This book chronicles the six-day hostage crisis that began on August 23, 1973, when Jan-Erik Olsson, a career criminal, took four bank employees hostage at Sveriges Kreditbank in Stockholm. The narrative explores the bizarre and complex relationships that developed between Olsson and his hostages, as well as the police's attempts to resolve the situation. King's account is based on previously unpublished sources, including rare film footage and interviews with key participants, providing a detailed and gripping look at the events that gave rise to the term 'Stockholm syndrome'. The book also sets the context of the economic and social tensions in Sweden at the time, adding depth to the story[1][4][5].
In this groundbreaking book, investigative journalist Jess Hill meticulously examines the complexities of domestic abuse, drawing on extensive research, real-life stories, and compelling statistics. Hill uncovers the subtle nuances and techniques used by abusers to exert control, often mirroring those used in coercive control during the Cold War. The book delves into the psychology of abuse, the role of patriarchy, and the impact on various groups, including disabled women, children, and First Nations women. It also critiques the justice system and societal structures that enable abuse, urging readers to confront and dismantle the myths surrounding domestic violence to create a safer and more compassionate society.
This memoir by Daniel Barban Levin recounts his time at Sarah Lawrence College, where he and his friends were drawn into a cult led by Larry Ray, the father of one of the students. Ray, who had recently been released from prison, insinuated himself into the students' lives through counseling sessions and 'family meetings', eventually manipulating and controlling them through blackmail, extortion, and ritualized humiliation. The book chronicles the author's two-year ordeal, his struggle with depression and identity, and his eventual escape from Ray's influence. It also highlights the broader implications of cult manipulation and the author's path to healing and self-discovery.
In August of 1973, Jan-Erik Olsson walked into the lobby of a bank in central Stockholm. He fired his submachine gun at the ceiling and yelled “The party starts now!” Then he started taking hostages. For the next six days, Swedish police and international media would tie themselves in knots trying to understand what seemed to them a sordid attachment between captor and captives. And this fixation, later pathologized as “Stockholm Syndrome,” would soon spread across the globe, becoming an easy, often flippant explanation for why people—especially women—in crisis behave in ways outsiders can’t understand. But what if we got the origin story wrong?
Today on Radiolab, we reexamine that week in 1973 and the earworm heard ‘round the world. Is “Stockholm Syndrome” just pop psychology built on a pile of lies? Or does it hold some kernel of truth that could help all of us better understand inexplicable trauma?
Special thanks to David Mandel, Ruth Reymundo Mandel, Frank Ochberg, Terence Mickey, Cara Pellegrini, Kathy Yuen, Mimi Wilcox and Jani Pellikka.
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EPISODE CREDITS:
Reported by - Sarah Qari
with help from - Alice Edwards (also contributed research and translation)
Produced by - Sarah Qari
with help from - Rebecca Laks
Original music and sound design contributed by - Jeremy Bloom
Additional Field Recording by - Albert Murillo (CC-BY)
with mixing help from - Jeremy Bloom
Fact-checking by - Natalie Middleton
and Edited by - Alex Neason
EPISODE CITATIONS:
Please put any supporting materials you think our audience would find interesting or useful below in the appropriate broad categories.
Videos/Documentaries:
Bad Hostage by Mimi Wilcox
Stolen Youth: Inside The Cult at Sarah Lawrence
Podcasts:
The Memory Motel Episode #13: The Ideal Hostage, hosted by Terence Mickey
Why She Stayed, hosted by Grace Stuart
Talk to Me, The True Story of The World’s First Hostage Negotiation Team, hosted by Edward Conlon
Partnered with a Survivor with David Mandel and Ruth Reymundo Mandel
Social Media:
Grace Stuart on Tiktok
Books:
Six Days in August: The Story of Stockholm Syndrome by David King
See What You Made Me Do: Power, Control, and Domestic Abuse by Jess Hill
Slonim Woods 9, a memoir by Daniel Barban Levin
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