No comments about Stalking Billy the Kid.

No comments about Communist Councilman from Harlem: Autobiographical Notes Written in a Federal Penitentiary.

4 comments about Joe Dogs: The Life & Crimes of a Mobster.

1. the end, when he got a little too enthusiastic about ratting out his old pals. at least the other rats didn't feel so good about it. i guess its cuz they beat him up so bad, (undeservedly, in my opinion); but he still just seemed a little too into the "revenge by law" process that it turned my stomach to read the end of the book, from about the point of "bagging my first boss" onward. it was nauseating. but a decent easy read otherwise



2. This book is good, it does give details of rackets and all the moves that the guys in south florida were making, But if you read this book really well, you notice that Joe dogs was more of their Bitch then a guy they were willing to make a MADE MAN. By reading this book I can that they had no real respect for him, and only dealed with him because he lived down there and it made it easy for them to their business that way, during the hole book the mobsters were always flying back and forth to and from New York. Even the Family advisor did'nt like hime (joe N Gallo) and had him beat down(this is not good). The way Tom Argo talked and treated hime told me that, to them he was just a clown they were using to make a buck and would never make a MADE MAN.
   Good book but more like spider from goodfellas!!
   then donny brasco



3. Although you have to wonder just how much of this story was inflated by Joe Dogs, it still made for a great read. Joe makes no attempts to cover up the fact that he isn't a very good person but just tells his story like it is (with a few possible embellishments) in a way that can only pass for Joe Dogs' style. I have his "Mafia Cookbook" which includes some stories from his life as well.



4. this book is one of the funniest i've read since donnie brasco,not for the fan of shoot em up chop em up mob book.but funny the way joe dogs talks about "empty suits" when refering to FBI agents. The same incompetence donnie brasco found in his undercover work in the bonanno famiglia.good reading,couldn't put it down.

2 comments about Mafia Enforcer.

1. This is not one of the very best books written by an organized crime soldier, but it's unique and is particularly interesting for its portrayal of the growing interrelationship between Italian organized crime and outlaw bikers. Kirby's knowledge of and insights into biker gangs are much more interesting than his stories of the Italian mafia, because by his own account he seems to have been regarded as a sort of flunkie just because he wasn't Italian, despite doing many complicated jobs for the "family." It's interesting to see that xenophobic world from close-up but not, strictly speaking, from within. Another interesting fact about this book is that it's a bit mistitled -- the "mafia" is in fact the Calabrian organized crime group operating in eastern Canada, not what we usually think of as "The Mafia" -- that is to say, the sicilians. While there are many similarities and the two organizations often interact, it's not quite the same thing. While I can't say this was a drop-dead read like WISEGUY or THE VALACHI PAPERS or UNDERBOSS, it definitely belongs on any organized crime reader's shelf.



2. The story is told in first-person by a BIKER who eventually ends up doing dirty work for the Canadian Calabrian mafia. The first half of the book reminds us what a violent, criminal menace the bikers were in the 70's (I love that decade). From the barroom brawls, arson, robberies, extortion, and yes, murder---Cecil Kirby provides some authentic insight into Canada and its biker gangs. Then he goes on to describe how the mob used him to do some of the aforementioned crimes. You never for a moment doubt the narrator's honesty or viciousness but you do thank him for one hell of a story!

No comments about De la Prisión a la Alabanza.

No comments about In the Shadow of Papillon: Seven Years of Hell in Venezuela's Prison System.

5 comments about Agent 146: The True Story of a Nazi Spy in America.

1. A casual read of this book reveals its many inconsistencies. A careful read and a knowledge of US history reveals that this text is full of lies.
   
   Gimpel states that he has been referred to as The World's Most Dangerous Spy. A spy who appears to have never fired a shot at anyone and who claims to have never killed anyone is the world's most dangerous spy? Ha! Gimpel is merely trying to convince readers (and perhaps himself as well?)that he was an excellent spy, a lady's man, a master of several languages, and on and on. At the same time, his book details how he told his girlfriend in Berlin that he was leaving with an American to travel to the US. (The three of them go out drinking the night before his departure, and his girlfriend begs him to stay in Berlin with her, instead of going to America.) Why would a professional spy (and the world's most dangerous one at that) tell his girlfriend details of his upcoming trip to spy on a foreign nation? [Answer: either he didn't really tell her and is just lying to readers, or he did, indicating that he wasn't a very good spy.]
   
   The author reports that he spent several years in Alcatraz. He speaks highly of the dining hall, stating that "you could easily imagine yourself in a hotel." Ha! I have visited Alcatraz as a tourist, and can hardly imagine the dining hall being mistaken for a dining room in hotel. He mentions that Al Capone spent the last years of his life in Alcatraz. On the next page, he quotes someone on a tour boat traveling the waters off of The Rock as saying (over the loudspeaker) that Al Capone died of a brain tumor in Alcatraz. News flash: Capone was released from prison in 1939, spent some time in a hospital, then lived his last years at his estate in Florida, where he died in 1947. Even if Gimpel himself was unaware of this, his editor(s) should have caught this error.
   
   Alcatraz visitors could only be family members, and they were not allowed physical contact with prisoners. At one point (pp. 256-7) Gimpel says that he was visited by two men (neither of whom was related to him), and that they spoke to him in German. All visits in Alcatraz were monitored, and the prisoners instructed concerning topics which were not allowed to be discussed. Would the guards at the prison allow a prisoner and two visitors to carry on a conversation in a foreign language? Gimpel then goes on to say that during a second visit with these non-family members, he was allowed to visit with them in an ordinary room (no glass between them, no phones used for communication, etc.).
   
   The author talks about his former partner at one point being alone in New York and without money. A couple of pages later he speculates that the former partner "still had some money" (from the $5,000 that Gimpel gave him). Later in the text, he talks about how, after the two of them separated, his former partner went on a two-day drinking binge (difficult to do without money). So which is it: did he or did he not have money?
   
   I could go on and on detailing the problems and inconsistencies in Agent 146. In the end, once you start to see that the author is contradicting himself and in some cases outright lying to the reader, it is very difficult to believe anything that he has to say. Even the book jacket--printed in 2003--contains lies. To wit: that Gimpel was given a last-minute pardon, that he returned to Germany in 1947, and that he and his partner were the only Nazi spies to reach American soil.
   
   Save your time and money, and read one of the other books on WWII espionage such as Between Silk and Cyanide by Leo Marks or Behind the Lines by Russell Miller.



2. Erich Gimpel did not die in 1956 in Germany as the official review at top states. He was living in South America as of 2002, with photographic proof if one simply searches the web carefully enough. I don't know where that death date comes from, but as far as I know he was still living in his '90's even as of 2004.



3. I "read" this book as a book on tape. I found this book enjoyable to "read". If you want to read something interesting about clandestine spying in The US during WWII, read this! I think reading this book was "time well spent". Email:boland7214@aol.



4. Sure there are things in this book that question the credibility of the author, but isn't all history written looking back when memories, sometimes are not the best? Rose colored glasses are used when recalling impossible situations? I don't know. But what I am sure about is Agent 146 was impossible to put down. From start to finish I was captivated in the life of danger, the inside look at Nazi Germany and the hair raising cat and mouse chase through New York City. Maybe some of it is hyped up, maybe not, but I couldn't put this book down and I encourage anyone with any interest in World War II to read it!



5. Erich Gimpel narrates Walter Mitty-like escapad-es, with absolutely no corroboration Characters are imply initials or phoney names. Some incidentsreported simply did not happen, such as a "JoanKenneth" knocking at the Military Commissionhearing room, asking to testify in favor of Gimpel. The record of trial and witness list show no such appearance. Also, it would have been impossible tobreach the security at Governors Island. So beware! There are many more fictions presented as fact. Hisaccount of his escape attempt at Leavenworth doesnot jive with the Bureau of Prisons account, whichled to his transfer to Alcatraz.The "true" story of a spy in America? Not in my book. There is no record that he sent a single message (transmitter was never assembled---FBI found the parts in a box after his capture).His performance for the Abwehr was consistent with the failure of German intelligence throughout WW II.

5 comments about Pretty Boy.

1. If you are a fan of books about British gangsters/tough guys, you pretty much have to read this book, as Shaw is one of the most famous (or infamous) of that genre. Personally, this was not my favorite book of the genre. I liked it, but Shaw spent a lot of his life in prison, so naturally a large portion of the book talks about his time there and after a while it just got a little boring for me. I liked McLean's "The Guv'nor" better.



2. roy shaw's life story is a fascinating tale.his transformation from picked on boy to a machine of ferocity is amazing.he is one of the toughest men ever to breathe in britain.roy was the hardest man lenny "the guvnor" mclean ever met !!! this is a good read.



3. this book will pass your time while allowing you to gaze into the pit of dimentia. roy's adherence to his own brutal codes and his colorful memories of the characters that made up london's miscreants. his life was hard, and his choices make that very clear. not to "pop" this up too much but if you enjoy the sopranos you'll probably love roy shaw -- prettyboy.



4. Roy Shaw is a great character, with an amazing strength. This is how to prepare for a life on the streets, i recomend this to any teenager with an appatite for success.



5. I read this book in one sitting. It has a fascinatting account of all the trouble and strife Mr Shaw went through. A tale of overcomming the darkest mental and physical abuse of leading institutes , and of how he has made the transition from barenuckle boxer to successful businessman. Well worth the money and a great read

No comments about True Stories From Seattle.

1 comments about Laughing on the Inside: The Life and Crimes of Felon O'Reilly.

1. Felon O'Reilly's story is very powerful and his translation of it into a lesson for all is genius. This book is a must read for everyone. His uncanny sense of humor makes this a true page turner.