The Golden Boy of Crime: The Almost Certainly True Story of Norman "Red" Ryan

by Jim Brown

Praise for Canada’s Most Overrated Bank Robber

“Standing at the foot of the scantling . . . was a thick, freckle-faced man whose prison cap could not hide his flaming head. It was ‘Red’ Ryan.” —Ernest Hemingway

“A malicious little bastard.” —Ryan’s childhood friend

“Norman Ryan is a vicious, dangerous and resourceful thief.” —Toronto police chief S. J. Dickson

“Ryan is well liked in Kingston prison. A fine, handsome, clean-cut man, he stands out as a giant among the inmates.” —Athol Gow, Toronto Star

“We narrowly escaped meeting him. If we had, we fear we might, like nearly everybody else, have succumbed to his fatal charm.” —J. V. MCAREE, The Globe and Mail

“I’m glad he is dead.” —Senator H. A. Mullins

Dubbed “the Jesse James of Canada,” Norman “Red” Ryan was infamous in the 1920s and ’30s until he was gunned down in an attempted robbery in Sarnia, Ontario. Ernest Hemingway wrote about Ryan’s escape from Kingston Penitentiary for the Toronto Star, Morley Callaghan based a novel on him, and stories of Ryan and his daring crimes filled newspapers and airwaves. One of the first Canadians to be granted parole, he was held up by Prime Minister R. B. Bennett as a model of rehabilitation and became a regular guest at Toronto police picnics. All the while, however, Ryan continued a crime spree on the side.

With skepticism, humour and an often scathing examination of his own profession, journalist Jim Brown tells the incredible story of “Red” Ryan, a larger-than-life criminal whose fame and legend were much encouraged by the media, leading to deadly results.

Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime, History, Biography, Crime

336 pages, Paperback

Published May 19, 2020

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Jim Brown has been a journalist for more than thirty years. He is best known for his work on CBC Radio, most recently as host of the weekly current affairs program The 180. Prior to joining the CBC, he worked as a newspaper reporter and magazine editor. His first film, Radiant City, won a Genie Award for best documentary in 2007 and was named one of the ten best films of the year at the Toronto International Film Festival. Jim lives in Calgary.

Reviews

[Anittha]

DNF

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy to read, highly entertaining story of a Canadian I had never heard of. Norman "Red" Ryan the so called Jesse James of Canada. It was an interesting read with tidbits of history about Prime Minister Bennett, Ernest Hemingway and the city of Toronto. I particularly appreciated the copies of newspaper articles included in the beginning of the chapters.

[Janet Hutchinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having listened to Jim Brown on CBC for more years than I can count, this is very much written in his voice. And as such, is an enjoyable read. Red Ryan was certainly a character of crime, and his life seemed larger than most. I had never heard of Red Ryan, but the outline of how he lived (and died), coupled with the journalistic styles of the time, seemed almost made up (well, the journalism certainly seemed to be).

[Dawna Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to Jim Brown talking about and reading from this book at a Wordfest event and I was intrigued. He indicated that he was approaching this topic, not in a linear or chronological method but rather through the lens of journalism. In looking at how this was reported on at the time, he also asks about how news media reports on issues today.
Overall, I quite liked the concept. I found it both interesting and insightful, especially in this time when ‘fake news’ can be such a rallying cry!

[Gillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I already knew of Red Ryan and his exploits from a tour of the Kingston Penitentiary that I did last summer, but it was interesting to see it from a broader context. Very well-researched, funny, and chock-full of interesting facts, cool pictures, and many different perspectives, and related bits of information. A perfect blend of true crime, history, and culture.

[Vontel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't finish this book. Read maybe 1/4 to 1/3, too hiring in comparison with other books I had on hand to read. There is history of Canadian & American criminals, much of it from other previously published sources. It is a non-fiction "true crime" book.

[Manda Nem · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 not what I was expecting. Pleasantly surprised that this was written in a journalist point of view, fusing in or challenging sensationalization - fiction vs truth. Fascinating to learn about the things that occurred where you grew up and its surrounding cities.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was just ok. Picked up the book after a tour at Kingston Pen. Expected it to be more of an actual biography. While it did have parts of that, the book was very meandering and a little all over the place

[Jessica Chapman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this would be a run of the mill "true crime" story. Instead it turned out to be a close examination of what comprises "the truth" and the role of journalists in that process.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Could have been written in a better format,very interesting look at some local history though.

[Lori]

Couldn't get past the first few chapters.

[Chris Godwaldt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh.

I feel one star reviews should be kept for books I didn’t finish. I finished this one.

[Amanda Kapcala · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read but not what I was expecting. The book covers a variety of topics, not just Red Ryan’s story.

[George Ilsley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as advertised.

Anyone expecting a biography of Canadian bankrobber Red Ryan, as suggested by the title of this book, will be deeply disappointed.

This wandering spongy mess touches on journalism, the nature of truth, other bank robbers of the early 20th century, Ernest Hemingway, the difficulty writing non-fiction, Canadian politics, various digressions and skits, whimsical detours, etc etc. This is how the author himself describes his progress (start of chapter 9):

"The deeper I get into this project, the less it resembles a book. Reading it over, it seems to me more like an extended series of riffs. It's almost as if I've been jotting down the footnotes to a written life without actually writing the life itself."

Couldn't have put it better myself. Except perhaps the start of chapter 17, with this promising line: "Let me tell you about my central failure in this book. There are many, but this one is key." The author goes on to explain, in his wandering spongy jokey fashion, how he was unable to imagine the inner life of his subject; I would suggest the true failure in chapter 17 is that it is unreadable.

Not what I was expecting, and not a rewarding read.

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked this up out of curiosity since I had never heard of Norman "Red" Ryan before. Having grown up in the States with tales of Dillinger and Bonnie & Clyde I was curious about Canada's bank robber. Unfortunately, this book was not what I had expected - it contained minimal facts and mostly guesstimates of what Norman Ryan's life was and of his crimes. The author spends time ruminating on books he's read, journalists who covered the Ryan stories, and gossip around Ryan himself. They style of the book is difficult to describe since it goes from first person (author's perspective on writing about Ryan) into various literary styles including screenplays. For me this was a big disappointment and I can't help but feel a bit letdown - this book was definitely not what it was advertised to be.

[Arlene Richards · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting. Having grown up in Kingston, I remember some of his story.