in my opinion, full of expressions like "as they were to learn later". I would not be surprised if others thought it was heavyweight. It depends on what one is used to.
It was rather like a Man Alive documentary put to paper.
"This is an ordinary suburban street ...............or is it"?
But chacun a son gout as they say in the better parts of Hackney.

Do you think the Summers and Swan book would be more or less informative for 'newbees' than the facebook page which will 'educate' them and issue them with a diploma?

[Alice Purjorick]

Do you think the Summers and Swan book would be more or less informative for 'newbees' than the facebook page which will 'educate' them and issue them with a diploma?

Both are windups to be avoided.
The salient facts could be written on the back of a penny black in 6 point. imo of course.

[Brietta]

Both are windups to be avoided.
The salient facts could be written on the back of a penny black in 6 point. imo of course.

In my opinion, probably not.

[Mr Gray]

S&S gave an accurate account of the case ...imo.....problem was we knew it all already

[Benice]

S&S gave an accurate account of the case ...imo.....problem was we knew it all already

True.    IMO a book itemising and dispelling all the myths, lies, and gross distortions of the facts which have been -  and still are peddled about this case would have been better.     

[Alice Purjorick]

In my opinion, probably not.

The parents left the child without adult attendance.
The child disappeared.
No trace has been found of the child since despite extensive investigation.
That about covers the key points.

[stephen25000]

The parents left the child without adult attendance.
The child disappeared.
No trace has been found of the child since despite extensive investigation.
That about covers the key points.

Yep, that covers it.

[jassi]

The parents left the child without adult attendance.
The child disappeared.
No trace has been found of the child since despite extensive investigation.
That about covers the key points.

Barely enough to warrant a powerpoint presentation, let a lone a whole book

edit - You missed one. Countless people with walk-on parts have been investigated and discarded.

[Mr Gray]

Barely enough to warrant a powerpoint presentation, let a lone a whole book

edit - You missed one. Countless people with walk-on parts have been investigated and discarded.

amaral managed a whole book.../though much of it was fiction