5 comments about A Place to Stand: The Making of a Poet.

1. I'm giving this book five stars, not because it is a literary masterpiece, but because it is a compelling memoir that I can't forget. I felt a gamut of emotions while reading this book, but for the most part I ached for Mr. Baca and the pain and anguish he suffered. I thank him for writing about his life so eloquently.



2. A Place To Stand, magnificent novel about the author, Jimmy Santiago Baca, and his career selling drugs, and prison. He talks about how he had to fight for his privileges to read. Then to write, all with the help of a nice old man named Harry. He also writes poems for other inmates for books. He tries to keep his rights and keep his life on track in prison.
   
   He talks about his mother dieing, which just thinking about telling strangers about that happening to my mother would kill me. He also has to deal with a lot of racism through the whole thing, from his mom, to the present day. This book will show you that no matter who you come from, or what, you can always know the best for your life, and do the best for your life.



3. I discovered JSBs work on the Modern American Poetry website. I loved the imagery and passion and redemption in his poem 'El Gato.' I cried. I have read a few of his collections and they are to poetry what Cormac McCarthy's works are to literature. I can't wait to get this book.



4. Excellent service. This is avery haunting book. I attended one of his workshops in San Antonio. He is an outstanding poet. I am glad to have the opportunity to read this book.



5. This book is Great. A must read true story--Great writing. You must buy this book, if you don't--your missing out on something Great!

5 comments about The Runner: A True Account of the Amazing Lies and Fantastical Adventures of the Ivy League Impostor James Hogue.

1. Some writers can craft a sentence and story; some reporters unearth great detail. David Samuels is that rare talent who can do both, and the result is The Runner, a terrific literary page turner.



2. Just finished reading Samuels The Runner, and literally could not put it down. Wow! What a crazy fascinating story. It's amazing that people like Hogue exist and that people like Samuels can tell their tale so well. I really felt like I was there, meeting Hogue in person. Not sure what the other reviewers problems are... I thought it was great, and so did every other members of my book group (expect Andy, but he hates everything!) Really, this is a five star winner!



3. Samuels has taken an admirable stab at dissecting this enigmatic Gatsbyesque con man's psyche for motive, astutely tabulating the paltry gain from the years of petty crime. In a funny aside that Samuels to his credit puts in the book, Hogue responds to one of Samuels's elaborate and quirky questionnaires by closing with this jibe: "What's with the janitor garb? Are you trying to show your solidarity with the lumpen?"
   
   The book is an elaboration of a New Yorker article and probably should have stayed as such (much like Barry Werth's Scarlet Professor), as it feels stretched and padded. Although not a great writer, Samuels rightly senses that he holds compelling subject matter. One fault is that the chronology would have been much better as a simple linear progression; it confusingly yoyos between past and future. Also, instead of just letting the story tell itself, Samuels often intrudes with exaggerated veneration of the privilege of a Princeton (or his own Harvard) education, with admissions committees' self deluding liberal smugness, and with largely irrelevant autobiographical items.
   
   Hogue ultimately proves uncooperative and Samuels is left to speculate on his quarry, but perhaps there is no very profound mechanism at work here. Although I have to admit I'm looking forward to seeing the documentary Con Man. One wonders what a Truman Capote or a Norman Mailer might have done with this material.



4. Was not an overwhelming book, to say the least. But then again, it is supposed to chronicle the true tales of Hogue. THe author has a bit of a disjointed writing style; there are a few times where you question the relevance of a passage. So sad that Hogue apparently does have the brains, the drive, and the talent to have a great life; too bad he didn't capitalize on his potential in an honest way.



5. There are few funky part even I could tell it's typo. Someone properly edited this book, right?
   It is confusing because I can't tell when the interview with Hogue in the dorm at Princeton took place. I mean, how could they even let him back in there?
   He is arrested 2006 then sentenced 2007 refused to see the author in his jail in first half of the book.
   Suppose the author is obsessed and following Hogue for ten years, there is not much have done since their first meeting in Princeton ( it is the first and only, right? I don't know for sure) to write the book about it now.
   I wish the author left out his own agenda out of the way so we could concentrate on Hogue character, not the author who identify with the subject and want to tell about why.
   I can't care less he went to Harvard because of fluke or couldn't drink milk with meat.
   Oh, I love the cover design if anything, he made concept so it says, he shoulda be book designer instead of writer.

5 comments about Frank and Jesse James: The Story Behind the Legend.

1. That any reviewer can grant this book five stars, as some here have, boggles the mind. I have to seriously ask them what books they read that they consider this one worthy of such a high rating. Yes, the subject of the James boys is inherently fascinating and, yes, Ted Yeatman's research was extensive, which is worth one extra star, but as a writer he failed to present his material in an interesting fashion. First, he is too much in love with facts and uses them whether they are necessary or not. (I do not need to know, as just one example, the name of every insignificant Missouri militia outfit that ever marched in the same county as the James boys unless that name is relevant to them. Footnotes would have been a better location if Yeatman felt compelled to include this arcane data.) Another reason the narrative bogs down is that Yeatman failed to heed his word processor's grammar checker when it pointed out the thousands of passive sentences he wrote. Or perhaps he had that feature turned off. If so, he should flick it back on immediately. Lastly, a good writer spins out a narrative that flows like water. Yeatman's jumbled writing contains too many icebergs the reader must dodge or sink in the process.
   
   I am not yet finished reading it and am not certain that I can continue to the end much as I want to learn about the James boys. What a shame. Bad writing made this book a great waste of the author's extensive knowledge. I fail to understand why Cumberland House published this book without extensive editing or not publish it at all. Obviously, they thought the subject material would carry it.



2. I have to agree with some of the reviews of Mr. Yeatman's book.
   This is extremely poorly written. If I had wanted to read a Civil War recantation, I'd go back and re-read the many in my library.
   While some of the historical references during that period may be necessary background for the James family, more often times than not, in this book, the author flies off on a tangent leaving the reader wondering "what happened?"
   Trying to muddle through this book is like wandering through a blizzard. There are moments when the snow clears, only to be shrouded again moments later.
   Where were the editors? A fascinating subject that has been sadly botched by this effort in my humble opinion.



3. This is high-quality 19th century history that captures the tension with which the James brothers lived. It places the reader in Frank and Jesse's historical and geographical context. Above all, it is fair. Yeatman lets the reader decide. Frank emerged as particularly complex, because he was able to straddle the life of a respectable taxpayer and a dangerous outlaw.
   
   This work is particularly poignant, because of current U.S. debates about government spying, habeas corpus, posse comitatus and many other issues that matter as much today, as they did in the days leading up to the Civil War and Reconstruction.
   
   Yeatman's handling of the James brothers Civil War material is particularly deft.
   
   Yeatman's work is filled with numerous historical gems, such as Bess Truman's family's connection to the James brothers; Phil Sheridan's connection to the bombing of the James Sammeul home.



4. Much has been written about this icon of American outlaw mythology. If you are into the facts in detail, and an even-handed view of this subject, then I would highly recommend this book. If you are looking for an exciting tale, full of action and mayhem, you might wish to look elsewhere. All in all, it's a fine read with a lot of facts, and would make an excellent text source for a univerity class. There is a lot of interesting material within, such as Frank James' life after his brother's death. It's well worth the price of admission into this world.



5. The information is great, but it just did not grab my attention. I love the photos of the family and era.

5 comments about I Was Vermeer: The Rise and Fall of the Twentieth Century's Greatest Forger.

1. This is a very interesting and well-written account of the "great" (if that word can be applied to a crook!) art forger Han van Meegeren, who during and before WWII made himself about $100,000,000 (in today's money) by painting and selling fake paintings by Vermeer and other Dutch Masters. The story is well-known in art history circles, but author Frank Wynne has made it accessible and entertaining to the general reader, and has brought it up to date as of 2004, with the famous (or infamous) Sotheby's sale, for $30,000,000, of a questionable Vermeer.
   
   Even people who don't know a Vermeer from a Picasso are likely to be captivated by this story of high finance and low cunning. Hans van Meegeren was such an audacious rogue (artist, forger, con man, ladies' man, alcoholic) that he seems almost larger than life, especially in Wynne's witty and pointed retelling.
   
   The book's appendices include a useful bibliography, list of websites, and summary of the present locations and status of Vermeer paintings and forgeries.



2. This book does have some gems in it--such as the process of creating the forged works--but in general this is just a boring book that never gets off the ground. You never like the main character and his life seems to not make sense--as if it were a forced narrative.



3. I found this fascinating and not dry at all! I kept telling anyone who would listen the story. Highly recommended to Art History lovers.



4. An artist friend suggested this title to me. Not being an artist, nor well-educated in art history, I began to read it only on the strength of his recommendation.
   
   I was pleasantly surprised to find I Was Vermeer both interesting and educational. I was fascinated by Van Meegeren's methods and the politics of the art world. I'm intrigued by the fact that his forgeries still hang in prominent museums attributed to him. How ironic that his talent should be acknowledged after the fact (and fiction).
   
   I've recommended I Was Vermeer to several of my friends.



5. I found this book delightful and fascinating. Van Meegeren was not only a great artist in his own right but he could do it like Vermeer. And he was so meticulous. This was not someone who slapped paint on a canvas or forged a signature. Van Meegeren was a researcher, a scientist, who did everything right. I enjoyed reading the details of how he replicated the materials and techniques of Vermeer.
   
   The greedy motivation of agents and curators came as a revelation to me. Yes, they are all wanting desperately to believe. The book has become my motivation for more reading about forgeries and art fraud. I've read False Impressions, Fakes and Forgeries: The True Crime Stories of History's Greatest Deceptions: The Criminals, the Scams, and the Victims, and several more. If you enjoy this, try Orson Wells old documentary F is for Fake.
   
   I'm including some of this skullduggery in my own writing.
   
   Fairlee Winfield

5 comments about Dillinger: The Untold Story Expanded Edition.

1. I agree with the reviewer who recommends the Nash book.
   
   As shocking as it may seem...
   that book convinced me that the Feds killed a Dillinger imposter.
   
   The death photos clearly show a 'Dandy'... and not Dillinger.
   Lawrence liked to claim he was Dillinger...
   and the woman in red used that fact to get herself.. and Dillinger, off the hook.
   
   The thing that convinced me the most...
   was not anything that was pointed out in the book...
   but my own observation.
   Look at the photo of the old man who claims to be Dillinger.
   Yes, he looks quite different...
   but look at the ears.
   They are uniquely shaped... and they are identical to Dillinger's.
   
   This wasn't even pointed out in the book.
   Faces age... but ears retain their shape.



2. My 1st "Dillinger" book and boy...it was a good one. I enjoyed the book and especially all the little extra facts etc. located in in the back.
   I highly recommend!



3. The authors seem to have forgotten the basics behind Dillinger, the guy was a cold blooded killer and thief...okay granted, a colorful and charming killer and thief, but a lowlife just the same. Instead, what we seem to get a glowing reivew of Dillingers life in crime, killing innocent cops who were doing their jobs and taking hard earned cash away from people who worked long and hard to make it and save it....in the depression.



4. In my opinion, one of the best and most underrated books written to date about John Dillinger. I picked up a copy by chance several years ago, not expecting much, and was soon totally engrossed. I feel that most of the contents are accurate (and certainly never before revealed in any published accounts I ever read) and I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the Dillinger saga.



5. This is Dillinger, from early childhood through his notorious days. The book captures everything you'd expect from a biography and gives the gangster enthusiasts enough mouth-watering drama. I love the timelines! Being from the midwest, I recognized many of the towns he targeted so this is a must read for fellow midwesterners and highly recommended for everyone else!

No comments about Mafia Marriage.

5 comments about The First Vice Lord: Big Jim Colosimo and the Ladies of the Levee.

1. I've been gathering research on early 20th century organized crime in Chicago myself, and can say without fear of contradiction that this is the definitive work on James Colosimo. Art Bilek, with the assistance of researchers like Michael E. Schiltz and Prof. John Binder, has compiled everything there is to know about Big Jim in a factual way, clearing up some of the myths that have been spread about him. There are a few typos and some minor problems that could have been cleared up with better editing, but nothing that would prevent me from giving this book five stars.



2. I've been looking forward to this book since the day I learned that Art Bilek intended to do a biography of Big Jim Colosimo. Colosimo was Chicago's first Italian crime lord, a distinction that the less informed have bestowed upon Al Capone. Those with only a passing knowledge of Chicago's organized crime history are not aware that years before Capone's machine gunners decimated his challengers, Big Jim Colosimo headed a vice trust with nationwide connections, enjoyed political alliances that rendered him immune to anything but cursory arrests, and hobnobbed with socialites and entertainers at his famous cafe.
   
   Bilek has done a marvelous job of reconstructing Colosimo's life story, beginning with his humble birth in Colosimi, Italy, progressing through his days as a padrone, precinct captain for First Ward Aldermen Mike Kenna and John Coughlin, brothel operator and vice trust magnate, and ending with his assassination in the vestibule of his celebrated nightclub, Colosimo's Cafe. His profitable marriage to madam Victoria Moresco, his fatal alliance with lily-white singer Dale Winter, and his relationship with his protege from New York, Johnny Torrio, inject tones of betrayal and tragedy that make the book read in parts like a gripping novel.
   
   Bilek also traces the rise and fall of the Levee, Chicago's primary red light district, which brought wealth to Colosimo and the crooked cops and politicians who protected him in exchange for a piece of the pie. It was also an international embarrassment for the city, and routinely targeted by evangelists, reformers, and civic betterment committees. When a second deputy police superintendent was appointed to head a 'Morals Squad', a battle of wills began between the morals men and the establishment that favored segregated vice. There were shootouts in the streets, informers were murdered, and Chicago's reputation as a modern-day Gomorrah worsened. When the Levee was finally 'closed' in 1912, Colosimo and his advisor, Torrio, began opening roadhouse brothels outside the city, to cater to pleasure-loving motorists. They corrupted village governments in the process, and spread what had formerly been a contained evil.
   
   "The First Vice Lord" does not disappoint. Bilek successfully demonstrates that were it not for Big Jim, there would probably never have been a Big Al. Well done.



3. My tendency to either skim books or proofread them (from early magazine days) has finally encountered one from former Cook County police chief Art Bilek that I can't put down: The First Vice Lord (Big Jim Colosimo and the Ladies of the Levee), by Arthur J. Bilek (Cumberland House).
   
   This is a masterpiece of writing and excruciatingly accurate research that describes how Big Jim Colosimo rose from a lowly street-sweeper to the most prominent operator of whorehouses, gambling joints, and low-life restaurants in the days leading up to Prohibition, with the collusion of the police and politicians and the managerial skills of John Torrio and Al Capone. When his increasingly notorious Colosimo's Café combined with his growing desire for respectability, love for a young songbird, and failure to exploit the opportunities afforded by Prohibition, Torrio (we must presume) had him murdered in the vestibule of his elegant restaurant in 1920--and the band marched on.
   Nowhere has Chicago's graft and corruption been so carefully and entertainingly documented, with special attention to the backgrounds of Torrio and Capone, who worked hard to weld the new and competing bootlegging gangs into the greatest illicit booze empire the country has ever known--one that did not factionalize into Chicago's bloody Beer Wars that began with the killing of North Side mob-leader Dean O'Banion four years later. My own work has concentrated on the years following Prohibition, so I'm especially happy to report that Bilek's book explains what made the Roaring Twenties possible.



4. The First Vice Lord: Big Jim Colosimo and the Ladies of the Levee is the thoroughly researched biography of mobster Big Jim Colosimo, and how he ruled Chicago's notorious segregated red-light district. Jim Colosimo was an Italian immigrant who grew up in Chicago's tenements; he rose from sweeping streets to operating a brothel to earning the title of vice lord. The First Vice Lord is a true crime story not for the faint of heart, as it tells of the most brutal excesses of the prostitution trade - luring women from across the nation with false promises of good jobs or other perks and effectively enslaving them into years of sexual violence for profit. Corruption within Chicago was endemic; the efforts of reformers to end white slavery and close down the red-light brothels was only gradually successful. Big Jim Colosimo would see the virtual end of the Levee's days as a red-light district, and scale back his operations significantly, yet his ultimate downfall came not from the law, but from his rivals - he was gunned down in middle age, most likely through the machinations of a rival mobster. A fascinating account that lay readers and Chicago history scholars alike will surely appreciate.



5. Colosimo is the reason Torrio and Capone came to be. This generally footnoted Chicago boss is finally brought to the forefront where he belongs. No one better to do so than a man who actually bucked the mob on many occaisions himself. Art Bilek brings the era back to life with Colosimo's humble beginnings, his rise to power and his eventual downfall.
   A must have for anyone who follows early Chicago gangdom.
   
   Mario Gomes
   Myalcaponemuseum.com

5 comments about After Capone: The Life And World Of Chicago Mob Boss Frank "the Enforcer" Nitti.

1. Being interested in this book's subject matter - Frank Nitti, Capone, Chicago in the 1920's and 30's, etc - I bought this book simply on its title, having read no reviews nor hearing anything about it. After reading this book I am surprised that there hasn't been any fanfare or at least word of mouth recommending it, especially here in Chicago. This is an extremely well-written, interesting, engaging and entertaining book. First and foremost it is a biography of Frank Nitti(o) but that story is expertly intertwined with a narrative of Chicago politics, culture, crime and many of the associated personalities on both sides of the law - with some being on either side at any given time. I won't spend time (words) chronicling all that's in this book; the author does a much better job than I ever will. My point is simply this - if you have an interest in this "era" and its "players" you will not go wrong with After Capone. In fact I would recommend this as a "prequel" to Gus Russo's excellent book, "The Outfit"
   The only negative is the number of typos. Such carelessness by a publisher in this day and age is simply astounding.



2. This book finally reveals the life of Frank Nitto, Chicago gangster and eventual mob crime boss in that city after the IRS puts Capone in jail at Alacatraz. The level and amount of research in this book is amazing, Mars Eghigian has written a well balanced and meticulous book about Nitto who for so long has been in the shadow of Capone. At 528 pages it is a long read but worth the effort for true crime history buffs.
   
   Nitto comes across as an intelligent, quick thinking criminal who also happened to be a workaholic, once invovled in the rackets, Nitto took to it like a duck in water, he was a good organizer and reader of human nature and was a steady backup to Capone who eventually came to rely heavily on Nitto's judgements and ability. The formative early years of Nitto's life is also covered well, especially his early years in New York and his relationship with his family.
   
   The book explains clearly his role in the Chicago crime scene and there is plenty of information about his relationships with other criminals in the Chicago mob such as Capone, Ricca etc. The strange demise of Nitto and the downfall of some of his henchman is well covered and there is a good and well informed account of the eventual fate of the members of the the Chicago mob.



3. A great book. First one on Frank Nitto. Must read Capone by Laurence Bergreen first in order to understand what is going on in this book. They really go hand in hand. Typo errors are bad but authors research is impeccable. Hope he will do another book.



4. Mars Eghigian tirelessly did his research on this one and it shows. Nitti wasn't "the Enforcer" the press had bestowed on him. He was very trustworthy, but personally lacked the violence needed to balance the brainy part in organized crime. He had no problem delegating that part. Learn about his true origins, his family, wives and son. Eghigian dispells many rumors and halftruths concerning the man who was Al's choice to substitute him whenever he was away.
   I really enjoyed learning new unknown facts about Nitti. This book has helped my website shine even more.
   
   Mario Gomes
   myalcaponemuseum



5. This is a very well written and acurate account of Frank Nitto. Nitto is either typecast in movies or ignored in most accounts but Mr. Eghigian Jr. shows that he was in fact a major player in the Capone gang and the gang leader after Capone. This is a must read for those seeking the real Frank Nitto.

5 comments about Quitting the Mob: How the "Yuppie Don" Left the Mafia and Lived to Tell His Story.

1. Each time I have read the book, I see something else that I did not see. Michael's father Sonny, was as dedicated as they came. It's amazing that someone could have led the life that he had lived and still live to tell about it. I would imagine it would be fun just to sit down and talk with Michael Franzese about all the things that he had expierienced. If anyone knows how to reach Michael Franzese please drop me a line.



2. I knew Michael after the whole thing finished, he was indeed a changed man. Great book, good job Michael & Dary.



3. In Quitting the Mob Michael Franzesetells his story with the help of Dary Matera.Of his love for his father who brought him into the family after seeing his son not being scared of going a little out side of the law to make money.How he was raised to the rank of capo in his mafia family making millions of dollars for his bosses.And left it all for the love of a woman.



4. I am not a huge reader, but i finished this book really quickly. In a rare instance, you are shown the inside reports on how the mafia works and how some of the stereotypes are just that, stereotypes. If you have any interest in true crime books or books that can show that people can change, this is the book for you! Trust me, I don't like reading too much but found myself looking forward to reading this book.



5. This could have been a good book, but it is nothing but a farce where Franzese would have the reader believe that he was some poor misunderstood victim, harassed by law enforcement until he was put in the position of "well, if they are gonna accuse me of it, I am just gonna do it!", which is obviously so much baloney. Then, he does admit to "white collar crime", but strangely every time the government hauls him into court, Franzese would again have us believe that he was wholly innocent of all of the charges. He sets himself only in the very best light, like some sort of misunderstood, valiant and progressive J.P. Morgan, a modern day Robin Hood, and it is to the point of sheer unbelieveability. Franzese is still the same scammer as he always was, and he carries it on as usual in this book with the complicity of Matera. I can't believe Matera wasted his obvious talent producing this drivel. It's Franzese vanity press, plain and simple. And, as far as Franzese being a "changed man", a reborn straight arrow? PFFFFFTTT!!! Search thesmokinggun.com for Franzese and read about his post conversion shenanigans if you'd like to see the "new man"....meet the new boss, same as the old boss. Yep, these guys took what could have been a great story and turned it into the same stuff you find on the floor of a hog pen, and they expended the same amount of energy doing it that they would have had to in doing it right! Maybe, with a little luck, the real story will come out, and I bet it'll be a good one. Until then, take my word for it, this book is irredeemable from page one through the end....don't even waste your time. I regret that I have to give it a one star rating, because it sure doesn't even deserve that.

5 comments about Inmate 46857.

1. I started the book thinking that it would be just another biography of a bad life turned good. By the end I was gripped by the reality of a miracle and reminded that God can indeed change anyone. I recommend the book to any person who thinks that anyone or any situation is hopeless. It is also a great tool for those that work with at risk youth.



2. This is an incredible testimony of God's grace and faithfulness. It is very well-written and is hard to put down once you start it. Written in the first-person narrative, it makes you feel as if Eddie is personally talking to you and telling you his story. It is exciting to think of how God will use this book to impact many for His glory!



3. I read this book because Eddie Charles is coming to visit my school. My eyes were opened up on how a person can turn to such a sinful life. I am hoping that the message he carries will influence some of my students. Hopefully, his story will keep some of them from making some of the mistakes he made. I also took to heart what he said "Only God can change a person for the good".



4. I just finished reading Inmate 46857 after having met and heard Eddie Spencer in person at a reading conference this week. I cannot imagine someone even younger than me living a life like he described in his book. It was truly through the grace of God that he did not commit murder and his testimony is one that could and should shake up folks who might be headed down the wrong path. I highly recommend having him speak to troubled youth and using his book as a witness to God's power to change people.



5. i just finished reading this book and am deeply moved by the conditions in which this man had to grow up in and felt it an honor to have been allowed into his personal pain. it puts me to shame for my own careless affluence, always a good reminder. reading this book allows me an encouraging faith as i pray for prisoners. besides all this, it's a really good read.