Marilyn Monroe: The famous American actress was found dead in 1962 at the age of 36. The cause of her death was officially classed as “probable suicide” but many theories to the present day allege that she was murdered. This presentation examines Marilyn’s early life and subsequent career to determine her probable mental state at the time of her death, and comes to a different conclusion than either suicide or murder.
Patty Hearst: Patty Hearst was kidnapped by a group of urban terrorists in California in 1974 – she came from a very wealthy family. Some time later, she was filmed carrying out a bank robbery together with some of the terrorist group, and in a series of tape recordings claimed she had been persuaded by their arguments. Her family said she had been brainwashed. Her defence team claimed she was suffering from Stockholm Syndrome, a psychological condition in which hostages develop a positive attitude to their captors. Does Stockholm Syndrome really exist, or was Patty Hearst simply a willing criminal?
Charles Manson: In 1969, seven people, including the actress Sharon Tate, were killed by a number of young people who belonged to a group known as The Family, led by Charles Manson. The individuals concerned came from apparently normal, middle-class backgrounds, so how was Manson able to convince them to carry out these brutal murders? Why did he do it? This presentation examines Manson’s early life in search of an explanation.
Phil Spector: Spector became one of the most successful popular music producers of the 1960s while still in his early twenties. His unique approach to music production became known as ‘The Wall of Sound’, and he created hit records for the Crystals, the Ronettes and the Righteous Brothers, among many others. However, he became a recluse, his behaviour became more and more bizarre and he was convicted of the murder of an actress in 2009. What caused this decline? David examines his life to find an explanation.
Sir Winston Churchill: Voted in a BBC poll the greatest ever Briton, there have been more than a thousand biographies of Churchill published, many of which try to explain what made him such a great leader of his nation at a time of crisis. Many of them refer to his mental state which he allegedly labelled his “black dog” – depression. This presentation focusses on Churchill’s early career in an attempt to determine how he became the most successful war leader in British history, and whether or not his psychological makeup played a part.
Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson: So highly was he regarded as a hero by the British, Nelson’s statue famously looks over London from Trafalgar Square, named after his most famous victory. What kind of man was he? Was he motivated by his patriotism, or would a twenty-first century analysis suggest he was neurotic and narcissistic? David analyses his early life to look for answers.
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