2 comments about Cut-Throat: The Vicious Life of Rod McLean - Mercenary, Drug Baron and MI5 Front Man.

1. I've read most of the true crime books written to date, but I think this one is a bit special. It will make you both laugh and cry - but as arguably one of the most gruesome books ever written, terrify. If it's sleepless nights your after - this is your book.!!!



2. I had so much fun with this book!! CUT-THROAT succeeds because it has all the cliffhanger elements of a good campfire story--- one in which the storyteller becomes a compelling and interesting figure as his web is woven--- regardless of the violence and mayhem in which he revels. Written in his words and with his style and manner of speech, the story of Rod's life is irresistible. Like Tony Montana, he is a character seeking something bigger and more dangerous than what is included in a "normal" life, a search that is driven by naked ambition and steely determination. Rod manipulates you ever so tenderly so you will sympathize with him even though he is a violent, ruthless, dangerous man. He's letting you inside his world and there's little chance that you won't at least understand his policy of "kill or be killed"--- even if only for a little while. Overall, the structure is that of the tough guy rise-and-fall narrative, with a variety of experiences that chronologically increase in sophistication and stakes until his untimely demise. Each section of McLean's life, from his mercenary days to the birth of his second-hand shop empire, is very intricate and full of emotion, all are mini-rollercoasters that excite and exhilarate. The writer expertly treats each portion with the same emotional respect.
   
   The themes in this project, particularly that of morality, engaged me the whole way through. I highly recommend this book to anyone who ever loved an antihero, anyone who ever sought out adventure or danger, and everyone who just wants to have a few hours of pure fun!

5 comments about Mob: Stories of Death and Betrayal from Organized Crime.

1. This book is not unlike a buffet at a small office party. A few morsels here and there... most everything is pretty tasty, nothing's too filling, and there's one "mystery dish" that looks okay...... until you bite into it.
   
   Clint Willis has compiled a baker's dozen of mob-stories, from the infamous, to the you-never-heard-of-em. Some are great, some are good, and some might have been better to have been left on the table.
   
   On the infamous side is an excerpt from Mario Puzo's classic, THE GODFATHER. I've never read the book, but like any other self-respecting adult American male, I've seen the movie enough times to have lost count. After reading the excerpt in MOB, (regarding the memorable scene where Michael Corleone retrieves the gun from the restaurant bathroom and shoots the crooked cop in the head), I've discovered that I've GOT to read Puzo's book!
   
   Another interesting story comes from David Fisher. It comes from a book by "JOEY," a long-time mob hit-man (though not a "made" man in the mob, because, as "Joey" tells it, as a member of the Jewish faith, he is ineligible to attain that level within the organization.) Still, he considers himself really good--and quite enjoys what he does for a living. And, it would appear that he's very much a psychopath. Whether one can believe everything that is written about JOEY is questionable, as there seemed to be a number of "facts" that contradicted other "facts," but I guess that's for each reader to decide.
   
   I did actually SKIP one story: Bruce McCall's "GANGLAND STYLE: THE TRANSCRIPT." Written in the format of a play, I became disinterested after about a page and a half of reading accented-goombah-speak spelled out phonetically.
   
   Jeffrey Goldberg's piece, THE DON IS DONE, is the final chapter in the book, and is the fascinating true story of the last days--along with some of the personal insights of mob boss, Paul Castellano... whacked, so the story goes, under the orders of the notorious John Gotti, Sr.
   
   All in all, MOB was a pretty enjoyable read. And because each of the stories stands completely by itself, you could theoretically finish a chapter, and pick the book up a year later without having to start over.
   
   - Jonathan Sabin



2. You're much better off going to the original books this compilation rips off. There are editing mistakes galore in this volume, and the editor adds nothing new (except some typos). I'd sell mine as a used book but I don't want to rip off someone else with this trash.



3. This book is great,it is what got me hooked on stories about the mob and mafia. I would recomend it to any one who is intrested in organized crime.



4. Overall, I think that this book was exceptional. The stories contained are, for the most part, gripping and real. I couldn't put the book down when I read the story by "Joey", the anonymous hitman. The most exciting thing about this book is the reality of it. The mojority of stories contained are about real people and real things. I recommend this book to everyone



5. Only the most ardent organized crime reader probably won't find something new in this collection of short stories dealing with reader fascination with dangerous lifestyles. This sampler of mob-lore covers stories allegedly by the folks who lived and died it, and some history to add dessert to your meal.

   For those who like the relative safety of their reading chair, we get a step-by-step process of the so-called "hit men" of the mob. They are so-called because most members who have reached any decent level of leadership have all done at least one hit, so the true full-time professional is not that common. For this profession though, we do get an evolution of the man, and his general techniques.

   The stories here are excerpts from other works, so if your a mob junkie, you might have read a lot of it already. I previously had read the Sammy Gravano book that contributed this excerpt. You not only get a sample of the self-admitted bad man, but also a taste of what I didn't like in the full-length book, which was a constant jabbering of what a decent, honorable guy Sammy really is. This book, was, of course, before the guy got busted out West for running meth labs while in witness protection.

   My favorite of the "true life" stories was the one that inspired the movie "Donnie Brasco". Here we have the story of how a guy had to sacrifice a lot of family time over a period of years to do his undercover work, even once having to spend Christmas with mobsters when he promised his own family some quality Holiday time. The book I'm reviewing is good because now I want to read the whole "Brasco" saga.

   In the history part, we do get a brief glimpse of how this whole type of society came about. True, the people of Italy were extremely oppressed at the time of it's formation, but it also tells how the local culture first establishes male "honor", then expects him to prove it via competition, and if you won by using your own rules, that made you that much more of a worthy opponent. To his credit, the editor of this compilation does not glorify this behavior, and makes it clear to the audience that any honorable "codes" only last as long as is convenient for anyone involved.

2 comments about Forgetta "Bout It / From Mafia to Ministry.

1. This is a great testimony book on how Jesus Christ can totally change a person's life. It is a good tool to use to give to someone in prison or a young person who needs direction in life.



2. Rocco might not be a New York Times best selling author, but his story is powerful. From a button man in the Mafia to a minster in prison---very intersting journey. If you don't see God's hand here, I don't know where you'll ever see it.

No comments about Cops, Crooks, and Criminologists: An International Biographical Dictionary of Law Enforcement.

No comments about Sisters in Blood (Blake's True Crime Library).

1 comments about Hard Bastards 2.

1. If you haven't read the first book, it's probably worth buying. The only difference between this, and HB1 is that Kate Kray has included people from "up north" ie "KILLER" from Liverpool, and also an international flavour with a Kung-Fu champion thrown in for good measure. Again, the 2nd book seems to concentrate more on ensuring the reader that the "hard bastard" in question is actually a decent person, rather than going into details about the violence the person has seen. I was especially disappointed with the coverage of Tony Lambrianou. For all that he has seen & done in his life, I expected a more detailed account from him.
   It's a very easy-to-read book (I read cover to cover in 3 hours) which makes it seem even less appealing if you're paying the hardback price imported from the UK.
   My advice; but the auto-biogs of Roy "Pretty Boy" Shaw and Lenny "the guvnor" Mclean instead. They were true hard bastards.

No comments about The Art of Violence: True Stories of the Hardest Men in Britain.

No comments about Boxman: A Professional Thief's Journey.

2 comments about Driven to Kill: The Clara Harris Story.

1. I could have written this book. It contains nothing more than what was already in Texas Monthly, the local news, and Dateline. Mr. Linedecker threw this together in a hurry and it's not worth your time or money.



2. Ok, I admit it: I cheat my diet now and then with a nutritious Krispy Kreme donut, & sometimes I read the ever erudite Enquirer - what else to do when stranded in a slow-moving check-out line? Cliff Linedecker, Best-Selling Author in his own write, has teamed with National Enquirer staffers in several recent rush-to-print-while-the-story's-still-hot "true crime" books. And the results are, amazingly, pretty good.

   This book goes beyond the quickie sound bites and sensationalistic snippets I saw on TV. (Alas, I must toil every day to earn my Daily Bread and so, to my chagrin, cannot lie about the house all day watching Court TV and eating bon-bons.) It is the saga of the dynamic duo of Clara and David Harris cum Texas triage with the infiltration of trollop Gail Bridges. The cover aptly features the "murder weapon," a 4,000 pound Mercedes and embossed tires tracks all around. There are many "Wow! I didn't know that!" moments. Clara was a Columbian dentist. That Texas law regarding justifiable homicide if catching one's wife in flagrante delicto was not as sexist as Urban Legend had it.

   While reading this book, just remember the tabloid from which it sprang: an entertaining diversion, a guilty pleasure about as substantial and nutritious as a Krispy Kreme, and devour them both. Reviewed by TundraVision, Amazon reviewer

No comments about Forty Years Later: Life after Alcatraz.