No comments about Stalking Billy the Kid.

4 comments about 12th And Mcgraw.

1. Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (7/07)
   
   I was immediately drawn into "12th & McGraw." In this autobiography, Forrest Haskell, Jr., tells the story of life with his father, Forrest Haskell, Sr. Although it was not an easy life, it was an incredibly interesting life. His father became successful by running several illegal operations. These included bootlegging, gambling, and loan sharking. The characters involved with his dad were incredibly interesting in their eccentricities. I really enjoyed reading about these people; they contributed to bringing the story to life. Mr. Haskell does an excellent job of describing these people and the places that they frequented.
   
   Mr. Haskell's father was raised by an unstable, verbally-abusive man. He chose to be a different kind of father. He raised Mr. Haskell with a good self-esteem and the belief that he could accomplish anything. This was really positive. Mr. Haskell passed this gift down to his own children. He also made the choice, as an adult, not to follow in his father's footsteps by getting involved in his illegal operations. His father was a good man in that he let his son make his own decisions. He wasn't so good in providing his son with a stable home environment. The mother of Forrest, Jr. was married to someone else when his father came into his life. His father was also married to another woman. Both women had to share him. This was incredibly painful for the women and their children.
   
   "12th & McGraw," is an incredibly interesting story that also offers several lessons on life. Parenting is a big one. Mr. Haskell, Jr. chose the positive aspects of his fathers parenting skills. He also learned from the painful lessons that his father taught in regards to the relationships. All of the children and the two mothers had to live with the pain of having to share their dad. As his dad slowed down later in life, he expressed regrets over the damage that he caused from his decisions. He also made peace with his own father prior to his death. This part of the story made me reflect upon my own life and realize that I need to live my life in such a way that I don't have huge regrets at the end. His father was sure that he was going to hell. That is not a very peaceful way to be at the end. He had a great adventure getting to this point in his life.
   
   I highly recommend this book. It would make a great Father's Day gift for a man that loves to read. I am really happy that I had a chance to enjoy "12th & McGraw."



2. A very good piece of non-fiction can found in Forrest Haskell's, 12th & McGraw. Haskell, a first-time scribe, immerses himself deep within his memories and returns with a story of if not better days, certainly different days; days responsible for exactly who and what Haskell is and perhaps isn't. It's ballsy move, laying your life out for public inspection, but coming from where Haskell comes from, it's the stand-up thing to do. 12th and McGraw is not the underworld send-up some may suggest, instead it is a fascinating slice of Americana. It is the story of a man, a boy and ulitimately a boy who became a man. 12th and McGraw, Forrest Haskell's midnight confession.



3. 12th & McGraw is one of those books that grabs you and won't let go! Because I know the author and his wife as wonderful acquaintances (and we would be good friends if we could spend more time together) I know the life he lived as a youngster still impacts him today. I can not imagine living through the adventures he describes, but they are certainly fun to read about. My ONLY criticism of the book is that it could use some additional editing. Having been a journalist all my life, I read everything entirely too critically. This book is not the only one I'd like to get my hands on. When Forrest talks of his lovely and wonderful wife "Nancy," he doesn't exaggerate at all. She's a living doll and, together, they have made a wonderful life for themselves and their family. I know that to be true. This book is exciting and Forrest has the ability to put his reader right in the middle of all the action. Give it a try. You won't be sorry.



4. Today, with the advent of self-published books there has been a proliferation of the personal narrative. It seems that everyone wants to join the bandwagon and recount his or her life story.
   
   The early chapters of 12th & McGraw, authored by Forrest Haskell Jr., gets off to a great start and succeeds in immediately hooking the reader.
   Forrest Haskell Jr. grew up in a tough Detroit neighborhood in the 40s and 50s born out of wedlock of a union between his French mother and her American lover, Forrest Haskell Sr.
   Although Forrest Sr. possessed incredible entrepreneurial skills, he was throughout his life involved in illicit criminal activities such as loan sharking, gambling, boot legging, bribing public officials, income tax evasion, and a slew of others.
   In addition, he also lived a double life fathering several children, while living alternatively on different days of the week with two women for over fifty years.
   One of these women was the author's mother. Ironically he could never be accused of bigamy, as he was only legally married to one of the women. Nonetheless, Forrest Sr. treated both women with equal respect and fulfilled his fatherly obligations to both of his families.
   
   There is no shortage of interesting characters in the book. At times you think that some of these individuals associated with Forrest Sr. were out of a Damon Runyon novel.
   One character in particular, Harry, would be comical if his life did not end so tragically.
   It seems that Harry had black rotten teeth worn down to the gums and he covered them with white adhesive tape. In fact, they were in such a horrible condition that he drank goats' milk, as he was unable to chew on solid food. Unfortunately, he passed away as a result of blood poisoning.
   
   The problem I found with this book is that it wanes toward the concluding chapters where the author seems to lose focus. He fails to elucidate why he did not follow in his father's footpath into a life of crime.
   We are informed that the author was very successful in his business as a distributor of photocopying machines, and that some of his father's entrepreneurial skills probably had rubbed off on him. Nonetheless, he never considered pursuing the same life style as his father. Personal narratives in order to be effective must clearly connect the meaning of experiences and how they played a role in the narrator's character.
   Although, the author does state from time to time that he did not exactly condone his father's criminal activities and also did not wish to inherit his money, he fails to show what was extraordinary or special about his experiences that would invoke universal interest. The reader is left with more questions than answers upon completion of the book's reading.
   
   Norm Goldman Editor of Bookpleasures.com

No comments about The Bonnot Gang: The Story Of The French Illegalists.

3 comments about A Devil Incarnate: From Altar Boy to Alcatraz--The Autobiography of William Radkay #666AZ.

1. William Radkay was an amazing storyteller and I felt so much internal pain as I read some of his words. To know all that he revealed about his early upbringing, his formative years seeing death in the face, his adoption and being cut off from his natural family obviously had everything to do with his defense mechanisms. He lived a brutal life not only physically but very much emotionally and I believe that he knew nothing more than just that. He even speculates that if he was allowed to live with his natural family how much different his life would have turned out to be. I felt that the book brought a very human side out, one that was hard not to like and somewhat understand, even though every crime deserves punishment, it makes you think beyond treating people in the way we do and maybe see them for who they are and what happened in their lives to make them become this way in the first place. Rather than this just being an angry rant about being victimized as a child, he uses this as a platform to say what was wrong in his life but yet, his foster parents did the best they could, even though they were far from saints. It was the sign of the times. The book was probably somewhat theraputic for him to put on paper and it's a learning experience for everyone else to hear his story.



2. Everything in the universe is circular and Willie Radkay made the full circle. From altar boy to Alcatraz to model citizen. But don't let that fool you. This is no boring namby-pamby "born again" ex-con tale that leaves out the juicy stuff. This is Willie's own story, as he related it to his niece Patty Terry, who has excellently "captured" his whole life story. The cops had to shoot Willie at least twelve times in the course of his various captures and he carried most of that lead around for the rest of his ninety-five years. A bank robber and escape artist from the classic gangster era, Willie's story is violent, dramatic, and even humorous at times and despite his crimes, his streak of rebellion, sense of humor, and sheer cantankerousness unveil a downright likeable rogue, as well as a true survivor who just had to make good in the end. His years on the Rock (with "pen pals" like "Machine Gun" Kelly, Basil "The Owl" Banghart, Harvey Bailey, Eddie Bentz, Alvin Karpis, and Jimmy Murray) are covered in detail and make for essential Alcatraz reading. The details may not always jibe with official reports but those reports aren't always right and Willie was there when it happened. If you ever wanted to talk with a former public enemy, this book is as close as you'll ever get.



3. I lived on Alcatraz Island and am very familiar with the History of the Federal Penitentiary years [1934-1963]. I have met "Willie" and have been fascinated by his life on Alcatraz [1945-1952]. "Willie's" niece Patty has successfully captured him in print. It is as if "Willie" was in the room with you, telling his story. This book should be read by anyone interested in the Gangster Era and Alcatraz Island. It will give you a NEW view of a vanished Era. Very well done. Easy to read!

5 comments about Capone: The Man and the Era.

1. This is a great novel. "Not so hot" in the sense that the author almost discredits Capone for how he really was. This is the first indepth reading about Capone, but it is very detailed. I am telling you , if you want to read only one book about Capone, then read this one. You will never have to read another book about him because this one is jammed packed. His life from start to finish. This book will change how you view Big Al, and show just how the media has glorified Al and the Untouchables. It has great tidbits about Torrio, Ness, Yale and anyone else involved in Capone and that era. I definitely recommend it. It is a long read though and can get tedious after a while. I suggest if you are anything like me, to read it in halves. The book is broken into 2 parts basically. The rise and the descent. No complaints on this one.



2. I had to struggle to finish this biography. After investing so much time, I felt as if I had to see it through to the finish to prove that I could read it in its entirety. It was not enjoyable largely on account of the author's chosen narrative tone.
   
   Laurence Bergreen comes across as an arrogant "Mister Know It All" type of blowhard. He does not seem especially familiar with Chicago, Illinois, where much of the action in this biography occurred, beyond superficial details. I suspect that he booked a round trip airline reservation, checked into the O'Hare Airport Hilton, went out for dinner and drinks in the suburbs and called it a day in terms of his local research.
   
   There are numerous errors throughout the book, but some of the essential facts about Capone are otherwise correct. I would not recommend this book to anyone interested in learning anything about Capone's associates and competitiors in the gang wars. Bergreen's treatment of these figures is fairly stereotypical and uninformative if not entirely incorrect. He did not seem to think it was important enough to do all of his homework.
   
   If you read this marginal book it is possible that you will learn something about Al Capone in a composite sort of way, but why bother? There are more informative books available from other biographers on the same subject that make for better reading. Quite a few topics are neglected in Bergreen's text, so he takes the position that the only important aspects of the Capone story worth addressing are the ones that he has covered. When Bergreen has a point to make be prepared to have the proposition hammered upon over and over again.
   
   There is some totally off the wall material in the book about Capone becoming a cocaine addict that seems highly speculative and largely unsubstantiated. How long could a hop head survive as the leader of a major criminal enterprise in an era when drug use was considered the epitome of moral bankruptcy? Bergreen does not explain how Capone hid his habit from his criminal associates.
   
   Whenever Capone behaves violently by murdering someone or ordering others to carry out a hit, Bergreen puts it down to the progressive nature of Capone's syphilitic condition or cocaine abuse. While Capone contracted the disease and ultimately died of its ravages, it seems far fetched to suggest that it impaired him each and every time that he went into a tirade or committed a killing. Syphilis has three distinct stages and its fatal consequences can be latent for decades before the disease becomes active. Capone could not have survived as a crime boss if he was suffering from active dementia while leading the Outfit.
   
   A substantial amount of time is spent on Capone's estranged older brother who left the family, changed his last name to "Hart" and became a Prohibition Agent in Nebraska. This material has been published before, but Bergreen keeps pushing the subject over and over again. It is somewhat akin to finding lengthy digressions about Ted Williams in a biography of Babe Ruth. Yes, they both had a few things in common and both played for the Boston Red Sox, but little else transpired between the two men. After awhile I began to wonder if the author would return to the actual subject of his biography? It is correct to include "Two Gun Hart," but his importance is inflated. Capone seemed to have virtually no relationship with his elder brother, so even by way of contrast the inclusion of this material seems to be so much surplusage. I suspect that Hart's children may have been among the few Capone relatives willing to be interviewed by Bergreen.
   
   Similarly, Bergreen segues into another extended detour by recounting the career of Elliot Ness. This goes on ad nauseum and I began to wonder if the writer forgot who the subject of his biography was supposed to be. He prattles on about Ness becoming an alcoholic and a philanderer. The problem is that none of these events in Cleveland relate back to the prosecution of Capone more than a decade earlier. A short summary would have been adequate.
   
   There are a few mildly interesting anecdotes about Capone as told by people who met him in passing. Much of this is trivial. The fact that Capone was a generous tipper does not necessarily absolve him of his many crimes. These asides are amusing, but how much insight can a golf caddy really provide?
   
   This book does not actually succeed in providing much in terms of describing Capone's era. If you are seriously interested in learning about Capone and Chicago, you owe it to yourself to read some other books.



3. This is a great book. It shows us that Capone was not only a villain, but also a man who was loved by the common people. Bergreens book is hard to put down, because of his fluid writing style. Everybody knows the story of the St Valentine's Day massacre, and that time when he beat a man to death with a baseball bat. New to me however was how he spent his days in jail and what he did after he got out of it. After his time in Alcatraz he was just a lonely man who didn't know know what he was doing because of his neurosyphilis. You kinda feel sorry for him. A great biography of the most famous man in the history of crime.



4. if you're an Al fan,you're going to read this anyway no matter if it's one or five stars.When things break down as did America during the Volstead Act,a vacuum exists and a law of nature,"nature abhors a vacuum".Someone or something is going to fill it legal or illegal,in this case it was Capone.You could either sell clean booze,brewed properly or as in the case of the Chicago mobsters,clean booze and dirty booze.That is beer and whiskey products brewed properly and mixed with pure alcohol to give it more life.The customer comes back more drunk and susceptible to more errors in judgement and a chance to fleece him or her even more.It is amazing to seehow large were the "bootlegging" operations hiring master brewers from Europe and employing hundreds or (thousands)? of people.It almost seems like the beer and alcoholic beverage industry has a momentum of its own that goes beyond the issues of the legality or illegality of it.Capone compares himself to an amusement park providing the American adult of the roaring 20's with entertainment.That includes the shootouts and gang wars,real life rootin-tootin cowboy shootin'.As American as apple pie and steroids.The press eats it up. The cops don't say too much as long as the mobsters only kill each other.As a matter of fact from reading this book there were so many police and newspaper people on Capones payroll that its a wonder the IRS was ever able to capture Al.He really had great PR running a soup kitchen and loads of other charities.Real drama like a shakespeare play.And don't forget Al was a family man,kids and mass every Sunday,as well as a major community financier,even if it was mob money.Indeed sometimes the machine gunnings and violence seem like a minor glitch,like nature correcting itself.Mobster movies always have to concentrate on the violence because it wouldn't play in the theatre to have a soft spoken guy making a spaghetti dinner for his family and friends.Unless somebody ended up in the pot.Al comes off in this book a perfect gentleman and warm until "crossed" then sneaky and deadly,(really deadly)!!like a true sociopath.This book is more than a biography of Capone,it captures the chaos of the roaring twenties and the depression,with America trying to figure out who and what it is after the Great War.When moral purists,like the kind who tried to "dumb down" America with the Volstead Act,get ahold of government,this is what can happen.An important book,this one. The book is divided into 2 parts,Al's rise and then his demise when the syphillus he contracted in his late teens took over his thought processes in his late twenties.This caused major errors in judgements and all the other racketeers tried to band together, even ones from other major cities,and finally strip Al of his power. Capone however was able to circumnavigate around even these to show himself "KING" of the mobsters.Just when you think Al is finished he comes back even more influential.The IRS trial was really well dealt with and it will cause a person to somewhat lose respect for Al.It amazed me how a literal handfull of government agents were finally able to bring Capone down when he seemed like he himself was an "untouchable".The way he tries to hire high profile attorneys to weasel out,we've all seen too much of.It seems from the read on this book that Capone even with his mind altering syphillus was able to play quite well the different "shades of grey"until the IRS and other government agencies and were able to present him to the American public in basic black and white.This book gives good insight into the "cooling off" aspect of Capones crime career,showing the space between the more violent incidents,whereas alot of books keep the pace of their biographies at a "white heat"by linking at times loosely ganster activity not directly involving Capones mob.



5. Here is a highly readable, very entertaining, and absorbing biography of Al Capone.
   
   Bergreen digs through the decades-deep layers of myth and confusion, showing us the "real" Al Capone, a complex and apparently contradictory man.
   
   And herein lies the one problem with this book. Bergreen can't seem to make up his mind. Was Capone an evil criminal mastermind or a misunderstood victim of American cultural hypocrisy?
   
   On the one hand we read about the evil Capone. The man who without warning could fly into violent rages, beating men to death with baseball bats; a scheming sinister mastermind who plots the St. Valentines Day Massacre.
   
   Then there is the other more sympathetic Capone. A seemingly misunderstood entrepreneur, a man persecuted for striving toward his piece of the American dream. According to Bergreen, this Capone wasn't the king of the Chicago rackets. He was instead a mere figurehead, whose love of the media spotlight allowed the true rulers of prohibition-era organized crime, Johnny Torrio and Frankie La Porte, to run their evil empires of vice in the murky shadows of the Chicago underworld.
   
   If this Capone is to be believed, then Bergreen should have spent more time fleshing out this aspect of his character. The "Capone as figurehead" theory is supported by very little evidence and thus fails to convince.
   
   All that aside, this is a very good book. I found it fascinating. Bergreen does a great job of bringing the hectic, thriving, and utterly corrupt Chicago of the roaring 20's to life. Capone's time in prison is also well covered and shows us the truly pathetic side of Scarface, a lonely broken man slipping into a syphilis-induced dementia, slowly wasting away in the cold and harsh confines of Alcatraz.
   
   I highly recommend Capone: The Man and His Era. It's the kind of book you hate to see end.

5 comments about The Funhouse Mirror: Reflections on Prison.

1. There have been books describing the subculture of prison life and those withiin it (Hot House, New Jack, etc) but this is the first one that is told through using a combination of narrative, and stores written by the prisoners themselves in a creative writing class. This book is informative, honest, and will do nothing to make you feel better about the system. However, it is an interesting read, the stories and backgrounds of the criminals makes you realize that most of them could not, and should not be released to society. But, after hearing their stories, you do think about the 'nurture vs nature' arguement. Well written book.



2. Since I know nothing of the prison system, wanting to broaden my education, I choose this. An exceptional book, not only for one wanting an education, yet to know the system. VERY well written. A MUST read for anyone wanting to know more that the basic of the gossip mill. Thank YOU for taking the time to write.



3. This book allows the reader to enter the worlds found in prisons in ways not encountered in other books on the topic. It is truly extraordinary to have the voices of this diverse group all somehow merge together to reflect aspects of our common humanity. I believe this quality in the writing by the prisoners could only happen with the wise guidance of an immensely skilled teacher and understanding person. Robert Gordon must be someone who sees and cares about the lives of others yet does not fall into the trap of becoming overly sentimental about the ironies and cruelties encountered in learning about and working with this group. Gordon manages
   to lead the readers on a compelling journey that will expand their knowledge and continue to influence their thinking.



4. I started reading The Funhouse Mirror up while I was waiting for a connection in an airport. I got so absorbed in it that I almost missed my plane. It is a collection of stories by prisoners in Washington State. Their pieces are remarkable, but what really makes the book are the interspersed commentaries and stories by the editor, Robert Ellis Gordon. Gordon spent several years working in the prison system as a writing teacher, and the prisoners who wrote these stories were his students. While the prisoners' stories are good, Gordon himself is a far more accomplished and vivid writer. Reading Gordon's own pieces really brought home to me the hell that is our prison system, and the difficult moral and emotional problems that it poses. This is a wonderful, gripping, depressing book that I recommend to anyone who wants to learn about what our prisons are really like.



5. As a correctional officer, I found this book very helpful in understanding the social structure within the walls of a prison. Having seen alot of the things that this book has, makes you look at their life in a slightly different light. I enjoyed the book very much, and have loaned it to many of my fellow officers.

5 comments about Amy Fisher: My Story.

1. The thing about this book, is, Fisher tries to come across as someone
   with more knowledge about why people act the way they do, than she actually has.
   Frustrating read.



2. Have you ever wondered what Amy Fisher was thinking? If so, this is the book to read. She tells you exactly what she was thinking and when she was thinking it. She doesn't sugar coat it. I thought the story was well written and very insightful. Highly recommended.



3. They picked a great actress to recite Amy's book in authentic Lawn GUY-land dialect. Indescribably hillarious! BUY IT!!!



4. "Amy Fisher: My Story", shows how a young sixteen year-old got trapped into a prostitution ring; an adulterous affair; and an eventual crime charge. It is easy for one to absord all the negative press; however, after reading this book, one sees an innocent sixteen year-old that was taken advantage of by an older man's charm. She fell for his charm's sweet-toned voice and false love for her. It was this false love that made the fall of Amy Fisher. I related to her book because I was once taken advantage of in my former Amish religion. I know how easy it is when you are young and inexperienced in the world. You keep hearing things like a tape-recorder. Then they become reality. If you want to know the real Amy, buy the book. I also recommend her new book, "If I Knew Then." For Amy is now a wonderful mother and a wife.
   Teresa Phillips,
   Author of, "Leaving Lancaster County."



5. My what a few years does for Amy. Her new book is so much better than this one. I think we can all forgive her tresspasses since Joey's wife has forgiven her.

1 comments about Texas Bad Boys: Gamblers, Gunfighters, and Gritters.

1. Texas Bad Boys: Gamblers, Gunfighters, And Grifters presents engaging and informative biographical profiles of some of the meanest, most ruthless, and most effective robbers and killers of Texas history. Dark, biting, written with acerbic wit, yet deadly serious, Texas Bad Boys makes for compelling reading on the savagery of human nature in the Old West. Also highly recommended for those interested in infamous Western characters is author J. Lee Butt's previous work, Texas Bad Girls: Hussies, Harlots And Horse Thieves...

No comments about John Dillinger: The FBI Files.

3 comments about The Blue Suit: A Memoir of Crime.

1. This is a compelling read. I have had the book for some time and just never read it.... But when I finally did pick it up I didn't put it down (except to eat and sleep) until I finished it. It is very reminiscent of Frank Abagnale's memoir Catch Me If You Can in that both writers were devastated by fathers they both loathed and loved and as a result turned, themselves, to lives of crime. Psychologically, it is very interesting, although it does not pretend in any way to be an analysis of the writer's actions or thinking or even feeling. This book has been described as humorous, but I didn't find it funny at all. It is painfully sad and excruciatingly honest and describes various situations the author got himself into, but funny they are not. In fact, after many of the crimes and weird situations with people he knew, he burst into tears, not being able to explain why. It's something we can all feel without having to know. I love to find such honest books. It was a delight to read and now I will move on to Rayner's other books.



2. I picked up this book on a lark and was very, very pleasantly surprised. The book is subtitled, "a memoir of crime," but the book is less about the author's life of crime than it is about his examination of himself. The story goes: Rayner, the author, is a smart Cambridge student whose life stifles him, so he turns to a life of petty crime and deception. Along the way, he grapples with such issues as love and whether he is destined for this life of lies (his father was a crook). But the tale is told through the lens of the middle-aged Rayner, reflecting on his upbringing. "The Blue Suit" is a colorful coming-of-age tale told with the powerful but delicate voice of a man reflecting on his growing up. I highly recommend!



3. I read an excerpt from this book in Granta and couldn't put it down. What's so riveting about a guy talking about his former life of crime? In this case, he's a Cambridge student who steals for thrills. You keep wondering, "When is he going to get caught?" It's not a moral tale of a fall from grace and subsequent redemption. It's more like the strange tale of a man's youthful excesses