Arrested Adolescence is an engrossing account of one of the most sensational crimes of the 1920s. Through meticulous research, Rebain gives us a careful and astute retelling of the life of Nathan Leopold, his 'crime of the century, ' and his life after prison. What emerges is a complex portrait of a privileged and gifted youth, a self-avowed hedonist, and an unapologetic conman, unspooling a life that has been layered in so much myth and legend for decades.--James Polchin, author of Indecent Advances: A History of True Crime and Prejudice Before Stonewall In Arrested Adolescence, author Erik Rebain delves deeply into the life of Nathan Leopold, challenging the lurid portraits and self-serving narratives surrounding the infamous murderer. At the book's heart, Rebain wrestles with the question of Leopold's rehabilitation and whether he was truly a reformed man. Looking closely at Leopold's 33 years in prison and the 13 years in Porto Rico after his release, Rebain tells a new story, one that differs dramatically from Leopold's and his supporter's carefully crafted tale of redemption. Utilizing a vast array of archival materials, Rebain presents Leopold in all his human flaws, a man whose life, behaviour, and motivations could never escape his teenaged obsessions, entitlements, desires, and crime.--David S.

Churchill, University of Manitoba, Canada Fascination with Nathan Leopold, and his partner in crime the 'evil' Dickie Loeb, seems to survive decades of changes in fashion and taste in celebrities. This volume usefully sheds light on Nathan Leopold's childhood and return to society after imprisonment. Crime and its reception always a mirror of its social context, when and where it happened, and later.--Leigh Bienen, senior lecturer, Northwestern University School of Law, and co-author of Crimes of the Century: From Leopold and Loeb to O.J. Simpson.