5 comments about 4,000 Days: My Life and Survival in a Bangkok Prison.

1. This book is, to some extent, a memoir of Warren Fellows' experience with being imprisoned in Thailand for 12 years. Mr. Fellows, a native of Australia, was sentenced to life in prison for attempting to smuggle heroin out of Thailand to Australia. During his trail and imprisonment, Mr. Fellows serves time at several different facilities in Thailand. Finally after 12 years of a life sentence, he is pardoned by the King and deported back to Australia.
   
   The prologue of the book begins by describing a scene involving a French prisoner who had a "problem" with the local insects. The scene, which is something right out of a horror movie, is described in excellent detail, enough to make my stomach churn. However, the book went downhill fast from there. The writing in the book is below average. I did not feel that the chapters flowed together at all. While I am sure that prison life is repetitive, Mr. Fellows described how he got into drugs, 12 years in prison, and what it was like to go home in 200 pages. I expected the book to contain more detail of what a day at a Thai prison was like. However, the book seemed to concentrate more on several randomly selected stories from those 12 years.
   
   Some of the stories in the book were atrocious. The physical and mental terror that went on in the Thai prison system was astounding. For example, in retaliation for not ratting out a prisoner, a Thai guard made a group of prisoners who were playing dice stand in a tank of sewage for hours. There are other graphic stories of mental torture, such as the guards walking circles around a blindfolded prisoner, stopping for a minute, beating the prisoner, and repeating the whole procedure for a hour.
   
   There are a couple of scenes in the book that do not seem to add up to me. First, the author mentions the dirty water in prison and how he thought it came from the river outside. In top of it, the water intake was supposedly a short ways downstream from the sewage outlet for the prison. Coming from a first-world country as Australia, which has clean water, then being forced to drink untreated river water contaminated with sewage, I suspect that the water would have made him mighty sick (coming from personal experience). However, there is no mention of that in the book (granted it could have been left out intentionally). I found it curious that the author would mention the dirty water in detail, but leave out how sick it made him.
   
   Also, the author described a game (though he admits he never witnessed it) where the guards would make a "ball" out of bamboo, insert a prisoner, lock the "ball", and use it to try an teach an elephant to play soccer. Eventually, the elephant would get bored, and crush the ball with the person inside. I would think it would take a long time to make a "ball" out of a material such as bamboo (which does not have a consistent thickness, thus increasing the difficulty) that would be able to hold a prisoner securely, and be able to take a few kicks from an elephant before the elephant crushes it (granted the guards could be really bored and have time on their hands). These two events could very well be possible, but I just found them suspicious.
   
   What the author describes of prison life in Thailand is definitely inhumane. While there was a lot of physical torture, it seemed that the mental torture was what drove prisoners over the edge. The book kept me reading as I was anticipating a climax to the book that never really came. By the title of the book alone, any reader knows the ending. In the end of the book, the author talks about how no one should have to go though this. While I do have sympathy for the author, if I am scared to go to prison in a certain country, I do not commit a crime in that country, as simple as that.
   
   The book is a quick read and I would recommend it to anyone who has an interest in foreign prison life. I felt the book was just average. If you are bored and need something different to read, by all means pick it up. If you are looking for a white knuckle, on the edge of your seat experience, I'd recommend something else.



2. I read this horrifying, ghastly memoir and couldn't get the images out of my mind! My heart broke for Warren and the other petty drug dealers who whose punishment far outweighed the crime. The agony of 4,000 days in the hellish prisons, solitary confinement, etc. is beyond imagination. This book is more shocking than anything I have read apart from a few survival stories of men & women who endured communist and/or Nazi concentration camps. Warren's story is just as absorbing, just as terrifying, and truly an incredible testimony to his courageous spirit. God bless you, Mr. Fellows, you have written more than a book, you have given the world a masterpiece of a memoir!



3. Although Warren Fellows book comes off as not that well written (in an english sense), his story definitely makes up for it. I worked in a prison for over a year in the US and it is so hard to believe that there are actually prisons out there that make people feel so bad. Prisons in the USA are like a luxery to stay at compared to this. His story will captivate you and you will not want to put the book down. It is a very quick read, and unfortunately it will make you want more and more (where can I get more!?!?!). Definitely check this one out. Don't smuggle drugs in Thailand...that's for sure!



4. The book starts out with a horrible urban myth but set inside this prison. A prisoner is screaming in pain, they hold him still and see his skin wriggling, and out pop worms!!! Seems roaches laid eggs in his skin somehow, and we all know that baby roaches are worms, right? Puh lease. This set the stage for unbelievability. I learned that nothing was his fault, and he was a do gooder cruisading to help fellow prisoners at every turn. I threw this out after reading about half of it. I want my money back.



5. This book is the best out of the "white person imprisoned in the Asian hellhole with tragic results" category that is practically requisite reading when you're on the Southeast Asian backpacker circuit. 4,000 Days delivers what it promises- it's an interesting read and you won't be able to get a lot of the imagery out of your head.
   
   Mr. Fellows is obviously not the smartest cookie in the world and his writing reflects this, but I still think it's worthwhile to read this book. Especially if you have food poisoning in Cambodia or if you're thinking about smuggling opium out of Myanmar so you can afford to tighten your dreads on Khao San Road.

4 comments about Chicago Assassin: The Life and Legend of "Machine Gun" Jack McGurn and the Chicago Beer Wars of the Roaring Twenties.

1. American Crime Writers League member Richard J. Shmelter presents Chicago Assassin: The Life and Legend of "Machine Gun" Jack McGurn and the Chicago Beer Wars of the Roaring Twenties, a fascinating biography set amidst the gangland violence that wracked Chicago during the Prohibition era. Chronicling the life of Vincenzo Gibaldi, who took the name "Jack McGurn" along with the sport of boxing, Chicago Assassin tells how McGurn's father and stepfather were murdered by mobsters, and how his revenge attracted the attention of the notorious Al Capone, who invited McGurn to join the organization. McGurn built a terrible reputation as Chicago's most feared gangster assassin, and may even have helped plan the infamous St. Valentine's Day massacre. He killed more than twenty people during Chicago's Beer Wars, yet was eventually spurned by the Organization he worked for, and murdered Capone's orders. A striking true crime saga, meticulously researched and providing a singularly vibrant picture of the seedy underworld that sprang up to seize advantage of the Prohibition era.



2. In Chicago, the roar in the Roaring Twenties was often the sound of Thompson machine guns firing. The advent of prohibition and the continuing demand for alcoholic beverages meant that enormous profits could be made. This led to the rise of the criminal gangs that took advantage of the situation. In Chicago, the largest such criminal enterprise was headed by Alphonse Capone and "Machine Gun" Jack McGurn was one of his soldiers.
   McGurn's journey to becoming one of the best assassins is a story of great tragedy. Born Vincenzo Gibaldi in Sicily, McGurn's natural father was gunned down in a case of mistaken identity in a gang war in New York. After his mother remarried and the family moved to Chicago, his stepfather was also gunned down in a gang hit. Forever altering McGurn's attitude, he vowed revenge and the only way he could do that was to become a killer himself. He was ruthless in his methods, killing many men, either directly or indirectly. However, after Capone was jailed, he fell out of favor and in a short time was unemployed and broke. In an attempt to get back on his feet, he threatened to become an informant. Shortly after that threat was made, he was gunned down in gangland style, a victim of his own methods.
   Paid killers are rarely the subjects of biographies as they are generally psychopaths with little to offer other than a list of their kills. McGurn is different in that he was an intelligent man and was very close to Al Capone. Shmelter makes him come alive with literary descriptions of his actions that keep your attention and on occasion you have a bit of sympathy for McGurn. No person could have their two male parents so brutally and suddenly killed without having their psyche permanently disabled.
   The Chicago gang wars was an amazing time in the history of the United States, the enormous profit and power that came with bootlegging almost brought down conventional government. Members of the rival gangs killed each other with legal impunity, although nearly all eventually met with a violent death. This book provides one side of this story, from the perspective of one of the greatest of the killers. If the history of the Chicago gangsters of the Roaring Twenties interests you, then this is a book you must read.



3. How quickly we forget the reality of the "good old days"... That thought kept going through my mind as I read Chicago Assassin: The Life and Legend of "Machine Gun" Jack McGurn and the Chicago Beer Wars of the Roaring Twenties by Richard J. Shmelter. This is an excellent biography of a major crime figure during the days of Prohibition, and Shmelter captures both the personalities and sentiments of that period in American history.
   
   Contents:
   Innocence Interrupted; Innocence Lost; "Noble Experiment, " Life-changing Decision; Chicago's Underworld Rises; Terrific Timing - Terrible Tool; Gunning for Gennas, Amutuna Gets the Hook; "Joe Batters" and "Momo"; Vengeance, Conflict, Exodus; Capone vs. Weiss - Round One; Capone vs. Weiss - Knockout Blow; On Top of the World; Aiello Threatens the Empire; The Joker; McGurn Has the Last Laugh; Close Calls; Jack Meets Louise - Frankie Meets His Maker; Return to Chicago, Unrest in the Unione; Violent Valentine; Aftermath of Carnage; The "Blonde Alibi"; The Walls Begin to Crumble; The Empire Descends; Wedding Bells, Al Goes Away; Vindication, Alienation; The Comet Vanishes; Whatever Became of ... ?; Notes; Bibliography; Index
   
   Shmelter starts McGurn's story back in Italy, when his parents met and decided to emigrate to America. Vincenzo Gibaldi, aka Jack McGurn, was a typical kid raised in Brooklyn by immigrant parents, but his life was forever altered at the age of five when his father was gunned down by two men who mistook him for a rival gang leader. McGurn's mother remarried and Jack appeared to be a model son, but he was plotting his revenge for the death of his father. McGurn tracked down the killers and assassinated them in cold blood, starting him on a path defined by the ability and willingness to kill anyone as a hired assassin. This path was cast in stone when his second father was also gunned down by gang members over the sale of sugar to other gangs for the production of bootleg liquor. He started to work for Al Capone's organization, and quickly rose up the ranks to become Capone's most trusted bodyguard and triggerman.
   
   As Prohibition continued and the Chicago Beer Wars grew more heated, shootouts among rival gangs became commonplace. The Thompson submachine gun, or Tommy gun as it was nicknamed, was the weapon of choice for gangsters, and McGurn could handle one with the best of them. Capone used McGurn both as a planner and as a triggerman, and soon McGurn was living the life of a high-profile gangster, complete with fancy clothes, loads of money, and beautiful women. But through all of this, he had to be aware of the fact that he was a constant target of rival gangs, and his life could be snuffed out at any time. The downhill slide for both Capone and McGurn started with the Valentines Day Massacre. That slaughter changed the public's perception about organized crime, and government officials started to crack down hard on those groups. Although it was never proven that McGurn actually took part in the killing, the general feeling was that he and Capone had orchestrated the whole thing. When Capone was convicted of tax evasion and sent to prison, McGurn no longer had the protection he was used to, and the new leader, Frank Nitti, took his revenge on McGurn and tossed him out of the organization. The Depression, constant police harassment, and failed business ventures took their toll, and McGurn was reduced to a shadow of his former glory. And even that shadow came to an end when three unknown assassins tracked him down to a bowling alley and ended his life in a hail of bullets. A fitting end to a person who lived his life gunning down others.
   
   Apart from the fact that Shmelter writes a compelling narrative, he also captures the harsh reality of the Roaring Twenties. I kept thinking that we tend to look back at those times as the "good old days" and think our level of criminal activity and corruption is unprecedented. In reality, things were as bad if not worse back then, and all we're doing is repeating history over and over. I would recommend this book on a number of levels, ranging from a fascinating read to a sobering look at our past. In terms of "recreational reading", this is one of the best books I've read this year.



4. Vincenzo Gibaldi was born in Licata, Sicily to loving parents who wanted a better life for him, and brought him to the United States. However, after first his father and then his loving step-father were killed in gangland hits, something in Vincenzo snapped. Taking on his boxing name of Jack McGurn as his nom de guerre, he became an assassin par excellence, and rose to be one of Al Capone's lieutenants. However, after rising to dizzying heights of fame and wealth, Jack McGurn fell far and fell fast, until he too became just another victim of Chicago violence. This is the story of the brutal rise and brutal fall of one of America's top gunmen - "Machine Gun" Jack McGurn.
   
   Overall, I did not know what to expect when I picked this book up. Having grown up in Chicago, I had heard about "Scarface" Al Capone, "Bugs" Moran, "Machine Gun" Jack McGurn, "Hymie" Weiss, and all of the other famous mobsters. But, I must say that this book surprised me with its excellence. The author does a great job of bringing that era to life, and really letting you get a good understanding of the people involved and what they did.
   
   There's never a dull moment in this book, as the author eschewed the temptation to pad out the narrative, making a great medium-sized book into a tedious big book. Plus, I liked the many black-and-white pictures included, and the final chapter that answers the question, "Whatever became of...?" This is a great book on Jack McGurn, and Chicago in the Roaring Twenties. If you want to read the best book on this subject, then take it from this Chicagoan, and get Chicago Assassin by Richard J. Shmelter.

5 comments about Damned to Eternity: The Story of the Man Who They Said Caused the Flood.

1. Pitluk is an amazing story-teller who offers incredible insight about a life changing event that ripped apart a small town. I had a hard time putting this book down! It is remarkable how much research this book must have taken, and the amount of detail that is covered -- yet it feels like a quick read that is easy to follow and digest. I found myself truly sympathizing with Scott, while at the same time, I kept wishing he would have done a few things differently to change his own fate. Pitluk brought to life a storm that will forever impact the people who lived through it. Thanks for sharing the story!



2. I live in Quincy Illinois, which is directly across the river from West Quincy.I was 13 back in 1993. I put many hours into filling sandbags that summer. Even through I wasn't directly affected by the flood, it hit home when the levee broke that night. The great fight to hold back the flood waters was defeated in a matter of moments.
   This book mainly describes James trouble childhood, and continues into his ever troublesome life. Its a must read if you were affected by the Great Flood of 1993.
   It also goes into great detail about the ever so infamous Webster School Fire. I'm firefighter and paramedic now. I have heard many stories and tales regarding the Webster School Fire. I've seen pictures from that day.
   
   An awesome book that lets the reader decide whether he is guilty or not guilty!



3. I LIVE IN QUINCY, IL WHERE THIS BOOK IS BASED. IT BROUGHT BACK SO MANY MEMORIES. IT IS VERY WELL WRITTEN AND EXPLAINS THE EVENTS IN GRAPHIC DETAIL. IT MADE ME WANT TO CRY AGAIN WHEN I RECALLED THE HORRIBLE REALITY OF THOSE EVENTS. THUMBS UP!!!!!



4. DAMNED TO ETERNITY: THE STORY OF THE MAN WHO THEY SAID CAUSED THE FLOOD tells of a young volunteer twenty-four-year-old who tried to help protect a small town's levee during flooding - and was charged with causing the break intentionally when it failed. His conviction resulted in farmers collecting from insurance when otherwise they wouldn't - and resulted in a life sentence despite the fact no one died during the flood. His story is eye-opening and revealing - and he proclaims his innocence to this day.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



5. The story of the arrest, trial and imprisonment of James Scott for "intentionally causing a catastrophe" is a large, black mark on the American justice system. Adam Pitluk, in his recent work, "Damned to Eternity", has masterfully woven a story that reviews the many aspects of Scott's life... one that could only be described as misfortunate from the time he was a child growing up in Quincy, Illinois. The author makes no excuses for the lawlessness and harm that Scott caused, but the focus of this book, the great midwestern flood of 1993, is told in a riveting fashion by Pitluk, and given new facts that arose at the time of his second trial, it's a wonder that Scott remains is jail.
   
   Pitluk has a terrific narrative style, which makes the book hard to put down for even a minute. He's a natural storyteller in the best possible sense and if one hadn't had much empathy for young Scott in the beginning, one can only come away with a new feeling as the years progress. Injustice is all around us, but it takes a good writer like Adam Pitluk to expose it. I highly recommend "Damned to Eternity".

5 comments about The Mafia Encyclopedia.

1. Interesting read for the first Mafia encyclopedia. Very well-illustrated & detailed research.



2. I bought the first edition of this book when it first came out, and found it to be both knowledgeable and unbiased. There is no romanticizing of the mob, simply straightforward descriptions of the major players and events. Highly recommended.



3. Excellent Source of mafia information. This item is exactly what the title says: A mafia encylopedia. A great read for all Mafioso fans. Nice and thick with lots of photos.



4. ...page 405 states that "The forces of Harry Riccobene...did kill Salvatore Testa, the 28-year-old son of the slain Chicken Man Testa, regarded as a real comer in the mob."(He was in fact hit with a shotgun blast but he survived). Page 406 says "Scarfo had too suspicious a nature and he soon turned to ordering the deaths of loyal followers, starting with Salvatore Testa, his most competent hit man..." Testa did not survive this one, but who knew you could die twice? I don't know if there's any other mistakes in this book but that one is brutal.



5. Not that user friendly either. No charts, no stats, and no bibliography and thus very risky as a reference source.

5 comments about Entering Hades: The Double Life of a Serial Killer.

1. Reading this horrifying account of the life of mass murderer Jack Unterweger, reminded me of the parole and subsequent incarceration of Jack Henry Abbott. You may recall that author Norman Mailer championed Abbott's cause and was instrumental in helping the convict gain freedom. The day before his book, In the Belly of the Beast, was reviewed in the NY Times, Abbott stabbed a waiter to death in a Manhattan restaurant. Unterweger had been jailed for the brutal rape and murder of a young girl. After writing a book, his cause for parole was taken up by the Austrian literati. He then proceeded to murder seven Austrian prostitutes, one in Prague and three in LA, all the while, making friends with the police, writing books and producing plays. Unterweger was incredibly narcissistic, sadistic and a sexual predator. The author painstakingly reconstructs the investigation from Austria, Prague and LA often jumping back and forth in time. It was not easy to bring all these threads together to form a cohesive whole, but I believe he did a fine job. This book is not for the squeamish, but should prove impossible to put down for readers of serial killers and also crime buffs.



2. A murderer gains celebrity and has the intelligentsia spring him. Only in America? Apparently not. This horror story is a wonderfully written account of an Austrian serial killer who used and abused the system and all its bureaucrats to do what came naturally for him. Author John Leake knows how to piece together a jigsaw puzzle of incompetence, luck (good and bad). This is a early page turner that will keep you shaking your head for a long time to come. Bravo.



3. Congratualations to John Leake on this outstanding work! Having been directly involved with Unterweger's extradition to Austria, I can report that women lawyers, law enforcement officers, and diplomats were instrumental in every aspect of this fugitive's return to Austria to answer for his hideous crimes against women. This gives new meaning to the words "poetic justice."



4. I bought this book based on the glowing reviews. I love true crime stories and was excited when this arrived. I tore into it, and it was off to a pretty good start. Then it started to drag...and drag....There were so many little details and names and places that I was bored stiff. I found myself daydreaming and having to reread passages on numerous occasions. I ended up skimming the final few chapters and then picking up at the end. I could not relate at all to the main character, Jack, and I had zero sympathy or empathy for him. He was purely evil and narcissistic and unlikeable, which, according to the author was the opposite of how many people in Vienna's society would have described him. I just didn't get it. Maybe the timing was wrong for me and this really was as great a book as the other reviewers claim. For me it was a borderline painful reading experience.



5. As good as anything Ann Rule ever wrote--and maybe even better.
   
   About the only complaint: author could have delved deeper into Unterweger's mother's life, as well as what exactly the killer's life was like as a young child, as he was raised by a grandfather who evidently was a mean drunk, etc.
   
   Other than that, a fine job of writing as well as research.
   Author John Leake definitely has a career in this field.

5 comments about The Butterfly Garden: Surviving Childhood on the Run with One of Americas Most Wanted.

1. I was in an Ohio bookstore when the author was signing this book. I had the privilege of speaking with him for a few moments and was so impressed with his story. For someone to live through such a horrible childhood, but work so hard to become an incredible man! It was such a touching story. Once I started to read the book, I could not put it down. He wrote in my book "Continue to Soar" and after reading this book that is exactly what you want to do. Soar through life, be happy and help others. This is a must read.



2. I recently read this book and met the man who wrote it. What a touching and phenom story. I had a hard time putting this down becuase it is not only written so well, but is captavating with how it travels. His honesty is so raw and naked that everyone can relate to some aspect of his story. His wife is also a huge part of this survival and is such an amazing woman. It's amazing what positivity came from Chip and this whole nightmarish experience. So many people could learn much from Chip and about themselves from this book. I felt many emotions thru this book. Chip is an amazing human!!! This is a must read for everyone, espcially for children everywhere.



3. The Butterfly Garden: A Memoir is the true-life story of author Chip St. Clair, who survived a bitterly abusive and life-threatening childhood overshadowed by the menace of a physically abusive father. Eventually he learned a shocking truth; the man he called "Dad" was an escaped child killer who had fled justice for over two decades, and one of America's Most Wanted. Forced to turn his father in rather than risk allowing him to harm any more children, Chip St. Clair subsequently dedicated himself to protecting children and keeping child predators behind bars. A grim true crime story that at its heart deals with roots, identity, and cultivating the will to make a better future no matter what horrors lie in the past.



4. In September of 2004 Chip StClair called my office seeking help to keep his father, Michael Dean Grant, in jail.
   
   This phone call was beyond belief because Chip's story is unbelievable.
   
   We call children who have been abused "children of the secret" because they spend their lives keeping their terrible secret. Eighty five percent of children who are abused are abused by someone known to the family. Children love their parents and are confused even when those parents abuse them - the children somehow believe they caused their own abuse. Families do whatever it takes to preserve their "dirty little secret."
   
   This cycle of abuse repeats itself. That is not to say that all abused children become abusers but the data are pretty clear that most abusers were abused themselves.
   
   I was in tears on that September day listening to Chip tell his story and I was mostly moved by his determination that his life of abuse would count for something. Chip said that he found his heroes in art and literature and he was committed to overcoming his life of adversity by helping others so that he could become a real life hero like those mythological heroes that saved his life.
   
   Over the next months, Chip and I and a young man, Sameer Mandke, who was volunteering at Justice for Children had many long conversations. Michael Dean Grant was to be released from prison on April 1, 2005. Sameer and Chip worked together to prevent that from happening and instead, on April 1, 2005, the Michigan Chapter of Justice for Children was born, with Chip StClair as our new regional director.
   
   Chip StClair's story is an inspiration to me but more importantly, he is a hero to all of the children of the secret.
   
   Jim Shields
   Executive Director
   Justice for Children
   Houston, TX



5. June 2, 2008. I was supposed to meet Chip St. Clair in the HCI Booth last week at the Book Expo America just to say "Hi." When I got there, he was busy and I didn't want to interrupt. My regret is that I didn't get back to that booth and missed the opportunity to meet him in person.
   
   I started to read The Butterfly Garden on the day after the Expo and couldn't put it down. Every time I did, I was compelled to pick it up and read more. There are other comments about the "meat" of the story, so I won't repeat those. I highly recommend this heartfelt story and can assure readers that once they open the book they won't put it down.
   
   The story is one that tugs at your heartstrings and it makes one wonder how he came through everything. But his dedication to literature and his escape into poetry is reflected on every page. Chip takes the reader on a journey narrated in a voice that makes the horror beyond imagination that was his childhood, extending into his young adult years, a story written so beautifully that even the squeamish of heart can read and understand what went into making Chip the person he is.
   
   This book is a must read and I have already recommended it to several people and will post it on my website.
   
   MORGAN ST. JAMES
   Silver Sisters Mysteries
   [..]

5 comments about The Tangled Web: The Life and Death of Richard Cain - Chicago Cop and Mafia Hitman.

1. Imagine having a half brother who was both a highly decorated police detective and a "made" soldier in Chicago's Giancana crime family. That is the story that unfolds as Michael Cain describes the double life of his half-brother Richard. Richard Cain was rumored to be involved in the CIA plots to assassinate Fidel Castro and he was also named as one of the mob hit men supposedly involved in the assassination of JFK. He was appointed Chief Investigator for the Cook County Sheriff's Department at the same time he was on the payroll of mob boss Sam Giancana. What is amazing is that Richard Cain's corruption was widely suspected yet it did not prevent him from moving up the ranks of law enforcement. Along the way he also found time to bug foreign embassies, pass himself off as a psychologist and become and informant for the FBI. The book is mesmerizing read and covers many aspects of organized crime in Chicago from the 1950's to the early 1970's.



2. Dick Cain was my father's sister only son. I knew him very well. All the family ever knew about him was the good things. High police offical, polygraph expert, electronics nut, Bay of Pigs organizer, dependable friend, etc. I personally coveted his 1953 black Ford sedan when he used to hang around my father's warehouse. But then, I also lusted for a new 1949 army surplus jeep that I never got. When I was old enough I was given the opportunity to join the mob. He gave me a cousin to cousin talk convincing me this would be a bad career decision with the simple biblical phrase, "he who lives by the sword, dies by the sword." He also convinced my sister who had just lost everything in a bad divorce not to go into prostitution. He was a really great guy and I loved him.
   
   Bob Todd
   formerly Roberto Scalzitti



3. One of the most esteemed JFK assassination researchers, Dr. Peter Dale Scott has long been intrigued by the life and times of Richard Cain.
   As both a respected cop and a ruthless murderer, Cain personified Scott's assertion that "deep politics," the shady nexus of elected power-brokers and underworld forces, determined the course of history in the 20th century.
   
   As a made member of the Chicago Outfit who also rose to the position of Chief of Special Investigations for the Cook County Sheriff's Police, Cain clearly operated as a deep political player.
   
   This new biography of Cain reveals that he was also an international operator whose travels took him to Mexico, Japan, Colombia and Cuba.
   Although he has occasionally been named as a possible shooter and/or conspirator in the JFK hit, Cain is apparently exonerated by this new bio.
   
   The book, with the wordy title "The Tangled Web: The Life and Death of Richard Cain - Chicago Cop and Mafia Hitman," was written by Cain's half-brother, Michael J. Cain. It includes eight pages of photos.
   As a relative of his biographical subject, the author offers many personal observations of Cain as an aspiring Chicago PD cop along with plenty of family history. One amusing anecdote has Cain and his police partner attempting to stab a dead wino's body so they could call in the homicide cops to take the stiff off their hands.
   
   Before Dick Cain rose through the CPD ranks and, in the 1950s, became a bag man for the Outfit delivering payoffs to fellow police officers while guarding the interests of his best friend, Sam Giancana.
   As his focus grew national, Cain mastered the operation of the polygraph machine and also became an adept wiretapper, two talents that well-served both his upperworld and his underworld bosses. Cain taught those skills to Mexican authorities and also had considerable contact with CIA operatives whom he hoped to impress with his investigative capabilities.
   
   In a chapter barely more than four pages long, the author deals with the JFK allegations by claiming that on the afternoon of Nov. 22, 1963 Dick Cain was waiting to testify to a grand jury in Chicago. But since he has turned up only one witness to that scenario, Michael Cain's mind remains open. "I welcome any new evidence," he wrote.
   
   Anti-Outfit politicians and Judge Julius Hoffmann (famous for his role in the Chicago Eight trial) sent Dick Cain in prison during the late-1960s, but by 1973 he was back on the street and still scuffling between the Outfit and the Feds. Giancana had been exiled to Mexico, so Cain took up with a burglary crew led by Marshall Caifano, who may have eventually engineered Cain's murder in December '73, at Rose's Sandwich Shop, about a mile from The Loop.
   
   "Corrupt cops lead complicated lives," the author writes, and later, "Dick Cain was a complicated guy, to say the least."
   Even though "The Tangled Web" makes few direct contributions to our knowledge of what occurred in Dallas, it paints a vivid portrait of the deep political corruption that was epidemic in major metropolitan centers during the 1950s and '60s.
   
   For that alone, the book sheds important light on a world previously cloaked in darkness, a world in which the killing of a president and the cover-up of his murder was no longer unthinkable but actually inevitable.



4. I picked this up on a recommendation from a friend, and could not be more pleased that I did. Written by Michael J. Cain, this is the account of Richard Cain's life and times in crime. A Mafia solder for Sam Giancana, Cain worked both for and against the law to further his agenda. This is such a fun, interesting read that anyone can enjoy.



5. Compelling! The Tangled Web is my first ever "mob book". The pace certainly propelled me though it fighting off sleep to do so. The author's use of crime terminology brought realism to the page. His desciptive narrative brought color to the black and white of the time period.
   I am a fan of murder mysteries which this was not. At times I thought the story was influenced by the fact that the author was also his brother and was "easy" on this corrupt man. Possibly he has been "too easy" on this character, Dick Cain, I thought but the last chapter changed my thinking. Dick Cain was clearly a sociopath from my perspective and they often have ingratiating personalities thus the portrayal.
   Michael Cain writes brilliantly particularly noting his extensively poignant vocabulary. I do hope he continues to express himself with his writing talent.
   The plan is to send this off to a friend who is anxious to read the book in Detriot. Linda Jean

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

1. Arthur Bilek has truly pulled out all the stops in his coverage of Big Jim Colosimo and his reign as "the first vice lord" of the Chicago Levee. Author Bilek has used a very comprehensive bibliography of books and other types of periodicals to put this book together. Mr. Bilek states on page 65 that Marshall Field Jr. did, indeed, commit suicide in his home, and was not shot in a bordello and moved home as stated in Sex in the Second City by Karen Abbott. Some individuals incorrectly assumed that Colosimo was the head of the mafia in Chicago, but since Big Jim was not Sicilian he was, therefore, excluded. The book provides a vivid description of the goings on inside Colosimo's Cafe at the height of its popularity. Big Jim making the rounds of the tables and mingling with the customers and everything coming to a halt when Dale Winter would step beside the grand piano and begin to sing. Al Jolson, George M. Cohan, and other celebrities could often be found amongst the crowd. A stage occupied the front of the first floor with a dance floor which could be hydraulically raised or lowered. Colosimo brought about his own demise by divorcing his wife to marry Dale Winter. Jim remained oblivious to Torrio's warnings due to his head-over-heels affair with his new love. The book covers such characters as the Mutt and Jeff aldermen "Bathhouse" John Coughlin and Michael "Hinky Dink" Kenna, the Everleigh sisters, Ada and Minna, and crooked mayor Big Bill Thompson. The book goes into great detail regarding the First Ward where the notorious Levee with its brothels was located. Women led the movement against the sale of alcohol due to its negative influence on families. In addition religious leaders conducted prayer services on the streets of the levee. The advent of the automobile brought prostitution to the outskirts of the city in what became known as roadhouses. Author Bilek notes that in 1962 sheriff Richard Oglivie appointed an incorruptible chief of police named Arthur Bilek (yes, the author) who shut down Cook County. I did find one minor error in the book. Mr. Bilek states that Dean O'Banion's flower shop was located on Clark Street across from Holy Name Cathedral (page 270). The correct street, of course, is State Street. I like the "Glossary of Period Terms" in the Appendix which provide definitions of words appropriate to the time period. Also, the Epilogue gives the reader a "what happened" to the people and places in the book after Big Jim's demise. Special photos that were interesting to me were a map of the First Ward and the South Side Levee in addition to photos of the outside and inside of Colosimo's Cafe. Author Arthur Bilek has provided the reader with a first rate biography of Big Jim Colosimo, and if you enjoy reading about American social history, albeit infamous, this book should be in your library.

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 Blackbeard: America's Most Notorious Pirate.

1. This is a grand tale of Blackbeard and piracy in the Caribbean in the early 1700's. Working against limited and sometimes contradictory historical records, the author creates a great story and divines the truth of what actually happened in that period of time. Most of all, this is a well written book that encourages you to flip to the next page. The narration is crisp and paints a vivid picture of the times. The research is well done and draws the complete scene, understanding the main people, their motivating factors, and how they all collated to form history
   
   Why I take off one star: While this is a very good book, actually only about half the book is about Blackbeard himself. The book really doesn't start talking about Blackbeard as the main topic until about page one hundred (of 300 pages) There are really no swashbuckling tales of grand pirate fights, of trading canon blasts and boarding ships in epic swordfights. Most pirates were just actually gangs of thugs who used boats as their vehicles and canons as their means of intimidation. They scared and cowed their victims into submission, and were sensible enough to run when the force of authority came into view. The book is more about the business, conditions, and times of piracy, then of the individual pirates themselves and any great seafaring stories. Therefore, the real story is a lot less than the often romanticized tales of piracy. There's actually less interesting material to craft a story than one would expect.
   
   The most compelling moment in the book is near the end, when Blackbeard meets the might of her Majesties Royal Navy. Standing up to the fight, this is a Hollywood scene when Blackbeard engages his opponents in a ship vs. ship battle. The Navy plants a trap to egg Blackbeard into boarding one of her ships, and Blackbeard takes the bait. A blood thirsty battle then ensues as the weapons come out and the men going at it in a classic hand-to-hand fight. At the end, the deck is stained red from all of the blood, and Blackbeard's head is hanging from the mask!



2. This is an outstanding book on Blackbeard.Follows his life from start as a privateer to his life as a pirate. A must for anyone interested in Blackbeard and the pirates who served with him.



3. Konstam does a nice job of summarizing the place of pirates in naval history. The age of piracy existed for only a very short time in the early 1700s. Blackbeard as a pirate existed only for a little over two years. Pirates plundered ships of their wealth and most often let their prey go after taking anything of ready value. They did not make the crew walk the plank. In fact, merchant seaman often joined them from the ships that were plundered.
   
   The author does a nice job of detailing the life of pirates and trying to piece together the life of Edmund Teach (Blackbeard). However his long explanations and detailed analysis did not lend itself to the flow of the book. I found the reading somewhat difficult going through. The book obviously lacked some flow. I give the author high marks for the thorough research on his subject.
   
   This is an OK read. There are several books about pirates on the library shelf, and all lend themselves to an explanation of the age of piracy.



4. Honestly I'm shocked that such a renowned author would write so little about the subject in the book's title. This was a book about piracy in general but the exploits of Blackbeard appear in maybe half the book with nothing particularly new to learn.
   
   But what bothered me most was when the crew of Blackbeard was to be tried and hung for piracy. Mr. Konstam constantly referred to the four black pirates of the crew as "African-American". This is certainly premature as the USA (which is the American part of African-American) wouldn't even come into existence for another 60+ years! These black pirates were African not African-American. I HATE political correctness!
   AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!



5. Blackbeard: America's Most Notorious Pirate is a great book on Edward Teach, he certainly was the most fright-inducing pirate that ever lived... bar none! This is a great pirate book!