1 comments about The Gambino Crime Family - A Mafia Family Revealed (Biography).

1. This would have been overpriced at $.99!! I love mob books - I have more than 200. This is ridi
   culous - it is 48 pages only because it uses huge font - I could have written this in about 2 hours.

5 comments about The Prince of Providence: The Rise and Fall of Buddy Cianci, America's Most Notorious Mayor.

1. Well, perhaps not everyone does. But as this book outlines in great detail, Buddy was quite a character. He was the huge push (or battering ram?) behind the proverbial renaissance of Providence. PVD has a long way to go, but some would argue that it is definitely better off after Buddy's term in office. Besides, how many cities have had a convicted felon with his own marinara sauce in City Hall? Stanton has written a meticulously researched and engaging book about one of the most interesting mayors to come along in quite a while. Whether you're from Providence or just passing through (ahem college kids), pick this one up and learn about the man behind the myth.



2. 
   This book is a fascinating look at politics, corruption and the enigma of Buddy Cianci. Thoughtful and balanced, it shows both sides of a bright, funny, and charismatic mayor whose impact reaches beyond his city. It's all about good and evil in the same person. Charm, power, and political realities. A great read.



3. A fascinating view of a Mayor who engaged in boosterism to sell his city, and himself. Very helpful to those interested in studying styles of government and a great read.
   
   Jim Fiorentini Mayor, Haverhill, MA



4. I know very little about New England or Rhode Island. I'm not terribly interested in politics. I came to this book in a roundabout way. I had never been aware of Buddy Cianci until I happened to see a musical at the New York International Fringe Theatre Festival in 2003 titled BUDDY CIANCI. While the musical wasn't very good, I thought the story was fascinating and that in Buddy Cianci the authors certainly had a character who was big enough to sing. Here was a guy who was a scary crook that everyone loved. Here was a mayor whose popularity was never higher than just after he was indicted a second time. He had been indicted previously, pleaded guilty to assault (he bound and tortured a man he claimed was his ex-wife's lover) and had to step down as mayor, only to run again and be re-elected! So of course I pounced when I saw this book in the bookstore. I was not disappointed. Mike Stanton's THE PRINCE OF PROVIDENCE is jaw-dropping reading as it traces Cianci's rise to power and his outrageous machinations to keep his power. Stanton's book is very detailed and objective. This is not a hatchet job. He gives equal time to all sides. In one chapter I would be rooting for Buddy and in the following chapter rooting for his enemies. This is that kind of book. Buddy Cianci is that kind of guy. The book has been sold to the movies and should make a terrific film. (But what actor could possibly do justice to the title character?) There are times when the book seems on the verge of becoming a Yankee MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL (which I consider a compliment). THE PRINCE OF PROVIDENCE is consistently entertaining and has a lot to say about America and the times we live in. Four stars.



5. RI is such a secular little world where everyone DOES know everyone else. Buddy played those connections to the hilt, rebuilding a city and lining his own pockets at the same time. This is a great study of a guy who, had he not been so affable, would have been regarded as the nastiest of crooks. But instead while he wallows in the Federal Pen, his legions of fans and supporters remain steadfast. Stanton does a superb job of capturing the uniqueness of Rhode Island; the Italianness, the corruption, the general air of "fuhgheddaboudit, they're all crooks". Don't rule out Buddy Part III, this is but the first installment of a very interesting man.

5 comments about Psychic Warrior: The True Story of America's Foremost Psychic Spy and the Cover-Up of the CIA's Top-Secret Stargate Program.

1. but I'm not sure if this book is the best place to learn about it. Too many things on the military side don't seem to add up and it left me wondering how much of the information in this book is accurate, how much is conjecture and how much is just sensationalism.
   
   I don't doubt that the U.S. conducted research into remote viewing... evidence is very strong that the Soviets did as well during the Cold War. But remote viewing would have been of very little value and the program itself a dead-end militarily. It's a pity that there don't seem to be any books which seriously looks at this subject, the origins behind it, any possible successes, etc. Instead all we seem to have is this.
   
   A fascinating read, but take it with a grain of salt.



2. This book was impossible to put down. Morehouse tells his incredible story in such a down-to-earth manner that you feel like he is right there talking to you. And because of what he is telling you about remote viewing and his experiences "in the ether" you, you can't help but get chills up your spine! As a fellow military officer, I was equally as interested in reading about the military's reaction to Morehouse's story, and was shocked to read the depths to which the intelligence community went to keep Morehouse from going public with his information. An absolutely incredible personal account that you will NOT be able to forget. Very highly recommended!



3. I bought this for my husband for Christmas. He started the book and within a couple of days he was finished and concluded by saying YOU'VE GOTTA READ THIS ! Which he rarely recommends anything.



4. This book is a waste of time, because all non-practical stories, and lack of facts. Very tiring reading.



5. Very disappointing. The story of the actual work he did as a remote viewer was fascinating. The rest is dreck and casts doubt on the credibility of everything he writes.
   
   He plays the victim card with the Army, acting surprised that his superiors didn't want him to publicize details about his highly classified duties.
   
   The reader is left to wonder how much of his experience he distorts or omits. For example, he conveniently forgets to mention his apparently romantic relationship with a subordinate until it comes up in the investigation the Army conducts against him, then tries to justify it.
   
   He also is inconsistent. He writes about how unhappy he was in his assignment after Stargate, then about how he curses at the person who calls him out of the blue to offer him a job back at Stargate.
   
   He comes across as an undisciplined narcissist who sacrifices his career and family life for his own selfish gain. It is evident why he is an outcast in the military's remote viewing community.

5 comments about Jesse James: Last Rebel of the Civil War.

1. I picked this book up, like everyone else, as I was curious about the man behind the legend. Well, I never really learned all that much about Jesse James. I certainly learned about Missouri, Kansas, the civil war, bushwackers and the like, but not a whole lot about James.
   
   It seemed well researched and Stiles writes in a readable style but it was not the book I thought it would be.



2. 
   This is a fascinating work on Jesse James. It is not so much a standard biography as a "political history" of James. And that makes this an interesting read. The question animating this book is (page4): "Why should one set of criminals be so much more memorable than another?" The answer (page 6): " [Jesse James] was a major force in the attempt to create a Confederate identity for Missouri, a political and cultural offensive waged by the defeated rebels to undo the triumph of the Radical Republicans in the Civil War." Hence, his Confederate background resonated strongly with the politics of Missouri.
   
   The book itself follows a chronological organization, beginning with Jesse's father, a preacher. It also describes his mother, a most formidable person, who remained an important part of his life over the years--and a strong advocate for her sons. The Civil War was critical for the family. Frank James rode with some of the Confederate irregulars, such as William Quantrill and Bloody Bill Anderson. Jesse was too young at the outset of the Civil War to be involved, but he rode with his brother, later on, with the partisans. When the war ended, the rage continued for the James brothers (especially Jesse).
   
   The book contends (and it is a reasonable case as made by the author, although I'm not sure that all readers will be convinced) that James' outlaw exploits after the war were a continuation of that conflict by other means. He was, in the eyes of the author, something of a guerilla; he is also termed a "terrorist," in the sense of using violence to try to advance a political cause (this case may not be convincing to readers; I have my doubts that the case is very strong to adopt this language).
   
   There follows an outline of his many robberies, the violence associated with them, the various members of his gang over time (including the Younger brothers), the ups and downs of their brigandage, and the political context in which their actions occurred. The political discussion appears to be done pretty well, placing the James' gang's depredations in a larger perspective.
   
   Then, they detail nicely the disastrous Northfield, Minnesota raid (disastrous from the James' gang's perspective--not from those who wanted to hunt them down). Frank and Jesse escaped, Jesse (and later Frank) to rob another day. Then, Jesse's demise. The book ends with a quick summary of the fates of key players from this volume, and provides some satisfaction in bringing things to a close.
   
   The political aspect to James, as argued by T. J. Stiles, the author, is very interesting and makes this an intriguing work. I am not sure that all elements of this work successfully (e.g., the use of the term terrorist). But the book provides a nice spin on the life and times of Jesse James.



3. This book explains how the Civil War gave birth to outlaws like Jesse James. It is very well researched, detailed and interesting. A must for historians.



4. This is one of the most in depth and well researched biographies that I have ever read. Stiles did extensive investigation into primary sources when performing the research for the book.
   
   There is a great deal of perception of Jesse James as a larger than life myth. Much of what he did was very much grounded in the history of his time and focuses on the Civil War as a driving force behind his actions and behavior.
   
   James's father was a Baptist minister who left the family to go to California during the gold rush in 1849. While there, he contracted an illness and died when Jesse was still a young boy. This left his mother to raise Jesse and his siblings on her own until eventually remarrying.
   
   The James family owned a good sized farm with quite a few slaves and so had a vested interest in maintaining the slavery structure. They were very much a part of the Confederate mindset and supported that side during the Civil War.
   
   Jesse joined his brother as a teenager during the Civil War by banding together with a bunch of "bushwhackers" who were basically guerrillas (or terrorists depending on how you look at it) on the Confederate side. They would walk up to Union sympathizers who were often neighbors and point blank kill them in cold blood simply for being supporters. This instilled fear in the local populace and a general sense of uncertainty and terror.
   
   People from the Union side did similar types of things to Confederates namely Jayhawkers from Kansas. Missouri during the civil war and the days afterwards had a feel like that of Iraq today. People of differing ideological backgrounds resorted to violence and force to push their political agendas and philosophies.
   
   Following the war James stayed with the bushwhackers until they gradually dissipated. At first they targeted banks to rob with Union ties for political reasons. Eventually, however, the targets became less political and more for pure monetary gain.
   
   One of the primary reasons for Jesse James's notoriety and fame was his frequent correspondence with newspapers. He was a voracious reader and constantly maintained his innocence in letters to editors. Newspaper man John Edwards became a champion for James and glorified him and his gang in articles. He cast them as heros and icons for the Confederate political agenda and used them in print to help advance political purposes. In that day, newspapers were very openly partisan and did not try to maintain an appearance of neutrality as news agencies do today.
   
   As James et al gained more and more fame and notoriety, public outcry became much more pronounced against them while encouraging local and state officials to crack down and bring them to justice. After stealing from express companies similar to Wells Fargo who operated primarily via railroad, private business interest arose in tracking them down and preventing future robberies.
   
   His gang branched out into other states as well such as Iowa, Tennessee, Minnesota, Kentucky, and West Virginia obtaining national attention.
   
   The Pinkertons a private investigative agency were hired to find them but most of their efforts were fruitless considering the James/Younger gang's support from local friends and their knowledge of the backwoods.
   
   On several occasions, Jesse was injured in gun fights some requiring lengthy recovery times. All told though he personally probably killed at least 20 men so came out on plus side from his battles.
   
   The gang eventually met their match while trying to rob a bank in Minnesota where the people fought back and injured or killed many members of the gang. Jesse and his brother barely escaped back to Missouri once word got out and posses were gathered to track them down.
   
   Jesse never could settle down to a life of honest work which resulted in his downfall. He was constantly suspicious of those around him but gathered a new gang to continue his exploits. A couple of brothers in his new gang plotted to kill him and eventually succeeded, collecting a hefty reward in the process.
   
   Stiles book reads like a combination of a pure history and real life historical novel. The first 200 pages are primarily devoted to the historical background of the Civil War and environment James grew up in. The last 200 pages are focused more on Jesse's emergence as a bank/train/stagecoach robber, leader of a gang, and Confederate symbol. As mentioned on the book cover, Stiles debunks the myth that James was a form of Robin Hood and was instead mostly interested in his own fame and fortune.
   
   At times the book moves slowly and is exhaustive in its coverage of the material but if the reader stays with it, he or she will have a very complete picture of Jesse James and the history of Missouri during the Civil War and the decades afterwards.



5. This book was way too politically bias for me to enjoy, and the author went on at length more or less attacking James for being a southern democrat. He should get over it, most people who are familiar with James know that he was Rebel and fought for the south during the war. The author details the Pinkerton detectives and the politicans who were against James more then he does the central character which is James himself. If it was written by a less politically oppionated person it cooooooooould have been decent, but it still kept diverging from the central theme of James and the James gang often enough and at such length that at times I wanted to hurl it against the wall. I only keep the copy I own because of the sepia photo on the cover.
   Read the assisination of Jesse James by the coward Robert ford, it or most any other book on the famed outlaw is surely far better then this account.

5 comments about The Brothers Bulger: How They Terrorized and Corrupted Boston for a Quarter Century.

1. There is some great info in this book, but at times it was like Chinese water torture. Slow but steady. I was mentally exhausted by the end of this one. I found that I was just trying to get through it rather than enjoying myself until the end. I don't know, but it just didn't grab me.



2. "The Brothers Bulger" tells the story of James "Whitey" Bulger and his brother Billy. From an early age Whitey was headed in the wrong direction in life and he soon became one of the most feared men in Boston and is currently in the top ten on the FBI's most wanted list. For a long time Billy seemed to be on the straight and narrow, at least to the public, as he became involved in politics, eventually becoming president of the Massachusetts State Senate. But "The Brothers Bulger" shows the Billy earned his nickname of "The Corrupt Midget".
   
   I'm not a big fan of Howie Carr's newspaper column in The Boston Herald and almost didn't read "The Brothers Bulger" because of that. I'm glad I did. Newspaper column to the contrary, Carr can actually write and does a good job telling the Bulger's story. I've lived in the Boston area my entire life and while aware of the Bulgers I wasn't aware of the extent of Whitey's crimes or the extent of the corruption. I was also surprised at the number of local politicians and other well known Bostonians who knew what was going on with the Bulgers and looked the other way including Michael Dukakis, Kevin White, Joe Moakley, Bill Weld, and Cardinal Law.
   
   Of the two brothers, Whitey's story, not surprisingly, is the most compelling. He is truly a brutal man, not caring who he killed, be it man or woman. One of his killings was so brutal I cringed while reading it. His dealings with the FBI are mind boggling and not very reassuring. While Billy's story is less compelling, it was still interesting to read how he maneuvered his way through Boston politics and managed to snag himself a nice sized pension from U-Mass Boston. What was especially interesting about all this is the numerous mistakes he made politically and still came out on top for a long time.
   
   As of right now, Whitey Bulger is still at large and wanted by the FBI. If he is ever found (and after reading this book I have to wonder how hard the FBI is looking for him), I hope Howie Carr is able to write a book about Whitey's years on the lam, which I'm sure would be quite interesting.
   
   "The Brothers Bulger" is a compelling read.



3. Howie well knows,but chooses to ignore,the truism that a grand jury can always be persuaded to indict a ham sandwich. But try as they might All the Kings Men be they federal, state or local could not get a rubberstamped indictment of Billy Bulger and this fact gives Howie an ulcer. And all the kings men also includes congressional committees who basked in their public investigation of Sen Bulger and came up with scratch. Poor Howie: all full of righteous thunder and a sack full of yellow journalism.
   Jim Whalen



4. The Publisher's Weekly review and the audio file review are very good descriptions of this narrative. Two brothers in Boston, one a politician and the other a mobster, shaping politics and crime in Boston for decades. Whitey Bulger, who is still an international fugitive, makes an excellent precursor, if not template, for Jack Nicholson's role in the film "The Departed". The author is an award winning newspaper columnist who clearly knows Boston intimately, along with who is connected to whom on both sides of the law, however, it can be a little confusing for the reader to keep up without a table of organization or flow chart. Frequently, Carr states facts or describes events that it is assumed he acquired from court transcripts, police reports and street sources but the reader is often left to take it simply on faith because the hard evidence or source isn't referenced or cited. Still, it's an interesting saga of the backrooms and chicanery in Boston over the past five decades.



5. I love this book it has details of my fathers death and my uncle joe as well finally a real book on the true crime and the sick bastards that took so many life's fathers humans and friends form south Boston and Medford Mass.

5 comments about Game Over: The Rise and Transformation of a Harlem Hustler.

1. Every young person who thinks they want to sell drugs should read this Book. Azie,Rich Porter and Alpo, were Legends in the Dope Game in New York. Rich is dead Alpo is in Prison. only Azie was able to change his life around and turn to God. This Book should Be Required Reading for anyone who thinks the street game is all fame and Fortune



2. This book tells it like it was. I grew up in the Drew-Hamilton Projects. I remember Donald "L.A." Johnson very well. One of the most charismatic dealers I ever saw. Handsome, suave all that. But, like so many young people in my 'hood, he was killed. That's the way it was. Literally hundreds of kids died in that area, all violently and mostly due to the drug trade. It was very sad to see. What a powerful book.



3. This book was excellent and should be passed out at every juvenile system and prison. I wish I had read this book before my son turned 20 and moved out. I would have made him read it and right me a full report about! I have a younger son and it will be a must read in a couple more years!
   Thank you for sharing and writing a powerful and enlightening book.



4. THIS AUTHOR HAS BEEN THROUGH HELL AND BACK, WHAT WITH THE LOSS OF SO MANY FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES!!!! I AM SO VERY PROUD OF THE FACT THAT YOU ARE NOT GLORIFYING YOUR FORMER LIFE,BUT YOU ARE UPLIFTING YOUR FAITH AND I APPLAUD YOU FOR THAT!!!!!I REALIZE IT PROBABLY TOOK A LOT TO DIVULGE ALL THE INFORMATION THAT YOU DID,RELIVING THE PAIN OF THE DEATHS, THE ATTEMPT OF YOUR OWN LIFE,AS WELL AS HAVING THE COURAGE TO LEAVE THE FAST MONEY BEHIND AS YOU'VE SAID IT'S VERY ADDICTIVE!!!! A COPY OF THIS BOOK SHOULD BE GIVEN TO ALL OUR STREET VENDORS,I'M SURE SOME OF THEM NEED TO BE ENLIGHTENED AS WELL!!!!!



5. I thought this book was absolubtly "wonderfull"!
   As a former resident of Harlem during AZ's reign, I can assure you of the accuracy of this well written, informative book. I laughed, I cried, I felt fear, and I celebrated, as I was entertained. I believe this book should be a required text of all schools; for it is a lesson that both teachers, and students can benefit from. I applaued AZ for his candid accounts, and his chosen co/author (Agyei Tyehimba). This Authors abilities breathed litterary life into a story now not soon to be forgotten. I look forward to Mr. Tyehimba's next projects, and Az's future accomplishments. Wishing you both continued success... Mochabreez

5 comments about Rat Bastards: The Life and Times of South Boston's Most Honorable Irish Mobster.

1. 
   John Shea's book Rat Bastard was in my oppinion an amazing quick read.
   Shea is able to give the reader a glimpse into his life in Southie and
   how he became involved with Bulger out of both admiration for Southies
   king but also the need to survive. I have to say it is shocking what
   some youths go through in this country. Very often we here about "The
   Projects" but this book gives you a real glimpse into how someone in
   the Southie projects survived. The book also sheds more light on the
   illusive Whitey Bulger. Many still see him as Southies King but this
   book reveals him for the "Rat" that he and all the other people n his
   gang where. When push came to shove all the guys in Bulgers gang
   couldn't wait to talk to get thier time commuted, but not Shea. He
   stuck to the Southie code and kept his trap shut. Imagine doing 12
   years because you would rather keep your honor than be a rat!



2. 
   If the movie The Departed sparked your interest in learning about what
   really happened in South Boston and with Whitey Bulger then read Rat
   Bastards! All the other books about Bulger are written by people who
   are now informants for the police so you have to wonder how accurate
   thier books are. Rat Bastards is written by the one guy who didn't
   blabber to the police to get a lesser sentence. Since Shea is the one
   guy who has written a book that didn't become an informant you have to
   take his word seriously. I have learned so much about Bulger and his
   gang and its the real deal no BS. Not only does Shea describe his work
   with Bulger but he also sheds light on his personal past and shows the
   reader how a boy from South Boston with a love for boxing got mixxed
   up with one of the worlds most famous mobsters.



3. I really enjoyed reading John Shea's autobiography Rat Bastards. Rat Bastards is an honest look into the life of a real human being that happened to be in the Irish Mafia. Filled with colorful rich and memorable characters, this is like a shot of testosterone for the weak, a page turner that is at times uncomfortable, at times sentimental but always unapologetically real.Forever My Lady



4. Entertaining insight to the 1970's - 80's Boston irish mob. Authentic story, predictibly leavened by the author's projection of himself as a "superman".



5. Southie was never an easy neighborhood. The D Street projects, where my mother grew up, may be the toughest part of Southie. Shea captures the authentic, troubled neighborhood and adopts its credo -- never rat. While tough and violent, Shea is not the super hero he makes himself out to be. Throughout the book, Shea brags that, like Whitey, he accomplished his goals with violence, often mindless violence. Growing up fatherless, with little guidance and no discipline, he searches in vain for a father figure to guide him. Although Shea describes himself as "honorable" and effuses over Mark Walberg's "friendship" (Walberg bought the rights to the movie) and trumpets Walberg's not forgetting where he came from, Shea spent his gangster years terrorizing that very neighborhood and poisoning it with cocaine. In the end, he is a tragic figure, hoodwinked like so many others by Whitey. A compelling read.

5 comments about My Life With Bonnie And Clyde.

1. Blanche Barrow gives a first hand account of life on the run. As she says it was pure hell which ended with the death of her huband; prison for her and a loss of an eye. It was very intresting.



2. For anyone looking for new surprises and a new angle on the story of Bonnie and Clyde, this book is a must. Blanche Barrow bears the facts of her life with the Barrow Gang right down to the bone. You can almost smell, see and hear this story as it plays out before your eyes.
   It was also great to see what happened to those who survived past 1934, following Blanche through her prison sentence and into her later years, with Billie Moon (Bonnie Parker's sister)beside her. A must for all Bonnie and Clyde researchers.



3. I really enjoyed reading this book. However, you must keep in mind that it was told by one of the participants and that self image and self preservation were apparent in telling her side of the story. I would advise doing what I did. I read the Knight book, "Bonnie & Clyde, a Twenty-First Century Update" and the John Neal Phillips book "Running with Bonnie and Clyde" at the same time as this one. I think by combining and sifting through the information in all three, you can come away with a pretty clear picture of these peoples lives.



4. This is about the best book I've read on Bonnie and Clyde so far. Although as Mr. Phillips states it is slanted in the favor of Blanche, it still is very well written and I think more historically correct than other books I have read on this subject. It was interesting to read how these people really lived on the run and how human they were. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Bonnie and Clyde.



5. I often wondered what had become of Blanch Barrow as the movie did not tell us much of anything. At the end of the book I found myself with tears in my eyes. I am not saying she was totally innocent in everything that transpired, but she paid dearly for the mistake of loving her husband and I being a woman can synpathize with her greatly. I can just picture her sitting in a chair, an old woman, forgotten, left with nothing but her cats and memories of days gone by...nothing is sadder than what might have been. What really made me realize how human these characters were was when Blanche tells us about bringing her dog Snowball on the run when she and Buck took off with Bonnie and Clyde and then loosing her dog during the shootout in Platte City, as the dog was spooked by the gun battle, he ran out of the house and this was the last she ever saw of her beloved pet. These were very much people like us that I firmly believe were victims of the times they lived and the desolation that surrounded them. I often wonder what would have became of those four people if they would have grown up in New England perhaps or New York where even though the depression was going on, there were more opportunities for work or perhaps they were born at the wrong time in history. Maybe if Bonnie and Clyde would have been born and came of age in the 80's or 90's, they would have been different people....but we will never know. This book is a must read for anyone, not just fans of Bonnie and Clyde, but its just a damned good book to read.

5 comments about Bonnie and Clyde: A Twenty-First-Century Update.

1. I've read many good books on the subject of Bonnie & Clyde, and even though the 1967 movie was far from accurate historically, it is one of my all time favorite movies. This book does the best job I've found of setting some of the inaccurate facts straight. I live less than 30 miles from Dexter Park, where the gang was ambushed, and I find it fascinating to finally read so many details of what transpired during those events. If this subject interests you at all, then this book is an absolute must read.



2. Other than the books written by John Neal Phillips, this is the best of the Bonnie and Clyde books. Well researched, balanced viewpoint, great photos. A superb read.



3. "Here they come down that dusty road, and muddy bend; Man and woman welded in crime, together they lived and together...they died. Who else could it be?; But good ol' Bonnie and Clyde!"
   
   The book entitled, "Bonnie and Clyde A Twenty-First-Century Update" by James R.Knight (with Jonahtan Davis )is... "A killer of a book!"
   
   This is a superbly written and researched book. James R. Knight is too young to have ridden along with them, at least in this life. However, his knowledge and interest in this gun toting couple makes me wonder, where he may have been in his last life time?
   
   His writing is informative, easy to read and follow, and...extremely descriptive. In addition, the book is a photographic library in itself!
   
   Sometimes, I could almost hear the heavy "barking" of Clyde's "BAR" and watch the black exhaust clouds rise from the tail pipe of his get-away, 1934 Ford sedan.
   
   Frank Hamer does not appear to be as powerful a figure as he was portrayed in the 1967 movie with Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty. Although, a central figure in orchestrating the couple's final demise, the initial credit seems to flow toward a little known figure of the ambush group listed as, Officer Prentis Oakley.
   
   Author, James Knight also gives the reader what Paul Harvey used to say on his radio program: "and now you know ... the rest of the story."
   Knight follows through with information on the fate of each actor who ever played any part on the stage of "Bonnie and Clyde."
   
   A great job Mr. Knight(and Mr. Davis)! When can we expect another publication???



4. I first became aware of Bonnie and Clyde after a frigid night's motorcycle ride to see Arthur Penn's 1967 movie. Except for buying a DVD thirty years later, I seldom thought of them. Then, last November, my wife and I visited Dexter and Stuart, Iowa. In April of 1934, a month before their deaths, Bonnie and Clyde, along with Henry Methvin, robbed the bank in Stuart. Ten months before, the Barrows had shot it out with a posse at Dexfield Park, north of Dexter. The site of an abandoned amusement park, Dexfield offered Bonnie and Clyde, along with the severely wounded Buck Barrow and his wife Blanche, temporary sanctuary following a shootout in Platte City, Missouri. Penn's movie placed the shootout in Platte City, Iowa, which doesn't exist, ignoring the long ride from the Kansas City area to western Iowa. It also ignored the fact that Buck lived several days after his head wound and actually died of pneumonia. Penn's characterization of Blanche as a screaming ninny isn't accurate, either, and it got him sued.
   
   Penn wasn't after history, but sensationalism. James R. Knight is after history. He is one of those wonderful people who recognize that everything is coming together and seizes the moment. Penn's movie was only the latest in a thirty-year sequence of stylized and mostly inaccurate portrayals of the lovers and their companions. It perhaps began with Jan Fortune's Fugitives, published a scant few months after the fatal ambush in Louisiana. It continued through books by several members of the posse who killed Bonnie and Clyde, and by former criminal companions. As many of the principals, including members of the Barrow and Parker families, aged, other writers began to interview them before it was too late. Given the opportunity to pull together their work with original research, James Knight acted.
   
   This book is the result.
   
   Perhaps only a person who doesn't depend on writing for his income could have done it. Knight, after all, is a pilot for Federal Express who just happens to be an excellent historian. His book shows meticulous patience, coupled with a desire to be what Fox news isn't, fair and balanced. For instance, he gives Fortune's oft-maligned piece credit for what it got right. Though he depends heavily (for the first few chapters) on the recollections of Marie Barrow Scoma, a teenager at the time of her brother's death, Knight sometimes argues, appropriately, with her recollections. After all, she could not have known all that her adult brother was up to. Knight understands that the Barrow and Parker families were far more complex, and far more involved in supporting their wayward kin, than has heretofore been obvious. The evidence has always been there, but Knight uses it broadly and well.
   
   The author is so careful to remain balanced, and to avoid the hysterical tone of previous books, that his prose sometimes seems bloodless. Nowhere is this more evident than in chapters 36 and 37. There, he recounts events around the May, 1934, ambush that killed Bonnie and Clyde. He is meticulous in describing the location and sequence of the wounds each received, the damage to their stolen Ford, and the behavior of members of the posse. It's important, though, because the ambush has so often been misinterpreted. I hope that in a future work Knight will greatly expand these chapters, taking a closer look at everything and everyone who contributed to the ambush and at the questions that still remain. Still, Knight corrects several misconceptions and downright errors fostered by the movie and by previous books. You won't know it, though, unless you read the extensive footnotes.
   
   Which brings me to the subject of how most to benefit from reading this 2003 work. I read it twice. The first time, I had a bookmark in the footnotes and flipped back and forth frequently. The second time, the bookmark was located in the first appendix. This allowed me to review a full history of each character as s/he surfaced in the text. As a result, I have a far better idea of "the story of Bonnie and Clyde" (to borrow the popular title of Bonnie's second poem) than I received on that winter night in 1967.
   
   For all of that, Knight neither whitewashes nor condemns Bonnie and Clyde. Rather, he recognizes the essential tragedy of their story. They lived on their own terms, but everyone paid a price. That they paid with their lives does not obscure the suffering inflicted on their families and on families left fatherless. At the same time, Clyde might have remained a relatively small-time crook (or made changes in his life similar to those accomplished by Ralph Fults) were it not for the brutality he experienced in the Texas prison system. The story of Bonnie and Clyde, then, is in some sense the story of human beings interacting with our surroundings--for good and for ill. I am writing this review two days after a confused and angry teenager murdered people in an Omaha mall. He did it with an assault rifle, at a time when gross inequalities again exist between Americans. Clyde used a 1930's version of that rifle, at a similar time. When will the American people demand gun control? And when will we insist on an end to national policies that lead to the creation of millions of poor people?



5. This book has a lot of interesting information and tons of pictures. If you want to know anything about Bonnie and Clyde, it's all in this book.

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

1. This book seems particularly relevant right now, with the literary world increasingly falling victim -- practically once a month -- to frauds, plagiarists and con artists. It's the true life story of a particularly colorful specimen. In his late 20's, basically a drifter living in Colorado, James Hogue decided to recreate himself as a charismatic genius and sports hero -- and he used his new identity to hustle his way into Princeton University as an undergrad. He was a complete fake, but as Samuels shows, that doesn't make him any less accomplished. His insane story tells you as much about our times, and about our elite institutions, as it does about the peculiar twists and turns of one individual's particular psyche. In America, the land of self-invention, the con man is often king, and this small book -- just about the same length as The Great Gatsby, one of Hogue's inspirations -- is a wonderful and strangely moving portrait of a true American original. David Samuels is well-known as an award-winning magazine journalist, and this, his first book, shows him at the top of his form. I recommend it highly.



2. The Runner is a engaging read about a fascinating character. The original article was the tip of the iceberg and I appreciated the expanded treatment. David's writing is insightful and funny. The books leaves me wanting more but in a way that keeps the fascination alive. Like a movie with an open ending I am left to wonder about specific events and ponder what it really means to reinvent yourself in a world that is so clearly driven by unfair rules. No one likes to be lied to but sometimes lies can be inspiring.



3. 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.



4. 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!



5. 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.