Throughout history, kidnappings have been committed for profit, politics, religious beliefs, and sometimes for even more savage-or even unknown-reasons. The Encyclopedia of Kidnappings is the first single-volume historical survey of this sinister branch of criminal activity.

More than 800 engrossing and captivating entries survey kidnappings from biblical times to the present, detailing notorious kidnappers, well-known victims, and infamous cases from around the globe. More than 60 photographs offer an exciting visual complement to these fascinating accounts.

Featured cases include:
* The Disappeared: A term coined in Argentina for those who have vanished and presumably died at the hands of Latin American governments and military juntas
* Robert Franks (1924): The teenage victim of wealthy "thrill killers" Nathan Leopold, Jr. and Richard Loeb
* Charles Augustus Lindbergh, Jr. (1932): The son of aviator Charles Lindbergh who was kidnapped and murdered at twenty months old
* Etan Patz (1979): The six-year-old New York City boy whose disappearance galvanized the city and led to the declaration of National Missing Children’s Day by former President Ronald Reagan
* Truck Stop Killer: An elusive kidnapper-murderer, rumored to have claimed numerous victims while haunting the U.S. highways-but who may not even exist