1 comments about Tales Behind the Tombstones: The Deaths and Burials of the Old West's Most Nefarious Outlaws, Notorious Women, and Celebrated Lawmen.

1. I just recieved this book as a gift, and once I started reading it I just could not put it down. The book is full of facinating stories that while factual are still entertaining. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in The Old West. PS this would make a great "bathroom book" as each chapter is a seperate story, if you can stop after just one!

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 You Can't Win.

1. Rare is the book that so vividly captures the spirit of a time and a segment of society. This book does all that and more. We've all heard the classic stories of the Wild West. Gunslingers, bank robbers, saloons and lawmen.
   
   "You Can't Win" covers the less visible people who got by hopping trains, busting safes, and burgling folks, innocent or not so. They had their own code of ethics, which were enforced by this tight group of vagabonds. This lifestyle is not romanticised, but you find yourself rooting for the characters, and bemoaning their losses, even though they were criminals.
   
   It was a tough life for many people. Reading about their stories through the eyes of one of their own (Jack Black), helps us better understand the lives led by thousands of people during the early maturation of the U.S. in the west.
   
   Once started, it is a very hard book to put down. I wish there were more books written as well as this one that detail the underbelly of society. It's a big part of U.S. history, just not well publicized.



2. A true story about a house burglar in the Twenties who escaped the law by riding the train to another town where he did the same thing again. It's Americana at it's best. Someone ought to write a ballad about this man using his words. "There's a lot of law at the end of a rope." "A hang man may be your only hope." "In a blind alley you shoot and shoot first." "Old grudges are opened. Old hates are revived. Stool pidgeon's beaten and the turn key's denied." "No one is eating the damned hang man's stew." "I never borrowed money I could not pay back."
   Hobo's are not derilicts and after you read You Can't Win you may feel the same. It is a great book that admonishes the prison system where there is no cure for the human condition if you put the human in a jail cell.
   He ended up working for a library in San Francisco. How he died nobody knows.



3. I thought this was a tip-top book. Blacky's adventures out West and in Canada around the turn of the century were very intruiging. I just wish there were more books written by him and not so much of a mystery of what happened to him later in life. Or maybe that's what makes him so appealing. I agree with several others about the "extras" at the end of the book. Especially his article that appeared in Harpers. That could've have been written today.



4. My son, who this book was purchased for, enjoyed this book very much. Thank you.



5. This is an amazing story that drags you into this guy's lonely world. Sexy, it ain't. It's a man's, man's world. It's obvious this guy did some hard time getting all the details down. I guess living it would allow you plenty of ammunition. After reading I had acquired a whole new paranoia regarding breaking and entering. It's depressing and lonely and stark. This is a book that needs to live on and on.

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 053803: Life at Fifteen.

1. AN INTERESTING TRUE TAIL OF LIFE IN JAIL, SURVIVAL,AND CONQUEST.
   KEPT ME READING TO FIND OUT WHAT AND HOW THIS YOUNG MAN WOULD DO NEXT.FUNNY,SOMBER,AND GRIPPING. GOOD READING



2. I personally know the author and got to know him prior to knowing anything about his past or the contents of this book. He is a loyal and true friend who would literally give you the shirt off his back or the last dollar in his pocket. The book is written the exact way that Robert would tell you the story, adding some humor and leaving out not one detail regardless of its content. I received the book yesterday and haven't been able to put it down yet! It's a must read! I am a high special education reading teacher who is considering using this book in my class this year. My student's love easy to read, high interest, true stories. Buy the book, it's worth every penny!!!!



3. Listed in the National Criminal Justice Referral Service Library as a study aid for its social and educational value. Currently on the reading list at multiple Florida High Schools for its appeal to students that do not normally like to read.
   
   NCJRS abstract:
   
   Written in the first person, the author begins his story just before he committed the crime of armed robbery with his accomplice, Zig. At the age of 15 years, Robert Gagnon, the author, walked into a savings and loan bank in Fort Lauderdale on December 19, 1975 and robbed the bank. As he left, the manager attacked him from behind and in the midst of the fight, Gagnon shot and critically injured the manager. After he and his partner were questioned by police, Gagnon took full responsibility for the crime, even adopting the media account of what had occurred, in an effort to save his partner who was an adult. Gagnon writes that he was convinced the State would only sentence him to 1 to 5 years imprisonment, but instead he was sentenced to spend the rest of his natural life in a Florida State prison with a minimum of 3 years before parole. His story of life in confinement begins. He mainly focuses on life with his fellow inmates and the lessons learned from some of the "old convicts." He tells of learning how to take care of himself in the midst of dangerous offenders and of eluding the many "tricks" of law enforcement and corrections officers. Gagnon explains that convicts have different types of personalities and are referred to as "hustlers, dealers, players, and racists," to name a few; everyone is placed in a category. He recalls a prison riot in 1982 and about the lost feeling he had after being released following nearly 10 years in institutional confinement.



4. I've got to say, this book is one of the few books that I was able to read cover to cover, without wanting to put it down. I was drawn into the world of a young man sentenced to life in prison at the young age of 15. From beginning to end, this book held my attention to see just how the author used his instincts and wit to get himself out of many questionable and potentially dangerous situations. Far from boring, you will read about the true life interactions between inmates of all races, statuses and ages, the good the bad and the frustrating. I must say I love the way in which Mr.Gagnon wrote this memoir. The dialogue was excellent and he leaves out no details. Whether my heart was pounding with anticipation, or I was laughing out loud at his many comical actions and pranks, I felt I always knew what the author was thinking at any given moment. Through the crime, the trials, the fights, the riot and much more, you will be glad you chose to read this book.



5. Robert J. Gagnon has written a self-published book that is one of the best studies of the internal realities of American prisons to appear before the public. The book is so rich in texture and flavor, so informative and enlightening, and at the same time so entertainingly interesting to read that it deserves to be revised and published by a major publishing house, giving it the chance for the PR and distribution it so justly deserves.
   
   At age 15 author Robert Gagnon participated in a bank robbery to obtain money to support his drug and alcohol habit, a major mistake in the first place, made more consequential by the shooting of the bank manager. Even as a juvenile he was tried as an adult and sentenced to life imprisonment in Florida. It is this experience of moving from prison to prison from 1975 to 1985 when he was eventually paroled that serve as the diary or memoir of this stunning book. Written long after this life altering experience, Gagnon writes reflectively but with a keen sense of atmosphere and attention to detail that makes reading this book a mesmerizing experience. There is more to learn about the prison mentality from the perspectives of both inmates and law officers than other more famous novels about prison life.
   
   Though we know very little about the current life of the author, we can only appreciate that this man has developed into a sensitive chronicler with writing skills that would suggest this is not a first book. Perhaps writing the book years after the experience has given him insight and philosophical musings not readily apparent in the mind of a fifteen year old felon, but the degree of sophistication with which he relates 053803:LIFE AT FIFTEEN has moments of rather profound insight into the tribal life system that pervades the prisons across the country. 'Few people like to admit it but man is an animal before he's a human being. Animals have only two reactions to attacks, fight and flee. What makes people human is the ability to reason. An animal in a trap will chew off its own paw to escape, whereas a human knows to wait and see if it can fool the trapper'. 'Humans...have been away from the jungle a little but too long. Very few of us could survive without the most basic of tools, in the very least a knife. Since we've killed off or restrained most of our natural enemies, our worst threat is each other. The rules of civilization have domesticated people by using the fear of discipline to stifle the instincts of the masses.' But in addition to these reflections, Gagnon describes in raw detail the day to day life of the prisoner - details that include not only some fairly horrific events but also include an odd, twisted humor and the overall obsession of surviving the life that each of these men endure. It is frank, it is informative, it is gory, and it is all true. The fifteen-year-old Robert comes across as a rather amazing survivor and as a lad with skills of adjustment and intuition far beyond his years - even in an adult prison.
   
   Yes, there are problems with a self published book: despite a fine cover with a photograph of the confinement wall of the prison, the layout of the pages is cramped without the usual paragraph placement, the punctuation and spelling could benefit from an editor's hand, and the flow of the pages is often disrupted by illogical spacing. But the story is so very well written that this raw version of 053803:LIFE AT FIFTEEN could serve as a fine manuscript for a major publishing house to polish into what seems to be a surefire success on the wider market of bookstores and with PR in the right places. Robert J. Gagnon is a very fine author. Hopefully this book will flourish in a more refined format. It most assuredly deserves it. Grady Harp, July 08

5 comments about The Life of John Wesley Hardin As Written by Himself.

1. Hardin begins his narrative by acknowledging that he is very much a product of a particular time and place, a particular culture. He does not see any reason why he should attempt to transcend that, let alone apologize for it. He accepts himself for what he is and expects everyone else to do the same. He is above all a man of violence, ready and able to resolve all conflicts with physical - if necessary, deadly - force. Raised in Reconstruction Texas, he finds plenty to fuel his resentment, including carpetbagger politicians from the north and newly emancipated slaves appointed as police officers (an unquestioning racialism was part of his heritage). Nor is it in his nature to run from a fight. When he hears that Wild Bill Hickok, then Marshall of Abilene, has threatened to kill him if he ever sets foot in the town, what does he do? Goes immediately to Abilene of course, to face him. I would have been inclined to go anywhere but.
   
   Tough, fearless, uncompromising and cunning (at one point, he pretends to cry, in order to throw his captors off-guard) with an uncontrollable temper, he became the most formidable gunfighter of the Old West. How many men he killed no one knows for sure. Not even he knew. It was at least 20, probably 40 or more.
   
   His life story has the strengths and weaknesses common to all autobiographies: it is the authentic voice, but it tells us a selective and heavily slanted story. It remains an invaluable primary source and should be required reading for anyone seriously interested in the history of the American West. Although not great literature, it is well written. The Western Frontier Library edition is good, with a useful introduction and postscript, but I would have liked a few footnotes, to save me having to go online for explanations of 'headright' and 'galluses', etc.



2. The autobiography of John Wesley Hardin would be illuminating if it was not one long tedious, blow-by-blow account of the man's life. Even though there is a brawl, a gunfight, or a mad chase on nearly every page the book manages to be excruciatingly dull. The reason? Stilted, cumbersome, self-absorbed writing. It is hard to find value in this work even as primary source history because there is not really much history there.



3. Although this book is far from objective and the author tries to justify the many murders that he commited, this is still a good book for someone interested in western history or western gunfighters. John Wesley Hardin was possibly the most notorious and most prolific killer of the era.
   While this book is not the most objective it does give a good insight into the subject's thinking. It is also the only way to track Mr. Hardin through some periods of his life



4. How could I not give 5 stars to a crack-shot gunslinger who murdered numerous men then became a lawyer and actually wrote a book about his violent life?
   I've read the other reviews so I will try not to repeat anything you've already read. It's rumored John W. Hardin didn't write the book! Considering what I already said about becoming a lawyer I can't see how he wouldn't have been able to write it himself. I'm not sure when he started or how long it took him but he was able to pinpoint some of the dates so I'd have to say he kept some kind of a diary or guessed in order to appear more authentic.
   If/when you read the book maybe you'll notice his writing seems to get better as the book progresses. At the beginning some paragraphs last more than a couple pages with him changing the subject throughout. Well before the end, however, the writing improves greatly. But I believe it was all written by the same person because the style didn't really change. Maybe if he had lived longer he would have gone back and re-wrote the earlier part of the book to match the style of the later parts when he became more educated.
   I remember hearing how he "was so mean he once shot a man for snoring." Hardin never mentions this but I believe it was the part about killing the guy who tried to sneak into his room to take his pants and then fleeing in his underwear and running around trying to elude Wild Bill Hickok and his men. Seems if Hardin killed the guy for the reason he specified he wouldn't have needed to run away especially since he and Wild Bill shared a respect for one another.
   His point of view on all the events may have not have been 100% true but it tends to validate the type of person he was... And it's all in his own words.



5. 
   Many thanks for splendid item & price, and professional service. KN

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.

5 comments about Mr. Untouchable: My Crimes and Punishments.

1. This is a great book tells how the drug trade was done when Heroin was King of New York before crack cocaine. Nicky Barnes could have been the Ceo of a Fortune 500 company with his business sense. but he went down the wrong road and it cost him 30 years of his life and Betrayal from his Women and his crew. i would highly recommend this book



2. 
   This book is something else. I picked it up not knowing too much about Nicky Barnes, but the stories I'd heard about him really intrigued me.
   After reading the book I decided I really don't like him.
   Not only was he a drug dealer, but he seems to be a very bitter man. He doesn't seem to have a kind word to say about anyone. Not only did he snitch on his enemies, he also snitched on his so-called friends, and even his girlfriend. Then he talks about how sad he was that she died. But he was getting ready to send her to prison for life.
   What kind of love is that?
   What kind of man is that?
   Not a very a nice one. Even if he wasn't a drug dealer I wouldn't like him. He's just not a very nice person.



3. Those looking for more on Harlem gangsters should check out Harlem Godfather: The Rap on my Husband, Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson which I co-authored with Bumpy Johnson's 93-year-old widow, Mayme Hatcher Johnson.
   
   I was born and raised in Harlem, and so I related to many of the things depcited by Barnes is his very well-written book, Mr. Untouchable. I found it interesting that Barnes still seems to be so very bitter after all these years, even after exacting his revenge by turning his former friends in.
   
   And I have to say, I ALWAYS wondered why Barnes decided to pose for those New York Times -- now I know! Very informative book!



4. You can tell that Nicky wrote this and thats the beauty of this book, or he employed a very good ghost writer. Because his voice steamrolls thru everything. I would have hoped that he would have gotten the electric chair at the end because he deserves that. this book may have benefitted from some photos.



5. I picked up this book the last week of May and I finished it in 3 days!! This book was well written and a definite page turner. Not often found in most memoirs or biographies.
   
   I'm not one to read many biographies or memoirs, or at least until recently. I was surprised at how intriguing and interesting this book was. The narrative voice drew me in.
   
   If you don't know much about Nicky Barnes, the basics will do: He's a notorious drug-addict turned drug-kingpin from one of New York's most fam...more I picked up this book the last week of May and I finished it in 3 days!! This book was well written and a definite page turner. Not often found in most memoirs or biographies.
   
   I'm not one to read many biographies or memoirs, or at least until recently. I was surprised at how intriguing and interesting this book was. The narrative voice drew me in.
   
   If you don't know much about Nicky Barnes, the basics will do: He's a notorious drug-addict turned drug-kingpin from one of New York's most famous neighborhoods, Harlem. After 10 years in the life of narcotics, Barnes, deemed "Mr. Untouchable" by the cops because of the legal system's inability to convict him. It all came to an end after Barnes posed for the famous cover of the NYT Magazine. President Carter sent the Feds after him and Barnes was incarcerated for life without parole.
   
   Barnes' story didn't end there, however. He went on to set up and entrap hundreds of fellow colleagues including members of his version of the Black Mafia, called "The Council," and two of his main women.
   
   Barnes takes readers on a wild ride journey. One that he begins at the height of his career before the big fall. He segues from prison into the earliest days of his life in Harlem, his years as a junkie, several prison terms and finally his beginnings as a drug kingpin. The final act of the book (one of three acts), focuses on his last years in prison and the downfall of his organization, and his decision to snitch and how he went about it.
   
   The details of the novel were quite enjoyable. Barnes doesn't hold back when it comes to the material goods he enjoyed during his days at the top. His Maserati-Citroen, the various penthouse apartments across the city and tri-state area, the fine liquor and drugs he inhaled and the designer duds he and his women wore.
   
   What was most charming about Barnes' story was the incredibly charming narration. Barnes was witty and funny, qualities one would not expect from one of the top heroin sellers of his day. For those of us not born during his generation, it's hard to imagine that this is the same man that had helped destroy a whole community of families. But one in which we must not forget.
   
   Lastly, one of my complaints about the memoir was that I felt that Barnes conveniently gives the reader anecdotes and history about his fellow Council members that portray them as inadequate and often goofy compared to himself. It helps to create this pile of infractions that would inevitably lead Barnes to set up and take out his "brothers" in the Council. Barnes portrays himself as really not having a choice in his final decisions. To be honest, I'm just not that convinced.
   
   Overall, I give this book 4 of 5 stars. There was a lot unsaid in this memoir, but it was a good read and I recommend it.

5 comments about Purgatory: A Prison Diary Volume 2 (A Prison Diary).

1. While passing through the airport in London two years ago I had a six hour layover and decided to look around the bookstore where I found a book called "Prisoner FF8282" by some author named Jeffrey Archer.
   
   Since I speak english (American) and am not English I did not know who this Sir Archer is or was. I, however, purchased the book, and, proceeded up to the BA business lounge where I proceeded to begin, reading this book. I, did, finish, the first book "Prisoner FF8282" before I arrived on my nonstop, flight to New York. Sir Archer is a great, author, who, knows, how, to write, a, diary, of, the, workings, and, goings, on, inside, prison. I took pause, upon, arriving home to, re-read, the book and enjoyed it, even, more, the, second, time.
   
   Now, out comes the second Prison Diary from Archer. Again,,, I loved the second installment. In it he details his stay at the second prison called Wayland that sounds pleasant but is far from it. Several House of Lords Sirs visited Sir Archer and were shocked to find that the food was bad, the bedding dirty, and two inmates have to share each cell.
   
   Mr. Archer ended up involved in several fights where he had to defend himself from advances from other inmates. In one horrible incident Mr. Archer had to use a snooker ball (pool ball for we American's)) in a white sock to keep a mentally retarded (his wording, not mine) inmate from entering his cell and having his way. Keep in mind that Mr. Archer is 73 years old and had every right to protect his and what is his.
   
   Jeffrey Archer is to be applauded for his writing skills and dedication to sit each day and document the cummings and goings inside the three prisons.
   
   Each book in the series has received five plus stars from the New York Prison Diary Book Reading Club that I volunteer for.
   
   Should you ever find yourself convicted and on the way to prison the ten books in this series are must read to know the in's and out's of prison routine and unroutine and how to get through your sentance without being violated or made to do things that you generally wouldn't do, even if paid.
   
   I highly recommend this book to all Amazon customers that read books. This book and the other nine in the series are gripping.
   
   I would recommend that you purchase each of the ten in the series... all are well worth reading.



2. Prison is boring, unpleasant. This book is boring, but not unpleasant. That is the lesson learned from reading this book. Archer spends so much of his time objecting to and fighting his conviction to really analyze prison life other than to make a few facile observations on the unintended consequences of some laws and prison practices.
   
   Archer has a few admiring reviews. From the Independent on Sunday: "The finest thing that he's ever written." From The Washington Post: "A tale that is not only important but true." These read more like sarcasm than praise. Just read them again, and scratch your head.
   
   Archer has written some readable fiction. I've read and enjoyed many of his novels and short stories. He can write well enough. Regardless of your perspective on whether or not he should be in jail, or deserved to be convicted, my conclusion is that Archer should stick to fiction.



3. archer has written a book that gives us a clear insite into the workings of a c-cat prison its easy reading with interesting characters full of dark humour a bit showy when he states that he can do 2000 miles or kms on a rowing machine(they are really hard and tiring) in 10 minutes though read them from the start as you won't have experiences hell and you know that would be cheating



4. I have to disagree with some of the other reviews. I find this book very easy to read, not boring at all. I could not put it down.
   
   I'm no big fan of Jeffrey Archer, but this Second Book does go into more of the dark side of British Jails and Prisons. The drugs, the violence.... the way the inmates stick together, swapping Mar's bars for Phone Cards.. Very good.



5. I read this trilogy out of order and Purgatory was the last one I read. The first I read was the finale Heaven which is where this edition leads up to. I must admit I have formed a totally different opinion of Archer than I had after reading Heaven. I actually felt sorry for him after Heaven but after reading the initial and more to the point this Volume II edition my opinion has drastically changed That empathy disappeared after the first diary series Hell, and has transformed into disgust with Purgatory as this edition highlights what a selfish and uncaring about his fellow man type of individual Lord Archer really is.
   
   His pathetic refusal to drink tap water (where does he think bottled water comes from anyway) and eat the every day food that every other prisoner does continues on from the first novel. He disgustingly avoids doing this in his new prison by purchasing with his money from the outside world additional water, chocolate and other food as well as phone cards, additional pillows, blankets, towels and other luxuries from the prison black market. He never once mentions remorse for these actions even though obviously his supplier Dale isn't going to the local Tesco Supermarket and purchasing these items. Obviously other prisoners are either swapping these items for drugs or being severely beaten and threatened for them and having to do without just so Archer can be more comfortable and not have to lower himself to do things like drink tap water. Even though he always has visitors he has no problem with purchasing phone cards the same way even though the victims' phone cards he is using may have no other way to communicate with their loved ones. When he is caught by the prison officials he tries to evoke the feeling of pity for him from his readers for these repulsive actions, it is just disgraceful!
   
   If he'd at least acknowledged the detrimental outcomes for others as a result of his selfish behaviour I would have at least given him some credence but he never mentions this once in his diaries. He is however quick to criticise any prison official who doesn't provide him with special treatment such as the guard who told him he could be put on report for going into the enhanced wing that every other prisoner has to wait three months or so on good behaviour to visit, let alone live there which he shortly there after is granted. I find it hard to fathom how he constantly complains about the papers saying he is given special treatment when that is exactly what happens and he uses the media as an excuse for everything such as demanding his own cell, as his cell mates will talk to the papers if he has to share. He never once criticises himself or his actions for being in prison, always maintaining he is a victim and his sentence will be overruled in the near future which history has proven never happened.
   
   Other unique aspects of this edition to the others are that Archer befriends a Columbian prisoner to get the prisoner's brother smuggle out an emerald from his homeland and sell it to Archer so he can save ten to twenty thousand pounds. He also wanted a painting from a Columbian artist at a much cheaper price as his prison buddy's relatives knew the Columbian family selling it and could convince them (which obviously would have involved threatening them) but thankfully this turned out to be all talk. Either Archer is extremely naive and stupid from living such a privileged and sheltered life, or an extremely selfish individual prepared to live of the misery of others to further himself and live more comfortably. Obviously Britain doesn't have the law that criminals can't profit from their crimes that Australia and other countries do. Although this does result in an interesting look for readers into prison life for the wealthy. It is just a shame Archer is allowed to make money from these books. Surely he could donate proceeds to a childrens' hospital or victims of crime groups or something but I guess as he proved by actions in this book, he has no conscience.

5 comments about Did Lizzie Borden Axe for It?.

1. I have both versions of this book. The first (original) one is well-written and well-edited without those editing eyesores that appear in this later version with 100 mores pages added. I can only assume they were too eager to get the book out in the latter edition and forgot to correct a few things. But even with the errors, this is a substantial and formidable work on Lizzie Borden with all that's in it and all it has to offer. If you can overlook the rough edges, and you have an interest in the subject of the book, you'll be much intrigued and entertained. Lots of food for thought.



2. I am a great fan of Mr. Rehak. I have read all of his books, and he has not disappointed me yet. It is obvious from reading the book that Mr. Rehak did a considerable amount of research. But, what sets this book apart from the others that have been written about Lizzie is the "extra step" that Mr. Rehak takes in making the story all his with that glorious story telling that he weaves into all his books. He is a very talented writer with a wonderful sense of humor. I am looking forward to his next book. (Yes, I think Lizzie did it.)



3. I recently finished reading David Rehak's book; "DID LIZZIE BORDEN AXE FOR IT?"
   As the "fly-sheet" indicates, this book on Lizzie Borden is a collection of facts and poses no theory or specific agenda regarding the murders.
   It would have been better if, Rehak had put a little more of himself and ideas into the book.
   
   Rehak delivers a "semi-truck" full of accumulated factual information and then...dumps the entire load onto the reader with little or, no mercy. Trying to dig oneself out from underneath this mountain of information to understand what is pertinent and what is not, seems a rather hopless task.
   
   The author also seems to simply by-pass some informational leads because "he" feels the story has nothing supporting it's validity. For instance; he mentions (on page65-66) an old nurse who, in 1984 claimed she had cared for Lizzie Borden in 1926 (the year before Lizzie's death). The nurse claimed Lizzie had confided in her that one of her "boyfriends" (if she ever had any),David Anthony had in fact, committed the crimes. This man, according to the author, was later identified (by whom?), but died in 1924. Mr. Rehak dismisses this entire story seemingly because suspect, David Anthony would have only been 22 years old at the time of the crime while Lizzie would have been 32.
   
   Despite all of this; David Rehak has published not a literary masterpiece, but a much better reference book for all of us "arm-chair" detectives to call upon when the trail gets even colder.
   
   Did Lizzie Axe for it? I think, she asked someone else "to Axe for her."



4. I had the privilege of editing the first version of this book for author David Rehak. This is an excellent, updated version with a new cover that I find appropriate for the book's content.
   
   Did Lizzie Borden Axe For It? is Rehak's first nonfiction book, for which he did extensive research. Rehak discovered many new facts about Lizzie Borden, and to lighten the serious nature of the book, he also wrote some humorous skits. At first thought, one would tend to think humor wouldn't work in a book like this, but he pulls it off ... somehow. I found the break from gore to humor to be a welcome relief. (Well, it works in the best horror movies, doesn't it?)
   
   Even if you're not into "Bordenia," which I'm not, you will be intrigued by this book. It's different, to say the least. I learned new things about Lizzie Borden that haven't been brought to light before, and the previously unpublished photos add more mystery to the content.
   
   Someone once wrote of Rehak: "He dares to go where most authors fear to tread." And I agree: In his fictitious works, he writes about many taboo subjects. This nonfiction book about Lizzie Borden seems natural for his unique skills.
   
   Reviewed by: Betty Dravis, 2008
   Author of: Millennium Babe: The Prophecy



5. 
   There are many unsolved murders in history, but few hold the public interest like the 1892 slayings of Andrew and Abby Borden in Fall River, Massachusetts. Lizzie, 32 years old at the time, was tried for the murders and found innocent but as David Rehak points out, her acquittal was never fully endorsed by public opinion. He proposes that the story lives on in part because the public sees Lizzie as either (a) having acted out their own fantasy of retribution, or else (b) as a symbol of gross suspicion and injustice. There was family disharmony, a large inheritance under dispute, a suspect of unblemished reputation, and a mountain of fact and speculation that defied integration into a sound case.
   
   Did Lizzie Borden Axe for It? is a compendium of Bordenia that is sure to enlighten all with an interest in this mystifying case. David Rehak, known for his works of fiction, developed an interest in the case and researched meticulously before presenting this book. The current edition has been amplified and re-issued, and there are a few editing flaws in this new version that could have been addressed to bump my rank up to five stars. In spite of this, I found it an absorbing and extremely thorough canvass of the facts and speculations about the case. There are many photographs included, some of them previously unpublished.
   
   Starting with a thorough chronology of the fateful day in August 1892, Rehak goes on to examine the sometimes-confusing facts from the public record. Next he covers the speculation and rumor that emerged in his research. The suggestion of a never-revealed diary, theories about Lizzie's relationships and sexuality, and stories from her later life are detailed fastidiously. The sites and "shrines" associated with Lizzie's life and the murders are covered--the house where the Bordens lived and died is now a bed-and-breakfast hotel.
   
   The final section of the book is the most unusual. Rehak discusses a number of articles in print that relate to the case. He details the non-disclosure of case-related documents held by Lizzie's trial attorney which are protected by legal privilege. There is a challenge to this status from a number of parties, with the argument being made that historical interest trumps privilege in this case, with all participants being long dead. Will we ever see the contents of the five file drawers secured in a law firm in Springfield, Massachusetts?
   
   As a final serving of Bordenia, the book finishes with some fictional writings featuring Lizzie and the case. Here the speculations are given free rein! It's an entertaining finish to a sad story. Our desire to know what actually happened to Andrew and Abby Borden may never be satisfied, but Did Lizzie Borden Axe for It? takes the discussion forward in a most entertaining fashion.
   
   Linda Bulger, 2008