AL CAPONE: The Biography of a Self-Made Man.: Revised from the 0riginal 1930 edition.Over 200 new photographs.

by Fred D. Pasley

An early biography of Al Capone beofre he fell.

Genres: Biography

340 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1930

Reviews

[Joel]

I don't read many historical non-fiction pieces, hardly any biographies, but this book seemed so unusual. I picked it up expecting a biography (I mean, it's in the title, right?). I expected a look into the life and times of Al Capone from a historically informed perspective. What I got was a look at the late twenties in Chicago with Al Capone as a supporting character. Hundreds of players got roles in this extended newspaper article written before Capone even died. Interesting but not really what I expected.

Stylistically there were chapters that read like the diary pages of a poet laureate scribbling with his trigger finger and there were some that had all the charisma of a wet grocery list. Honestly, I gave this book 3 out of 5 but this book--more than any other I've read--had sections that deserved a zero and some sections that legitimately deserved a resounding five.

So, if you're interested in the history, facts, and stats surrounding the Volstead Era in Chicago I strongly recommend finding this rare gem but if you're looking for a focused biography you won't get further than the tenth page.