American Gangsters, Then and Now: An Encyclopedia (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780313354519)

A detailed compendium of American gangsters and gangs from the end of the Civil War to the present day.

American Gangsters, Then and Now: An Encyclopedia ranges from Western outlaws revered as Robin Hoods to the Depression's flamboyant bootleggers and bank robbers to the late 20th century's drug kingpins and "Dapper Dons." It is the first comprehensive resource on the gangster's historical evolution and unshakable grip on the American imagination.

American Gangsters, Then and Now tells the stories of a number of famous gangsters and gangs--Jesse James and Billy the Kid, the Black Hand, Al Capone, Sonny Barger and the Hell's Angels, the Mafia, Crips and Bloods, and more. Avoiding sensationalism, the straightforward entries include biographical portraits and historical background for each subject, as well as accounts of infamous robberies, killings, and other events, all well documented with both archival newspapers and extensive research into the files of the FBI. Readers will understand the families, the places, and the times that produced these monumental criminals, as well as the public mindset that often found them sympathetic and heroic.

Author: Nate Hendley
ISBN-10: 0313354510
ISBN-13: 9780313354519
Publisher: ABC-CLIO
Language: English
Published: 12/01/2009
Pages: 296
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.70lbs
Size: 10.00h x 7.10w x 0.90d

Review Citation(s):
LJ Best Reference Sources 11/15/2009 pg. 48
Choice 07/01/2010
Library Journal 06/15/2010 pg. 91
School Library Journal 08/01/2010 pg. 67
Reference and Research Bk News 05/01/2010 pg. 158