Book Description
Now in its 7th printing - inludes more gangsters!
Newly footnoted and expanded bibliography!
New FBI documents!
More detailed information about the alleged plot to assassinate Adolph Hitler!
While doing research for this book, Prof. Robert Rockaway interviewed old-time Jewish mobsters and their families. He never knew what his subjects would say or do, so he came prepared for any eventuality.
Customer Reviews:
You Don't Have to be Jewish to Like this Book.......2007-10-21
Robert Rockaway provides an engaging portrait of the warm, loving relationships many of the most notorious Jewish mobsters in the history of U.S. crime enjoyed with their girl friends, wives, children, and other family members, especially mothers. The emotions the wicked ways of these boys provoked from their loved ones ranged from devastation and shame to pride, arrogance, and defensiveness. While a lot of this material is old hat, an equal amount is not, and I generally found this book to be light and enjoyable.
Entertaining and inaccurate.......2006-05-16
A good book for casual crime readers who don't need heavy details, but amazingly inaccurate in several areas. Seems to repeat old myths told in other books rather than do research.
ie Joe the Boss's hit team did not include Anastasia, Adonis or even Siegel
or
Dutch Schultz was not shot in the bathroom or even shot by Charlie Workman. The caliber of the bullet found in Dutch matched those used by his men, not those who had shot his men down. The more accurate tale is that he was mistaken;y shot by his own men while trading fire with Lepke's boys. (The bathroom was directly behind the doorway where Workman had to be shooting from)
Will buy again........2005-09-17
Prompt delivery of my order. Would recommend this seller. Book as advertised.
great book and a fun reading.......2004-02-09
this book is a great academic book mixed with fun storytelling.
Jewish criminals objectively presented by a Jew.......2003-08-26
The book is a reasonably objective record of the fact that even though the word "mafia" is Italian, not all gangsters were (or are) Italian (and thus Catholic)... many were Jews or WASPs for that matter. US Gangsterism was (and is) a USA product, partly because of the ethnic heterogeneity produced by immigration and to a great extent by prohibition. There is of course gangsterism in other countries but backgrounds differ.
The author catalogued the major Jewish gangsters, their family history, their social setting and their "activities". Being Jewish myself I was glad to discover: a) unlike Italian gangsters the Jewish ones tended to keep their families out of their "business", and b) Jewish economic emancipation after WW II practically eliminated Jews from the "business". An enlightening read though rather dry in the first half of the book.
Book Description
The lure of Richmond, VA’s streets is too strong for Bambi, a good girl from the right side of the tracks, who fell in love with, Reggie, a young hustler. Her thug love not only corrupted her but blinded her with the bling and cash that come with living the glamorous life of a gangsta’s girl–until Reggie hit her with a low blow, crumbling her heart. From that day forward, Bambi vowed that whoever crossed her or anyone she loved would pay–usually in large bills.
With the street knowledge she gleaned from her ex as well as her own business savvy, Bambi builds a multimillion-dollar party planning empire. Along the way she runs across all kinds of dudes who try to run massive amounts of game, and ultimately she becomes a first-rate swindler and top-notch gamestress in her own right. Then she crosses paths with Lynx, a young drug dealer who sees more in Bambi than the gold digger she is rumored to be. He methodically penetrates her shield layer by layer until he captures her heart. But is she just setting herself up to be played once again?
The #1 bestselling author of A Hustler’s Wife and A Project Chick, Nikki Turner gives up the game that could never be sold, only told.
Customer Reviews:
Gotta give it 5 stars.......2007-07-25
Because i couldnt give it 4 and a half. I really enoyed this book, not more than riding dirty on I-95, but this was still a very good read. I just wish it could have been more action filled, but other than that, the ending was quite nice. This book should have been named what goes around, comes around or maybe Bad Karma, because this book was surely full of it
I highly recommend this book
It was aiiiight!.......2007-07-13
Well i liked how the book draged me into it in da begging but the end couldve been better
A Glamorous Bore.......2007-06-28
The glamorous life is a novel based on the all-too-familiar "hood-book-hold-you-down" type of novel. It is about a girl whose name is Bambi. Although her name is irrelevant, it's almost as simple as the storyline in the book. Most of the novel was pretty unbelievable. And if you're anything like me, the last thing that I want to torture myself with is characters for which you hold no regards and storyline which is barely even reasonable. Although the book offers some very far and few between page turning moments, there is nothing in this novel for which I'd truly reccomend. Unless you are a devout follower of the 'Hood Book' genre, this is something you can afford to pass.
Wonderful.......2007-06-26
This book was all that and then some, I love the NIKKI TURNER books anything she puts her name on I want to read.Go get this book you won't regret it and make sure to read RIDING DIRTY ON I95 as well.It has some points where they refer to the characters so you will enjoy that.
a page turner.......2007-03-10
i have read all of nikki turners books and they all keep you on the edge of your seat and will have you laughing out loud sometimes. i finished this book in one day.
Average customer rating:
- It was aight
- And then what........
- good read
- great read
- MMMM!
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A Gangster's Girl
Chunichi
Manufacturer: Urban Books
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Customer Reviews:
It was aight.......2007-10-12
this book was ok, i read far better. i will read part 2 and 3 and maybe even 4.
And then what...............2007-08-09
Ok now dont get me wrong, this was a good book, very fast-paced and held my attention! But what I didnt like was how certain parts or scenarios wasnt elaborated on long enough.When somethimg happened that was just it, it just happened. No ifs, ands or buts about it,people who have previously read this book know what I am talking about.This book basically left you hanging all throughout it and especially at the end.But since I know there are other parts to this book I wasnt THAT disappointed.Good read but could have been better.But I will read the other books following this one!
good read.......2007-07-19
this book was a lil different from most books Ceasia was a good girl until Vegas did her wrong when he was in jail. i did not like the way the book ended but it was still a good read.
great read.......2007-07-16
page turner Cieza went through a lot all in all the book was great and so was the sequel...
MMMM!.......2007-07-13
iT WAS A REAL GOOD BOOK!! BUT I DIDNT AGREE WITH THE ENDING AT ALL BUT I UNDERSTOOD WHERE CEAZIA WAS CUMMIN FROM
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Book.......2007-03-09
This book was great the author has a real good imagination and could keep a reader entertained. I could'nt put the book down because i was dying to know what will happen next. The sequel is also good. I wish there would be a third part. Check it out, you won't be disappointed.
Adra Young: Author.......2007-01-21
I found this book to be most entertaining. Definetly a page turner! Although I totally disagreed with a lot of the choices Natalia made, I truly enjoyed reading what she'd do next in terms of selecting her soul mate.
Urban Love Story.......2006-11-11
This Urban Loves Story was a definite one setting page turner. I was excited as well as surprise at how part one ended. Could hard wait to see if Norit Folkes could continue this story with the same exuberance. I would have to say that part two was just as stimulus!
I'mma Give This A 4.......2006-08-05
I gotta give this a 4 for the fact the Nat was being so stupid that i had to skip a couple of the parts with her. But overall this book was a page turner, I was dissappointed at how it ended. But I'm waithing to read part2, it better be as good as the first book.
O MY GOD.......2006-06-25
This book was sooooooo good i read it in like 2 days my boyfriend was mad i payed no attention to him. But o my god i loved it but i dont know i wish it would have ended good becuz in rectangle of sins the both turn in to ho's but everything turns out for the better. If you haven't read it you gotta go get it you dont know what your missing
Book Description
Here is the shocking true saga of the Irish American mob. In Paddy Whacked, bestselling author and organized crime expert T. J. English brings to life nearly two centuries of Irish American gangsterism, which spawned such unforgettable characters as Mike "King Mike" McDonald, Chicago's subterranean godfather; Big Bill Dwyer, New York's most notorious rumrunner during Prohibition; Mickey Featherstone, troubled Vietnam vet turned Westies gang leader; and James "Whitey" Bulger, the ruthless and untouchable Southie legend. Stretching from the earliest New York and New Orleans street wars through decades of bootlegging scams, union strikes, gang wars, and FBI investigations, Paddy Whacked is a riveting tour de force that restores the Irish American gangster to his rightful preeminent place in our criminal history -- and penetrates to the heart of the American experience.
Customer Reviews:
Introduction to the Irish.......2007-07-23
This was the first book I read that focused primarily outside of Italian and Jewish organized crime. This is the book that you want to read as an introduction. I personally took an interest in the chapters on Danny Greene and James Bulger and began to read deeper into them. I cannot say how excellent this book is and I recommend it to anyone who is remotely interested. The best thing about this book, is that you don't need to know much about Irish gangsters to read it. It is broken into short stories and once you take a liking to a particular era or gangster, you can read up on them. Definite good buy!
Extravagent .......2006-12-06
I think this was exciting story but it was too long. You would have to read too much to find out too little about a character. I mean it was cool to find out all of the illegal activities going on in the Irish Mob but it was to little information spread out threw many pages which takes me days to read.
The reason I choose this book was for a school project but it turned out I got some pretty interesting information about the Irish Mob from this book. The author goes to much into detail about unimportant people rather then the important roles in the story. This book is pretty violent and I wouldn't recommend it to nonviolent law abiding citizens.
An Excellent Contribution.......2006-11-23
I've enjoyed Paddywhacked tremendously. This is the only book which chronicles the history of Irish-American organized crime from about 1840 to the present. It's a valuable addition to the literature of organized crime. This is especially true in the sociological details of Irish and Irish-American culture existing throughout the book.
While this is an excellent work, it is not outstanding. The author's understanding of several subjects that he comments on is not a deep as it could be. The following problems exist in the narrative:
A. Italian Organized Crime -
The word "Mafia" most likely comes from Arabic and means a "refuge". (See Lewis, Norman. The Honored Society, 1964, and Dr. Mario Pei's etymologic study of the word in various congressional studies since 1950.) This explanation fits in with the group's origin as a perennial resistance against the occupiers of Sicily, beginning with the Normans. Refuge is easily translated into a guerrilla base camp. ( "Maquis" is a French word for wild heather or sage bushes. It was from this meaning that the WWII French resistance movement, the Maquis, derived its name.)
Italy in the late 19th Century had three OC groups; Mafia in Sicily, Camorra in Campania (Naples), and the Honored Society or Ndrangheta (Calabria). In the great Italian immigration period (1870 - 1920), these three groups came to the US and settled in large cities, mostly in the East and Midwest.
In the period 1914-1918, a war erupted between the Sicilians and Neapolitans in New York. The Harlem, Mulberry Bend, Navy Street, and Coney Island were the principal bases for the participants in this struggle. The Camorra was decimated by a series of war-related murder convictions among its leaders in 1917-18. After this the two organizations agreed to merge and form "la Cosa Nostra", the basis for the OC group we know today.
(The small group of Calabrians also merged themselves into the new group.)
After 1918, the differences between the three Italian Paese (regions) in OC were greatly muted. Eventually, the Castellammarese War, though a struggle with one particular Sicilian group, pretty much converted LCN into an American group.
While regional identifications still exist in Italian-American society, these differences have been subsumed into a distinctly Italian-American culture. The author's evocation of these differences in his discussion of Joe Valachi is `out in left field". No, Valachi didn't get everything right, but he was the first "defector" to definitely explain the organization and workings of LCN. Valachi was crude, but he had a fantastic memory.
B. The Kennedy Assassination -
While the author is very well versed in the literature of OC, he neglected another important literary genre in the Kennedy chapters - intelligence literature. Any study of the JFK assassination must take into account the US - Cuba secret war after the Bay of Pigs.
Mr. English mentions the various LCN operations against Castro. What he fails to mention is the NSC Augmented Special Group. After the Bay of Pigs disaster President John F. Kennedy created a committee called Special Group Augmented (SGA) charged with overthrowing Castro's government. The SGA, chaired by Robert F. Kennedy (Attorney General), included John McCone (CIA Director), McGeorge Bundy (National Security Adviser), Alexis Johnson (State Department), Roswell Gilpatric (Defense Department), General Lyman Lemnitzer (Joint Chiefs of Staff) and General Maxwell Taylor. Although not officially members, Dean Rusk (Secretary of State) and Robert S. McNamara (Secretary of Defense) also attended meetings.
Additionally, the myth of Bobby the Mob buster is enhanced here. Aside from the Hoffa prosecution and the Marcello case, Robert Kennedy's tenure as Attorney General lacks any legal assault on the LCN organization. It was not until the advent of the Organized Crime Act of 1968 (the RICO statutes) and the creation of the OC Task Forces across the country in the Nixon Administration that a concerted legal effort against LCN was initiated.
C. New Orleans -
The author puts NO in the same context as the other American cities in the 1870-1920 immigration period. The history of Italian immigrants in Louisiana goes back much farther than 1870.
Italians probably came to Louisiana with the first settlers. As New Orleans became a major port, Italian sailors (mostly Sicilian) "jumped ship" to stay in the area. By 1850, NO had the largest Italian population in America. This nucleus was a draw for the immigrant waves (again, mostly Sicilian) from 1870-1920.
By the time of the Hennessy murder, the Italians were well-based in Louisiana.
A reasonable attempt at covering this subject.......2006-10-31
With hollywood now having exhausted the Italian mob genre, I suppose it was inevitable that now books and films etc would start focusing on the Irish mob element. From an Irish point of view I'm not too sure that I'm pleased with this. T.J English is probably the first to cronicle these stories in the one book, I'm sure there will be many more.
I found the book okay, but I was a bit dissappointed too. The main problems I had was that book was a bit too vague - particularly in the early chapters. There is a bit of an attempt here to cover all bases. Every character seems to get 1 chapter whether they're interesting or not. Therefore I felt that interesting characters for me don't really get the coverage they deserve where as some of the not-so-interesting characters got way too much coverage.
An example is in the early chapters English mentions irish gangs such as the Whyos and the dead rabbitts, but doesn't make any attempt to give any details about them, which was dissappointing.
Another problem was the early chapters was that the stories were slightly repetive. The chapters while relating to different people, were essentially the same, maing the same social points with the different people leading virtually the same life and coming to the same sticky end. I would have preferred if English had of focused on the more interesting characters and given more details about them and left out some of the less interesting ones. As he does in the later chapters.
To be fair to English on both these ponts I'm sure it's not easy for him given that some of the characters in these chapters are 120-130 years old.
English deserves much credit for highlighting the poverty, destitution and social neglect that drives many of people to be so desperate as to become involved in gangsters as a way to live the "American dream". Not just the famine stricken Irish of the 1840's or the poor Italian community of the 1900's who succeded them, but also the ex- Vietnam and gulf war veterans of the present day who are ignored after they return from conscription. I did find this interesting although I did feel the point was perhaphs re-interated a slight bit too much.
English again deserves credit for his refresingly honest and highly accurate description harshness of the Irish famine and how it influenced many of the soon to be gangsters to have a dislike for authority.
Another creditable thing is how English highlights not only the poverty they people fled from, but also the poverty the came to when they arrived in America; or in the case of American born mobsters - the poverty they were born into.
One mitigating point which in not Englishs fault, but certainly reduced my enjoyment of the book and should be born in mind when buying this book, is that some of his stories have already been covered by Hollywood in films such as Gangs of New York, Goodfellas etc.
Summing up I wouldn't describe the book as one you read cover to cover but it is not bad either. It is okay. I'd describe it as a reasonable attempt at covering this subject. I enjoyed the first chapter and the most of the latter ones; some of the middle and early ones as I've said already I found rather vaugue and repetitive. That is why I gave the book 3 stars.
That my opinion, you're best bet is to read it yourself and make up your own mind.
" a state within a state,a virtual invisible government".......2006-10-16
English has done a marvelous job of chronicalling the Irish influence in the underworld and gangsterism in America from the late 1840's till the present time.He shows how and why the Irish ruled the roost for so long.It was simply done as a means of survival for those that were put down for hundreds of years by British practices in the old country.After escaping the virtual genocide that occurred along with the potato crop failure;many of those who had the initative and opportunity to get to America,simply were not going to be treated the same way in their new home. Out of necessity to survive ,they relied on their skills of forming friendships,secret societies,tribal instincts,and necessity to support one another; many turned to the world of street crime as it was the only avenue open to them. Don't forget the widespread slogan; "IRISH NEED NOT APPLY".Therefore they took on the jobs both legal and illegal that those who arrived before them would not do. While the author shows how the Irish controlled the underworld and all its rackets; at the same time they got into politics,unions and low level government occupations such as police ,firemen and other labor and blue collar jobs.
We also see, as time goes on, and the Irish move up the economic and social ladders;new masses of immigrants from eastern Europe,and particularly Italy,are arriving and facing the same kind of barriers to "the Good Life" .While many Irish have "moved on and up",many of those in the underworld try to hold onto their power as the Italians move in and want to take over.The author shows the struggles that went on for decades and with an endless number of "whacking" on both sides. While much of the rackets in the eastern part of America was controlled by the Irish ;by now they have been largely pushed aside.
Of course the characters,stories,alliances,double-crosses, vendettas,revenges,shootings,aad all that goes along with crime abounds ,and English has written a great book that tells the whole story and in a way that makes it very easy to follow and understand. Along the way he talks about many other books that give more details on certain people and happenings.His section on Sources and the Index are excellent.He also gives us many excellent photos,though we certainly would have liked more. He has also given about as clear and concise picture of the Kennedys as well as to what happened to Jimmy Hoffa, as I've come across yet. Whether or not he is right,his explanation is as plausable as any other at this time.
Anyone who is likely to read this book has probably read or seen the "Untouchables","The Godfather","Gangs of New York" and a host of other things about the underworld will know what a violent,unforgiving world it is .They will also know of the connections between the criminals and politicians,and struggles between different ethnic groups;but you wont find it all tied together better than the author has done it in this book.
In this book we see the struggle for power over crime in the underworld and it shows over and over again that;
"Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
We are also reminded of what Napoleon had to say about crime.
"If crimes and misdemeanors increase,this is proof that misery is on
the rise and that society is badly governed."
Then again,Al Capone knew a thing or two about crime and here's what he
had to say about it;
"Everybody calls me a racketeer. I call myself a businessman."
Book Description
For the first time ever, author Ron Chepesiuk chronicles the little known history of organized crime in Harlem. African American organized crime has had as significant an impact on its constituent community as Italian, Jewish, and Irish organized crime has had on theirs. Gangsters are every bit as colorful, intriguing, and powerful as Al Capone and Lucky Luciano, and have a fascinating history in gambling, prostitution, and drug dealing. In this riveting, vivid documentation, Chepesiuk tells the little-known story of organized crime in Harlem through in-depth profiles of the major gangs and motley gangsters whose exploits have made them legends.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting and Informative.......2007-08-22
This book offers a cohesive history of the development of crime in Harlem. This well-researched book spans many decades and takes the reader out of the "Dutch Schultz" mindset that so often dominates Harlem's history of numbers policy, as well as drug dealing gangsters. It is a good addition to the library of any reader who is interested in the history of organized crime (and not so organized) in New York City. There was new information about Madam Queen Stephanie St. Clair, a woman who is a more or less "cold case" in terms of what is really known about her. In short, this is a worthwhile investment and a great book to read if you want to brush up your Shakespeare - or Bumpy Johnson - whichever comes first!
GANGSTERS OF HARLEM!!!.......2007-08-03
THIS BOOK SHOWS THE FOUNDATION OF HARLEM, WHO WAS THERE FIRST TO WHO IS THERE NOW. I FINSHED THE BOOK IN ONE DAY...IT WAS ACTION PACKED. NOW I'M WAITING FOR BLACK GANGSTERS OF CHI'TOWN.....IF YOU VIEWED IT COPE IT!! ONE
Liked it... after Page 25.......2007-04-07
Overall, I liked it a lot. It is interesting reading and - at least in parts - a useful historical reference.
The book's opening, which deals with the Italian gangsters of East Harlem in the 1900s, contains some inaccuracies about the Morello-Terranova clan (The Morello family was certainly NOT the "first established Italian American Mafia family;" Giuseppe Morello and Peter Morello were the same person; Nicholas Morello was actually Nicholas Terranova; and the Terranova boys were half-brothers to Giuseppe, not step-brothers.) and makes some shaky statements about the origins of lottery rackets.
Despite these errors and others, the tales of Morello, Lupo, Terranova and Gallucci certainly will appeal to the casual reader. But why Chepesiuk decided to lead off his book with this superficially researched stuff rather than use the more reliable bits of it to backfill stories occurring later on remains a mystery. A tougher reviewer might penalize him a star for that bad decision, but there's enough good stuff in the rest of the book to make up for it.
"Gangsters" starts moving with the Harlem Renaissance of the Jazz Age. Tales from this period are easily worth the price of admission. Chepesiuk explores colorful underworld characters like Dutch Schultz, "Mad Dog" Coll and Owen Madden, and renowned entertainers like Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway and Louie Armstrong. The reader is likely to be left wanting more from this exciting and culturally rich era (though some Milton Mezzrow material sounds like it was drawn from a drug-culture website or from Mezzrow's own notoriously unreliable autobiography and is very difficult to accept).
Chepesiuk finally hits his stride as he discusses the rise of the African American gangster in Harlem and the various underworld rackets, including the evolution of the drug trade's focus from heroin to marijuana to crack cocaine. He provides fairly detailed biographies of the more noteworthy figures, like Bumpy Johnson and Queenie St. Clair, Frank "Black Caesar" Matthews, "Untouchable" Nicky Barnes, Pee Wee Kirkland and Frank "Super Fly" Lucas. At this point, the author seems more determined than he was earlier to set the historical record straight. He challenges some old legends and "Gangsters of Harlem" becomes a valuable resource.
On the whole, "Gangsters" is a well written and entertaining work. I do recommend it... from about Chapter 2 on.
Customer Reviews:
Great Sequel .......2007-09-17
This book was intersting from the first page. Nurit Folkes did a great job on the sequel for once, I couldn't put it down, it was truly a page turner you want to know what the hell happen to Natalia after Jr. died she must have really been going through something. Natalia and Shawn have really been through hell but like they say two wrongs don't make a right. I was disappointed in Natalia actions and now look where she is dont know who the baby daddy is!!! I recommend this book it was a great read.
Great reading.......2007-05-27
This book is one that will certainly remain on my bookshelf for years to come. I will recommend this book, as well as Triangle of Sins, to any avid book reader. The storyline keeps you guessing and you can actually visualize the characters as the story unfolds between the pages. Can't wait for future titles from Nurit Folkes.
WOW!!!.......2007-03-28
Any book with Terri Woods name on it has yet to disappoint me! I'm an avid reader, and this book was definitly a page turner. I couldn't put the book down, before I knew it it was 3am, and I was still reading. A bit of advice, before you start this book, make sure you have nothing to do, cuz you won't wanna put it down!!!
Excellent Read.......2007-03-04
I couldn't put this book down and finished it in less than 3 days. I hope there's a part 3 and Natalia and Shawn could get their acts together and have a happy ending.
Ghetto Cinderella love story.......2007-01-06
This story was hot, exciting & full of twisted love triangles
Book Description
BLACK HATS is the untold story, rooted in factual speculation, of two of the most notorious men of the early 20th century––Wyatt Earp and Al Capone. Earp made his name in his younger days, serving as a lawman who was well known for bending the law where he saw fit, and shooting first and asking questions later. But it's a little–known fact that Earp spent the last twenty years of his life as a private detective in Los Angeles. So when his best friend, Doc Holliday's, mistress implores the aging lawman to track down her and Holliday's errant son in Manhattan, Earp willingly takes the case. His task: to convince the young man to give up his ill–advised involvement in organized crime and bootlegging.
Earp enlists his old friend, Bat Masterson, who's now a sportswriter, and delves deep into the world of the New York mafia, where he comes across a young Alphonse Capone. Earp and Masterson, men who earned their names in the rough and tumble, lawless world of decades before, set their sights on liberating a young man from the ruthless thug Capone and his gang. The showdown between two of the most storied, and feared, personalities in American history will be a blockbuster tale for fans of crime writing and historical fiction alike.
Customer Reviews:
Great Read.......2007-08-09
Have read all of Patrick Culhane's "Road to" Series. I found them highly entertaining and good reads.
Black Hats is no different. He weaves the historical with fiction for a rich tapestry of a story.
Don't look for a deep meaning but sit in a comfortable chair with your favorite drink and enjoy.
Started out great, then..........................2007-06-26
I thought that the premise of the story was rather imaginative. I'm a big fan of historical fiction especially when the author weaves historical figures into the story alongside fictional characters. The plot moved along very quickly and the development of the characters was good as well. As I was making my way through the book I kept asking myself how the author would end the story I knew (as do many of us) that Capone eventually leaves NY to settle in Chicago but how would the author accomplish this within the context of his story? I thought the ending was just a bit too far fetched. The author wrapped it up in a nice neat package. Who wants that? I guess the author was limited to what he could do to most of the main characters if he wanted to keep it in line with reality. Still it was a huge letdown.
Wyatt Earp In NYC? Get A Rope!.......2007-05-09
One of the things I love about Max Allan Collins's period-piece mysteries and suspense novels is the authenticity. If you read something in a Collins book, outside of the fictional spin he adds to and puts on things, you can bet it really existed at that time. He also delves deeply into the backgrounds of his historical "characters" and provides a good biography of them.
When I read that BLACK HATS was going to offer a confrontation between an elderly Wyatt Earp and a young, wet-behind-the-ears Al Capone, I was excited. I conjured up images of alley showdowns with six-guns and Thompson submachine guns. We almost got that here. The action was a little more downplayed that I would have wanted, but I was working off my own expectations. Collins stayed within the truth of what really happened in those days in 1920, with a little bit of what COULD have happened thrown in.
Collins gave us a fictional son of Doc Holliday and painted the Prohibition backdrop both eloquently and faithfully. His other "characters" like Texas Guinan, Jack Dempsey, and Damon Runyon were great and added a lot of color to the story.
But it's Wyatt and Bat Masterson who really seize the spotlight. Their friendship comes across clearly and believably, and it was fun seeing them in action together.
The plot was especially well done too. John Holliday had won a warehouse full of liquor in a poker game at a time when the rest of the city (and the state) were dry and having to import their liquor from Canada. It was a treasure trove on par with one of the acheological finds that would have sent Indiana Jones scampering for his fedora.
I was a little disappointed with the ending because it wasn't as BIG as I'd imagined. But it had neat little twists that made everything come together well.
BLACK HATS is a fast, fun read with plenty of history, atmosphere, and trivia to keep armchair historians and thrill-seekers turning the pages.
Wyatt Earp vs. Al Capone? It works!.......2007-05-01
Okay, a book that pits Wyatt Earp against Al Capone? How the heck is that going to work? And is it even possible to make it into a readable book? The answer to both questions is a huge YES!
Max Allan Collins, writing as Patrick Culhane, has written one helluva historical novel. He manages to make you believe that a 70 year old Wyatt Earp could beat a 20 year old Al Capone. He does this by using all real historical figures as his main characters. As far as I could tell only two of the characters were fictional. Doc Holiday's son and his girlfriend.
The only minor complaint I have is the ending, which after all the action that takes place earlier in the book, is a bit of a letdown. But given the constraints of history, the ending actually makes a lot of sense. As I think back on it now it was a pretty good way to end the book.
Read the book -- don't wait for the movie.......2007-04-24
This is without question one of the most entertaining and engaging books I've read in a long while. Frequently blending historical characters, particularly ones with multiple biographies about them, doesn't work. The "what if" school of writing requires lots of research, speculation and educated guesses. Culhane, aka Max Allan Collins, manages to not only pull it off but sets the table for a movie made from the book.
To posit that Doc Holliday had a son by Big Nose Kate and that Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson would be around to help him out of trouble with the New York mob and up-and-coming gangster Alphonse Capone in 1920 is nothing short of brilliant fancy. And believable fancy at that! The period details are excellent and there's enough action and twists to keep you wanting more. The ending is perhaps a bit contrived, but who cares since it's been such a fun read. Wyatt and Bat are wonderfully drawn and they amply prove the old saw about age and experience beating youth and impetuousness.
Well done, "Patrick!" One thing this book has done, and it was the Wyatt Earp tie-in that got me to pick it up to begin with, is to encourage me to read other work by Max Allan Collins. Now, if Hollywood will just option this book and cast it properly...
Book Description
After a quarter of a century of silence, Henry Hill can finally tell us the rest of his story. Taking readers on a crazy ride of his life hiding out in the Witness Protection Program, doing prison time for drug charges and testifying in high profile mafia trials.
Customer Reviews:
Gangsters, Goodfellas and a jerk........2007-07-29
In a review of his children's book it was stated that Henry comes off well in this book, Wiseguy and the Movie. Just to let people know I thought he comes across as an arrogant, narcisstic jerk, who cares nothing for other people.
Ok Rat book.......2007-05-07
Was good to hear what the rat has been doing since he was freed for giving up the people that protected him and taught him how to make a living.
Never Read This Just Stating . . . .......2007-03-07
People basing this book on the movie "Goodfellas" would be very disappointed. If you looking for the inspiring book of the screenplay for "Goodfellas" should look for Wiseguy by Peligio
Great Book, Great Story.......2005-09-20
I read the book before seeing the movie, and Wow! I really enjoyed the book and had a hard time putting it down. Very well written. Two thumbs up!!!!!!!
Don't waste your time........2005-08-02
I'm giving this book two stars, and I think that is being VERY generous. I'm a HUGE fan of the movie 'Goodfellas' but this was terrible.
First of all, the writing is horrid. There was no flow whatsoever and Henry Hill kept repeating words. Grammar mistakes were ridiculously obvious (ever heard of having it proofread at least ONCE?) Honestly, I didn't even make it through the whole book, it was that bad. I almost always press myself until the end but this time I decided it wasn't worth it.
Henry Hill was obviously just trying to capitalize on his fame. If you want to read a decent book about Henry check out the one written by his kids (Greg and Gina Hill) called 'On the Run' - that one is worth your time.
Book Description
Focusing on ten films that span the range of the twentieth century, Thomas Leitch traces the transformation of three figures common to all crime films: the criminal, the victim and the avenger. He shows how the distinctions among them become blurred throughout the course of the century, reflecting and fostering a deep social ambivalence towards crime and criminals. The criminal, victim and avenger characters effectively map the shifting relations between subgenres (such as the erotic thriller and the police film) within the larger genre of crime film.
Download Description
This book surveys the entire range of crime films, including important subgenres such as the gangster film, the private eye film, film noir, as well as the victim film, the erotic thriller, and the crime comedy. Focusing on ten films that span the range of the twentieth century, Thomas Leitch traces the transformation of the three leading figures that are common to all crime films: the criminal, the victim and the avenger. Analyzing how each of the subgenres establishes oppositions among its ritual antagonists, he shows how the distinctions among them become blurred throughout the course of the century. This blurring, Leitch maintains, reflects and fosters a deep social ambivalence towards crime and criminals, while the criminal, victim and avenger characters effectively map the shifting relations between subgenres, such as the erotic thriller and the police film, within the larger genre of crime film that informs them all.
Books:
- Chasing Justice: My Story of Freeing Myself After Two Decades on Death Row for a Crime I Didn't Commit
- Christianity Through Non-Christian Eyes (Faith Meets Faith Series)
- Cobb: A Biography
- Cybill Disobedience : How I Survived Beauty Pageants, Elvis, Sex, Bruce Willis, Lies, Marriage, Motherhood, Hollywood, and the Irrepressible Urge to Say What I Think
- Dark Blue: Color Me Lonely (TrueColors Series #1)
- Don't Pee on My Leg and Tell Me It's Raining: America's Toughest Family Court Judge Speaks Out
- Donnie Brasco: Unfinished Business
- Easter Island: The Mystery Solved
- Facing Your Giants: The God Who Made a Miracle Out of David Stands Ready to Make One Out of You
- Global Strategy (with World Map and InfoTrac )
Books Index
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