Reviews (32)

Blow
The up your nose, in-your-face life of George Jung, the high-school football star from small-town USA who became the American linchpin of the Columbium cocaine cartel.Jung is talked about his earlier years as a poor student, risk taker from a shaky family but the story comes to age as he takes off for California for a haze of sunbathing, sex, pot, and LSD.Soon enough George is arrested and his operation is on hold temporarily.In prison, Jung befriends a young Carlos Lehder and links up with the Medallion cartel, which gross 35 billion in cocaine sales a year.Money, Learjets, fast cars, and very wild women make this story a big success.George Jung did what he considered the best thing he would be at and took it to a level of unknown power.During the 1980's if you snorted cocaine you had an 85% you bought it from him or people he supplied to.I would recommend this book to people that can feel remorse for what a man did only for the reason he was good at it and enjoyed what he did.George Jung lived the American Dream in his own aspect and I will respect him for what he did and what he regrets.

Sloppy job, but still interesting
Aware that the movie is only loosely based on a true story, I turned to this book for a more factual account of the rise and fall of George Jung.But Jung's own account of the execution he witnessed on the Escobar ranch, to pick an example, differs as much from the one in this book as from the movie!
Literally Being Blown Away
I was handed Blow from a friend and finished it within a busy schedule in less than a nine days.It is the unbelievable story of George Jung's life from being a small town local hero, to becoming deeply seeded in the Colombian drug trade.He managed to make more than 100 million dollars before he was caught for the last time and his extraordinary life leaves you nothing but dumbfounded.
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Subjects:  1. Cocaine industry    2. Criminology    3. General    4. Medellin Cartel    5. Organized crime    6. Other Miscellaneous Crimes    7. True Crime    8. True Crime / Espionage    9. United States    10. Biography: general    11. Drug addiction & substance abuse   

Reviews (5)

Worth Reading

Chicago's forgotten moneymakers.
When discussing the history of Chicago, several things instantly come to mind.First, there's the incredible legacy of Chicago's overzealous, long-winded, power-struggling politicians from which the nickname "Windy City" derived.There's the glorious history of Chicago's world-renowned sport teams, and infamous gangsters and law enforcement, leaving the names of such notables as Al Capone and Elliot Ness forever associated with the city. Yet, the history of Chicago seems incomplete. A city with one of the largest African-American populations in the United States, there seems to be little to no history detailing the legacy of this group. Nathan Thompson has heeded the call and has written a detailed account of how Chicago's historical South-Side was developed and run by African-Americans, due in part to the policy kings and local number racketeers.
A Key Chapter in Black History
Nate Thompson has done a fabulous job telling the story of the Policy Kings, the Blacks who invented the lottery and helped underwrite significant portions of black business with its earnings.While much of the action depicted is in Chicago, "policy" had its tentacles throughout black centers in America.It is a key history lesson that reads like a fast paced action novel - I could not put it down. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. True Crime / Espionage   

Reviews (13)

Good But Could Have Been Better
This book was an interesting read from cover to cover, but there are ways in which it could have been improved.For one thing, Nash spends far more time than I'd have liked giving us blow by blow accounts of the exploits of Wild Western outlaws and Mafia gangsters, then gives comparatively short shrift to people who are, arguably, of much more current interest, such as serial killers like Jeff Dahmer or Ted Bundy.Some mass murderers who had already had their sprees when this book was last updated are left out completely, such as James Huberty.In short, Nash seems to have some very clear biases about what "badmen" he felt were important, or interesting, and the others got short-changed, if they were brought up at all.My feeling is that if Nash wants to do books that are primarily about the Old West or the Mafia, let him do so, but when he purports to give us a book that covers the full spectrum of United States violent criminals, I expect a more even-handed approach.Not only that, but a number of serial killers were also left out, apparently for no reason other than that the killer remains unidentified (such as the Zodiac, or the Axeman of New Orleans.)Given the impact and terror that those worthies had on the general public at the time they were operating, their absence here is very hard to take.
Purple prose and cheap research
Typical stuff from Nash, one of the premier hacks of our time.Old tales openly lifted from other sources get retold with a lot of tabloid style writing and occasional adherence to facts.There are so many better books out there on crime and criminals. If you care about good writing and solid research, avoid this one!

Correction
I just want to correct the reviewer who called the female murderer Gretchen Baniszewski in his review. Her name is Gertrude Baniszewski. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Crime And Criminals    3. Criminals    4. Dictionaries    5. General    6. Murder - General    7. True Crime / Espionage    8. United States    9. Crime & criminology    10. History of specific subjects    11. True Crime / General    12. USA   

Reviews (96)

Thompson's Best
In my opinion it doesn't get more gonzo than this.Thompson goes in and becomes a part of this degraded and bizarre world, promising a keg of beer to his friends after the book is finished.Although he never did give them that keg of beer,he got his butt kicked for not going it.I believe that sets things even.
"He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man."
R.I.P. Hunter S. Thompson.We barely knew ya.
WIREBIRDS ON FIREWHEELS
Hell's Angels is an all-time enduring classic by the late "Gonzo" journalist Hunter S. Thompson. It is a very interactive, very detailed description of one's affiliation with the dreaded motorcycle outlaws known as the Hell's Angels. The writing style is quite fascinating, for if it were not based on actual accounts or the interpretations thereof, it would be a most fascinating series of pulp fiction stories.
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Subjects:  1. California    2. Criminology    3. Gangs    4. General    5. Hell's Angels    6. Motorcycle gangs    7. Offenses And Offenders    8. Popular Culture - General    9. Social Science    10. Sociology    11. Sociology - General    12. Literary Criticism & Collections / General    13. Modern fiction    14. Popular culture    15. USA   

Reviews (34)

Early Rule Work Gives Detailed Account Sexual Deviant
Before serial killers were even "serial" (generically referred to as "mass murderers"), Jerome Brudos was collection women's shoes and undergarments.And when that wasn't enough, he collected the women themselves!
Oregon - - Where Killers are Born?
Kind of makes you wonder, huh?This book, in my opinion, is the best Ann Rule book I have read so far.I've read about 5, I believe.Wow!Talk about horrific!Jerome Brudos was one sick puppy!Ted Bundy and Gary Ridgeway were absolutely terrifying in their own right, but Jerry Brudos was horrific!I won't give away the story but I would never want to meet him in a dark alley, that's for sure.By seeing his picture, he doesn't look like a killer, he just seems like the guy next door.
Murder in the Northwest
This book is ranked in the upper echelon of Ann Rule's work. On that premise alone, I decided to give this book a shot. While the story may be somewhat less sensationalistic that some of Rule's other topics, it is still very attention grabbing.
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Subjects:  1. Murder - General    2. True Crime    3. True Crime / Espionage    4. True Crime / Murder / Serial Killers    5. USA   

Reviews (52)

A powerful indictment of the death penalty in America
This book, written by a Catholic nun, is a powerful indictment of the death penalty in America. She describes in vivid detail her role as "spiritual adviser" to two death row inmates, and in graphic detail, describes their deaths at the hands of the state.
Great Read
Dead Man Walking
Absolutely worth considering
Sister Helen's case is a highly serious and convincing one, and she has bolstered it by the results of detailed and careful investigations which she has incorporated on top of her experience as a spiritual adviser to delinquents, whose executions she watched in person.
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Subjects:  1. Capital punishment    2. Criminal Law - General    3. Criminology    4. Moral and religious aspects    5. Movie/Tv Tie-Ins    6. Murder - General    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Religious aspects    9. United States    10. Law / Criminal Law    11. Reading Group Guide   

Editorial Review

"SHE WAS YOUNG AND BEAUTIFUL BUT NOW SHE IS BATTERED AND DEAD. SHE IS NOT THE FIRST AND SHE WILL NOT BE THE LAST." Few cases in the history of true crimeare as colorful and intriguing as that of Zodiac, the bizarre gunmanin an executioner's hood who hunted the streets of San Francisco inthe late 1960s and sent dozens of taunting letters to the police.Robert Graysmith provides ample details about the policeinvestigation, including the full text and photos of most of theletters. Read more

Reviews (62)

The Scariest Crime Bookyou'll ever read,because it's about the Zodiac.
This book is a Halloween treat! I read this in high school,on All Hallow's Eve, and it scared the holy-ghost out of me.I slept with the light on ,and a baseball bat nearby,for a whole month.Being older,and smarter about the crime case,it still fascinates me today.Every red herring,he throw at the reading public,they fell for them.I would have given Arthur (Lozier) Leigh Allen,the fake name of Stephan Wayne Echols,rather than the misleading faux name of Robert Hall Starr.RHS does not socially or historically fit ALA.(N.B.-If you have one of these names,its just a pure coincidence.Don't panic.)Robert E. Lee was from the South,but Northern yankee Robert E.Leigh was not.The DNA testing has cleared Graysmith's prime suspect ,Arthur Leigh Allen.The book makes him look like a nazi-reject from 'Hogan's Heroes'.The real Zodiac knew all about fingerprints,and even Sherwood(Gross-Anderson)Morrill ,i bet. Yet,the Zodiac did not forsee DNA testing.If he had ,the Z would have placed ALA's DNA code,with some Z related crime-scene evidence .This is still an awesome book,eventhough no one really knows who the Zodiac was.We know it wasn't Arthur Allen,and the final truth still has to be uncovered.Graysmith's second book is nonsense and inaccurate.The first book is still a cool, bizarre quasi-correct chronicle of what transpired!-A neat movie would have been ,"Fatalities of Flatbush",starring Bernie Swartz and Janet French Morrison. Ha Ha ,He He! Think about it.

Very interesting
A reviewer on Amazon highly recommended this book in a review of another that I had just finished. I didn't know anything about the Zodiac killer and I was interested so I picked it up at a used bookstore. It's very interesting. Not what I was expecting only because I wasn't alive in the 60s when this was all going on. It scares me quite a bit, though, when I'm reading by myself at night which I know is silly but I'll be glad when I'm finished with it. Not that I don't read things that scare me anyway but those are usually ghost stories and the ghosts can't kill you. Suppose it's nice to know I care enough to not want to die but perhaps that's more in the line of Not Wanting To Be Stabbed 300 Times.My only complaint is that it was published like 15 years ago and I wish there was an appendix or something with updates, like whar ever happened to the main suspect, etc.

5 Stars For Sure
Awesome, awesome, awesome. I have heard that some of the "facts" are not accurate, but this book is still great. It doesn't just scratch upon the surface, but rather cuts then burrows down deep into the guts of the case and comes tearing out through a large gaping exit wound. It presents all the facts without ever getting boring or bogged down. The author also presents many theories that are well thought out, and never seem half-baked. Ultimately though it is a bit anti-climactic, but this is the case of the Zodiac Killer... ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Murder - General    2. Sociology    3. True Crime / Espionage    4. True Crime / General   

Editorial Review

No one more epitomized the world of gangsta rap than Suge Knight, the oftenbrutal CEO of Death Row Records. Author Ronin Ro shows courage in detailing thefrightening means used by Knight to corner the market on the most hard-core of urbanmusic. It's a tale that reads like it was written by the bastard offspring of Horatio Alger and Quentin Tarantino.Knight's forceful style and legal entanglements have been the stuff of legend for years.Most music reporters, coming face to face with the thugs who enforced the rules at DeathRow, have been afraid to tell the story. With Knight safely behind bars and Death Row indisrepair, Ronin Ro finally has the chance to put this violent soap opera in print. ... Read more

Reviews (36)

Violently Entertaining and Informative
Before I start this review, I'd like to defend Ronin Ro for his writing. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the way this book was written: the author carefully weaved in each character who was essential in the Death Row scandal.I saw no editorial mistakes and it was organized sufficiently.If a reader does not like the experiences in the book, that's one thing; but to insult the writer is ridiculous, especially since this was such an interesting and well-researched book.
The Best Book For Any True Rap Fan!!!!!
This book gives you an inside look at one of the most powerfull companies in history.Its not just contracts and courtrooms, its murder, shooting and violence.It keeps your interest from start to finish.You see what a true gangsta Suge Knight was, doing anything to get what he wanted.It covers Dr. Dre, Suge Knight, N.W.A., the DOC, Tupac, Snoop Dogg, and many more.Ronin Ro puts direct quotes and doesnt altar or change anything, its raw, real, true.The language is definatly for 16+ but its great regarless.Go behind the scenes of the biggest indusry in music, and go inside the EastVs. West Coast Rap Battle.Once it arrives you will never put it down.

"Have Gun Will Travel" Review
Ronin Ro's "Have Gun Will Travel" is probably one of the most entertaining books ever written on the subject of Suge Knight's Death Row Records. However, a good deal of the information in this book should be taken with a grain of salt. Ro paints Knight as a thuggish bully who used violent tactics to extort his way into the music industry and helped create a feared "gang presence" behind the scenes at Death Row. It explores his partnership with Dr. Dre, a talented music producer who Knight pulled from rival Ruthless Records only to knock out of the picture when he was able to acquire an even-larger artist, Tupac Shakur. It goes into detail about the reported beatings of Dre production assistant, Sam Sneed and the infamous boat party where Warren G and his crew were assaulted. Ro tends to have a personal vendetta with some rappers, most noteably Tupac Shakur and DJ Quik. Shakur is written as a loud-mouthed, arrogant gangsta rapper who was falsely praised as a "revolutionary" because of his mother's fabricated past as a member of the Black Panthers. Quik is also written about in a less flattering way as Ro takes a biased look at his feud with MC Eiht, accussing him of hiding behind gang tactics and using violent threats while Eiht attempted to reconcile the problem. It fails to mention that Quik's diss record was a lyrical retaliation to a series of diss tracks called "Def Wish" where Eiht verbally punked Quik or that following the death of Biggie, Quik began recording positive anti-gang records including "You'z A Gangsta" where he made a call to end his problems with Eiht. Still, the star of the show, Suge Knight, takes the brunt of the beating in an editorial assault that makes Michael Moore's portrait of George W. Bush in "Farenheit 9/11" look kind in comparison. When he's not being accussed of assaulting record executives, promoting violence within the recording industry, or setting up rappers to be murdered, Knight's sexuality is also questioned as Ro explores a "supposed" homosexual relationship between Suge and his label's R&B crooner, Danny Boy, who is also his adopted son. If you were even a slight fan of West Coast rap music in the 90's, "Have Gun Will Travel" is one hell of an entertaining read, though most of its information is more "National Enquirer" than LA Times. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business Aspects    2. Current Affairs    3. Genres & Styles - Rap & Hip Hop    4. Mass Media    5. Mass Media - General    6. Murder - General    7. Music/Songbooks    8. Politics/International Relations    9. Current Events / Mass Media    10. Music   

Reviews (27)

Wonderfully Frightening
I am a fan of Frances Kermeen. Her books are always entertaining and fact filled. She is thorough with her research, does her homework and knows her stuff. When I planned a recent trip to the Myrtles I asked several history and paranormal enthusiasts who was an expert on the hauntings and history of the old Myrtles plantation. I was told over and over that it was Frances Kermeen. I bought the book, took the trip to the Myrtles AND read the book afterwards. The author is right on!This place is very very haunted.
EXCELLENT
This is probably one of the best I have read.Frances Kermeen is an excellent writer, and I hated for this book to end. I read this book so fast because I could not put it down.I cannot recommend this book enough.

A Little Disappointing toa LA Native
Kermeen's account of her exerpeinces at the Myrtles, at times, was truly frightening.I suppose probably in part to reading this while alone, before retiring for the night.However, I have to admit I was disappointed, overall, in the book.I am a native of Louisiana and have visited the Myrtles on several occassions.I was hoping for historical information to validate the supposed ghosts that haunt the plantation, especially since Kermeen attests to having avidly researched the home's history.Little of this is detailed in the novel. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Body, Mind & Spirit    2. Ghosts    3. Haunted houses    4. Louisiana    5. New Age    6. New Age / Body, Mind & Spirit    7. Occultism    8. Reincarnation    9. Supernatural    10. Fiction / General    11. Ghosts & poltergeists    12. True Stories   

Reviews (6)

Vital Book
"Stolen Lives, Identity Theft Prevention Made Simple" is a 'must-have' for those of us who aren't into computers, and a vital book for we who are.The information in this wonderful book is of critical importance to us all, and it provides us with a means of protecting ourselves from intrusion, and worse, into each of our lives.
An informative guide to the innovative avoidance of the modern threat of identity theft
Stolen Lives: Identity Theft Prevention Made Simple is the informed and informative guide to the innovative avoidance of the modern threat of identity theft knowledgeably written by John D. Sileo. Having been victimized by an identity theft, John D. Sileo lived the horrors and pains of defending his innocence for the embezzlement of $300,000 for the span of two years, during which he became highly educated on the whole construct of modern identity theft and with Stolen Lives is doing his best to prevent others from having the same thing happen burden their lives. Written in an easy-to-use format, Stolen Lives is the ultimate informational reference for situational threats such as who to watch out for, how likely certain people may commit such acts, proper mentality for banking, and many more educational information. Stolen Lives is strongly recommended reading for all readers, but most particularly newcomers to cities who are setting up a new life and in fear of identity theft.
The most Well Organized Book I've Read On Identity Theft
I have had my identity stolen several times, and my wife has had it stolen once. We have read everything there is to read on identity theft and Stolen Lives is by far the most logically organized. Mr. Sileo gives a calendar of tasks to follow that walks you through every single step, one by one. You would have to be a complete idiot to not get this one. And you really only have to spend a couple of minutes on each step, so you don't get bogged down in a useless checklist. I recommend this to everyone I know. I also liked Johnny May's book.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Consumer Finance    4. General    5. Personal Finance    6. Personal Finance - General   

Reviews (3)

Excellent Read
This book was written almost perfectly. As a true crime reader I go through many books and find the Author stays on one situation to long or goes over and over again on it and then the suspense leaves and/or I have to skip a few pages here and there because they drag out the history of the town and then drag out the trial. This Book did neither. The Author did a wonderful job. It was a horrible story of Murder and greed and you will not be able to put down the book.
Remember "Blood Simple?"
At the risk of being callous--since this book recounts a true story that brought death & pain to real people--the most astonishing thing about Carlton Smith's outstanding "Cold-Blooded" is that it turns out sometimes the consequences even of murder are just downright funny.
Seven Stars - If I Could but Amazon Won't Let Me
I would rate this book with seven complete stars (no three-quarter, half, or quarter stars for me!) if Amazon would let me.
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Subjects:  1. California    2. Case studies    3. McNabney, Elisa    4. McNabney, Larry    5. Murder    6. Murder - General    7. True Crime    8. True Crime / Espionage    9. 21st century   

Subjects:  1. Baseball - History    2. General    3. True Crime    4. Nonfiction / Crime   

Features

• Audiobook
• Unabridged

Reviews (4)

SOME OF THE BEST WRITING YOU WILL EVER HEAR
I have spent much of my life planning to read the great novels but as of yet just have never found the time.Recently I discovered a wonderful alternative is listening to audio books.As of today I have now heard a number of great works but Capote's novel is in a class by itself.The writing is amazing.He owns the English language.Never does he settle for a second best way to describe a thing but writes with the precision of a master craftsman.Describing the deceased mother, whose eyes remained open, Capote refers to them as "death dulled eyes".Speaking of the shrubs he speaks of their "camel-like indifference to drought".Every sentence, every phrase, from cover to cover, is both poetic and gripping.Unlike many authors who begin strong and then begin to dull as the chapters progress, Capote keeps the freshness of his prose up throughout the work.
CAPOTE'S MASTERPIECE
When this book was first published it was a sensation, it makes the furor over the Da Vinci look mild in comparison and it made Capote a superstar.What makes this book unique, besides the fantastic writing, was the fact that Capote completely emersed himself in this project, he turned over every stone and completely manipulated everyone involved, to learn every angle of the story.This book is a complete tour de force, this is a book you will never forget, not just because of the crime, so vividly recreated, but also due to Capote's haunting prose.Highly recommended, lives up to all the hype.It's just a shame it ruined Capote, as nakedly ambitious as he was, he was also a true talent.

AS COMPELLING AS EVER

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Subjects:  1. General    2. Infamous Crimes And Criminals    3. Murder    4. Murder - General    5. True Crime    6. Unabridged Audio - Misc.Nonfiction    7. True Crime / General   

Reviews (173)

Very Touching
I really enjoyed this book.It is in my top favorites.It's a very touching story you will never be able to forget Nancy.

An Old Favorite
My mother found this novel for me at a yard sale.My aunt was suffering from AIDS at the time, and I think she felt that by reading the book I might better understand her illness.
it happened to Nancy
Ages 14 and up. Nancy thought she was in love but didn't know that it could cause her her own life: It Happened to Nancy. Nancy was raped and infested with her new bestfriend's HIV. Never again did she think anything good could come out of this situation. But having AIDS taught her to be more careful in life and appreciate it more because she didn't have that much of it left. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. AIDS (Disease)    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography - General    4. Children's 12-Up - Biography / Autobiography    5. Children's Books/Young Adult Biography    6. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 10-12)    7. Diaries    8. Health & Daily Living - Diseases    9. Health - Diseases    10. Juvenile literature    11. Patients    12. United States    13. Juvenile Fiction / Social Situations / Death & Dying    14. True Stories   

Reviews (13)

One of Ann's Best!!
Ann is one of my favorite authors. I am pretty picky in how a book is written and Ann writes them so perfectly as she is there watching the situation Happen. This is of course Another one of Ann'sbooks that you can't put down!

Selected True Crime Stories
Ann Rule chose a dozen cases of this book. In each case she was acquainted with some of the people mentioned: victim, survivors, detectives, or the prosecutors of defense attorneys. Sometimes the killer. The first three cases are all new; the last nine cases were taken from previously published books. This is a good introduction to her writings. Note how often economic factors are in the background. Ann Rule lives and works in the Seattle area. Something old, something new
I really, really love Ann Rule."Without Pity" is a collection of 12 short cases, three new, the rest reruns from her earlier books.I personally like her long books that contain one story, such as "Small Sacrifices", or the True Crime Files volumes which contain one book-length story supplemented by a few shorter stories, such as "Last Dance, Last Chance".But if you have read her longer works, and can't get enough of Ann Rule, the three new stories in this book alone will be worth the price of admission.If you have not read Ann Rule's earlier books, the older stories are all very interesting ones too. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Case studies    2. Crime    3. General    4. Homicide    5. Murder    6. Murder - General    7. True Crime    8. True Crime / Espionage    9. United States    10. True Crime / General   

Reviews (83)

The Real Godfather Saga
This is just an excellent true crime book. It is about Dominic Montiglio who was a decorated Viet Nam War vet and Green Beret. Dominic also comes from a family that is heavily and highly placed in the Gambino Mafia crime family that ran/runs New York. It is first a story about a young Green Beret in Viet Nam and then it turns to him slowly becoming more and more involved in 'the family business'. It covers a lot of the history of The Gambino family that Dominic witnessed first hand. It then becomes a descent into madness as Dominic becomes involved and witness to one of the most brutal and vicious crews in The Gambino crime family The Roy Demeo crew. This was an actual crew with members who were all legit serial killers. They were known as The Murder Machine because they had their killings and the then dismemberment of the victim down to a science.
Brown M. (Loves Park,IL)
I love to read mob books. I have to tell you that this is one of the best books I ever read. Hands down a great read. I would recommmend this book to everyone. You can't go wrong. I've had to replace this book three times, because when I lend it out people don't want to return it. It's that good. Even my brother who is in no way a reader couldn't put it down.