Violence and crime stain the pages of U.S. history, and sadly, they're all but certain to be part of our future.

Still, the criminal mind fascinates us, and you couldn't name or number all the TV shows, movies and novels that all but glamorize true crime.

This unique book features the most famous crimes and trials in the United States since the turn of the century. We will focus on the most notorious and historically significant crimes that have influenced America's justice system, including the life and crimes of Aileen Wuornos, Charles Manson, the killing spree and execution of Ted Bundy, the Columbine High School shootings and even the unsolved case of Elizabeth Short: The Black Dahlia and many more.

Selecting 50 of America's most notorious criminals was a daunting task. Of course, there is no single morbid factor, such as body count, sadism and notoriety must all be considered. Keeping that in mind, we've assembled a book of some of America's most dangerous and violent villains.

Organized by case, we will provide you with an overview of crimes that have shaped dominated the newspaper headlines over several decades. Each one of the stories provides information about the crime, the victims and the outcome of trials and in some cases even the executions.