What do you think?
Rate this book
Outside the Law: How an Ex-cop Became America's Most Prolific Bank Robber Since John Dillinger
Growing up in Elkhart, Indiana, Bruce Davidson always wanted to be a police officer, and at the age of 23, he reached his lifelong goal. The job was everything he dreamed it would be as he worked tirelessly to remove dangerous criminals from the streets and protect the citizens of his hometown. But what he didn’t realize was there were powerful forces aligned against him. City politics, marital troubles, financial difficulties and a broken legal system were conspiring to bring him down. Soon his professional and personal life unraveled, and he lost his job, his marriage and a promising career as an attorney. Ultimately, he was forced to turn his back on everything he ever stood for, violating the principles of right and wrong that had always governed his life. The cop became a criminal. The lawyer became an outlaw. And when his secret was finally exposed, his only option was to run – as far as he could for as long as possible.
- GenresCrime
247 pages, Paperback
Published June 19, 2025
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 16, 2025
He was a decorated Marine. A principled cop. An attorney. A dedicated son and father who respected authority and always followed the law. So, what caused Clifton Bruce Davidson to embark upon a dangerous criminal enterprise, eventually becoming America’s most prolific bank robber since John Dillinger? Ditto one of the FBI’s Most Wanted, robbing 38 banks in 26 months?
This eminently engaging non-fiction book reveals the how and why to that question. Kind of. Nutshell version: “Bruce was a man of character, loyal and generous, who had chosen a life of crime because it was his only option left.”
But there’s more. Lots more.
The book opens with Davidson handcuffed, in the back of a police vehicle. It closes with Davidson handcuffed, in the back of a police vehicle. What happens in between is a gripping and compelling real-life story unlike anything I’ve ever read.
The authors introduce us to Davidson as a kid and take us through his upbringing and education until he decides to join the U.S. Marine Corps.
“Years later, while training at the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy, Davidson’s instructors told the trainees that for anyone who went through Marine boot camp, the law enforcement training would be a joke. He was right.” (Semper Fi, Jarhead. And oh yeah. Don’t ever call a Marine a “soldier” (p. 47). Major faux pax, dude. Major.)
We follow Davidson from Marine Corps boot camp at MCRD San Diego to his military police training at Lackland AFB in Texas in 1984. And his K-9, Bear. Bear is “a black and silver German Shepherd … with a mean streak. But Davidson soon grew attached to him.”
After the Marines, Davidson joins the Elkhart, IN Police Department. This portion of the book – where Davidson “had seen the best and worst of humanity,” is highly readable. Engaging, entertaining, and exciting, the narrative shows us that you never know what’s going to happen next in police work. Examples: Two little girls “sleep dialing” 911 (kids, don’t try this at home). Miranda warnings. “Unknown disturbance” calls, medical emergencies and all points in between. It’s quite a ride. Think Space Mountain meets Hill Street Blues.
Then we find out how politics and personal agendas affected the Elkhart P.D. (Hi, Chief Ivory and Mayor Putz.) Davidson is elected president of the Elkhart Fraternal Order of Police in 1994 and enters “cutthroat politics” and “its character assassinating weaponry.” Writes Ogden ominously, “It would not end well.” This includes the tragic consequences of a lack of support from the Elkhart police chief and city leaders and the death of a much-loved officer.
Next, you walk with Davidson through a series of professional and personal crises as he begins his “secret life as a nascent bank robber” while dodging creditors and disciplinary action from the legal community. Post-police officer, Davidson becomes an attorney. He can barely keep his head above water financially as a sole practitioner. As his life spirals out of control, he becomes a closet alcoholic battling chronic depression. His wife files for divorce. Takes the kid. Davidson also gets stiffed by clients to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars. He gets disbarred.
And so… bank robbery. Then Davidson’s on the run with the FBI hot on his trail.
Speaking of the FBI, Davidson led them a merry chase for over seven months after knocking off his first bank. He always managed to stay a step or two ahead of the proverbial long arm of the Law. As in, “When you’re a fugitive on the run, it pays to be paranoid.”
One thing that surprised me about Outside the Law is that the second half – post-USMC, post-cop, post-attorney, and now bank robber on the lam – has a “travelogue” feel to it as we crisscross the country with Bruce while he tries to stay one step ahead of the law. It includes descriptions of everything from a “Classic Ribeye, medium rare” in North Platte, Nebraska to a corn palace in Mitchell, South Dakota and Chicago style dogs and deep-dish pizza. Also, chicken panini and fries at the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C. Oysters and Dungeness crab in San Franscico. Crawfish etouffee and jazz in New Orleans.
Davidson was on the run for over seven months, driving across the country 2.5 times plus multiple trips up and down the East and West Coasts. This included stops in Salt Lake City. Houston. Albuquerque. Santa Fe, Denver and Portland. Yellowstone’s Old Faithful geyser. Phoenix and Bakersfield. All while Davidson’s a wanted man. Stealing cars along the way.
Outside the Law features excellent writing and superb storytelling skills. The style is warm and conversational. Factual, yes. Voluminous, meticulous research, yes. But rich descriptions and careful attention to detail flavor every page. The thorough backstory offers readers a solid understanding of Davidson’s upbringing, education, family life and training without overwhelming them with its sheer magnitude. So, the story is factual without coming across like a Sahara scirocco.
Additionally, the book is structurally sound, with just the right amount of backstory mixed with a You Are There present-day feel to keep you engaged.
Crisp and agile, the writing is nimble and vibrant. It’ll keep you turning pages until the very end. You feel like you’re right there with Davidson, an eye-witness to his life events. Until that fateful day when… Oh, wait. To find out what happens next, you’ll have to read the book yourself.
So, what made him do it? How did it all go haywire? What sent Bruce Davidson so far down the wrong path? We may never really know the answers. But the loss of a job he loved, the collapse of his marriage, the cratering of his law practice, severe financial stress and a tumultuous personal life didn’t help. In the end, this book is as much mystery as it is history. I appreciated how the authors don’t tell you what to think. They just tell Davidson’s story and let you draw your own conclusions.
This eminently engaging non-fiction book reveals the how and why to that question. Kind of. Nutshell version: “Bruce was a man of character, loyal and generous, who had chosen a life of crime because it was his only option left.”
But there’s more. Lots more.
The book opens with Davidson handcuffed, in the back of a police vehicle. It closes with Davidson handcuffed, in the back of a police vehicle. What happens in between is a gripping and compelling real-life story unlike anything I’ve ever read.
The authors introduce us to Davidson as a kid and take us through his upbringing and education until he decides to join the U.S. Marine Corps.
“Years later, while training at the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy, Davidson’s instructors told the trainees that for anyone who went through Marine boot camp, the law enforcement training would be a joke. He was right.” (Semper Fi, Jarhead. And oh yeah. Don’t ever call a Marine a “soldier” (p. 47). Major faux pax, dude. Major.)
We follow Davidson from Marine Corps boot camp at MCRD San Diego to his military police training at Lackland AFB in Texas in 1984. And his K-9, Bear. Bear is “a black and silver German Shepherd … with a mean streak. But Davidson soon grew attached to him.”
After the Marines, Davidson joins the Elkhart, IN Police Department. This portion of the book – where Davidson “had seen the best and worst of humanity,” is highly readable. Engaging, entertaining, and exciting, the narrative shows us that you never know what’s going to happen next in police work. Examples: Two little girls “sleep dialing” 911 (kids, don’t try this at home). Miranda warnings. “Unknown disturbance” calls, medical emergencies and all points in between. It’s quite a ride. Think Space Mountain meets Hill Street Blues.
Then we find out how politics and personal agendas affected the Elkhart P.D. (Hi, Chief Ivory and Mayor Putz.) Davidson is elected president of the Elkhart Fraternal Order of Police in 1994 and enters “cutthroat politics” and “its character assassinating weaponry.” Writes Ogden ominously, “It would not end well.” This includes the tragic consequences of a lack of support from the Elkhart police chief and city leaders and the death of a much-loved officer.
Next, you walk with Davidson through a series of professional and personal crises as he begins his “secret life as a nascent bank robber” while dodging creditors and disciplinary action from the legal community. Post-police officer, Davidson becomes an attorney. He can barely keep his head above water financially as a sole practitioner. As his life spirals out of control, he becomes a closet alcoholic battling chronic depression. His wife files for divorce. Takes the kid. Davidson also gets stiffed by clients to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars. He gets disbarred.
And so… bank robbery. Then Davidson’s on the run with the FBI hot on his trail.
Speaking of the FBI, Davidson led them a merry chase for over seven months after knocking off his first bank. He always managed to stay a step or two ahead of the proverbial long arm of the Law. As in, “When you’re a fugitive on the run, it pays to be paranoid.”
One thing that surprised me about Outside the Law is that the second half – post-USMC, post-cop, post-attorney, and now bank robber on the lam – has a “travelogue” feel to it as we crisscross the country with Bruce while he tries to stay one step ahead of the law. It includes descriptions of everything from a “Classic Ribeye, medium rare” in North Platte, Nebraska to a corn palace in Mitchell, South Dakota and Chicago style dogs and deep-dish pizza. Also, chicken panini and fries at the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C. Oysters and Dungeness crab in San Franscico. Crawfish etouffee and jazz in New Orleans.
Davidson was on the run for over seven months, driving across the country 2.5 times plus multiple trips up and down the East and West Coasts. This included stops in Salt Lake City. Houston. Albuquerque. Santa Fe, Denver and Portland. Yellowstone’s Old Faithful geyser. Phoenix and Bakersfield. All while Davidson’s a wanted man. Stealing cars along the way.
Outside the Law features excellent writing and superb storytelling skills. The style is warm and conversational. Factual, yes. Voluminous, meticulous research, yes. But rich descriptions and careful attention to detail flavor every page. The thorough backstory offers readers a solid understanding of Davidson’s upbringing, education, family life and training without overwhelming them with its sheer magnitude. So, the story is factual without coming across like a Sahara scirocco.
Additionally, the book is structurally sound, with just the right amount of backstory mixed with a You Are There present-day feel to keep you engaged.
Crisp and agile, the writing is nimble and vibrant. It’ll keep you turning pages until the very end. You feel like you’re right there with Davidson, an eye-witness to his life events. Until that fateful day when… Oh, wait. To find out what happens next, you’ll have to read the book yourself.
So, what made him do it? How did it all go haywire? What sent Bruce Davidson so far down the wrong path? We may never really know the answers. But the loss of a job he loved, the collapse of his marriage, the cratering of his law practice, severe financial stress and a tumultuous personal life didn’t help. In the end, this book is as much mystery as it is history. I appreciated how the authors don’t tell you what to think. They just tell Davidson’s story and let you draw your own conclusions.
August 7, 2025
a very nice read. I enjoyed it
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews