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Capone: The Life and World of Al Capone
The public called him Scarface; the FBI called him Public Enemy Number One; his associates called him Snorky. But Capone is the name most remember. And John Kobler's Capone is the definitive biography of this most brutal and flamboyant of the underground kings—an intimate and dramatic book that presents a complete view of Al Capone and his gaudy era. Here is Capone's story: his violent childhood in Brooklyn, his lieutenancy to Johnny Torrio, his rise in the ranks of the underworld, the notorious St. Valentine Massacre, his eventual control of the entire city of Chicago, and his decline during his imprisonment in Alcatraz. Capone was the ultimate gangster, and Capone is the ultimate in gangster biographies—a classic in the literature of crime.
432 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1971
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
February 5, 2015
I read this way back in high school. I'm a big fan of Boardwalk Empire, so I was interested to see how a seemingly over-the-top gangster show would measure up to a biography of, arguably, the biggest (or at least best known) gangster. Well, the show is not playing things up all that much. Capone did tell people he got his scars in WW 1 (as in the show). Gangsters did invade towns and take over. And violence was, indeed, off the charts. Especially in Chicago. Shotgun slayings in broad daylight, point blank pistol duels in bars, torture chambers beneath houses of prostitution, hit men from out of town (though I can't figure out why, since the local talent was as brutal as it gets) killing off troublesome competition. If anything, the amount of murders that are known about probably represent only the tip of the iceberg.
This book is fairly old, but Kobler does an excellent job bringing Capone's "world" to life. The emphasis on that "world," and how it got to be that way, takes up the first 100 pages, with the young Capone only showing up here and there. Basically, the story is an updated "Gangs of New York," that eventually shifts to Chicago (as does Capone). The book is densely written, as well as being densely populated with a huge cast of killers. But this all flows nicely, and makes for a surprisingly quick read. If you're into gangster books, this is a must read.
This book is fairly old, but Kobler does an excellent job bringing Capone's "world" to life. The emphasis on that "world," and how it got to be that way, takes up the first 100 pages, with the young Capone only showing up here and there. Basically, the story is an updated "Gangs of New York," that eventually shifts to Chicago (as does Capone). The book is densely written, as well as being densely populated with a huge cast of killers. But this all flows nicely, and makes for a surprisingly quick read. If you're into gangster books, this is a must read.
May 15, 2012
This is a mind blowing book, mainly due to the sheer wealth of detail contained within. Kobler describes people, places & happenings in 1920's Chicago in such detail that, on occasions, it feels as if you are there too.
What Capone & his ilk actually did almost one hundred years ago left me incredulous & aghast. At one point he had well over half the Chicago police force on his payroll, at a cost of, I think I'm right in saying, $30 million a year. I should have made a note, but it was an incredible sum nevertheless.
The most interesting aspect of Capone for me was that he probably didn't consider himself a criminal at all & was genuinely mystified as to why the police & authorities hounded him. As the author says, Capone's strongarm tactics were probably not much different to those used by the big corporations & building companies of the time.
A cracking book & a must read for anyone who wants to know about Capone & the Chicago of his era.
What Capone & his ilk actually did almost one hundred years ago left me incredulous & aghast. At one point he had well over half the Chicago police force on his payroll, at a cost of, I think I'm right in saying, $30 million a year. I should have made a note, but it was an incredible sum nevertheless.
The most interesting aspect of Capone for me was that he probably didn't consider himself a criminal at all & was genuinely mystified as to why the police & authorities hounded him. As the author says, Capone's strongarm tactics were probably not much different to those used by the big corporations & building companies of the time.
A cracking book & a must read for anyone who wants to know about Capone & the Chicago of his era.
September 25, 2013
John Kobler's biography Capone: The Life and World of Al Capone. This book is the type of book that will keep your eyes glued to the pages as it possesses you like a demon. I chose to read this book because my dad had recommended it to me quite a while back, saying it was a book that was just as great as any movie or documentary. In this thrilling biography Kobler expresses the ruthless criminal ego of Al Capone, writing about his journey to becoming the worlds most notorious, infamous and most powerful gangsta. This book falls under the ''book that's a diary, autobiography or biography'' category on the bingo board. My favorite character of the book is obviously Al Capone, because of the bizarre criminal acts he commits and also because of the extraordinary courage he portrays throughout the book, e.g the way he protects himself when growing up in the tough rough streets of Brooklyn. I also admire his character in the book because of the way he is so straight up and because he is one of the most loyal individuals any one could come by. my beloved quote of the book was ''you can get much farther with a kind word and a gun, than you can with a just a kind word.'' i found this quote very understandable and very true. The quote expresses the cruel way of life that Al Capone believes in and just how much he loves guns... something new that I've learnt from this awesome book was that you need to keep faith in yourself when your in a tough situation and that you should always stay humble. Another great thing that this book taught me was that respect is a huge part of life and earning alot of it will definitely benefit you later on in life.
This has been my favorite book so far, and it has provided me with great entertainment. i recommend this book to those who enjoy reading about other peoples interesting lives and to those who love a simple good action packed read.
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This has been my favorite book so far, and it has provided me with great entertainment. i recommend this book to those who enjoy reading about other peoples interesting lives and to those who love a simple good action packed read.
¬original G¬
March 31, 2013
"Al Caponen elämä ja maailma" on erittäin laadukas elämänkerta, jonka rönsyilyä aluksi ihmettelin, mutta tässä kirjassa se ei lopulta häirinnyt, vaan kuvasi nimenkin mukaan maailmaa, jossa gangsterit elivät. Asioiden pohjustaminen ja laajempi käsittely auttaa ymmärtämään ajan olosuhteita, joissa elettiin ja toimittiin. Varsinaista kritiikkiä en kirjaa kohtaan oikeastaan löydä, se on kerronnaltaan kiinnostava ja parempi kuin moni sepitetty rikosromaani. Kääntäjän olisin kuitenkin toivonut viitanneen rahasummia käsitellessään nykyaikaiseen valuutan arvoihin edes suunnillen, sillä tämä olisi avannut rahasummien todellista arvoa paremmin. 5 000 dollaria kuulostaa gangsterin käytössä pikkusummalta, mutta jos sillä sai 1920-luvun lopulla suoraan pakasta vedetyn auton, ei summa voi olla pieni.
Olin aluksi ennakkoluuloinen kirjan kirjoitusajankohtaa (1970-luvun alku) kohtaan, mutta tämä toi suuren edun jo pelkästään siinä, että Kobler pääsi haastattelemaan sellaisia henkilöitä, jotka olivat olleet tekemisissä Caponen kanssa, eikä kaikkea kirjaan tarvinnut kirjoittaa toisen käden tietona. Kaikki kirjat eivät kestä aikaa, mutta tämä Al Caponen elämänkerta on kestänyt sitä jopa hämmästyttävän hyvin ja se voisi olla kuin 2010-luvulla kirjoitettu. Gangsterimaailmaa käsitellyt elämänkerta on kattava kuvaus päähenkilönsä elämästä ja ylipäätänsä ajan oloista gangstereiden silmin.
Olin aluksi ennakkoluuloinen kirjan kirjoitusajankohtaa (1970-luvun alku) kohtaan, mutta tämä toi suuren edun jo pelkästään siinä, että Kobler pääsi haastattelemaan sellaisia henkilöitä, jotka olivat olleet tekemisissä Caponen kanssa, eikä kaikkea kirjaan tarvinnut kirjoittaa toisen käden tietona. Kaikki kirjat eivät kestä aikaa, mutta tämä Al Caponen elämänkerta on kestänyt sitä jopa hämmästyttävän hyvin ja se voisi olla kuin 2010-luvulla kirjoitettu. Gangsterimaailmaa käsitellyt elämänkerta on kattava kuvaus päähenkilönsä elämästä ja ylipäätänsä ajan oloista gangstereiden silmin.
March 27, 2021
A cracking biography of Alphonso Capone’s life and his role in the creation of organised crime in the US. Kobler captures the zeitgeist of early 20th century America and the overall social and political climate of the time.
Overall, after reading the book I feel I have expanded my knowledge on American history, politics and gangsterism; so I would say that if one is interested on reading into these subjects, this is the book to read.
Overall, after reading the book I feel I have expanded my knowledge on American history, politics and gangsterism; so I would say that if one is interested on reading into these subjects, this is the book to read.
June 19, 2009
I had high hopes for this book but just couldn't get into it. Overall, it's pretty dry and goes into minute, uninteresting details. I got through about 150 pages and had to stop, which is a shame because I'm generally interested in the Mafia.
August 8, 2008
Excellent Book about a man I am obsessed with!
October 9, 2019
An entertaining delve into the world of the archetype Prohibition gangster. Very good on the gang structure in Chicago and the influence of the Sicilian Union, very good on Capone's life itself (I love his nickname of Snorky), and full of facts and numbers of the gambling, booze-smuggling and prostitution of the times. If I have a quibble, it is that the book never seriously tackles the moral elements of the period. It's hard for me to comprehend the moral outrage that brought in the Volstead Act, let alone the mass, flagrant, wholesale flouting of the law amid a climate of fear, corruption and murder. Just how complicit the authorities were beggars belief. Perhaps I need to go to Chicago now and get a sense of its attitude to this lawless, violent past.
June 13, 2013
Creepy, creepy, creepy. Not necessarily Al Capone, who is a piece of real work. But the people who adored him, who looked past all the terrible things he did and condoned and worshipped him.
Such an interesting story -- mostly for Capone, but partly as well for peeking at the people who thought legislating morality was a good thing and to those who thought flouting the law was a good thing as well, even a law they didn't agree with.
Also discovered that the Kevin Costner film, the Untouchables? Well, lies. Mostly. Almost entirely. Good Hollywood, but not true to life. The Internal Revenue Service brought Capone down, not the showboating Elliot Ness.
Interesting theme throughout the book: Only the federal government was effective in combating gangster crime, particularly Capone, because the local and state politicians were in his pocket -- and even then, they could only nail the mob for income tax evasion, abuse of the mails, and transporting minors across state lines (for prostitution). Evil guys.
Such an interesting story -- mostly for Capone, but partly as well for peeking at the people who thought legislating morality was a good thing and to those who thought flouting the law was a good thing as well, even a law they didn't agree with.
Also discovered that the Kevin Costner film, the Untouchables? Well, lies. Mostly. Almost entirely. Good Hollywood, but not true to life. The Internal Revenue Service brought Capone down, not the showboating Elliot Ness.
Interesting theme throughout the book: Only the federal government was effective in combating gangster crime, particularly Capone, because the local and state politicians were in his pocket -- and even then, they could only nail the mob for income tax evasion, abuse of the mails, and transporting minors across state lines (for prostitution). Evil guys.
October 14, 2011
This was just a plain good gangster book. It really didn't tell me anything I didn't already know, but the info was put together well and in an entertaining manner. I especially enjoyed the biographical sketches of other figures from the era, and the fact that it gave a bit of history about the places involved. A good book for someone looking for an introduction to this subject or for someone who just likes reading about it.
April 29, 2013
I really did not like this book. One of the reasons I didn't like it was because it was really boring. The only reason I read this book was because I was doing a report on Al Capone. The book did give me quite a bit of facts. So if your doing a report on Al this would be your book. I feel like this book is really more for facts then entertainment so that is probably why it was so boring. I would not recommend this book to anyone unless you really wanted some facts on Al.
September 15, 2015
It was okay, but there was too much about other gangsters and not enough about Capone himself. I expected a full biography on Capone, but much of the book was devoted to the dealings of other gangs. While I understand this helped to set the scene of the book, as well as show the motives and opportunities that allowed Capone to become who he was, I found it boring. It could have been condensed down to give the reader enough info without taking away from the actual subject of the book.
October 14, 2015
This is an exhaustive study of the times that spawned Capone. While informative and scholarly, it often piles on way too many facts regarding politics of the time and a blizzard of names only marginally connected to Capone. As far as Capone goes, I didn't feel it offered any real insights into his character. Great for people who want to know about the Chicago era, I suppose, plenty of violence, but if you want to know Capone I suggest you look elsewhere.
October 12, 2018
Not the best Capone biography.
March 26, 2024
I am always fascinated by the histories of major crime figures, and Capone was probably the most fascinating of all. For several years in the 1920s and early 1930s, Al Capone raked in millions of dollars as the head of organized crime in Chicago.
Kobler doesn't give us much insight into Capone's motivations, but he does give plenty of information as to what Capone and his cohorts did during his lifetime. Prostitution and gambling were the big money makers in the early days, and Capone, working at the time for Johnny Torrio. But then came Prohibition, and the money to be made grew exponentially as gangsters figured out how to import alcohol, and how to brew and distill it themselves.
The vast majority of people named in this book wind up dead a few pages later. Torrio's dream was to have all the gangsters in town work in their own territories and not fight each other. When Capone took over, this was mostly achieved for a couple years, but eventually, greed and anger took over, and for years, Chicago was overrun by violence and murder.
Corruption in police and politicians was a key part of what made Capone so successful. For years, the mayor, Big Jim Thompson, was in favor of wide open policies, allowing the gangsters to thrive. But even with other mayors in charge, there was enough corruption to keep Capone safe. Until - well, Elliot Ness, yeah, played a small role, but really, it was the Feds nabbing him for not paying income tax that put him away.
I didn't know Capone was in the inaugural class of Alcatraz when that prison became the place to torment the worst criminals of the time. And I didn't realize that he actually died pretty young as a result of untreated syphilis.
Kobler doesn't give us much insight into Capone's motivations, but he does give plenty of information as to what Capone and his cohorts did during his lifetime. Prostitution and gambling were the big money makers in the early days, and Capone, working at the time for Johnny Torrio. But then came Prohibition, and the money to be made grew exponentially as gangsters figured out how to import alcohol, and how to brew and distill it themselves.
The vast majority of people named in this book wind up dead a few pages later. Torrio's dream was to have all the gangsters in town work in their own territories and not fight each other. When Capone took over, this was mostly achieved for a couple years, but eventually, greed and anger took over, and for years, Chicago was overrun by violence and murder.
Corruption in police and politicians was a key part of what made Capone so successful. For years, the mayor, Big Jim Thompson, was in favor of wide open policies, allowing the gangsters to thrive. But even with other mayors in charge, there was enough corruption to keep Capone safe. Until - well, Elliot Ness, yeah, played a small role, but really, it was the Feds nabbing him for not paying income tax that put him away.
I didn't know Capone was in the inaugural class of Alcatraz when that prison became the place to torment the worst criminals of the time. And I didn't realize that he actually died pretty young as a result of untreated syphilis.
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February 13, 2021After hearing stories of the Chicago Mob's help in getting my hometown brew "OLD STYLE BEER" into the Pre-Pro Chicago market i used this Capone BIO to cross reference it with the substantial cache of Corporate records of G.Heileman brewing co. that i obtained when (years ago)the original maker of Old style Beer closed in la crosse wi.The results were stunning as no less than 10 of the folks in the index of "CAPONE" were also Heileman/Old style tied house license holders during the 1915-17 period of the tied house saloon liquor/beer license era in those pre pro days when Brewery owners/mgmt bought whatever interest in a saloon was required to control the brew sold in said property.These license holders were mostly on the levee district controlled by Al's boss Big Jim colisimo before Capone ran things. This book is the real deal that has verified the legends we have heard in la crosse wisconsin about how our small town brew became a major player in the chicago beer market only 4 hours away.In coming years (after my death) these documents will be available to all interested parties through the online archives of the La Crosse Public Library as my wife will be donating most of my substantial (non Photo)paper archives after my death.I am 56 today (2021) and my then insurance agent Pete Freisenger told me in 1990 when i bought my 150 yr old historic La Crosse downtown tavern that the average life expectancy of a tavern owner in wisconsin was 55 years.I guess i beat the odds so far!!!!
July 29, 2021
It starts off decent enough..giving you a background of Capone's family.. background on the different types of gangs, and Capone's upbringing for a bit...but then it swerves completely into naming off every criminal in Chicago known to man and you begin to wonder..what happened to Al Capone? lol
I had started flipping through pages and pages and you don't even hear him mentioned for some decent amount of pages. This book may be useful since it had apparently used documents from the government "never-seen before", but for what?? It can be useful if you're interested about the different criminal gangs, and the history of their activies..but there's barely info about Capone if that's what you came for. And no, the author mentioning all these different side stories weren't essential to "setting it up"..maybe the author was just too excited about these different gangs, but they weren't essential to Capone's story considering they were just added in and if you took them out you wouldn't lose anything of value. Hopefully, I can find a more decent biography. If you have some esoteric interest in gangs of Chicago go right ahead, but for all intents and purposes it has failed to perform its function as a biography. You can try to shift through it for yourself if you're stubborn like I was, but I wouldn't recommend it
I had started flipping through pages and pages and you don't even hear him mentioned for some decent amount of pages. This book may be useful since it had apparently used documents from the government "never-seen before", but for what?? It can be useful if you're interested about the different criminal gangs, and the history of their activies..but there's barely info about Capone if that's what you came for. And no, the author mentioning all these different side stories weren't essential to "setting it up"..maybe the author was just too excited about these different gangs, but they weren't essential to Capone's story considering they were just added in and if you took them out you wouldn't lose anything of value. Hopefully, I can find a more decent biography. If you have some esoteric interest in gangs of Chicago go right ahead, but for all intents and purposes it has failed to perform its function as a biography. You can try to shift through it for yourself if you're stubborn like I was, but I wouldn't recommend it
October 6, 2024
"Bula bula bir vergi dümeni bulup sardılar başıma". Kitabı tam okurken bir siyasetçinin "üç kuruş para için bana yine sövdüreceksiniz" dediğini duyunca bu Al Capone sözünü not aldım. Vergi konusundan mafya daha kibar.
Orijinal adı Capone: The Life and World of Al Capone.
Şöyle bir karıştıracaktım. Kitabı incelerken yanlışlıkla bitirdim. Bazen halk kütüphanelerinde, bazen kitapçılarda da olur şöyle bir karıştıracakken kitabı bitirmek. Yazar hakkında çok bilgim yok. Gangster kitaplarının tarih bilgimize bir katkısı olmadı şimdiye kadar. Gangster, gang üyesi demek. Gangın Türkçesi çete, İtalyancası mafya. Uzunca da bir kitap, hem çok önermiyorum. Al Capone hakkında çekilmiş kaliteli bir film var: Dokunulmazlar. Robert De Deniro, Kevin Costner, Sean Connery ve birçok yetenekli aktör oynuyor. Sağlam film.
Al Capone İtalyan asıllı mafya üyesi. Adı Albert'in değil de Alphonso'nun kısaltılmışı. "Diğer suçlardan yakalanamadığı" için vergi kaçırmaktan 1931'de hapse girmiş. Yine sinemadan bahsedeyim, 1932 ve 1983 tarihli iki film var isimleri aynı: Yaralı Yüz. 1983'te çekilen Yaralı Yüz'de başka bir Al olan ve aslında Alfredo olan Al Pacino oynuyor. İki filmin de Al Capone hikayesi ile ilgisi yok. Ancak gerçek hayatta tek yaralı yüz gangster Al Capone. Capone'un yüzü ileride işbirliği yapacağı Gallucio tarafından yaralanmıştı.
Çok tutmadığım bir kitap olsa da bilmediğim bazı konularda aydınlattı beni tabii. Özellikle kitabın sonlarına doğru. Luciano'yu kurgu sanıyordum. Bizim Türkiye'de eskiden birisi öldürülünce Dündar Kılıç "iyi bir kardeşimizdi" diyecek mi diye beklenirmiş. Çünkü Dündar Kılıç kendi öldürttüğü insanların arkasından hep "iyi bir kardeşimizdi" dermiş. Luciano sürekli birileri ile yemeğe gidiyor sonra elini yıkamaya gidiyor, masadakiler öldürülüyor. Sonra polise ifade veriyor üzüldüm falan. İlginç adam. Diğer taraftan Luciano'nun ayrıca müttefiklere İtalya'yı işgal etmek için yardım ettiği söylenirmiş. Onu da başka kaynaklardan baktım. Mesela, yine bir filmden bahsedeyim. Clint Eastwood'un oynadığı Alkatraz'dan Kaçış filmindeki olay örgüsü, tamamen gerçekmiş. Hatta olayların hepsi Al Capone'un cezaevi yıllarına ait. Alkatraz demişken, cezaevinin kapanmasının önemli bir sebebi var kitaba göre. Cezaevi mahkumlardan intikam alma görüntüsü verdiği için kapatılmış.
Bundan başka gangster dünyasının onurlu ve şerefli olmadığını bir kere daha hissediyorsunuz. Dahası nerede teröre, şiddete başvuran varsa onların aslında en korkaklar olduğunu görüyorsunuz. Al Capone denen kanunsuzu öldüren adamın iğne korkusu. Böyle basit bir şeyden korkan Capone iğne ile kan aldırıp test yaptırmamak için türlü taklalar atıyor. Sonra da erken teşhis edilemeyen frengi yüzünden ölüyor.
Orijinal adı Capone: The Life and World of Al Capone.
Şöyle bir karıştıracaktım. Kitabı incelerken yanlışlıkla bitirdim. Bazen halk kütüphanelerinde, bazen kitapçılarda da olur şöyle bir karıştıracakken kitabı bitirmek. Yazar hakkında çok bilgim yok. Gangster kitaplarının tarih bilgimize bir katkısı olmadı şimdiye kadar. Gangster, gang üyesi demek. Gangın Türkçesi çete, İtalyancası mafya. Uzunca da bir kitap, hem çok önermiyorum. Al Capone hakkında çekilmiş kaliteli bir film var: Dokunulmazlar. Robert De Deniro, Kevin Costner, Sean Connery ve birçok yetenekli aktör oynuyor. Sağlam film.
Al Capone İtalyan asıllı mafya üyesi. Adı Albert'in değil de Alphonso'nun kısaltılmışı. "Diğer suçlardan yakalanamadığı" için vergi kaçırmaktan 1931'de hapse girmiş. Yine sinemadan bahsedeyim, 1932 ve 1983 tarihli iki film var isimleri aynı: Yaralı Yüz. 1983'te çekilen Yaralı Yüz'de başka bir Al olan ve aslında Alfredo olan Al Pacino oynuyor. İki filmin de Al Capone hikayesi ile ilgisi yok. Ancak gerçek hayatta tek yaralı yüz gangster Al Capone. Capone'un yüzü ileride işbirliği yapacağı Gallucio tarafından yaralanmıştı.
Çok tutmadığım bir kitap olsa da bilmediğim bazı konularda aydınlattı beni tabii. Özellikle kitabın sonlarına doğru. Luciano'yu kurgu sanıyordum. Bizim Türkiye'de eskiden birisi öldürülünce Dündar Kılıç "iyi bir kardeşimizdi" diyecek mi diye beklenirmiş. Çünkü Dündar Kılıç kendi öldürttüğü insanların arkasından hep "iyi bir kardeşimizdi" dermiş. Luciano sürekli birileri ile yemeğe gidiyor sonra elini yıkamaya gidiyor, masadakiler öldürülüyor. Sonra polise ifade veriyor üzüldüm falan. İlginç adam. Diğer taraftan Luciano'nun ayrıca müttefiklere İtalya'yı işgal etmek için yardım ettiği söylenirmiş. Onu da başka kaynaklardan baktım. Mesela, yine bir filmden bahsedeyim. Clint Eastwood'un oynadığı Alkatraz'dan Kaçış filmindeki olay örgüsü, tamamen gerçekmiş. Hatta olayların hepsi Al Capone'un cezaevi yıllarına ait. Alkatraz demişken, cezaevinin kapanmasının önemli bir sebebi var kitaba göre. Cezaevi mahkumlardan intikam alma görüntüsü verdiği için kapatılmış.
Bundan başka gangster dünyasının onurlu ve şerefli olmadığını bir kere daha hissediyorsunuz. Dahası nerede teröre, şiddete başvuran varsa onların aslında en korkaklar olduğunu görüyorsunuz. Al Capone denen kanunsuzu öldüren adamın iğne korkusu. Böyle basit bir şeyden korkan Capone iğne ile kan aldırıp test yaptırmamak için türlü taklalar atıyor. Sonra da erken teşhis edilemeyen frengi yüzünden ölüyor.
December 18, 2017
Good information and very in-depth. Can seem a bit boring if not reading with complete interest.
February 7, 2019
Nice history of the infamous boss
December 23, 2019
This is not only a biography of Al Capone but it is also a very good history of the growth of organized crime in Chicago and the surrounding areas.
June 28, 2021
It was interesting but it felt too disorganized in its telling, bits and pieces there, names here, it felt choppy. But otherwise quite interesting, particularly the last couple chapters.
November 1, 2021
Libro muy completo
June 9, 2024
More about the time in general than specifically about Capone. Sections of the book are very dry.
September 8, 2014
Capone : the Life and World of Al Capone by John Kobler
John Kobler took the effort to write this biography about Al Capone. He probably wrote the best biography about this man that was ever written. Just because it is impossible to write a book that more detailed than this one. John Kobler did his research very good just to write this book. He could use some material that was never published. Material and documents of the FBI. If you expect to read about only his days of glory than you picked the wrong book. This begins at the beginning and ends at the moment he passed away. The beautiful thing about this book is that everything is told very well. John Kobler truly takes you into the Life and The World of Al Capone. When I read this I really could imagine what was happening and how things must have looked like in those days. John Kobler is a true story teller. He doesn’t give his opinion on the man Capone he just tells the story as it is, according to the documents. Even we have the opportunity to read what Capone’s life was like inside American’s Devil Island : Alcatraz.
This book was at times really moving because it is not just a monster who killed people. People can complain how bad he was and everything he did, but in this book we read also about the good sides he had. Which showed to me that he was just a man who only made the wrong choices. And he was man who had enemies, there were people who hated him. I think John Kobler showed this on an ingenious way without saying “ Al Capone was a Monster” or “ Al Capone was a good man”. Never you read about an opinion, John Kobler did his job so well on that part. And because the author didn’t gave his opinion , as reader it is nice you can give your own opinion about this man.
It was an incredibly interested story to read, and it certainly is one of those story’s I won’t easily forget. Because sometimes the story really touched me. The last years of his live were not easy at all. What this book also made interesting and what deserved to be mentioned, are the pictures. The pictures inside the book of people who were his enemies. And the people who were his allies and his family. I liked watching those pictures because it helps you to get into the story easier. I would recommend this story to everybody. This is a story about a man who lived. About a man a big amount of courage, about a man who didn’t care it all what anybody had to say about him. As he often said it “ Don’t mistake my kindness for weakness. I am kind to everyone, but when someone is unkind to me, weak is not what you will remember about me”. This quote , I think shows who he was. He protected what he cared about. But he was dangerous man if you were his enemy. The last thing I need to mention is his wife Mae. I have , after reading this book, most respect for this women. Just imagine what she is been through during the marriage with him. She stayed loyal to the man she loved, she never betrayed him whatever happened. And that to Mister Al Capone, I hope her loyalty will be discovered by people. And I hope people will learn how important loyalty is. She respected the man she was married with, she didn’t like what he did but she was loyal and respected him to the end. I hope people will learn about her huge Loyalty and Respect!
To me this book is perfect as you can see at my rating. R.I.P Al Capone and Mae Capone-Couglin and thanks for your story!
John Kobler took the effort to write this biography about Al Capone. He probably wrote the best biography about this man that was ever written. Just because it is impossible to write a book that more detailed than this one. John Kobler did his research very good just to write this book. He could use some material that was never published. Material and documents of the FBI. If you expect to read about only his days of glory than you picked the wrong book. This begins at the beginning and ends at the moment he passed away. The beautiful thing about this book is that everything is told very well. John Kobler truly takes you into the Life and The World of Al Capone. When I read this I really could imagine what was happening and how things must have looked like in those days. John Kobler is a true story teller. He doesn’t give his opinion on the man Capone he just tells the story as it is, according to the documents. Even we have the opportunity to read what Capone’s life was like inside American’s Devil Island : Alcatraz.
This book was at times really moving because it is not just a monster who killed people. People can complain how bad he was and everything he did, but in this book we read also about the good sides he had. Which showed to me that he was just a man who only made the wrong choices. And he was man who had enemies, there were people who hated him. I think John Kobler showed this on an ingenious way without saying “ Al Capone was a Monster” or “ Al Capone was a good man”. Never you read about an opinion, John Kobler did his job so well on that part. And because the author didn’t gave his opinion , as reader it is nice you can give your own opinion about this man.
It was an incredibly interested story to read, and it certainly is one of those story’s I won’t easily forget. Because sometimes the story really touched me. The last years of his live were not easy at all. What this book also made interesting and what deserved to be mentioned, are the pictures. The pictures inside the book of people who were his enemies. And the people who were his allies and his family. I liked watching those pictures because it helps you to get into the story easier. I would recommend this story to everybody. This is a story about a man who lived. About a man a big amount of courage, about a man who didn’t care it all what anybody had to say about him. As he often said it “ Don’t mistake my kindness for weakness. I am kind to everyone, but when someone is unkind to me, weak is not what you will remember about me”. This quote , I think shows who he was. He protected what he cared about. But he was dangerous man if you were his enemy. The last thing I need to mention is his wife Mae. I have , after reading this book, most respect for this women. Just imagine what she is been through during the marriage with him. She stayed loyal to the man she loved, she never betrayed him whatever happened. And that to Mister Al Capone, I hope her loyalty will be discovered by people. And I hope people will learn how important loyalty is. She respected the man she was married with, she didn’t like what he did but she was loyal and respected him to the end. I hope people will learn about her huge Loyalty and Respect!
To me this book is perfect as you can see at my rating. R.I.P Al Capone and Mae Capone-Couglin and thanks for your story!
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February 21, 2014"The Life and Time of Al Capone", this is really a book with two souls.
I liked the first part of the book a lot. This is the part devoted to the time of Al Capone, starting in his childhood, detailing the life of immigrants like his father, the very small word they were allowed to live in, the reasons why young men saw the gangs as the only way to get a living and to do something with their life... if they lived long enough, that it.
The way gangs were organized is detailed quite in depth, the Italians gangs, but also the others. The way gangs fought each other, the reason why they did it. It's like a little world on its own, with its own rules and its own heroes, and its own enemies. This part, detailing the history of the Five Pointers, where Capone started his life as an outlaw, was the more interesting for me.
I also like the part that followed. Capone arrives in Chicago as a young man and here he finds a world which is both the same, but also different from the underworld he knew in New York. A big chunk of the book is spent detailing how Chicago was divided into zones, how different ethnic gangs controlled different parts of the city, the alliances and the enmities. The bosses and their temperaments. The gangs were nearly always linked to ethnic communities and it was interesting to see what links and what bonds stood between these men and the communities they came from. It was a very complex relationship and it was very interesting reading about it.
Then the second part of the book tells Capone's life in particular... and my interest dropped.
Honestly, reading only this book, one will wonder what made Capone one of the better known men in America. He's presented here as a very violent man, with few interests other than make money through bootlegging, brothels and other illegal activities. It is said that he was a skilful manager, but nothing is provided to enforce this idea. There's a long section detailing the way he killed off all his rivals, which is quite repetitive, with no insight into what he was after, his tactic, even his reasons.
A very long part is devoted to the trial that put him in jail and the following (quite uneventful) years in Alcatraz, I suspect because this is probably one of the better documented part of his life, if maybe the least interesting. It was - honestly - quite boring.
This is the only book I read about Capone and I still know very little about him, so I wonder whether there might be more interesting books about him out there. But I did enjoy the first part about the Twenties underworld quite a lot.
I liked the first part of the book a lot. This is the part devoted to the time of Al Capone, starting in his childhood, detailing the life of immigrants like his father, the very small word they were allowed to live in, the reasons why young men saw the gangs as the only way to get a living and to do something with their life... if they lived long enough, that it.
The way gangs were organized is detailed quite in depth, the Italians gangs, but also the others. The way gangs fought each other, the reason why they did it. It's like a little world on its own, with its own rules and its own heroes, and its own enemies. This part, detailing the history of the Five Pointers, where Capone started his life as an outlaw, was the more interesting for me.
I also like the part that followed. Capone arrives in Chicago as a young man and here he finds a world which is both the same, but also different from the underworld he knew in New York. A big chunk of the book is spent detailing how Chicago was divided into zones, how different ethnic gangs controlled different parts of the city, the alliances and the enmities. The bosses and their temperaments. The gangs were nearly always linked to ethnic communities and it was interesting to see what links and what bonds stood between these men and the communities they came from. It was a very complex relationship and it was very interesting reading about it.
Then the second part of the book tells Capone's life in particular... and my interest dropped.
Honestly, reading only this book, one will wonder what made Capone one of the better known men in America. He's presented here as a very violent man, with few interests other than make money through bootlegging, brothels and other illegal activities. It is said that he was a skilful manager, but nothing is provided to enforce this idea. There's a long section detailing the way he killed off all his rivals, which is quite repetitive, with no insight into what he was after, his tactic, even his reasons.
A very long part is devoted to the trial that put him in jail and the following (quite uneventful) years in Alcatraz, I suspect because this is probably one of the better documented part of his life, if maybe the least interesting. It was - honestly - quite boring.
This is the only book I read about Capone and I still know very little about him, so I wonder whether there might be more interesting books about him out there. But I did enjoy the first part about the Twenties underworld quite a lot.
April 26, 2015
Al Capone is probably one of American people in history and after almost hundred years people are still captured by his story. People are still captured by the life and world of Al Capone. When you write a biography it is your tendency to believe the media and her newspapers but John Kobler writer of this book did more research.
John Kobler did an outstanding job by collecting information about Al Capone. And he did an outstanding job by writing about Al as realistic as possible. Al wasn't a monster , he wasn't pure evil but he killed his enemies brutally. Al was also a family man, a man who loved his son and his wife Etc. From someone outside the family who didn't knew Al as a friend he did a great job. I am one of those people who say that Al Capone was human, he had a human side. He wasn't a monster. I'll always have a soft spot for Al Capone.
If you want to know more about Al I'd advise you to read this book and not believe what the media has said about him. Compliment for mister John Kobler for this masterpiece.
John Kobler did an outstanding job by collecting information about Al Capone. And he did an outstanding job by writing about Al as realistic as possible. Al wasn't a monster , he wasn't pure evil but he killed his enemies brutally. Al was also a family man, a man who loved his son and his wife Etc. From someone outside the family who didn't knew Al as a friend he did a great job. I am one of those people who say that Al Capone was human, he had a human side. He wasn't a monster. I'll always have a soft spot for Al Capone.
If you want to know more about Al I'd advise you to read this book and not believe what the media has said about him. Compliment for mister John Kobler for this masterpiece.
October 6, 2016
Abandonei ainda no primeiro terço, depois de tentar por meses dar sequência. O livro tem alguns problemas:
- Linguagem rebuscada e de época, fica pesado de ler;
- MUITO enfoque em personagens secundários e até ilustres desconhecidos. A impressão que dá é que o material relativo ao Al Capone não era muito extenso então o autor preferiu dar um apanhado geral sobre TODOS acontecimentos ligados ao contrabando da época, o que acaba fugindo do que se espera de uma biografia.
- A cronologia fica difícil de acompanhar pois o livro se perde em um nível de detalhes excessivo.
Está mais para um trabalho acadêmico que para uma apresentação àqueles que como eu têm apenas curiosidade sobre a figura de Al Capone, e não de cada um de seus sócios, rivais e capangas.
Só ganha três estrelas pelo esforço de pesquisa do autor, e considerando a época em que foi escrito e as informações disponíveis. Como biografia, é uma obra cansativa e ultrapassada.
- Linguagem rebuscada e de época, fica pesado de ler;
- MUITO enfoque em personagens secundários e até ilustres desconhecidos. A impressão que dá é que o material relativo ao Al Capone não era muito extenso então o autor preferiu dar um apanhado geral sobre TODOS acontecimentos ligados ao contrabando da época, o que acaba fugindo do que se espera de uma biografia.
- A cronologia fica difícil de acompanhar pois o livro se perde em um nível de detalhes excessivo.
Está mais para um trabalho acadêmico que para uma apresentação àqueles que como eu têm apenas curiosidade sobre a figura de Al Capone, e não de cada um de seus sócios, rivais e capangas.
Só ganha três estrelas pelo esforço de pesquisa do autor, e considerando a época em que foi escrito e as informações disponíveis. Como biografia, é uma obra cansativa e ultrapassada.
November 24, 2013
Informative but was not a very easy read. This was easily the most detailed read on Capone to date when written and likely the best source for many a book report going forward. Al does have a pretty incredible story.
Written early 70's, gives a decent background. I preferred Bergreen's version. Again, very good formation, just not the greatest of reads. Solid 3* = Solid but not spectacular.(I am a pretty tough grader)
If you are an Organized crime buff, and have an interest in Capone, this is a solid read.
Written early 70's, gives a decent background. I preferred Bergreen's version. Again, very good formation, just not the greatest of reads. Solid 3* = Solid but not spectacular.(I am a pretty tough grader)
If you are an Organized crime buff, and have an interest in Capone, this is a solid read.
August 18, 2014
I've always been fascinated by the mafia - and this book takes place right in the heyday of organized crime throughout the United States. Al Capone, who is most well-known for his bootlegging operations, also had some very serious side jobs. This book did a great job of revealing the facts - and trying to stay away from the folktales that have surrounded Capone since he first rose to prominence.
If you're interested in a look inside the mafia, I would check this out. Has some great insight into what it was like to run the streets back in those days.
If you're interested in a look inside the mafia, I would check this out. Has some great insight into what it was like to run the streets back in those days.
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