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King of Heists: The Sensational Bank Robbery of 1878 That Shocked America
An absorbing tale of greed, sex, crime, betrayal, and murder, King of Heists blends all the richness of history with the thrills of the best fiction.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published August 4, 2009
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998 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
October 20, 2017
No, non, nyet, nein...........now you have the idea of my opinion of this book, which seems to be shared with other reviewers. The sad part is that there is probably a good story here but trying to find it will shatter your nerves.
George Leslie was a master criminal whose specialty was bank robbery. He spent months, and sometimes years planning the perfect heists and got away with them without anyone suspecting this sophisticated man-about-town who lived in high style in NYC. An excellent basis for an informative look at one of the smartest of crooks. But the author missed the boat with his approach, which by the way, barely touches on the robbery of the title. I'm not sure I've ever read a story that was so repetitive. How many times do we have to be told that Leslie lived in the Fifth Avenue Hotel, that he was handsome, and had good manners. The author thought that repeating this about every four pages was sufficient. Additionally,for no apparent reason there were countless pages of information on people who were incidental or not connected in any way to Mr. Leslie's life. And these are only some of the issues that made me want to take two aspirin and lie down for a while!
I can't believe I actually finished this book. Avoid it like the plague!!
George Leslie was a master criminal whose specialty was bank robbery. He spent months, and sometimes years planning the perfect heists and got away with them without anyone suspecting this sophisticated man-about-town who lived in high style in NYC. An excellent basis for an informative look at one of the smartest of crooks. But the author missed the boat with his approach, which by the way, barely touches on the robbery of the title. I'm not sure I've ever read a story that was so repetitive. How many times do we have to be told that Leslie lived in the Fifth Avenue Hotel, that he was handsome, and had good manners. The author thought that repeating this about every four pages was sufficient. Additionally,for no apparent reason there were countless pages of information on people who were incidental or not connected in any way to Mr. Leslie's life. And these are only some of the issues that made me want to take two aspirin and lie down for a while!
I can't believe I actually finished this book. Avoid it like the plague!!
October 10, 2009
Disappointing. There was so much potential, and parts were very interesting, but it was as if the editor went on vacation. Paragraphs of historical facts were either repeated or placed in odd places lacking cohesiveness.
February 20, 2013
It’s hard to decide what to make of J. North Conway’s King of the Heists (2009). Is it a historical novel or is it historical fiction? Much in it is genuine history, but there is also much that is questionable or outright false. Of course, within the genre of the historical novel it’s permissible to fill the gaps in the record with plausible dialog or even add fictionalized characters if they remain unnamed. Nevertheless, a first rate historical novel should adhere to some rules of accuracy. No portrayal of any person or event should contradict known facts. Only when all evidence is lacking is the author justified in “constructing history.”
I bought the book thinking that it was straight history. As I began to read I learned that its main character was George Leonidas Leslie, the mastermind of the greatest bank robbery in American history. It was not until I reached page 36 that I began to question the accuracy of the book. Here Conway wrote, “In 1862, Linus Yale Jr. invented the modern combination lock.” As a collector of locks, I immediately knew this was an error. Yale is famous for his invention of the key-operated, pin tumbler cylinder lock. I checked a list of Yale’s patents in Thomas F. Hennessy’s Locks and Lockmakers of America. No patents for Linus Yale Jr. were listed for the year 1862. This was a “red flag.” If Conway can just make-up a fact here, could there be other places where he also played loose with the facts?
I only had to read a little further to see more questionable material. J. North Conway states that George Leslie invented a little tin wheel that he dubbed “the little joker.” Its purpose was to reveal the combination of the safe or vault. To use it, he needed to first gain entrance into the bank prior to the burglary and place the device inside the dial of the combination lock. Later he would return to retrieve the contraption. With the combination revealed, he now could plan a robbery that would be quick, safe, and not draw any attention.
I wondered how he could remove the combination dial, because it can’t just be screwed off. It’s attached from the inside of the armored door by a spindle. Later I found a description of the dial being pried off using a specially designed file. Conway added the detail that the surrounding area was covered with cheesecloth so no scratches would be left that would be a tip-off to the tampering. If true, how was the severed dial reattached so that it would not alert the bank authorities? A dab of glue? Tape?
Safe and vault manufacturers reinforced the dial area to foil a safecracking technique known as “punching.” Punching consisted of knocking off the dial and then inserting a long punch to drive the spindle into the safe. To prevent this, the spindles were hardened using high grade, heat-treated steel, and made drive-proof by being made larger at the front end of the door than at the back.
Most of the books listed in Conway’s bibliography are general works on the history of New York City during the Gilded Age or provide background information about important personalities of the period such as Boss Tweed, “Jubilee Jim” Fisk and Jay Gould. The earliest title to address the topic of bank robberies was Thomas Byrnes’ Professional Criminals of America (1886). Inspector Byrnes, Chief of Detectives, only mentioned George Leslie in passing, and he was not given a prominent role in any of the burglaries. However, in a following book, Recollections of a New York Chief of Police (1887) by George W. Walling, George Leslie is placed in the forefront as the “brains” and leader of the bank robberies.
Recollections of a New York Chief of Police is Conway’s chief source of information about George Leslie’s background and criminal career, but how trustworthy is the book? In his Introduction, George Walling said: “The incidents narrated in this volume are those under my personal observation, and although they may differ somewhat from reports published at the time of the occurrences, or generally accepted traditions, yet the official records will bear me out, and be a complete vindication of my truthfulness.” With no bibliography, notes or references to the official record, the reader must simply have faith in all that Walling alleges.
Walling’s book provides what appears to be a wealth of information about George Leonidas Leslie’s background and genealogy. From it we learn that George Leslie’s father emigrated from England in 1840 with his wife. His wife’s name was Miss Rodh, but Walling does not reveal the father’s name. Walling also stated that George’s father first settled in western New York before going to Cincinnati, and that George Leslie was born in the United States. Walling does not give a date of birth or even reveal whether George was born in New York or Ohio. Doesn’t it seem strange that Walling withholds all information that might allow another researcher to follow George Leslie’s trail?
Conway states in his Introduction, “I have made every attempt to not portray Leslie as heroic in any way.” So the true and unembellished facts, according to Conway, are that the debonair and dashing George Leslie was “tall, handsome…lean fit and muscular…clean-shaven, with a cleft in his strong chin.” Also well-educated, sophisticated with “exquisite taste in clothes” and “impeccable manners,” he never associated with the lower rungs of the criminal class except for strictly business. I can’t see that there is much more Conway could have said if he did decide to portray Leslie as heroic. There are no known pictures of George Leslie. Conway’s portrayal is based on Walling’s description. However, Walling described Leslie as being “somewhat short in stature.” I suppose Conway thought tall sounded better than short.
King of Heists is not entirely about bank robberies or George Leslie. Much space is devoted to other people of the era. Not everything in his book is fiction. Here is the problem. How can one be sure what is true and what is not? Regardless of how much is true, there is enough false and questionable material to warrant caution. I don’t wish to deter anyone from reading King of Heists. Conway is a good writer, but his book should be read for entertainment – not history.
I bought the book thinking that it was straight history. As I began to read I learned that its main character was George Leonidas Leslie, the mastermind of the greatest bank robbery in American history. It was not until I reached page 36 that I began to question the accuracy of the book. Here Conway wrote, “In 1862, Linus Yale Jr. invented the modern combination lock.” As a collector of locks, I immediately knew this was an error. Yale is famous for his invention of the key-operated, pin tumbler cylinder lock. I checked a list of Yale’s patents in Thomas F. Hennessy’s Locks and Lockmakers of America. No patents for Linus Yale Jr. were listed for the year 1862. This was a “red flag.” If Conway can just make-up a fact here, could there be other places where he also played loose with the facts?
I only had to read a little further to see more questionable material. J. North Conway states that George Leslie invented a little tin wheel that he dubbed “the little joker.” Its purpose was to reveal the combination of the safe or vault. To use it, he needed to first gain entrance into the bank prior to the burglary and place the device inside the dial of the combination lock. Later he would return to retrieve the contraption. With the combination revealed, he now could plan a robbery that would be quick, safe, and not draw any attention.
I wondered how he could remove the combination dial, because it can’t just be screwed off. It’s attached from the inside of the armored door by a spindle. Later I found a description of the dial being pried off using a specially designed file. Conway added the detail that the surrounding area was covered with cheesecloth so no scratches would be left that would be a tip-off to the tampering. If true, how was the severed dial reattached so that it would not alert the bank authorities? A dab of glue? Tape?
Safe and vault manufacturers reinforced the dial area to foil a safecracking technique known as “punching.” Punching consisted of knocking off the dial and then inserting a long punch to drive the spindle into the safe. To prevent this, the spindles were hardened using high grade, heat-treated steel, and made drive-proof by being made larger at the front end of the door than at the back.
Most of the books listed in Conway’s bibliography are general works on the history of New York City during the Gilded Age or provide background information about important personalities of the period such as Boss Tweed, “Jubilee Jim” Fisk and Jay Gould. The earliest title to address the topic of bank robberies was Thomas Byrnes’ Professional Criminals of America (1886). Inspector Byrnes, Chief of Detectives, only mentioned George Leslie in passing, and he was not given a prominent role in any of the burglaries. However, in a following book, Recollections of a New York Chief of Police (1887) by George W. Walling, George Leslie is placed in the forefront as the “brains” and leader of the bank robberies.
Recollections of a New York Chief of Police is Conway’s chief source of information about George Leslie’s background and criminal career, but how trustworthy is the book? In his Introduction, George Walling said: “The incidents narrated in this volume are those under my personal observation, and although they may differ somewhat from reports published at the time of the occurrences, or generally accepted traditions, yet the official records will bear me out, and be a complete vindication of my truthfulness.” With no bibliography, notes or references to the official record, the reader must simply have faith in all that Walling alleges.
Walling’s book provides what appears to be a wealth of information about George Leonidas Leslie’s background and genealogy. From it we learn that George Leslie’s father emigrated from England in 1840 with his wife. His wife’s name was Miss Rodh, but Walling does not reveal the father’s name. Walling also stated that George’s father first settled in western New York before going to Cincinnati, and that George Leslie was born in the United States. Walling does not give a date of birth or even reveal whether George was born in New York or Ohio. Doesn’t it seem strange that Walling withholds all information that might allow another researcher to follow George Leslie’s trail?
Conway states in his Introduction, “I have made every attempt to not portray Leslie as heroic in any way.” So the true and unembellished facts, according to Conway, are that the debonair and dashing George Leslie was “tall, handsome…lean fit and muscular…clean-shaven, with a cleft in his strong chin.” Also well-educated, sophisticated with “exquisite taste in clothes” and “impeccable manners,” he never associated with the lower rungs of the criminal class except for strictly business. I can’t see that there is much more Conway could have said if he did decide to portray Leslie as heroic. There are no known pictures of George Leslie. Conway’s portrayal is based on Walling’s description. However, Walling described Leslie as being “somewhat short in stature.” I suppose Conway thought tall sounded better than short.
King of Heists is not entirely about bank robberies or George Leslie. Much space is devoted to other people of the era. Not everything in his book is fiction. Here is the problem. How can one be sure what is true and what is not? Regardless of how much is true, there is enough false and questionable material to warrant caution. I don’t wish to deter anyone from reading King of Heists. Conway is a good writer, but his book should be read for entertainment – not history.
July 21, 2010
Interesting subject matter (bank heists & criminality in Gilded Age New York) made almost unreadable by the odd rabbit-chasing writing style of the author. To compound the problem, after he returns you to the main story, he feels the need to recap what's happening like you're watching the "previously on _______" part of a TV show.
Most irritating part of the book: the obvious use of fictionalized elements (stuff he has NO WAY of knowing about motivations & details about particular incidents) combined with reprinting newspaper articles from the time. Dude, either write a novel or do good history - one or the other!
Most irritating part of the book: the obvious use of fictionalized elements (stuff he has NO WAY of knowing about motivations & details about particular incidents) combined with reprinting newspaper articles from the time. Dude, either write a novel or do good history - one or the other!
September 2, 2013
King of Heists covers the career of George Leslie also known as the King of the Bank Robbers. Using intense planning and a new innovation he called “The Little Joker”; Leslie would pull of a host of stunning bank robberies and assist others in doing so for a 20,000 consultant fee. Leslie would employ disguises, his near photographic memory and his skills as an architect to build a replica vault for the robbery. He stole only thins that could be transferred easily and did not bother with things like stock certificates that required the owner’s signature to sell. He employed inside men since he had to break into the banks twice (once to plant the little joker and a second to return with the combination). Conway takes us into the heart of the Gilded Age as Leslie has relations with Jim Fisk’s mistress and other notable criminal figures from Boss Tweed to Mother Mandelbaum.
The book hits many of the high points of the Gilded Age and takes you into some of the lesser known characters. It has all the makings of a great book but the editors who allowed it to go to print have hopefully been fired as the book was nearly unreadable at times. There was no punctuation to break up long run on sentences, information was repeated ad nauseum as if it were new, and sections were often alluding to something that was not talked about until chapters ahead as if it had already been covered. Sadly it was a book that should have been a home run and wound up being a strike out with the editing.
The book hits many of the high points of the Gilded Age and takes you into some of the lesser known characters. It has all the makings of a great book but the editors who allowed it to go to print have hopefully been fired as the book was nearly unreadable at times. There was no punctuation to break up long run on sentences, information was repeated ad nauseum as if it were new, and sections were often alluding to something that was not talked about until chapters ahead as if it had already been covered. Sadly it was a book that should have been a home run and wound up being a strike out with the editing.
July 25, 2010
The dust jacket promised "the riveting true story of one of America's most notorious crimes and the mysterious man behind it." I can't say I was riveted for about 85% of this book. It wasn't what I expected. It turned out to be more a discussion of the Gilded Age's major players like Jubliee Jim Fisk, Boss Tweed, the Robber Barons, and Marm Mendelbaum than about George Leslie and his sensational bank heist(s). I suppose that is what it took to fill a book. The author certainly did his homework, but I found the tale quite redundant and meandering. The information was interesting, but could use some better editing. This had the potential to get at least 3 stars from me, but I couldn't get past the organization, or lack therof, and repetition.
May 7, 2010
I was very excited to read this book and the subject seemed interesting. It has taken me several months to finish this book (which is only 200 pages!) and I was disappointed with it. I was hoping for some drama and all I got was a long winded explanation of culture barriors and a refresher on the robber barons. Perhaps its because I am a genealogist, but I was hoping for more on his (George Leslie)family and his day to day life. This skipped over most of that and dryly documented his preparations for each burglary. The burglaries themselves were glossed over. George Leslie was very detailed in his research and I feel like that should have been the focus. Parts were interesting but I probably wouldn't recommend it.
February 17, 2010
The subject matter here is interesting. Bright guy moves to New York in post Civil War times. Back in Cincinatti he's an archetect. He's also someone who bought their way out of the Union Army and therefore faces a certain amount of scorn in the community. He quickly befriends some powerful criminals and uses his social connections to case banks. He starts planning robberies and procedes to rob a variety of banks. His greatest heist happens after he's been mudered in what appears to be a love triangle. Hs planning was so good that his accomplices are able to carry on without him. A true tale but the author is never really able to bring it to life.
February 12, 2013
This was definitely an Erik Larson / "Devil in the White City" wannabe, and it failed miserably. The writing wasn't great, and it desperately needed footnotes. While there's a source list in the back, other than newspapers articles, nothing was directly sourced in the text.
Honestly, I read the Wikipedia page about the bank robbery and returned the book to the library 50 pages in. While I would have liked to have known more about the story, I'm glad I didn't spend the month or so it would have taken me to slog through a not-very-interesting book.
Honestly, I read the Wikipedia page about the bank robbery and returned the book to the library 50 pages in. While I would have liked to have known more about the story, I'm glad I didn't spend the month or so it would have taken me to slog through a not-very-interesting book.
September 30, 2012
Could have used a better editor, very interesting story. Would make a great movie.
October 22, 2023
The years following the Civil War were rough in more ways than one. New York City was awash in crime, political antics, and corruption. Into the midst of opportunities for ill-gotten money, George Lindsey strode with a purpose: rob banks. Such a driven man! His downfall? Women.
October 10, 2017
I picked this up as sort of an "in between reads" amusement, fortunately without much in the way of expectations. It's not that it's written poorly or that the content is uninteresting - this could've been a page turner. It is the story of George Leslie, a well bred Cincinnati architect, who moves to NYC in his mid thirties, befriends many among New York's upper crust society, and in 1878 masterminds a robbery of the Manhattan Savings Institute. It even seems to have been fairly thoroughly researched, though some of which I judge from other reader reviews may be of questionable accuracy. So what's the problem? Redundancy, for one thing. As has been noted in some other reader reviews, every second or third page contains a rehash of background information which has already been provided relative to characters, places or events. This occurs with some frequency and becomes annoying within the first 30 or so pages. Some fairly basic editing along these lines probably would have cut the length of the book by 50 pages. The other problem is with the fictionalized accounts of various episodes and details. From what I could tell when I pulled the book off the library shelf, it was not designated as historical fiction. Yet lengthy portions of the narrative contain what could only be products of Conway's imagination. It isn't that these are ill conceived, it's that they aren't prefaced by "It is easy to imagine..." or some similar qualifying language. This is an interesting story and if I came across a more sophisticated and less romanticized account of Leslie and the heist, I'd probably read it.
April 30, 2010
This is the story of George L. Leslie who orchestrated the robbery of a big bank in Manhattan to the tune of over 3 million dollars. He employed a device of his invention, called the "little joker" that you could put underneath the dial of a bank vault, and the next time the combination was set, the "little joker" would discover it. This would force a bank robber to enter the bank twice, once to place the device and then to return to read the combination and open the safe. Leslie was a gentleman robber who believed that you could use ingenuity to rob the bank and avoid bloodshed and weapons. He was an edcuated man, had studied architecture, but moved to New York from Ohio with the keen interest in a life of crime. He discovered the well know fence Marm Mandlebaum, who took him into her stable of criminals and allowed him free reign in planning the jobs.
This book is highly enjoyable because you do learn about Leslie and his bank jobs, but also a lot about the Gilded Age, the robber barons like Vanderbilt and Rockefeller, the corrupt political machine with Boss Tweed and Tamany Hall. You also learn that woman can prove to be many a man's downfall!
The author incorporates clips from actual newspaper articles from the time into the text and that adds another layer to make the book interesting.
I loved reading the book and feel like I learned something, too!
This book is highly enjoyable because you do learn about Leslie and his bank jobs, but also a lot about the Gilded Age, the robber barons like Vanderbilt and Rockefeller, the corrupt political machine with Boss Tweed and Tamany Hall. You also learn that woman can prove to be many a man's downfall!
The author incorporates clips from actual newspaper articles from the time into the text and that adds another layer to make the book interesting.
I loved reading the book and feel like I learned something, too!
August 31, 2012
On page xiii of the introduction, the author states that he is "just trying to tell as good a story about George Leslie as I could possibly tell" and that this book is an example of fictional realism. The author goes on to compare himself to John Dos Passos. ROTFL. Comparing this book with works by John Dos Passos and George MacDonald Fraser, fiction with footnotes, King of Heists came up short.
This book is just acceptable as a novel. I might have enjoyed the book more if the newspaper clippings, photos, and other additions had not continuously interrupted the story. They became so intrusive that they drew unwanted attention to the places where the story and reality parted company and went their separate ways. In real life, the "King of Heists" was dead before the bank robbery of 1878 was carried out and it seems that we have only heresay from the people who actually did rob the bank that he was involved in planning that robbery or any other. The gimcrack called "Little Joker" that was the secret to his bank robbing success was never seen by anyone and there are only conflicting descriptions that ultimately make no sense.
This book is just acceptable as a novel. I might have enjoyed the book more if the newspaper clippings, photos, and other additions had not continuously interrupted the story. They became so intrusive that they drew unwanted attention to the places where the story and reality parted company and went their separate ways. In real life, the "King of Heists" was dead before the bank robbery of 1878 was carried out and it seems that we have only heresay from the people who actually did rob the bank that he was involved in planning that robbery or any other. The gimcrack called "Little Joker" that was the secret to his bank robbing success was never seen by anyone and there are only conflicting descriptions that ultimately make no sense.
November 4, 2010
Conway manages to bring the Gilded Age to life in this book, a time of extreme wealth and extreme poverty, not to mention extreme poverty. It was interesting to see a New York City running rampant with organized crime, held hostage by the machinations of Boss Tweed, and ruled over by the most wealthy citizens in the entire nation.
However, my issues with this book stem mainly from editing. The author tends to repeat himself, which is usually a boon to me, having a terrible memory. But even I felt it was overly repetitive. And the grammar tends to read like a high school essay, with several sentences in a row featuring a statement followed by, "such as..." This is surprising, considering the author is a professor of English at a university and a community college.
Also, the book is supposedly about the bank heist of 1878, yet I would guess 80% of the volume was about George Leslie, the so-called King of Heists. Had I been the author, I would have dropped the second half of the title because it was almost as if the 1878 heist was an afterthought.
I admit to feeling disappointed in this book. It was made to sound so interesting, and the reviews on the cover were quite good. It did not live up to expectations.
However, my issues with this book stem mainly from editing. The author tends to repeat himself, which is usually a boon to me, having a terrible memory. But even I felt it was overly repetitive. And the grammar tends to read like a high school essay, with several sentences in a row featuring a statement followed by, "such as..." This is surprising, considering the author is a professor of English at a university and a community college.
Also, the book is supposedly about the bank heist of 1878, yet I would guess 80% of the volume was about George Leslie, the so-called King of Heists. Had I been the author, I would have dropped the second half of the title because it was almost as if the 1878 heist was an afterthought.
I admit to feeling disappointed in this book. It was made to sound so interesting, and the reviews on the cover were quite good. It did not live up to expectations.
December 7, 2011
Erik Larson has a gift: he can take an historical event and someone who participated, and intertwine the two into a fascinating story. Many other authors are trying to emulate Larson's style, but, unfortunately for the readers, I have yet to find one who succeeds. Conway is one of these.
Repetitive and cyclical in all the wrong ways, Conway intrigues us but doesn't follow through. (Where was his editor? Or, if this is the edited version, perhaps the publisher should have passed.) Conway drops interesting tidbits but fails to fill in the details.
The basic facts are interesting, and I don't want back the hours I spent with this book. Still, I can't recommend it. A history text might give just as many details in a shorter time.
Repetitive and cyclical in all the wrong ways, Conway intrigues us but doesn't follow through. (Where was his editor? Or, if this is the edited version, perhaps the publisher should have passed.) Conway drops interesting tidbits but fails to fill in the details.
The basic facts are interesting, and I don't want back the hours I spent with this book. Still, I can't recommend it. A history text might give just as many details in a shorter time.
August 15, 2014
I found this to be an interesting book. There is some repetition which is odd at times but I found I could get over that pretty easily. It builds many of the characters involved in the heist as well as the climate of New York City at the time. Some reviews have stated that there are outright falsehoods in this book. I don't know this particular area of history well enough to know if that is true or not so I will, at the moment, have to take their word for it.
If you like history books I think this is one you would enjoy.
If you like history books I think this is one you would enjoy.
November 18, 2009
George L. Leslie was responsible for 80% of all bank robberies in America from 1869 to 1878, including 3 of the most puzzling to investigators. This is his story, and the story of several of the big players on the criminal scene in those days.
Interesting. The narrative tended to jump around a bit as Conway delved into the lives of the other characters, but the asides were fairly short and he always managed to bring it back to the main story.
Interesting. The narrative tended to jump around a bit as Conway delved into the lives of the other characters, but the asides were fairly short and he always managed to bring it back to the main story.
September 19, 2012
Sometimes reality is better than fiction, and sometimes it falls a little flat. King of Heists is a breezy read about a lost era of robber barons and gentlemen thieves, but the author uses so many extensive quotes from newspapers of the day that his own account is sometimes lost in the antiquated verbiage. And the ending feels anticlimactic, though that's not completely the author's fault, given the facts of the story.
March 25, 2013
Conway's hook is that today is the new gilded age, so he takes great pains to compare 1878 with today. The editorial content got in the way of the story. If that was the extent of the flaw, it would be a minor issue.
But, in service to his thesis, he repeatedly speculates on characters' states of mind, what they were thinking, and "reports" on private conversations whose contents were never divulged or recorded.
If he had stuck to a straight history, this could have been a very good book.
But, in service to his thesis, he repeatedly speculates on characters' states of mind, what they were thinking, and "reports" on private conversations whose contents were never divulged or recorded.
If he had stuck to a straight history, this could have been a very good book.
March 22, 2010
Man with incredible patience and planning skills becomes bank robbing mastermind during America's Gilded Age. Fairly quick read - author does not go too deep into details but a bit repetitive in parts and writing is a little simple. Also, interesting info about a female "crime boss" who plays a key role in the book.
March 31, 2014
While this book was interesting, I felt like it took forever to get where it was supposed to go, and then it seemingly stopped about 50 pages from the ending: felt too disjointed and unconnected for me to really give it more than a 3 star rating. Would have appreciated more action, not as much of "what he might or might not have been thinking " imo.
January 22, 2016
"King of Heists" is a pretty good book about bank robberies in the 1860s and 1870s. The research appears to be fairly solid and the writer does a fair job fleshing out the main characters. The writing is rather poor and could have used much more editing. I might recommend this book to someone who is generally interested in the subject matter, but I would not seek out more works by this author.
February 21, 2018
Could have been great because of the characters are fascinating, but poorly written and disorganized, repeats a lot of the same facts.
September 2, 2022
I saw a review for this book in a newspaper and became intrigued. The story of George Leslie's incredibly successful bank heists seemed to be beyond belief. But I was wrong, using his little joker to discover safe combinations, along with extraordinary planning, and great skills, he robbed all the big banks. The book does more than take the reader into the robberies, it also gives an unvarnished view into the astounding corruption and greed of the Gilded era, with looks at Boss Tweed, Tammany Hall, the great early capitalists, Rockefeller, Fiske, Vanderbilt, and many others. It also gives the reader a shocking view of the filth, poverty, and disparities in this great city. This book gave me a much better view of the city, the crime, the wealth, and the crime syndicates that dominated the city, including the extraordinary Marm Mendalbaum and her cohorts. This is a crime thriller but every word is true. I recommend it.
August 5, 2018
The publisher must have accepted this based upon the title which promises a rollicking affair. Instead, this is a pathetic story about an Ohio guy whose daddy bought him out of the Civil War despite him being a champion sharp shooter.
In an effort to quell his guilt of cowardly behavior he jaunts off to NYC with a device he has named 'the little joker' which is a piece of metal that can be inserted into a combination lock and determine the combination.
This provides LOADS of backstory into the situations of the days which are: FILTHY RICH! and the filthy poor! He endears himself to a female who fences stolen goods then goes about looting some banks and chasing skirt.
Eventually the hardened criminals grow weary of this dandy. B/W images.
In an effort to quell his guilt of cowardly behavior he jaunts off to NYC with a device he has named 'the little joker' which is a piece of metal that can be inserted into a combination lock and determine the combination.
This provides LOADS of backstory into the situations of the days which are: FILTHY RICH! and the filthy poor! He endears himself to a female who fences stolen goods then goes about looting some banks and chasing skirt.
Eventually the hardened criminals grow weary of this dandy. B/W images.
May 14, 2022
Not sure why so many people are upset with this book. Yes, the title of the book is apt - and the subtitle, not so much. If you're nothing more than a slobbering true crime fanatic you may find some of the peripheral Gilded Age details less intriguing, but if you have any general appreciation for American history you'll likely find most of the anecdotes and interleaving characters fascinating. Would have given this a 3.5 stars if possible... the reader charges of narratorial over-repetition are at least deserved.
August 31, 2024
Exceedingly repetitive. The author has what he thinks is a style, but this book is additionally the victim of bad editing - whoever read it ought to have told him repetition wasn't a style.
Additionally in the inset photos there is not one photo of the man about whom the book is presumably written. Also feels a little bit like the author felt he didn't have enough information for a single book about George Leslie. This is probably the reasoning for all of the additional information that while interesting has nothing to do with the topic of the book.
Additionally in the inset photos there is not one photo of the man about whom the book is presumably written. Also feels a little bit like the author felt he didn't have enough information for a single book about George Leslie. This is probably the reasoning for all of the additional information that while interesting has nothing to do with the topic of the book.
May 13, 2018
This was less about a specific robbery and more about its mastermind- George Leslie, and the wealth inequality & criminal culture of the 1870s and 1880s. Easy to read, the author walked you through different aspects of the criminals, crimes, and society very well. This is definitely a work of entertainment, not necessarily one of intense scholarly research.
September 5, 2022
I feel as though this story, the people involved, the time, location, etc., could have been brilliant. Unfortunately, the story jumped around quite a bit and came across as disjointed. In addition, the author went to great lengths to frequently reiterate his position on the negatives of capitalism. This story could have been great - This telling was simply average.
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