Uncle John's True Crime: A Classic Collection of Crooks, Cops, and Capers

Uncle John's Facts and Trivia

by Bathroom Readers' Institute

Do you like to read great stories? This book is loaded with them! We’ve rounded up the best cops-and-robber articles we’ve ever done--plus a rogue’s gallery of new offenders. You’ll read about dumb crooks and criminal masterminds, mafia henchman and low-level goons, ancient warriors and Old West gunslingers, crazed cops and jovial judges, and even a few loony lawyers and crooked Wall Street types. It’s the True Crime book that only Uncle John could make! Here are some of the unusual suspects . . .

- New York City’s “Mad Bomber”
- The Biddle Brothers and the Queen of the Jail
- Law and Order: Special Pants Unit
- Dopes who hide their dope in the strangest places
- America’s first private eye
- NASCAR’s bootlegging beginnings
- The real pirates of the Caribbean
- Why CSI makes the cops’ job even harder
- Billy the Kid and other outlaws who died with their boots on
- George Luger, Samuel Colt, and other fathers of guns
- The greatest train robberies
- Arrested for farting
- And much more!

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Trivia

288 pages, Paperback

First published August 9, 2011

About the author

The Bathroom Reader's Institute UJBR boasts more than 12 million books in print and a membership base topping 40,000 loyal readers . . .

Reviews

[Gord Beacock · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this is my least favourite Bathroom Reader. I've been reading them for ages and have been addicted to the sections on dumb crooks etc. that seem to be a part of each edition. There was just enough of those to keep me from quitting before I finished. This volume contains TOO much serious crime including histories of the Mafia, Yakuza etc. I would have been happier with a higher proportion of the lighter stuff.

[Dan Stern · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book to have and read occasionally.
If interested in funny true crime books then grab this book.

[CONNIE BALTHROP · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is more like a history book. You can't help but laugh at at some of the things people do. But I'd love to read an updated Uncle John's.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

odd facts

A book full of odd facts, strange people and bizarre situations. Also true crime over the years. Interesting and funny

[Kylie Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book

[Nancy Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun Stories and interesting facts.

[Roslyn Carrington · Rating 3 out of 5]

Underwhelming

I am usually a great fan of Uncle John's Bathroom Readers but for some reason I just found this one long winded and dull. Not my favorite.

[William A Howes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Winner!

From karaoke murders to DB Cooper (may this be the last time I hear of him) a solid collection. In other words, typical Uncle John's.

[Joshua Friesen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just when you think its all done, there's more.

[Guillermo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book from the same series as Impossible Questions, and the series has been one of my best discoveries from last years Book Expo America. The Uncle John´s Bathroom Readers Institute books. It´s a long time running collection, of nearly twenty years, but I just found them last year in New York City, and they have become instant favorites of mine because of their ease to read and because they deliver on their mission of creating good books to read in the John. The stories told are always about trivia, conversational starters and things that make you go "Huh, who would´ve thought!" Its pocket format makes it easier to be kept in the toilet from one visit to the throne until the next one.
Read the full review

[Tom Darrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good bathroom reader. I've read a few of the larger collections that combine all kinds of stories which can throw you off guard a bit. One minute, you're reading a story about Ancient Rome and the next minute you are reading a story about Hollywood stars. This book narrows down the theme to crime related topics, but it still has a good amount of variety. It contains the predictable stories about famous crimes and criminals, but also has good stories about crime novelists and a recipe for how to make prison wine.

The book is just long enough to feel like you learned some about crime without being overburdened by random facts. I will read more of this type of book in the future.

[Lady ♥ Belleza · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those collections of fun facts and interesting stories. Some are a few pages, some are just a paragraph or two. Some little known facts about some cases you may have heard of, The Mad Bomber, The Hatfields and McCoys are two I remember. The stories are grouped together by a common thread, “Stupid Criminals”, “Zany Cops”, “Escape Artists”, these are examples not actual headings. This is one of those books you can read a little at a time, because the stories are a page or two, and it is a lot of stories.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got the partial from NetGalley. It's an uncle John's bathroom reader. These books are always just awesome because you have little tidbits of things you never knew you wanted to know. And with true crime you get some of the dumbest criminals.

[Bob Cantrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A life of crime is not for me. I don't want to say the people mentioned in this book are dumb but. How they managed to make it through the day is hard to imagine. Nice to read about how crime doesn't pay most of the time.

[Kristy Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a huge fan of both Bathroom Readers and true crime, this is a win-win.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book, one of their best....... loved every page of funny and interesting true crime stories and facts

[Andi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Consistent

Just like all the other bathroom readers, there were interesting facts, things to make you laugh, and a great way to pass time.

[Luna Chan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great! I kept finding stories I just HAD to share with everyone. I kept reading the stories out loud to my family so that all of us could laugh together.

[Abraham Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

good uncle john's bathroom book

[Ilib4kids · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Uncle)364.10922 UNC

[Lyndsay-ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny. Informative. Classic Uncle John.

[Monica]

There was so much variety, and had me either gasping with surprise or laughing with the thought that this is actually true!