Let Me Take You Down: Inside the Mind of Mark David Chapman, the Man Who Killed John Lennon

This is one of the best books I've red in a while, I didn't want to put the book down, the murder of John Lennon in the words of mark Chapman, it goes into great detail and we get to look into the sick mind of mark Chapman, lets hope this sicko is never released, this book is a must read

VERY INTERESTING BOOK.GREAT READ.

This is a well-written book that's highly fascinating - and yet utterly depressing, especially if you're a Lennon fan. The author, Jack Jones, embarks on a discursive study on the murder of John Lennon. He examines written testimony from various witnesses to the killing, as well as documented police evidence. Additionally, he engages in a series of interviews with both professionals (e.g. psychiatrists) who assessed the murderer, and associates of the murder (e.g. old friends). And, most importantly, he interviews the killer himself. All of this points to a sick individual, both delusional and borderline insane, who received messages from both God and the devil - and who, believing Lennon to be a "phoney", felt compelled to kill.By focussing on the thoughts of Chapman, and his mental state, the author individualises the crime. Moreover, Jones seems to accept what Chapman says at face value - as if, when he says he heard voices, so he did. While this results in an in-depth psychiatric analysis, it fails to take into account wider goings-on. The fact is, Chapman embodied the feelings of anger and hatred as felt by the right-wing Establishment - who treated Lennon as an 'Other' (and fabricated a moral panic around his character). Such wider socio-political circumstances ought not to be removed from an analysis of Chapman's motivations. While this irrational individual pulled the trigger, larger events construed him to do so.I do recommend this book, but - as I say - for fans of Lennon (who believe in his message of love and peace) this is a painful read.

Great Book.

The book arrived on time and well packages so I have no issues with the seller. But the work itself is not the best read Thoroughly researched but boring in places and the binding is of poor quality.

This book is well researched and smashes all the myths about lennons death. Read this book for the real reason mark chapman killed a legend

I read this years ago, and just re-read it. The way I see it, you can't hate the guy without seeing why he did what he did...and now I can hate him. A complete loser. The book covers everything from the moment he was born to his dreams of not killing John. It covers his personal pain, his obsession with religeon, suicide and Beatles and his mental problems. He seems to like to pin blame on his Dad - but who pulled the trigger...oh yeah, thats right-he was commanded to by "the little people???". The book answers lots of questions, read it...but if your a Lennon fan you'll be upset, especially by the chapter "Fan Mail" in which he covers the mail he gets from both Lennon and, believe it or not, Chapman Fans....It seems quite an honest book, certainly worth while....but it's going to upset you and play on your mind. The guy was cold, and blew out a light in our world.

Very Nice quality and pages are smooth 👌

This book is helpful to understand the mindset of Mark David Chapman

good look into the mind of a notorious killer. Someone certainly could have thwarted his deadly attack as he wasn't actually secretive about his obsessions. a good read although sad and disturbing.

Take away the names of Lennon and Chapman and what you have are two individuals that crossed paths, one mentally ill, the other, an unfortunate victim. It happens every day. I worked more than 20 years in criminal justice and I saw it all the time. Mental institutions closed down. Those individuals are allowed to roam free with delusions running through their minds. Not ALL the time, mind you, just sometimes. But that is all it takes. Many however, are medicated and function just fine in society with jobs and families. But there is no cure for mental illness. Like cancer, there is only treatment- IF they think they need it. Once their body builds up a tolerance to the medications that have been working for them for years, they sometimes simply decide to self medicate with legal or illegal substances. If they choose to go back to their Doctor, then they must spend time trying to find a medication that works best for them-some of them making the person feel worse-that is- IF they can afford them. A constant, vicious circle. Family members either abandon them because of their behaviors or ignore them- such as Mr. Chapman's wife did when he told her he wanted to kill Lennon, then flew to New York from Hawaii- not once but TWICE (and she didn't tell anyone!? Just asked him to go get some help) Who would want to believe that someone you know would DO something like this? This book basically explains not really WHY Chapman killed Lennon but WHAT was running through his mind in the days/weeks/months prior to killing Lennon that caused him to act out as he did.When we are able to accurately diagnose (because it's SO easy to FAKE!) and discover a cure for mental illness, then we will be able to intercept tragedies like this. (I must admit, praying to Satan for guidance to assist in carrying out his plan probably didn't help make the situation any better either!) What he was thinking and feeling at the time was real to HIM and it was a fascinating read. Whether he knew it was right or wrong at the time is also for someone else to judge. There are those who will feel that because Mr. Chapman committed a crime, can walk upright and is breathing that he is right where he belongs. I'm positive the Lennon family feels that way- but now when you see Mr. Chapman, he is medicated and probably would not THINK of doing what he did in 1980- just so long as someone has their thumb on him at all times. I'm not so sure prison is the right place for a mentally ill person but that's all we have to offer him- besides the electric chair. Would I take him in? Uh, no. He is definitely a very ill person. Lennon's musical talent was a tremendous loss- but I also know that if Mark Chapman was my spouse, brother or son, I would be equally devastated. Finally, towards the end of the book (This one is for the die-hard, revenge-filled Lennon fans) are examples of some of the threatening letters Chapman receives by the dozens. I was shocked that they even let him read these letters- as many of them hold nothing back. Some of them made me laugh out loud. What else could he possibly expect? Read it. The detailed descriptions of Chapman's thought process prior to and after the murder will enlighten anyone interested in attempting to understand...why on earth???Oh- and if people really believe, as Chapman has said, that he did this to become world recognized? Hmm-let's see, shoot a famous person to become famous yourself because you think you are such a loser there is just no other way -and then lose your personal freedom in exchange for a prison life? It's NOT rational thinking and they need to find a cure.

Nobody should care about the deranged mind of a psychotic killer. I remember when it came out and my disgust in thinking anyone should want to “ know” Mark David Chapman. My understanding had always been that this narcissistic nowhere man murdered John Lennon because he was a sitting duck for a nobody to become a somebody. It was as simple as that. As pointed out in the book, Lennon led a completely unsheltered life, coming and going as any anonymous New Yorker would, believing, perhaps naively, that world famous people could live freely in a city that was known for not harassing its most prominent citizens. And indeed it was not a New Yorker who leveraged Lennon’s desire to be free to be a somebody in captivity. The only reason I decided to read this book in 2023, nearly 30 years after it was published was to see for myself whether there was any basis at all for Chapman to be an MK-Ultra victim as the recent stirrings of some people seem to once again suggest. The book made clear to me that Chapman was not in any way involved with government sponsored psyops and that contrary to what people were led to believe Chapman never hated John Lennon. What comes out in Chapman’s babbling is that he used Lennon as an expedient to direct his anger about “phonies” ( really society that he never felt at ease with) and to become a somebody. I also believe he wanted to secure his place in history by being known as the person who put an end to the hope of a Beatles reunion..