Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Brutal

3.62 of 5 stars 3.62 · rating details · 469 ratings · 48 reviews

I grew up in the Old Colony housing project in South Boston, a tough, working class, mostly Irish neighborhood. I went from being a Golden Gloves boxer to a bouncer in a popular Southie bar called Triple O's. I got into many fights, knocked out a lot of people, and got noticed by one person in particular. People paid him a great deal of respect, came to him with their prob...more I grew up in the Old Colony housing project in South Boston, a tough, working class, mostly Irish neighborhood. I went from being a Golden Gloves boxer to a bouncer in a popular Southie bar called Triple O's. I got into many fights, knocked out a lot of people, and got noticed by one person in particular. People paid him a great deal of respect, came to him with their problems. Sure, I knew who he was. I'd heard stories. He was tough. He could be vicious. He ran the rackets in Southie. His name was James "Whitey" Bulger, although I always called him Jimmy.

In 1982 I went with Jimmy full time. We became partners, running legitimate businesses and some not-so-legitimate businesses. Basically, we were gangsters. We took what we wanted. We shook down drug dealers, bookmakers, like that. What were they gonna do -- go to the police? We beat people up; shot and stabbed them. And we made people disappear -- permanently. We were smart -- experts at avoiding microphones and cameras. We made millions through extortion and loan sharking and protection. And if someone ratted us out, we killed him. We were not nice guys.

I was there when Jimmy went on the lam in 1994 and I was his contact after he'd left Boston for good. With Jimmy gone, I ran things. Shortly before my own arrest in 1999, I found out that Jimmy had been an FBI informant even before I entered the scene. My life was never the same.

When the feds finally got me, I found myself faced with something Jimmy would have killed me for -- cooperating with the authorities.

Do I have any regrets? Nah, not really -- only that I should have spent more time with my wife and sons. But I've got a second chance now, and I gotta tell what happened -- what really happened. It's a lot different from what you read in the newspapers.

I was brutally honest on the witness stand, and this book is brutally honest, too -- the brutal truth that was never before told. How could it? Only three people could tell the true story. With one on the run and one in jail for life, it falls on me.(less)

ebook, 320 pages

Published July 10th 2007 by HarperCollins (first published 2006)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 821)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Aug 29, 2011 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars

As they say, "you can’t rat on a rat". Unbelievable Book. In this case, you can judge a book by its cover. It was BRUTAL & it was believable. It seemed like an honest, unapologetic and interesting account of the Whitey Bulger saga which continues today. I picked it up after hearing so much about Whitey being caught recently in the news.
Having known next to nothing about Whitey, I’m sure glad I picked this as my first look into the world of Whitey, especially after Weeks constantly mentions...more

like 1 like · see review

May 13, 2013 Leon rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I grew up in the Old Colony housing project in South Boston and became partners with James "Whitey" Bulger, who I always called Jimmy.

Jimmy and I, we were unstoppable. We took what we wanted. And we made people disappear—permanently. We made millions. And if someone ratted us out, we killed him. We were not nice guys.

I found out that Jimmy had been an FBI informant in 1999, and my life was never the same. When the feds finally got me, I was faced with something Jimmy would have killed me for—

...more

I grew up in the Old Colony housing project in South Boston and became partners with James "Whitey" Bulger, who I always called Jimmy.

Jimmy and I, we were unstoppable. We took what we wanted. And we made people disappear—permanently. We made millions. And if someone ratted us out, we killed him. We were not nice guys.

I found out that Jimmy had been an FBI informant in 1999, and my life was never the same. When the feds finally got me, I was faced with something Jimmy would have killed me for—cooperating with the authorities. I pled guilty to twenty-nine counts, including five murders. I went away for five and a half years.

I was brutally honest on the witness stand, and this book is brutally honest, too; the brutal truth that was never before told. How could it? Only three people could tell the true story. With one on the run and one in jail for life, it falls on me.

Review

“Weeks lands a knockout punch with this compelling look at one of the most intriguing figures in the American underworld.” (– George Anastasia, bestselling author of The Last Gangster )

“Rarely have the nuts-and-bolts of ‘the gangster life’ been laid bare in such shocking, unvarnished detail.” (– T. J. English, New York Times bestselling author of Paddy Whacked and The Westies )

“Mesmerizing and fascinating ... no organized crime fiction I have read has anything on this book. I couldn’t put it down.” (– Michael Palmer, New York Times bestselling author of The Society )

“…most interesting and accurate. When Weeks talks about Bulger, he’s got the goods and he makes clear the others don’t.” (– Boston Sunday Globe )

“Weeks has made his literary bones. He has credibility…” (– Boston Phoenix )

“Absorbing.” (—Deseret Morning News )

“Bulger has spawned a handful of books about his mayhem. So far, Weeks’ is the best. ” (– Cleveland Plain Dealer )

“A dazzling story...Brutal is the most revealing and chilling true crime story that I have ever read.” (– Julian Krainin, Producer of “Quiz Show” and “Something the Lord Made” )

About the Author

Kevin Weeks is out of prison and living a clean life in Massachusetts.

Phyllis Karas is the coauthor of two previous books. She is a contributor to People magazine and an adjunct professor at the Boston University School of Journalism. She lives in Marblehead, Massachusetts, with her husband.

(less)

like · see review

Feb 04, 2013 Danielle rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-books, crime-thrillers, less-than-impressed

About midway through this book, I started just skimming, because I was thoroughly tired of hearing how great a guy Jimmy was (he totally didnt allow heroin in South Boston, what a stand-up guy!), how really really super not-racist they all were (if you have to protest that hard, you pretty clearly know you're racist), how Kevin was super-awesome at compartmentalizing what he did so he didn't feel bad (basically "why should it bother me, they all had it coming, it was just business"), how Stevie...more

like · see review

Jul 03, 2010 Reallyrose rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This "book' is a pathetic attempt to expunge the author from his sins- he asks us to understand- but then jerks back any and all culpability for his actions. There's an excuse for everything- the list of killings goes on and on; nowhere is there a lesson or the slightest bit of enlightenment. The author tells us early on of his high I.Q. but then gives us no evidence of one.It would have been a better book if he had stuck to his childhood- but Angela's Ashes was so much better. Read that. This o...more

like 4 likes · see review

Dec 26, 2010 Eli Dawson added it · review of another edition

“People overestimate the law. They figure that once they’re on you, you can’t do anything. But that’s not true. It’s not that they’re so great at what they do, it’s just that the criminals can be lazy at what they do. And if a criminal makes one mistake, he’s gone. Most criminals don’t put enough effort into not being caught.” – Brutal by Kevin Weeks (co-authored by Phyllis Karas)

A quick recap: James “Whitey” Bulger was a South Boston crime boss who has been linked to the killings of at least ni...more “People overestimate the law. They figure that once they’re on you, you can’t do anything. But that’s not true. It’s not that they’re so great at what they do, it’s just that the criminals can be lazy at what they do. And if a criminal makes one mistake, he’s gone. Most criminals don’t put enough effort into not being caught.” – Brutal by Kevin Weeks (co-authored by Phyllis Karas)

A quick recap: James “Whitey” Bulger was a South Boston crime boss who has been linked to the killings of at least nineteen people and who has been on the run from federal charges since 1995 (since he disappeared he was outed as a FBI informant). For a full list of Boston Globe articles on the many aspects of Whitey’s story, see this special on-line section called The Search for Whitey Bulger. Whitey’s notoriety extended beyond Boston. For example, Martin Scorsese’s The Departed, although an adaptation of the Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs, was set in Boston, allowing screenwriter William Monahan to use aspects of Bulger’s story for the Frank Costello character played by Jack Nicholson. And then there was the Showtime show Brotherhood (which was originally titled Southie). Although based in Providence, R.I., the show’s premise bears more than a slight resemblance to the story of Whitey and his politician brother William Bulger. As far as I remember, Whitey does not feature into Good Hill Hunting, but I would need to revisit the film to be sure.

In addition to Hollywood’s love of the criminals of Southie, there have been more than a few books on the subject as well. There are at least three books by Boston reporters who covered the Bulger story over the years. In addition, Phyllis Karas co-authored two Bulger mob books that took a more “insider” approach. She first worked with Edward MacKenzie Jr. on Street Soldier: My Life as an Enforcer for Whitey Bulger and the Irish Mob (2003). Later she published Brutal (2006) with gangster Kevin Weeks. While many have questioned MacKenzie’s role in the Bulger organization (including Weeks who said MacKenzie was “not involved with us at all”), Weeks’ position as an insider and tough in the Bulger organization has never been in question.

Brutal is brutally straightforward. Essentially, it is a laundry-list of people met and crimes committed. The book’s style is all in its bluntness. We follow Weeks from his childhood in South Boston to his years as Whitey’s fearless and loyal compatriot to his arrest to his deal with the Feds (Weeks’ position on flipping – “You can’t rat on a rat”). Weeks goes into great detail about some events, but glosses over others. He perpetuates Whitey’s image as a Robin Hood-like figure; keeping crime and hard drugs out of the neighborhood. And when Whitey was violent, it was just business.

Of all the stories recounted in Brutal, the one that seemed to get the most attention involved Boston Herald reporter Howie Carr, whom Weeks characterized as a cowardly “piece of shit reporter.” It certainly seemed to be what most interested Ed Bradley in his 60 Minutes feature on Weeks, following the publication of Brutal. In the book, Weeks tells of how he had Carr in the cross-hairs of his rifle scope, ready to shoot, except that Carr came out of his house with his young daughter. In an interview for the 60 Minutes story, Carr dismissed Weeks’ claim, saying “It doesn’t seem like Kevin would have the stones to do it.” Did I mention that Carr also has a book to sell? It’s called The Brothers Bulger: How They Terrorized and Corrupted Boston for a Quarter Century.

(less)

like · see review

May 02, 2013 Ted rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is not usually the type of book I'd read but there was something about Whitey Bulger, his relationship with his supposedly clean younger brother and his life on the lam, which attracted to me. He was a brutal killer with no redeeming qualities...the book makes that quite clear. It's hard to believe anybody can actually be that cold-blooded. Particularly interesting is his relationship with the FBI. The writing isn't as polished as one would like and it isn't always clear when something is h...more

like · see review

Oct 31, 2012 ♥Bella★✰ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook, library-book, memoir, true-crime

Kevin Weeks grew up in South Boston, a tough neighborhood where being able to handle yourself on the street was the most important thing. His ability to handle himself got noticed by James Bulger who ran the rackets, or mob in South Boston “Southie”. This is a first person account of his life and his experiences as an associate of “Whitey” Bulger. The shakedowns, the drug business, the murders, some committed by him, some witnessed by him and cleaned up after by him and some that he just knew ab...more

like · see review

Jul 25, 2011 Emily rated it 2 of 5 stars

Continuing on my streak of mobster related books---I decided on the real-life mob story of Whitey Bulger and friends in Brutal by Kevin Weeks. This book was kind of eh. How many pages can you write about beating someone up b/c they said "F you" to you? Well in Kevin Weeks case, about 250! Long story short, Kevin Weeks was always a violent kid, and even the rest of his family turned out OK, his violent temper led him to becoming a bouncer in a Southie bar and then falling into a friendship with W...more

like · see review

Sep 08, 2009 Karen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: autobiography-biography-memoir, bulger

Kevin Weeks’s account of his years spent as Jimmy “Whitey” Bulger’s right-hand man is the most fascinating kind of True Crime. It makes sense that these guys eluded the law for so long. His story rings of truth and although you know you can’t trust a criminal 100% you eagerly gulp every inch of crap he shovels. The writing is sprinkled with colloquialisms; this is a dude from Southie just shootin’ the shit. There’s also a disturbing detachment and blatant unapologetic tone. This is a guy who at...more Kevin Weeks’s account of his years spent as Jimmy “Whitey” Bulger’s right-hand man is the most fascinating kind of True Crime. It makes sense that these guys eluded the law for so long. His story rings of truth and although you know you can’t trust a criminal 100% you eagerly gulp every inch of crap he shovels. The writing is sprinkled with colloquialisms; this is a dude from Southie just shootin’ the shit. There’s also a disturbing detachment and blatant unapologetic tone. This is a guy who at a book signing said he would have gone back to being a criminal once he was out of prison, if it weren't for the book. ''Now I can't. Everybody knows my face." Yeah, he’s not sorry and it amazes me how little time he actually spent in jail. Makes me wonder who the real brain is; one is doing life, the other is on the lam (honestly, I think he’s dead but that’s just me…). Kevin is free and living in Massachusetts.

Kevin was basically Bulger’s muscle. His main job was to intimidate and beat the crap out of people. He freely admits to crimes such as extortion but places himself as merely a witness in multiple murders. He was in the other room, he dug a hole, he got the body bag. He never admits to doing the deed. Yet there is one part where he describes enthusiastically volunteering to kill someone, on his own too, but that murder ended up not taking place. It’s moments like this when I was questioning just how true of an account I was reading. So, he volunteered for a murder that never happened, but with all the ones that did occur, he was simply a witness? Hmmm…

I’m not fully buying Kevin’s claim that he was shocked that Whitey and Flemmi were FBI informants. Did he really think that an FBI agent was freely passing on information and not getting anything in return? Plus with all the time Whitey and Flemmi spent without Kevin, vacationing together and such, wouldn’t it be safe to assume they had something to hide? I can’t imagine that with his self-proclaimed genius IQ, Kevin really had no idea they were rats. Overall, a fascinating tale of Kevin’s life from his childhood up until his decision to cooperate with the authorities against Jimmy Bulger and Stevie Flemmi. (Hey, you can’t rat on a rat, right?)
(less)

like · see review

Dec 28, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I used to be of the philosophy that you should always finish a book that you started - thankfully, I've since dumped that attitude given that I won't be around forever. Good thing because this book is a complete waste of time and there are far too many GOOD books out there to enjoy and learn from. Brutal is a poorly written egotistical play-by-play of Kevin Weeks's life, which consists solely of beating people up and killing them. If you're interested in the mob and crime, there are definitely b...more

like · see review

Oct 05, 2007 Alyssa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Loved loved loved it. As a warning, it's written very colloquially, so someone who gets preoccupied by poor grammar or simplistic writing may not enjoy it, but if you become engrossed in the story, as I was, the technical downfalls are easy to ignore.

I am totally enamoured with all things "bad" or slightly sinister or illegal, so this was right up my alley. Truly fascinating. The book took an interesting spin once I was finished, too: I did a quick Google search, and read on a few websites that...more

like 2 likes · see review

Apr 30, 2012 Stacey rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

if I could give it a negative stars rating, I would. Most poorly written book I have ever read. The story could have been interesting if it was written by a ghost writer perhaps instead of the author. As it stands, the book is very annoying to read.

like · see review

Aug 23, 2012 Anne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ugghhhhh, this guy was arrested a few blocks from my home in Santa Monica. The book underlined in bold strokes the reason he should never see the light of day. If all that is said is true.......it terrifies me to think how criminal minds work.

like · see review

Oct 16, 2008 Jocelyn rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Budding criminals

Recommended to Jocelyn by: Steven Levitt

Shelves: boston, memoir-y, 2008-booklist

First heard about this book in the Freakonomics Blog. Seeing as how Jack Nicholson's character in The Departed was loosely based on Whitey Bulger, the plot may be familiar. Growing up in Massachusetts, I always heard about Whitey Bulger, but I'm starting to realize why he's on the lam and how he has been for so long, because he's a ruthless criminal and extremely smart.

Kevin Weeks' style is really simple and it sounds like he's just a guy from Southie who is telling you all these fantastic sto...more

like · see review

Jul 01, 2012 Karen rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This guy is so full of himself it's pathetic. He won every fight he's ever been in, and he describes them ALL to you in vivid detail, over and over and over again. Yaaaawwwnnn. Nothing was ever his fault. His book is the best book written on the subject. The movie Departed was terrible but Leonardo DiCaprio was great in it because he coached him. His interviews and online chats practically broke ratings records. Oh and in case you didn't know, he's a genius. He tells you himself in the book.

I h...more

like · see review

Sep 30, 2010 Anel Landicho rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have a hard copy of this book and just finished reading it yesterday. very interesting. even if you did not grow up in Boston. I grew up in the Philippines and did not have any idea on who Whitey was until I got this book.

like · see review

Apr 17, 2013 John rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Unbelievable what took place in Boston from the 60's through to the mid 90's. The author is still criminal no matter how little time served and information offered up.

like · see review

Sep 30, 2012 Andy Ringbloom rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fuckin Violent an insiders look at organized crime....I learned many new ways to make a body dissapear.A must read for all criminals!

like · see review

Jun 12, 2011 Charles Maranto rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Great story - could not put this book down. Story of Boston's top Irish mobster. Absolutely fascinating. One of those books that grabs you and won't let go.

like · see review

Feb 02, 2010 Kfdowner rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Interesting look at Boston's criminal culture from the perspective of Kevin Weeks a Whitey Bulger's muscle.

like · see review

Jul 12, 2012 Anthony rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fbi, history

What a bad guy! Whitey Bulger is the quintessential sociopath. Not good for the FBI.

like · see review

Dec 07, 2010 Kerin Soares rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Good book. Mafia and FBI informants are intriguing.

like · see review

Oct 04, 2011 Goransle rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Gruesome, dark and dirty. Not much else to it.

like · see review

Jul 29, 2011 Thom Downs rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Great book. Really interesting.

like · see review

Mar 07, 2011 Patrick Mahoney rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wonder where Whitey is today...

like 1 like · see review

Apr 23, 2008 Mike rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fans of the movie the Departed will be interested in this book. Jack Nicholsons character was slightly based on Whitey Bulger. He ran the Irish mob in south Boston and the author (Kevin Weeks) was one of his main enforcers and associates. The most interesting part of Whitey Bulger was that he was a FBI informant for at least 30 years before he was indicted and fled and still one of Americas Most Wanted. He had people killed for informing and he was the biggest narc there was.

like · see review

Feb 15, 2011 Howie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Having read Black Mass a few years before, this book was suggested by a South Boston bartender as a much more realistic account of the different players in the Whitey Bulger story. I was really happy that I read this one also because it gave a very deep, honest and first-hand account of these same stories. It was interesting to get the story in a very unapologetic, frank way. It was also funny to hear just how wrong the newspaper writers told the story.

like · see review

Aug 05, 2012 Leanna rated it 3 of 5 stars

I found this book to be an extremely interesting read. Weeks was able to offer an inside perspective on Whitey Bulger that no other book I've read about Bulger has been able to do. I recently read Thomas Foley's "Most Wanted" which discussed the case from the perspective of the MA State Police. It was interesting to compare information from both books, find common information, and see where each side had put their own twists on events.

like · see review

Aug 26, 2008 Darcy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone who likes true crime

Recommended to Darcy by: my dad

I have read several books on this subject matter now. Kevin Weeks' account is somewhat disturbing, in that he basically describes a life full of beating the crap out of people, watching murders, hiding dead bodies and committing extortion...Poorly written--a lot of repetitive information and not exactly crafted well.

like · see review

Oct 11, 2008 Sheila Judson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Ryan L

Recommended to Sheila by: Will K.

Another version of what happened in the mob. I think Kevin Weeks is for real. He said he told the truth no matter what and that the book Black Mass is filled with innacuracies. I tend to believe him after reading this book. Good story of a good kid gone bad.

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 27 28 next »

Non Fiction

10 users

Biography

6 users

Mystery > Crime

5 users

Biography > Autobiography

3 users

History

2 users

Autobiography > Memoir

2 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Books by Kevin Weeks

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Brutal: The Untol...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: Brutal
avg rating	preview: Brutal Goodreads rating: 3.62 (469 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7032301-brutal?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1267012956l/7032301.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7032301-brutal?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Brutal by Kevin Weeks[/url]

Brutal

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (7)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Books by Kevin Weeks

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Brutal: The Untol...

Brutal

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

combineOther Editions (7)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Books by Kevin Weeks

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Brutal: The Untol...

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (7)