United States Books

I read this book in hardcover when it was published. I can't imagine a better book on the rigors, the deceptions, a true inside story of how campaigns really work. So insightful! The section on Joe Biden is certainly worth re-reading. He is an amazing man. His history is so helpful in looking at this election and comparing him to McCain's Barbie doll saviour, if any comparison is needed after her lame performance reciting practiced answers even though the answers were not to the questions asked. Duck and dodge, but the Katie Couric interviews showed she is lost in the ring and doesn't belong there. Shame on John McCain for subjecting us to the possibility of a Palin presidency.

If you haven't read this book now is the time! Whenever I am forced to chose only one book as my all time favorite What It Takes (The Way to the White House) by Richard Ben Cramer is the one...I read it when it was first published and still have yet to find another book about politics that is so enthralling..Lots of Joe Biden in the book so that alone makes it a timely book to read now...

This is a book people might shy away from since it deals with the 1988 campaign, and those candidates are basically ancient history (except for Biden). However, what the book really describes it literally 'what it takes' for any man or woman to believe they can be President.

We look at the people running today, and we see them as TV characters and sometimes buffoons, but forget that in their youth they were probably the smartest, most popular, most driven people we would have known. Just to get to a place where one can entertain the idea of running for President takes a life of very, very few wasted opportunities.

So, while this book doesn't talk about Obama or Clinton or Huckabee, etc., you can read it and at least get sort of a sense of what the candidates are like behind the masks they put on.

The best thing that can be said about "What It Takes" is that you will read it and you will appreciate that Presidential candidates actually are qualified, and while they might make terrible decisions, they really are the best we have.

"What It Takes" is an antidote for cynicism.

It's a great insight into the psyche of candidates, the jargon of campaigns -- and a demonstration of just how tough campaings are. (The author of this book is also a frequent contributer to Rolling Stone and Esquire. Some of the language in this book certainly isn't appropriate for younger readers).

Ben Cramer follows the major candidates in their races to become president in 1988. He reproduces their speaking and thinking styles in such an incredible way that you will never be able to think of any of these people (Bob Dole, GHW Bush, Jesse Jackson) in quite the same way you did before.

His intense focus on how the candidates act differently when in private than they do when they're out giving their stump speech makes for fascinating reading. If you're tired of dry books that are "nothing but the facts, ma'am," you'll love this well-written story.

After graduating from film school, I had no idea how to start my career as a writer in the film industry. "The Writer Got Screwed" not only showed my how to start my career, but showed me the different kind of careers which exist for Writers in the Entertainment Industry. Most books don't explain what WRITERS working in the entertainment industry need to know: THIS BOOK DOES. If you want to work in the legal department of a studio, take classes in copyright and contracts. If you want to work as a writer in the entertainment industry, THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU.

Very few books explain how to start your career, the different forms of representation (agents, managers, and attorneys), how to protect your work (copyright registration vs. registering with the WGA), how to protect yourself (contracts-what do they mean?) and give lists of available resources (scholarships, WGA approved agencies, production companies, legal resouces/attorneys) for writers working within the entertainment industry--"The Writer Got Screwed" delivers on all of these areas. Whether you are working in film, television, feature animation, soap operas, or interactive, "The Writer Got Screwed" provides interviews with writers who work in these areas and valuable, RARELY FOUND, information regarding how these started their careers. This book is a terrific, must-have book for anyone who wants to write for the entertainment industry, and now is joined by a companion website at [...].

This book is one of those needles in a hay stack. It's not out there like all the other books for writers. But if you find it... you have found gold. It is written so that it is easy to understand and has tons of great information in it. A must have.

There are a lot of books out there on writing for the entertainment industry, but this was the one book that got me started. A lot of writers tend to pass around gossip and poor information, but this book set me straight from the beginning, and is now joined by Wharton's website/blog: brookewharton.com(rated in top 10 for film blogs). This is the one book that anyone writing for film or television should START WITH. I'm mystified by a previous reviewer who said that Wharton doesn't talk about the WGA (there's a whole chapter on the guild), and also that she doesn't discuss acquisitions vs. development (it's called spec sales vs. assignments in the 1st 10 pages of the chapter on writing for film). Clearly this person couldn't have read the book. If you need real answers, buy the book.

Given all the 5 star ratings, I expected better. Not that this isn't a good book, but it depends on the reader's sophistication. If you don't know anything about some of the basic legal and business aspects of the publishing biz, this book is a good start. On the other hand, if you're a detail oriented person who really wants to dig in deep into this subject, you may find the content a bit light.

Bravo! This book should be in every teacher's professional library! The world we live in today exposes children to the many ugly sides of humanity. Too often the people they look up to and aspire to become are not worthy of their devotion. Dennis Deneberg and Lorraine Roscoe have presented kids with an opportunity to meet real heroes. I use this book each year to define what it means to be a hero and to help 5th graders look beyond "famous" to see quality of character. This book inspires children to the best! Thank you Dennis and Lorraine! I am ready for the next edition!

Great Book --- I love the way it is written. It gives the reader not only information about a wonderful variety of American Heroes but asks questions about how the reader might be challenged to a higher standard. I'm looking forward to introducing my grandson to this book. I'm sure he will find many heroes in the book that he will want to find out more about.

As a 5th grade teacher in a mostly rural area, this book has allowed my students to get to know so many different American heroes. I was so impressed with the book myself, that I read the whole book cover to cover in one night! I have had parents of my students ask if their child could bring the book home so they (the parents) could read it and enjoy it as well. Our school wrote a grant in order to purchase about 50 copies of the book and it was probably some of the best money our district has ever spent! I highly recommend this book for readers of all ages - it's a gem!

My New Year's resolution..one of them, is to read more with and in front of my children. I brought this book home and read to them one or two of the figures. They LOVED it. We read from it almost every night now. They fight over who gets to pick the figure we read about and actually ask me to go and get it. It's really nice that they are learning about older historical figures but also recognize some of the faces they are reading about. I try to make my kids understand that great people are not born that way they are normal people who aspire to greatness. This is a great way to teach them that and then some!!

I read all these great reviews, so of course I got the book. It's good. I like that each hero has two pages, and the book is thought-provoking.

But it's slanted...

These _are_ good heroes to admire, but for the life of me, I can't think why a book like this would include Sandra Day O'Connor and exclude Clarence Thomas.

I prefer the Childhood of Famous Americans series -- the books are more in-depth and enjoyable, and more politically neutral.

Others have already described the book well. I just want to add my two cents. This account and The Last Watch of the Night are so tender and honest that I miss these men I've never met.

'Borrowed Time' is the most unpretentious, cliche free account of love I've read. So much of it's power lies in what Paul does not say about his lover: describing him most often as his most precious 'friend' he asks the reader to understand, to implicitly know the strength of his passion. The simple assumption that readers across cities, countries, cultures will understand his emotions is what gives the story so much beauty. I fell in love with both Paul and Roger, or more specifically, the strength of what they had together.
The battle against AIDS and discrimination faced by both men made me bawl, and I hope this book is read by people working through their prejudices and moral judgements about the both the illness and its prevalence in the gay community at the time the events occurred. Surely Paul and Roger's love can only be seen as something beautiful that graced the earth, even briefly.

"I don't know if I will live to finish this," begins this memoir by Paul Monette, who would ultimately live only seven years after he did complete it (and, auspiciously, several other works). Monette's account is a chronicle of the last days of his lover Roger Horwitz in 1985 and 1986: a mere nineteen months between diagnosis and death. It's an emotionally devastating portrait; yet, far from wallowing in his grief (although grieve he does), Monette instead describes this period as a battle to extend Roger's life and a determination to seize every remaining day and make the most of it.

An AIDS diagnosis in 1985, in Los Angeles, doomed the couple to an unwanted pioneer status; it was a "death sentence" mitigated only by hope and delusion. For the first half of the decade, Paul and Roger comforted themselves with the notion that the disease, whatever it was, confined itself to a certain group of fast-living libertines ("not us") in San Francisco and Los Angeles. When the reality hit home, the initial method of coping, shared to different degrees by themselves and by their friends (and particularly by Roger's brother), was a mixture of mortification and denial.

Once Roger became ill, however, the couple fought tooth and nail to pursue every potential pharmaceutical elixir or therapeutic panacea; they were on the vanguard of trials for suramin (with devastating side effects) and for the more successful "Compound S" (AZT), which Monette credits for extending Roger's life. Throughout, they struggled to present a united front of normalcy and optimism, with Roger attempting to practice law from his hospital bed and Paul flying to New York for meetings in the Russian Tea Room with the newly famous Whoopi Goldberg about an ultimately doomed screenplay ("it must've dismayed her considerably to think that this humorless man sipping broth and Coca-Cola was meant to be her breakthrough into feature comedy").

Still, if it's possible to say that one can be "fortunate" in such circumstances, Roger and Paul had the only advantages available at the time: money, connections, and (mostly) supportive family and friends. In spite of the sequence of crises and disappointments, they somehow managed to find time to laugh and to love amidst the anger and the betrayals; Monette's wit and fair-mindedness saves this work from overwhelming the reader with morbid pity and depression. Paul and Roger were often too busy chasing hope to pause and wallow; those moments were often saved for the morning. ("Waking teaches you pain.") What's most remarkable about this book is not the riveting and livid account from the front of the epidemic--such memoirs are plentiful--but the lyrical and even humorous appreciation of the "borrowed time" remaining to these two admirable profiles in courage.

Although I am a conservative Christian who has never been "homophobic", I have been 100 percent guilty of "indifference" to what it really means to be gay and and the AIDS issue. Not any more. I began to research the issues and I have been telling everyone about this book. The genuine love story and respectful relationship that Paul and Roger shared is something everyone could learn from. I don't believe I have ever read a book that portrays such courage. The pain that both of these men endured would make the average person collapse under the weight. I know what the Bible says about homosexuality, but I believe that Jesus himself would just wants us stop judging and comdemning and to simply love one another as he loves us. All of us.

I don't know how this book didn't win every award the publishing world has to offer. Quite simply, this one volume is the most emotionally devastating work I've ever read. I've read about hate crimes, political assassination and Nazi persecution, but none touch this. Several times I had to set the book down because I was no longer able to read through great, racking sobs and eyes nearly swollen shut. I grieved.

Paul Monette, author of the the award winning memoir "Becoming a Man: Half a Life Story," died of AIDS not too long after losing his beloved companion Roger to the disease. That he was able to focus so much energy on chronicling the events of Roger's death in this memoir, was a mircle - and indeed this book is a miraclous gift. "Borrowed Time" is a story of pain, suffering, hope, strength and courage. However, and more importantly, it is a love story - the greatest I've ever read.

Just finished reading "All for the Union", and it's well worth the effort. A quicker, light read -but highly interesting and lives up to its buzz.

I won't repeat the very good commentary in previous Amazon book reviews, but I will offer these observations:
- As this diary is a day-to-day account by a front line Union officer, I'm surprised at how much idle time there was- especially during the winter months (ala Revolutionary War).

- It's amazing that units in the same corps can be so frequently rotated in & out of the front line battle. During the siege of Petersburg, the rotating (and advancing / retreating) was frequent. My thought when reading the book was that the high-level Generals better know what they are doing, as the unit leaders closer to the front probably DON'T have much visibility into "big picture" plans and tactics.

- Glad I never have to rely upon foraging off the land, and eating hard tack and other nasty field provisions. Tough folks, these soldiers. Especially my people, the Irish, who suffered bad injuries when playing horse games on their days off..

Enjoy this very good Civil War book!

Anyone who is interested in the Civil War has to read this book. All for the Union is the diary of Elisha Hunt Rhodes and covers the four years that he spent in the Union army. Entry by entry, the reader can watch Rhodes go from an enthusiastic young man, to hard, weary soldier. Appalled by the death and destruction early in the book, by the end, laying down to sleep between the dead and dying barely justifies a comment. A wonderful read.

If you are interested in more than big names and big battles this book is well worth reading. Elisha Hunt Rhodes shares his experiences from his enlistment as a boy having never been away from home until his mustering out as a man having earned the rank of Col. He writes in an honest straight forward manner about every aspect of daily life. His strong belief in duty, sense of right and wrong and his ever important sense of humor show in everything he writes. He's an optimist that made it through the war with all these attributes intact. Thankfully for us he kept this diary so that we can understand a little more about life during the Civil War.

Whie the Army of the Potomac suffered the usual soldier hardships we also have to realize these soldiers suffered some very bad generals in comparison to the Army of the Tennessee. We see the participants sense of this in the memoir. It is best placed in the heirarchy of the Civil War memoirs it must be placed beside Sam Watkins's "Co. Aytch." High praoise indeed.

We have works on the Civil War written by generals (e.g., the memoirs of Ulysses Grant and James Longstreet) and other officers (E. P. Alexander, Moxley Sorrell). However, equally valuable is the view from the bottom, by the foot soldiers. From the Confederate side, the paradigm example is Sam Watkins, "Company Aytch". From the Union side, Elisha Hunt Rhodes fills the bill. He rose through the ranks, and his diaries and letters provide a first-hand, ground-level view of the war in the east. As the Introduction by one of his descendants notes (Page xv): "He participated in every campaign of the Army of the Potomac from Bull Run to Appomattox with rapid promotions up to the rank of colonel in 1865."

Incidents are described plainly and with an eye from the front. On pages 15 and following, he describes the march to Bull Run, the state of the troops, the weariness experienced on that march. Then, the battle itself and aftermath are described in an economical manner. Here and after, his observations of fellow soldiers and officers is most useful, giving the reader a sense of what he was perceiving.

On pages 106 and following is his description of his regiment's (2nd Rhode Island) and his corps' (VI Corps under General John Sedgwick) march to and role at Gettysburg. While the corps arrived late, its uniting with the rest of the Army of the Potomac was a great morale boost for the Union forces, as this Corps was the largest in the northern army, bringing it to full strength at this bloody conflict.

Then, his description of the bloody battle at the Wilderness, where he took the measure of Grant, after vicious fighting. In his diary on May 7th, 1864, he noted (page 138): "If we were under any other General except Grant I should expect a retreat, but Grant is not that kind of soldier, and we feel that we can trust him." In that phrase, he captures nicely the bulldog tenacity of Grant as a General, and identifying what was different from him compared with other commanders of the Army of the Potomac.

His rendering the campaign in the Shenandoah Valley, where General Phil Sheridan jousted with Jubal Early's forces is is insightful. He speaks of the classic surprise assault on the Union position while Sheridan was off consulting with Washington. The surprise attack rolled up the Union lines for a time, although the VI Corps held pretty well. His description of Sheridan's role is interesting, as his simple coda for this indicates (page 185): "Hurrah for Sheridan!"

And, finally, these lines (page 221): "Glory to God in the highest. Peace on earth, good will to men! Thank God Lee has surrendered and the war will end soon." Thus, his response at Appomattox Court House.

As with Sam Watkins' observations, so, too, with Rhodes'. These observers provide a valuable and insightful perspective on the war from the ground level. Well recommended for those interested in the soldier's view of the Civil War.

It was refreshing to read some non-mainstream news reports from Iraq. I wanted to see more contact with our troops and their comments and I was disappointed that his reporting wasn't more recent but suffice it to say, Jamail did a great job reporting what he saw. The risks he took to get some of his stories left me a little shaky. I'd certainly read some more of his writing.

"Lying in bed near Rana was Hanna, fourteen years old. She had a gash on her right leg from the bullet of a U.S. soldier. Her family had been traveling in a taxi in Baghdad past a U.S. patrol that very morning, when a soldier opened fire on the car. Her father's shirt was spotted with blood from a head injury from when the taxi crashed." (page 236)

This is Jamail's eye-witness account from an Iraqi hospital and an example of the really good journalism that puts the reader inside the Iraqi experience. Understanding what civilians are subjected to under the occupation helps explain why the resistance against the U.S. is so popular. This book's relentless exposure of war crimes is a scathing contrast to the establishment media. Jamail should be on national network shows to share the truth with America about what we sent our troops into harm's way to do to another people.

This is a "slice of life" report on the reality of what is really happening in Iraq. It is nice to read a report that doesn't depend on the control by the neocons that is part of an embedded journalist's story. He was the first author to bring to me the news (since confirmed by Congressional hearings) that the Iraq "parliament has for over two year voted against our occupation of their sovereign country, wants us to set a date to leave, would help us to leave, believes that we are causing the problem, and refuses to give our country their oil. Se Congessional hearings on U N mandate for occupation of Iraq. M L G

I am placing an order for this book once I am done writing this 'review'...so, no I have not yet read it...but I have been reading Dahr's reports for the last 3+ years - you can subscribe to his dispatches at his website - and have found his work to be a hugely grounding element in my thoughts and feelings of the US invasion and occupation of Iraq.
I had the pleasure of meeting Dahr in NYC in 2005 at one of his presentations on his trips to the country. I asked him how he ever came to the incredibly corageous decision to go to Iraq and he told me that he felt that if he *didn't* go, didn't do something, his head was going to explode. To be so motivated to actually put himself in a war zone is the kind of sincerity and passion that is sorely needed in the journalism of our time.
Dahr Jamail is one of my heroes.

Thank you Dahr for heeding the call to take you to the places few Americans allow themselves to go. This book is a true testament of the degree of devastation and misinformation we in the US are at times oblivious to. This book is a must read. Thank you for your life and for your calling.

I grew up in the Anthracite Coal Region of eastern Pennsylvania (Mount Carmel) and remember my Dad speaking of the Pottsville Maroons on several occasions. I didn't give the team much creedence, after all they seemed to be nothing more than a forgotten footnote in NFL history that generated some local pride. The team had never been the subject of any literary work, just the subject of a few short articles over the years in the local Pennsylvania newspapers. Now David Fleming breaths life into the Maroons and brings them out of the shadows. This book is great! Not only does Mr. Fleming tell the dynamic story of a deserving team that was wronged, but he also presents a vivid depiction of the Anthracite Coal Region during the roaring Twenties. Fleming's description of Pottsville's heyday is hard to imagine given the state of the decay the town is in now as are most other Coal Region towns including Mount Carmel. The main characters in the Maroon's story are brought to life and by the time you turn the last page you'll be drafting a letter to the current NFL Commissioner demanding that the Maroons be re-instated as 1925 NFL Champions.

I loved everything about this book. Nice concise chapters, lots of interesting tidbits about the 20's, very well researched, I felt like I was in the coal mines, the Pottsville stadium, the bar sitting around the radio listening to the championship game. Would be an awesome movie. The characters really are all great, from the 'Howitzer' to the Four Horsemen to the evil "old money white men" owners of the big-city NFL teams. Have I mentioned the word "great?" Ha ha. Seriously, worth a read.

The book, "The Breaker Boys" is one of the best sports books that i have ever read. It takes you through the Pottsville Maroons 1925 season where they were cheated out of the NFL championship. The book gives you a historical background of the maroons football franchise of the 1920's and how much the maroons brought together the city of Pottsville. This book is a must read for any sports fan with it's interesting historical evidence of one of the greatest shames in the history of the NFL.

The 1925 Pottsville Maroons, greatest team in NFL history? It is too difficult to compare teams across the decades as the game has changed so much. I have to admit that the book presents enough information to convince me that the Maroons were the best team on 1925, and they were robbed of the NFL Championship title.

The book tells the story of Dr. Streigel, and how he built a powerhouse team. Once Striegel was allowed to enter the fledgling NFL, he used his money and clout to gather some of the decades great fooball players. He manage to get college and homegrown players to bond as a team.

Unfortunately, Striegel did not make many friends in amongst the NFL Onwers. This did not help when controvery arose when the Maroons played a non-league game against the Notre Dame All-Stars. The game wasn't sanction by the league and was also played in the Frankford Yellowjackets territory.

It is a great story of football with a bittersweet ending. If only some threats were taken seriously, or the powers that be had a chance to cool off and think through what was happening. Hopefully this book will raise interest in the story and can make the NFL right a wrong that is over 80 years old.

I have read a lot of sports books over the years, but this one just might be the best. The story of the Pottsville Maroons is one that you will not soon forget.

I am not your typical book reader ,but after finding a book about your favorite comedian I could not resist.This was litterally the first book I read in over 20 years.I loved the book and was well entertained.I now have a more insight on how Robert's last decade really was.

It's always encouraging when someone beats cancer. And non-Hodgkins lymphoma is especially tough to overcome. Robert Schimmel had the advantage of age, good health, and caring support in his battle. And no doubt his determined sense of humor helped a lot too, besides bringing a welcome uplift to his fellow chemo patients. His book demonstrates that humor grows out of even the direst situation and that horniness survives all assaults.

There are no profound lessons in this volume beyond illustrating that mental attitude can make a bad time a little better. And whether attitude influences healing or not, it usually just feels better to be positive than negative.

I started reading after lunch today, and couldn't put it down. The writing is compelling and real, and inspiring in so many ways.
I am grateful that Mr. Schimmel lived through it all, and even more grateful that his book enriches our lives by reminding us about what really matters. As a survivor myself, and having lost many relatives to cancer, the book had my emotions all over the place...but through it all, the humor prevails. I can't remember ever reading a book that had me laughing and crying at the same time.

This book is in my collection after seeing him on Conan, and it's going to get a lot more readings from here on out. It's a keeper.

Robert has been one of my favorite comedians since the mid 80s. This is a very touching book. It sounds cliche, but it'll make you laugh and it'll make you cry. Being one of the worlds top comedians he is really able to tackle such heavy topics in a amusing way.

Definitely a must read for anyone experiencing something similar or for any of his fans.

Humor is a gift, and Robert Schimmel has the gift.

While some readers might think: "Cancer is no laughing matter", Schimmel's story shows how the use of laughter can lead a patient through the terror of cancer diagnosis and the devastating effects of treatment.

If you or someone you know has heard the dreaded words: "You have cancer", get this book. It's absolutely inspiring, and will help you to laugh through your tears.

Pete Sampras was not only a great and exceptional tennis player, but also a great athlete and competitor in Sports History.
In this book he gives a very great insight of his life in the top, the struggle that every champion has to carry on. It is great how he handled the losses. A big Champion like him can teach that even for him life was not always ALL about winning, but also dealing with losses.
Another very important concept that Pete Sampras remarks, are his core values, learned from his family. This is a key concept that many people omit and just focus on the results, not the things that took Pete Sampras to be the best Tennis player ever.

It was interesting reading about Pete Sampras' different tennis matches, but I was hoping for more about Pete's family and stuff about his life other than tennis.

I am Pete Sampras` fan and of course I enjoyed this book a lot!
I knew about most of the matches and important events, so it was really interesting to read Pete`s view of things.
And at the end I had a feeling, that the book was too thin:)

Pete Sampras is my all time favorite tennis player and this book was a unique opportunity to gain insight into the personality and make up of one of the greatest champions of all time. It is hard to put the book down, once you start reading it. I would definitely recommend it to tennis players and non-tennis players alike.

What a wonderful book. I could read a section about a match and want to pull out a tape and watch the match over because the book explained what Pete was feeling as he went through the match. Also, it was so interesting to read about how he was feeling during the many emotional times times in his life. The book shows us a Sampras that we rarely saw on the court.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and recommend it to everyone, not just tennis fans.

So far many of the names I've been reading in the newspapers are coming to life in this fun read! Just enough mayhem to wet your appetite for more! The format makes it easy to read and pick back up and I find myself using it as a reference book at this point as I'm going through various newspaper articles. I'm still in the process but am learning quite a bit about mobsters outside of the Chicago area. Must have for those getting started like myself!

I was given this book as a birthday present... This book is a must have for any organized crime geek... Its meticulously written in a straight forward manner. Covering a wide range of topics from Prohibition era gangsters like John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, and others like Al Capone and other wild gangsters of Chicago... Most of the focus is in the Chicago area and Outlaw Prohibition type bandits... It does have some dates concerning happenings in Detroit, Cleveland, New York, etc...

In the beginning of the book it has brief bio's of most of the major gangsters of the 1920's era... In the back it has two pages covering the dates various gangsters died... Over all its a well written book complete with other stories woven in with the almanac... This book is a must have for your organized crime library whether your just a mafia buff, amateur crime researcher, or just into reading about Prohibition era crime...

wonderful book.informative.makes good late night reading.i love reading about local gangsters/crimes.what an era!and this author really dug out the details.

Respected authors William Helmer and Rick Mattix have provided us with a reference book of nearly 900 pages relating to "the gangster and outlaw era: 1920--1940." The book is divided into seven sections dealing with all facets of crime during this turbulent era. Parts of this book can be read like any other book while criminal incidents from various years are listed chronologically. I feel this part of the book can be best used as a reference. The book contains numerous photos, several of which I have never seen before. The big shots of both Chicago and New York are all here as are the depression-era desperadoes. Depending on your interest level you may feel you are being told more than you care to know. However, as I said, much of this book can be used as a useful reference book to your crime library. If you do have such a library this book would be a worthy addition. Co-author Rick Mattix has reviewed numerous crime books on Amazon, and his opinion carries considerable weight with me in whether or not I decide to purchase a book.

This is a must have referance/gangster/outlaw book. If this subject or even this era of history intrests you at all this book is a goldmine.