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

1. Samuels has taken an admirable stab at dissecting this enigmatic Gatsbyesque con man's psyche for motive, astutely tabulating the paltry gain from the years of petty crime. In a funny aside that Samuels to his credit puts in the book, Hogue responds to one of Samuels's elaborate and quirky questionnaires by closing with this jibe: "What's with the janitor garb? Are you trying to show your solidarity with the lumpen?"
   
   The book is an elaboration of a New Yorker article and probably should have stayed as such (much like Barry Werth's Scarlet Professor), as it feels stretched and padded. Although not a great writer, Samuels rightly senses that he holds compelling subject matter. One fault is that the chronology would have been much better as a simple linear progression; it confusingly yoyos between past and future. Also, instead of just letting the story tell itself, Samuels often intrudes with exaggerated veneration of the privilege of a Princeton (or his own Harvard) education, with admissions committees' self deluding liberal smugness, and with largely irrelevant autobiographical items.
   
   Hogue ultimately proves uncooperative and Samuels is left to speculate on his quarry, but perhaps there is no very profound mechanism at work here. Although I have to admit I'm looking forward to seeing the documentary Con Man. One wonders what a Truman Capote or a Norman Mailer might have done with this material.



2. Just finished reading Samuels The Runner, and literally could not put it down. Wow! What a crazy fascinating story. It's amazing that people like Hogue exist and that people like Samuels can tell their tale so well. I really felt like I was there, meeting Hogue in person. Not sure what the other reviewers problems are... I thought it was great, and so did every other members of my book group (expect Andy, but he hates everything!) Really, this is a five star winner!



3. Some writers can craft a sentence and story; some reporters unearth great detail. David Samuels is that rare talent who can do both, and the result is The Runner, a terrific literary page turner.



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



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

5 comments about My Friend Leonard.

1. This might just be the best book I have ever read. It's a great story, a great 'sequel' to "A Million Little Pieces". I definitely recommend this book to anyone!



2. Utterly outrageous. A treacly, horrible work containing no more literary substance than a pork rind does nutritional value.



3. I read this on the heels of A Million Little Pieces, which I loved. If you read it without reading a Million Little Pieces I think it falls flat. It's an okay book, but not one that I find even slightly credible. Even if everything Leonard said and did is for real, or if everything is fiction, it's still not much of a story and not terribly interesting.



4. AWESOME BOOK! It's entertaining, touching and a beautiful sequel to one of my all time favorite books. I don't care what Oprah says, this author is amazing. His style is relatable, and the content makes every book a page turner. If you're looking for a raw, gripping novel, I highly suggest picking up a copy.



5. I loved this book! It was just as good as James first book. The story is very compelling and I read it in a weekend, could barely put it down.

5 comments about Out in Bad Standings: Inside the Bandidos Motorcycle Club--The Making of a Worldwide Dynasty.

1. I have also read all Outlaw motorcycle club books that are out , So this one gave Me some answers to some of the questions I had about a couple of the other books I have read, it was hard to see where He was going at times , and other times repeating what every one had already read a million times, but all in all its a good book,



2. I enjoyed the book immensely, and while reading the book actually thought about joining the Bandido M.C., but towards the last of the book, I changed my mind. I pre-ordered the next book by Ct. Ed and am looking forward to reading it.
   vincemor



3. I read the book and enjoyed it till the last 1/4 of reading. I was a member and enjoyed hearing about some of my old brothers.
   The (how great I'am) did get to me to. And the BS about the president wants me gone even if someone was to kill him. This was the first book of this nature I have read but I will be reading others The brotherhood is my next one.
   I contacted one of my old brothers and ask him if he had read it he said no. I told him he should till I got 3/4 of the way through it. I called him back and advised against it.
   There are so many of the older members who could of done a better job on this type of book. To bad I didn't keep notes when I was a member. But I was having way to much fun.
   I was a member when Don Chambers was president Ed is just lucky Don is not here anymore. Billy



4. I really can't add much to the reviews already stated, me, me and more of me. All I know that toward the middle of the book I started skipping anything that had to do with his job or kid. Kind of made a proud orginization look bad to say the least. As a member of a club all I know is that I'm surprised that he's still walking around running his mouth. He nothing but a little skinny wanna-be, a hey look at me dude, nothing better then a rat, a thief, a bike thief, he was/is so proud of that fact. On top of all that he mentions the names of the "Brothers" that still talk to him, I don't think he has any friends now! He just couldn't handle club life, punkstyle.



5. I guess this book might be interesting from an intel standpoint to someone who actually is a one-percenter (I'm not ... anymore) or to the legions of weekend warriors, wannabees, and 'overnighters' who populate the average biker bar nowadays. But to someone who has at least a year or two of middle school or who isn't fascinated by old newspaper clippings of the 'biker wars' of the 80s and 90s it is absolute garbage. It really is almost unreadable.
   
   It's not the author's fault, really. Someone paid him to write a book ... a task that is clearly over his head. Hey ... I'd take the money, too. I blame the folks who should have told him the truth and saved him from embrarrassment. And speaking of those poor, misguided souls at the publisher, I must ask again ...
   
   Did he whack his editors? Good. After reading the first two chapters of this crap I'd say they deserved it.

5 comments about Bind, Torture, Kill: The Inside Story of BTK, the Serial Killer Next Door.

1. Ths is at best a run of the mill true crime story which concentrates more on the cops who caught him than the killer himself.Very little attempt is made in understanding the mind of BTK. Do we really need to know about the family life of the detectives on the case, i dont think so



2. Dennis Rader also known as BTK Killer which stands for Bind, Torture, and Kill murdered over ten innocent people over the period of 30 years. He had led a double life of devoted husband and father in Wichita, Kansas. He was also a serial killer who murdered the entire Otero family on January 15, 1974. The book is well-written and told by the people who were directly involved in the investigation and case. Since January 15, 1974 when the Oteros were brutally murdered, Wichita had learned that there was a monster in the mist. For over 30 years, people particularly women checked to make sure the phone lines weren't cut as they entered their homes. Women were terrified because the main target of his BTK's victims are women. Rader's secret life was complicated by his obligations as husband, father, and Christian. While the police wondered why BTK stopped killing, it was because he was busy. Rader was smart, calculated, slick, and purely evil in determining his victims. He stalked them, followed them, monitored them, and watched their habits before he attacked like a predator to the prey, BTK knew he didn't want to get caught because he was ashamed of how his other life as husband and father would be shattered. He also worked in the security business ADT setting up alarms. Think of the irony, here was a man who installed security systems because of the BTK killings. Rader knew no mercy towards his victims. When he wasn't raping and killing, he posed and wore his victims clothing. The authors of this collaborative effort did an amazing job in putting the story together. It's not without effort that this is probably the best book on the BTK case that I have read so far. Also, the book goes insides those affected by the case that went unsolved for so long. Wichita lived in horror and terror for over 30 years. The terrorism that BTK inflicted upon Wichita for so long affected those residents. Rader also knew how to play games with the police, press, and his victims. One victim, Anna Williams, came home to find her home burgled and then she later learned that she was a potential victim of BTK from a chilling note. Rader loved to play deadly games of scaring people. He had changed his modus operandi several times which threw off police. Unlike Bundy, Gacy, and Dahmer, Rader is fascinating because he knew how to be careful, controlling, and deadly at the same. He watched, stalked, wrote notes, and learned how to pick his victims carefully. He made notes on when to attack to rape and kill his potential victims. He defiled his victims by posing their dead bodies and even wearing the victims' clothing at times. He showed no mercy towards even the youngest of victims and would have gladly killed Shirley's children if he had the time and change but the phone rang constantly. He is now spending the rest of his life in prison but nothing will make up for the terror and horror of the residents of Wichita and it's surrounding area of what BTK had done to them. It is no longer innocent anymore as it once was. People now regularly locked their doors, watched their children carefully, and protected themselves with security alarms and made sure their phone lines were not cut off. This book is the best book so far on the BTK killer.



3. Straight forward storytelling with great accuracy and full details. One of the best books I've read this past year.



4. This book is fascinating. It is an "insider" account into the BTK murders in Kansas. It is well-written and factual, often clearing up many misconceptions about BTK from the mass media. It is a must read for anyone interested in serial crime, especially those who are interested in how law enforcement solves crime. Some parts of the book are disturbing, be forewarned. A+ for "Bind, Torture, Kill."



5. This book was well written and very informative about the investigation and also the motives of Dennis Rader, the BTK killer. What a heartless cruel person he was and how dedicated the officers and detectives were in bringing in this monster. It's a shame it took so long to capture this monster.

5 comments about Billy the Kid: The Endless Ride.

1. I wanted to like this book. The author, with his subtitle and thesis ("The Endless Ride") implies that he's going to look into not only Billy himself, but his myth and legend. Instead, what we have here is a lengthy biography replete with guesswork and innuendo, and lots of padding, some of it vaguely worthwhile, some of it not, really.
   
   Billy was an interesting character, if only because of how little is known about him, and how many people have been almost hypnotized by his mythical persona. I was hoping that the book would concentrate on this aspect of his life: instead, it spends most of its words discussing the life and the possible origins of Billy. The author is well-versed in the story of Billy's life, and in the circumstances of his fame and death. He's also very conversant in the various rumors, stories, and theories about Billy's origins and roots. That's all very well and good, but beyond that there isn't much here, to be honest. For one thing, the book isn't as long as it appears. The publisher used pulpy paper, which makes a 328-page book look longer. They put a picture at the front of each chapter, and inserted a large picture section in the middle of the book. With chapter breaks (which result in blank pages frequently) and other devices, this book isn't really that long.
   
   Much of what's in the book isn't directly related to Billy anyway. Imagine my horror when in the first pages I ran across a reference to America's "love affair with guns," turned to the bibliography, and discovered Michael Bellesiles' book "Arming America" in it. For those who aren't aware, Bellesiles was the darling of the gun control set when he released "Arming America" in 2001, right up until it turned out he'd fabricated or distorted much of the evidence for his thesis, which identified a large conspiracy among 19th-Century gun manufacturers to fabricate a "frontier myth" which would include settlers who carried guns, when (according to Bellesiles) everyone went unarmed in the frontier era. Anyway, Bellesiles lost his job teaching at Emory University, and the Bancroft Prize his book won was revoked, the first time that's ever happened. No historian, including most of the liberals who were supporters of his, takes him seriously any more. Unfortunately, Wallis appears not to have gotten the memo.
   
   The PC angle of the book turns out, in the end, to be not quite as bad as you'd think. Wallis uses Bellesiles for context, but when he discusses the Lincoln County War, he becomes much more common-sense-oriented. He basically thinks that the whole war was between two groups of greedy oligarchs who used the various gunmen as pawns in a deadly game of Monopoly. That might not be a completely fair opinion, to those who have a side they root for in reading the history of the war, but it's always been closer to my opinion than anything else I've read. I don't think it particularly PC: the author makes it clear that both sides engaged in back-shooting, skullduggery, and general viciousness.
   
   I generally enjoyed this book, within limits. I wish the author had been a little less interested in injecting his 21st-Century politics into a biography of a 19th-Century person. It also could be a bit better organized. There's a lengthy passage at the beginning where the author discusses Billy's origins, and then later in the book there's a chapter where the author skips back and discusses the possibility of Billy being part Mexican-American. All, or most, of this would have probably been better-placed in an appendix. Frankly, you wonder what the point to the publication of this book was: there's almost nothing here, that I could see, that's not contained in Utley's book. That being said, this isn't necessarily a bad book. Recommended, but only guardedly.



2. Michael Wallis offers a book - "Billy the Kid" - to prove not much is known about Billy the Kid. The Kid (name not certain, Wallis says) was dead before he was 22. There usually is little enough to say even about the greatest in our histories from the years of childhood and adolescence. There is not much factual to say about The Kid. Anyway, no one was watching him closely or chronicling his deeds.
   
   What is known is not sensational. Even The Kid's murders do not rival the records laid out by Charlie Starkweather or Charles Manson.
   
   Wallis introduces a score or more of men (mostly) who associated with The Kid, or knew of him. His account becomes a maze of names for one-dimensional characters.
   
   Reviewers agree Wallis' account probably is the most factual in print.



3. If you want to read the politically correct version of the story of Billy the Kid, this is your book. Starting with his tortured, self-consciously folksy writing style, the author does everything but call his readers "podner" to show he is a real buckaroo, podner, who's "miiiighty familiar with the story told him by his grandpappy and reckons he kin share it wif you". It is ridiculous and not even done well enough to bring sufficient entertainment to the project to cover his almost complete lack of original research.
   
   Mr. Wallis appears to have read a number of books on the subject, communicated with the living authors and considered that sufficient research to enable him to write this less than engaging book. In the fashion of modern historians, the book is suffused with his liberal, "I hate America and its history" views clearly there so he can have some credibility with academics who will endorse anything that judges the past by present standards. The settlement of America was not carried out by pipe smoking professors, tut tuting about the morals of their betters. It was conducted by men and women of strength and toughness and the ability to fend for themselves in wild places without institutions to protect them.
   
   But Mr. Wallis will have none of that. To him, the frontier is a dark and threatening place only because those darned white people from the east came out for the sole purpose of killing Indians and oppressing all other non-white people so they could steal from them for their own part. The pioneers, to Mr. Wallis, were gratuitously violent; apparently stupid and just plain evil. And life in the west was poor, nasty, brutish and short. It had no further significance to the author, such as, oh, I don't know, the creation of a great nation.
   
   Mr. Wallis finally gets to the story of Billy sometime around page 150 of his 250 page book. The first 150 pages are contemplations on American history, speculations about what might have happened (as opposed to renditions of what did happen) in various parts of the West, listing of theories as to who Billy's mother was and where she came from, quotes from famous authors with whom he has corresponded all spiced up with his silly opinions on race relations, gun control and pretty much every other political issue never relevant or addressed in the context of the 19th Century western United States.
   
   The worst aspect of this silly book is that it adds absolutely nothing new. If you read Utley's book, you got all the information you would get in this one (without the political diatribes). If you read any good book on the Lincoln County War you get more information about Billy than you get in this one. Readers who read newer books on subjects about which they have previously read expect that the author would have taken the time to do more research than earlier authors and that there will be new information to be had. Not so this one. This one is basically a compilation of what has been written before jumbled into one badly written, worthless book. In reading this book, I lost hours I will never get back. Don't waste your $17.13 on it. Mr. Wallis should retire and do something for which he might have more talent. Say, writing letters to the editor of his local paper.



4. This is a very good book by Michael Wallis. Even though I love western history, I never thought I would read a book about the Kid, but an NPR interview with Mr. Wallis changed my mind. The book is well researched and entertaining. It is very enlightening and does not play on violence, but deals with the person and world of Billy the Kid in as much as it is possible to know him.
   
   Some reviewers have complained about the fact that book gets off subject and wanders at times. Mr. Wallis writes biographies from a social history point of view. He admittedly does get off the subject to give the reader a broader view of the environment an individual was living through. I feel this is a strength of the book.
   
   Highly recommended.



5. I found the book a good read of Billy the Kid. Mr. Wallis explores the different alleys of speculation about the Kid.
   
   Although it has its dry spots I still found that he put Billy the Kid in the context of his times and not ours.
   
   The reason for the four stars is some of the PC statements at the beginning of the book and the dry spots.

5 comments about Bust: How I Gambled and Lost a Fortune, Brought Down a Bank--and Lived to Pay for It.

1. What an amazing story! This is one of those books you can't put down. Even if you don't gamble will find the book very interesting! When your setting in Jail I guess you can put A lot of effort into writing A great Book!



2. This book really captured my attention. I spent most of my time reading it with my mouth agape wondering what could possibly happen next. Adam's gambling exploits are so adroitly captured between these pages.
   
   It is really a study of how an addiction really gets you in its grip and doesn't let go. I applaud Adam's wife Meredith for sticking with him all this time. I find it hard to believe he had fooled her so completely.
   
   Adam finally hits bottom towards the end of the book after many narrow escapes along the way. I found myself rooting Adam on while at the same time hoping he gets what is coming to him for all his deceit.
   
   The sacrifice his wife Meredith makes at the end of the book ripped my heart out.
   
   This is a sensational book and I highly reccommend it to any and all inveterate gamblers out there.



3. I picked up this book after hearing about it on the radio of all places! The Talk Show host talked about the book with a sense of awe that anyone could do the things that Resnick did to feed his gambling habit. It is the sense of someone who is liable to the flash and celebrity associated with addition rather than the realities of broken families and broken lives.
   
   Bust is a good story and while the people are real, I would suggest that readers look at this as a piece of fiction -- really a tribute to the incredible hubris of a person who is addicted to the action. The books prose works at a quick clip, the stories are almost too cute and perfect for the subject.
   
   Resnick is an addict and in the book you get the sense that he has mentally internalized his problem, yet psychically he has not. In that regard it is a somewhat tragic tale until you realize that may be exactly what Resnick wants you to think.
   
   Recommended as a first person study of the destructive effect of addition and the fact that it is always there even when you recognize you have a problem.



4. This book is a very well-written book that provides good entertaining reading while attempting to at the same time to reach out to people and family members in the need of help (to show them how ugly things can get when gambling takes over your life).
   
   Hey "EyeInTheSky"? Do you have a life? Or do you just visit these postings daily and try to ridicule them out of angst, bitterness, and jealousy? You ridiculed Mr. Sanjay about being honest and telling it like it is; why don't you stop hiding behind your post-name and reveal your real name and insecurity as to your knowledge/involvement in Mr. Resnick's downfall?



5. This is supposed to be a self help book or a "cautionary tale" for gamblers and addicts looking to break the pattern. This book barely discusses the underlying causes for addiction and it reads (in my opinion) as a self serving and vile vehicle for the author, Adam Resnick to brag about his exploits (business, sexual, social) while offering no redeeming value to people with real problems. I would argue that this book makes James Frey's novel (which is clearly Mr. Resnick's model for this novel) look like a masterpiece in its' factual content.
   
   Mr. Resnick seems to have delusions of grandeur and used gambling to obtain friends, fame and wealth. All he really is is a simple conman that got caught trying to complete his latest scheme. This book is a continuance of that life long need for self importance exploiting peoples' lives to sell a few books in hopes of paying back an enormous debt to the innocent customers of a small community bank. I hope Mr. Resnick takes his long days ahead of him to think about what he's done to those that care about him because writing a book like this shows he still has not learned his lesson.

5 comments about Hell's Angels: Three Can Keep a Secret If Two Are Dead'.

1. This is one of the most difficult books to read from a stylistic standpoint. It is choppy and seems to bounce all over the place. The editor of this book should be fired - there is way too much extra "stuff" in the text. There is so much fluff that should have been cut out that would have made this a lot easier to read. The author's choice to use slang (to the point of vulgarity) did not go over so well with me either. I understand that this is a book about the Hell's Angels - there is going to be a lot of choice language in it, but he continues to refer to the slang when describing items that are not HA quotes. I don't think this was a necessary device considering the type of book this is - it would have worked for a fictional piece, but not for something as factual as this.
   
   There are many other books out there on the topic of the Hell's Angels or Outlaw Mototcyle Gangs. I would suggest starting elsewhere if you are looking to read about the topic. This book as some interesting parts of it, but you'd be better looking at another title.



2. This is sort of a weird book. Yves starts the book writing in the style of a wannabe Hunter S. Thompson and then decides that he may as well just start "writing". I would say that the abrupt transition starts in maybe the first 80 pages.
   
   I believe that Yves Lavigne is probably the most knowledgeable author in the world about the major motorcycle clubs, other than insiders like Barger (or even Wethern) or undercovers like Queen or Dobyns (through authors), or in-touch contacts like Thompson.
   
   But Yves has some sort of agenda that makes him report every myth and fantasy that has EVER been posited as if it is a FACT. It doesn't take long to tire of this book if you have read everything else, because you have to believe, based upon acquired knowledge, that 30% of what he says is suspect, at best.
   
   I respect Lavigne for his obviously superior knowledge of the topic as a whole. But read every other account and determine for yourself if he has some personal agenda, even if it is as simple as money.



3. The guy that wrote this book was really trying to show how cool he is. I mean the the way he wrote it was over the top. You can tell he was trying to prove something. I have read Sonny's book and others and they much better written.
   This guy skips around, repeats things he's previously talked about in the book. And the way he talks to the reader is just crude. I mean, sure he's dealing with a rough subject, but come on, use better english.
   And I know what I am talking about. I lived the underground life for many years. I knew people like this, and this writer is someone who has never lived this life. He writes like a person who has never been around the people he is writing about.
   This book is an over the top, stereotypical view of the big red machine written by a total sidewalk commando, or rather keyboard commando.
   This book could have been a much better or clearer view of the HA than it is, but the writer's crude "trying to prove how cool I am" vocabulary, unfocused chapter organization, and other poor writing errors make this book a real dud. I'm still reading it, it's not so horrible that I put it down, but it came close.
   This book should have never been published the way it is. The publisher should be ashamed.



4. Long live the Big Red Machine! 8181818181818181818181.......



5. I grew up in the the near west suburbs of Chicago from 55-73, when we moved to DuPage County. There were 2 large biker gangs in the Lyons,IL area called the Chicago Outlaws and the Hells Henchmen. I knew several of the Outlaws as acquaintances, there were a few members who I had casually met that were not very nice and I was afraid of them. One member of the Outlaws was my best friends boyfriends older brother, John Klimes. He was always very nice to both me and my girlfriend whenever we saw him. He was murdered in McCook, IL in 1981. There was a huge biker funeral for him and it was on the local news. They never arrested anyone for his murder,but rumor has it that they wanted to kill both John and his girlfriend. His girlfriend worked at a local strip club, Michael's Magic Touch, she could placed the head of the Outlaws as the last person seen with a young woman the night before she was found dead in Busse Woods. There was also speculation that the head of the Outlaws was afraid that John was going to take over the Outlaws Lyons chapter. The talk around town at the time was that "they" were trying to kill both John and his girlfriend. A bomb was planted under John's Bronco and when he went over train tracks in McCook,IL it exploded killing him, his girlfriend was not in the vehicle at the time. I was saddened at John's death because he had always been very nice to me and came to my defense when one of the bikers was threatening me. During the news footage I discovered he had been under surveillance by the FBI for drugs trafficing, prostitution and other illegal activites. That side of him I had never seen. His younger brother was anti-drugs and a very nice guy, we did not meet him until he came home from Vietman in 70-71. John "Burrito" Klimes murder has never been solved. If you go the the McCook Police department website, the open murder is posted there. This book filled in some of the information I was not aware of. Interesting read!

3 comments about Hunting the Tiger: The Fast Life and Violent Death of the Balkans' Most Dangerous Man.

1. Hunting The Tiger is an engrossing tale of a charismatic criminal whose life sheds light on Serbia's tragic recent history. This is not an academic history, however. Mr. Stewart's style is almost breezy, despite the dark subject. I would liken it to a very extended Rolling Stone piece, which is not to say that it's not well researched or informative.
   Arkon's continued popularity in Serbia is a powerful reminder of nationalism's ability to catalyze atrocities, and subsequently rationalize, or deny, war crimes.
   All in all, a stirring, disturbing page turner. Check it out.



2. We have all had at least one of those moments when we know we have made a really big mistake and we may well die from it. Somehow, we survive, rescued by the least likely or sources.
   
   In "Hunting the Tiger," invesigative reporter, Chris Stewart takes us through some of his terrifying moments and leads us into the the horrifying and riveting story of "Arkan," a bank robber and racketeer who murderously rode the troubled waters of Yugoslavia to a violent end as a "rock star" war criminal.
   
   For me, a retired judge, with military experience and time in Cambodia and Iraq, the book is not only a "page turner" but also a remarkable reflection of how vulnerable any culture can be to one determined and sober sociopath. Arkan's story is unfortunately by no means unique, but the fact that Stewart had the courage and the intiative to tell it is unique. The lessons in "Hunting the Tiger" will stay with me--sometimes, even in my dreams.



3. This book gives a voice to all of the innocent people slaughtered at the hands of Arkan. It reveals the absurdity of those who are still blind to the horrific deeds that he left behind as his legacy.
   The author has clearly taken great risks to bring this story to us. I applaud this book. I recommend it to anyone seeking further insight into what went on in the Balkans in recent years. And let this book serve as a reminder to the brutal outcomes of our tendencies toward war, racism, nationalism and hero-worship. Bravo!!

5 comments about Hollywood's Celebrity Gangster: The Incredible Life and Times of Mickey Cohen.

1. When most people hear the word "gangster", Al Capone, Lucky Luciano, Bugsy Siegel or Meyer Lansky spring to mind. These were brilliant, charismatic, ruthless men who built financial empires on the backs of illegal activities, and often, other peoples misery.
   
   I had never thought of Mickey Cohen as a first rate gangster of the magnitude of the aforementioned, but in reading this book, it is clear that he cut a wide swath through twentieth century American history.
   
   The book is well written, although details of Cohen's life remain surprisingly sketchy. The author never does get a handle on where Cohen's opulent wealth comes from, although he does hint that prostitution and gambling are it's main source.
   
   Cohen and Benny Siegel moved from East Coast to West to capture the vice at the request of Meyer Lansky, and each had a storied career. Siegel's has been told many times. Cohen's, normally as an adjunct to Siegel's.
   
   This book makes clear that Cohen's life and influence far surpassed "Bugsy's". Cohen not only controlled much of the traditional vice along the West Coast, he had in's with Senators, Presidents, Hollywood icons, and even The Reverend Billy Graham.
   
   Through it all he comes off as an upstanding, decent, and charismatic person.
   
   He survived up to twelve attempted "hits", two extended prison stays, and not least, two marriages.
   
   He is a piece of American folklore I would like to know more about, and for anyone who feels the same, this book is an excellent chronicle of a twentieth century enigma.



2. Mickey Cohen certainly was a product of his time. Edward G. Robinson only played LITTLE CAESAR on screen, Cohen was the real thing. He was made to measure for dominating the crime in and around Hollywood. From fixing prize fights and horse races to shaking down movie stars and politicians.
   Then there are the six murders that he freely admits to, not counting all those he doesn't own up to. Still, ask any waiter, car hop or bell boy and they're all tell you what a great guy he was -or rather a great tipper.
   
   Mickey Cohen fitted right in with LA. His exploits commanded the front pages and gossip columns of the day. Brad Lewis' book is well researched, but for me not all the loose ends were tied together. Cohen's relationships with his bosses -the mob, are detailed better in Gus Russo's book SUPERMOB.



3. This is a firts bio of Mickey Cohen but it's much more and in fact covers a whole period in Mafia history centered on the West Coast. Made lively by hundreds of anecdotes, this book is very satisfying and fills a huge gap in the known history of the Jewish Mob, its political and business ramifications and the incredible reach of some of its memebers. From Bugsy Siegel to the rat Pack: all the Hollywood "gangs" are shown here and Mickey was almost like a puppet master pulling strings! A must read.



4. I liked this fascinating story of a criminal who didn't believe he was one. Before this very little was known about Mickey Cohen. I found the design descriptions of the night clubs and Cohen's houses and apartments very interesting. This underwold figure was made real, human, and surprisingly likeable. Each chapter revealed another intriguing facet of his life. Highly recommended. It is unusual for a history/biography to be such a fun read.



5. A comprehensive, thorough expose of the early Mafia days of New York, Hollywood, and Las Vegas. A fascinating read!

5 comments about Street Soldier: My Life as an Enforcer for Whitey Bulger and the Boston Irish Mob.

1. There are far too many ways that our world produces guys like Eddie Mackenzie. Born to parents who were too young, wild and restless to be good caregivers, he was thrust into foster home, where abuse and neglect were more the rule than the exception. It was all but inevitable that he would grow up seething with rage and a thirst for revenge. Mackenzie's Southie upbringing brought him into contact with the kill-or-be-killed mentality that propelled him toward brawling and martial arts -- used for self-protection as well as for unleashing his inner demons -- then into crime and drugs and finally into the icy grip of killer Whitey Bulger.
   
   Mackenzie's story is fascinating and horrifying. Every page brims over with tales of fights, beatings, narrow escapes and strategic surrenders. The picture Mackenzie paints of the hyper-tough poverty-stricken neighborhoods of Southie are repulsively fascinating. The nuances and subtleties of the code of "honor" -- rat to save your skin, but never on your friends -- is worthy of a Shakespearean plot.
   
   Mackenzie's story overlaps with that of the MacDonald family, unforgettably penned by Michael Patrick MacDonald in "All Souls." No surprise: Mackenzie and the MacDonalds were pals during the same volatile period. In fact, readers of both books will recognize a few of the same incidents. But while MacDonald's family was decimated by the drugs and violence Bulger brought to the neighborhood, Mackenzie thrived -- selling drugs, doing enforcement duty for Whitey and reaping the rewards (booze, girls and respect) that flowed from his ties to the mobster.
   
   "Street Soldier" is a quick, exciting and full of violent action. Sometimes, it seems that "Eddie Mack" revels too much, even in hindsight, in the mayhem he created. The almost sexual pleasure he gets from feeling a bone break under his hands is disturbing. For those with lesser reservoirs of hatred and rage than the author, we will be glad we were not born into his cauldron of barely civilized violence. Mackenzie's book is also an act of courage. He names many, many names and ties Bulger and his associates to innumerable murders, tortures and drug deals. His motive, as the reader will quickly discover, is revenge over the discovery that Bulger, the ultimate enforcer of the neighborhood code of silence, himself broke it repeatedly to save his own skin.
   
   Mackenzie is a tough and scary guy, though with a soft side. He dearly loves his daughters and tries hard to elevate himself from his hoodlum past. His book is at once a memoir of a life gone terribly awry, a documentary of the criminal behavior (his own and others) that afflicted Southie in the last 30 years, and an indictment of the authorities, notably the FBI, that for their own reasons allowed the killing, drugging and violence to continue without letup. An honest, eye-opening and disturbing book.



2. I might be wrong but John "red" Shea lasted 12 years without saying a word. The guy who wrote this book sold out and ratted. Can someone correct me if im wrong, I read Rat Bastards by Shea twice.



3. I'm an Irish-Catholic guy in his 40's who grew up in Boston in the late 60's and 70's. I've read Streeet Soldier and Brutal several times each, and I personally believe much more of what Eddie Mac has to say about the "real" Whitey, as opposed to the relatively reverant tone in which Weeks still speaks of Whitey. Sure, Eddie Mac and Weeks are both equally dangerous sociopaths, and will surely go to Hell (assuming it exists) for all the evil they inflicted on their fellow human beings over the years. Having said that, Weeks still seems to be loyal to Whitey, and probably knows exactly where he is hiding out these days. For that reason, I don't believe a word he says when he defends Whitey against allegations that he was a rapist, a child molester, etc. Eddie Mac definitely gives the reader more insight into what Whitey was really like...and isn't that why we all read these books, anyway?



4. Better than the Kevin Weeks expose, and far grittier than the journalistic looks at the Bulger gang, this one takes the cake for depravity with readable writing to make it go down like acid. As Mob tales go, the Boston version is more blue collar, but every bit as riveting as insider looks at the best of the New York gangs. The early section on the author's depraved and deprived childhood is particularly chilling. If only these guys had been so literary back when they were actually gangsters, maybe they wouldn't have gotten into so much trouble.



5. After reading this you get a sence that these guys have more brains then LA gang memebers.
   Who are basically just playing the roll.
   Street soilder is exactly what he says he is.
   Solider in a street of reality.
   Ups and Downs from childhood to grownup.
   Much better then anything you can pick up on California gang culture.