Product Description

"Death on a Summer's Day" tells the extraordinary story of one of the most appalling and shocking public executions ever to take place in Britain. The only ever murder to be recorded live by dozens of journalists and TV crew members, the tragic assassination of innocent Town Planner, Harry Collinson by embittered and deranged landowner, Albert Dryden, shocked a nation and led to a national media frenzy in which opinions were strongly divided about whether or not it was a case of simple murder or if more was afoot - a support group for the murderer was even formed! At last, author David Blackie, who witnessed the crime and was consulted by the police about the case as a firearms expert, tells the full story from both sides. Also included is an exhaustive interview with Albert Dryden, who is serving a life-sentence for murder in Britain's toughest jails. This is a staggering, shocking and moving book that leaves readers to draw their own conclusions about one of Britain's most famous murders. Essential true crime reading.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #604870 in Books
• Published on: 2006-01-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 288 pages

About the Author
David Blackie is former police officer who witnessed the incident and was later consulted in the capacity of firearms advisor. His close links to many aspects of the case, and his successful contact with the murderer put him in a supreme position to write such a book.

Customer Reviews

The dreams of a defiant man fights the blunders of bureaucracy
Albert Dryden a raged man of steel who's soul was driven to defend his home in such a way that equals anarchy in the real world but Albert's world haunted him from his childhood years, his desire was to become the bloody reality of the tragedy of this account. My immediate thoughts of Albert's mind were that of a situation brewing until it became quite simply a shoot out rather like that of a cowboy western scene where the rules are equal and 'A man must defend his home at whatever cost'. Indeed at whatever cost, tragically the rules In Albert's mind were that of another time and another place, a frontiersman stepping out for a moment to make his mark in history only this piece of history was to be the loss of Harry Collinson the Town Planner and servant of the Local Government. The ambiguous rules given to Albert gave him false hope for his future dreams and so he became more resolute in his battle as he continued to reject the town planners final words, downtrodden, squashed and left in a state of madness. The scales of justice have clearly allowed other parties to be partly responsible by their neglect to act accordingly.

Very good account of a situation beyond Albert's control as was his state of mind. The author has clearly felt that he must do something and has documented the above piece of history for all to read. It is good to read books of this nature being written to allow nations to know the true meaning of peoples lives and those around them in distant lands. I thank the author David Blackie for sharing his experience and that of the other characters in such a well thought-out way and look forward to reading more of his work.

A SOCIOLOGICAL MISFIT OR PUBLIC HERO
This book should be on the list of must-haves for all sociology students. A man, ailienated, from society by virue of being redundant seeks to eek out an existance on a smallholding, which he buys with his redundancy pay.

He seeks to build a small bungalow on the site so he can work it, a planning official makes his life hell and then says ambiguous things that makes Albert Dryden believe he can build the bungalow.

This is a typical David and Goliath story, Dryden being the David. The planning authority then use a ten pound hammer to crack a walnut when they issue a demolition notice to Dryden.

They drove the man mad, and then he cracked and they have the barefaced cheek to bang the man up behind bars for life because he defends his property in the only way he knows. The planning official making life hell for Dryden is shot dead, and in the glare of TV, the press and the police we see the saddest day for British justice when Albert Dryden is led away by the police.

What happend to the saying, 'A Man's Home is His Castle'. This is not the case and should be argued on behalf of Mr Dryden.

All in all, not a bad account ... even if by one of the policemen present during the shooting, which was caught on British TV, a public execution.