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Life Sentence: The Brief and Tragic Career of Baltimore’s Deadliest Gang Leader
In this unprecedented deep dive into inner-city gang life, Mark Bowden takes readers inside a Baltimore gang, offers an in-depth portrait of its notorious leader, and chronicles the 2016 FBI investigation that landed eight gang members in prison.
Sandtown is one of the deadliest neighborhoods in the world; it earned Baltimore its nickname Bodymore, Murderland, and was made notorious by David Simon’s classic HBO series “The Wire.” Drug deals dominate street corners, and ruthless, casual violence abounds.
Montana Barronette grew up in the center of it all. He was the leader of the gang “Trained to Go,” or TTG, and when he was finally arrested and sentenced to life in prison, he had been nicknamed “Baltimore’s Number One Trigger Puller.” Under Tana’s reign, TTG dominated Sandtown. After a string of murders are linked to TTG, each with dozens of witnesses too intimidated to testify, three detectives set out to put Tana in prison for life. For them, this was never about drugs: It was about serial murder.
Now an acclaimed journalist who spent his youth in the white suburbs of Baltimore, Mark Bowden returns to the city with exclusive access to the FBI files and unprecedented insight into one of the city’s deadliest gangs and its notorious leader. As he traces the rise and fall of TTG, Bowden uses wiretapped drug buys, police interviews, undercover videos, text messages, social media posts, trial transcripts, and his own ongoing conversations with Tana’s family and community to create the most in-depth account of an inner-city gang ever written.
With his signature precision and propulsive narrative, Mark
Bowden positions Tana – as a boy, a gang leader, a killer, and now a prisoner- in the context of Baltimore and America, illuminating his path for what it really was: a life sentence.
Sandtown is one of the deadliest neighborhoods in the world; it earned Baltimore its nickname Bodymore, Murderland, and was made notorious by David Simon’s classic HBO series “The Wire.” Drug deals dominate street corners, and ruthless, casual violence abounds.
Montana Barronette grew up in the center of it all. He was the leader of the gang “Trained to Go,” or TTG, and when he was finally arrested and sentenced to life in prison, he had been nicknamed “Baltimore’s Number One Trigger Puller.” Under Tana’s reign, TTG dominated Sandtown. After a string of murders are linked to TTG, each with dozens of witnesses too intimidated to testify, three detectives set out to put Tana in prison for life. For them, this was never about drugs: It was about serial murder.
Now an acclaimed journalist who spent his youth in the white suburbs of Baltimore, Mark Bowden returns to the city with exclusive access to the FBI files and unprecedented insight into one of the city’s deadliest gangs and its notorious leader. As he traces the rise and fall of TTG, Bowden uses wiretapped drug buys, police interviews, undercover videos, text messages, social media posts, trial transcripts, and his own ongoing conversations with Tana’s family and community to create the most in-depth account of an inner-city gang ever written.
With his signature precision and propulsive narrative, Mark
Bowden positions Tana – as a boy, a gang leader, a killer, and now a prisoner- in the context of Baltimore and America, illuminating his path for what it really was: a life sentence.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 11, 2023
168 people are currently reading
1042 people want to read
About the author
Mark Bowden
65 books1,798 followersMark Bowden is an American journalist and writer. He is a former national correspondent and longtime contributor to The Atlantic. Bowden is best known for his book Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War (1999) about the 1993 U.S. military raid in Mogadishu, which was later adapted into a motion picture of the same name that received two Academy Awards.
Bowden is also known for the books Killing Pablo: The Hunt for the World's Greatest Outlaw (2001), about the efforts to take down Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar, and Hue 1968, an account of the Battle of Huế.
Bowden is also known for the books Killing Pablo: The Hunt for the World's Greatest Outlaw (2001), about the efforts to take down Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar, and Hue 1968, an account of the Battle of Huế.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
May 4, 2023
Mark Bowden has knocked it out of the park again with his book, Life Sentence The Brief and Tragic Career of Baltimore’s Deadliest Gang Leader. During his early career, Bowden was a journalist in Baltimore which really shows in this true-crime story based in the Sandtown neighborhood in Baltimore.
The book focuses on the notorious TTG (Trained To Go) gang and its leader, Montana Barronette. "Tana" as he is known and his trigger-prone gang killed over 20 people before they were arrested and charged with murder.
I love books that grab you by the soul and won't let go. From the first sentence in the first chapter, "Violence is like a honing pigeon," I was hooked and listened to the audiobook almost non-stop. Bowden's preface lays out exactly how he became interested in the story as well as his research and approach.
His focus is broader than the TTG gang. Bowden explores how cities, city planning, "renewal" efforts, and policing practices continue to prevent Blacks from ascending out of poverty, particularly in Baltimore.
The book focuses on the notorious TTG (Trained To Go) gang and its leader, Montana Barronette. "Tana" as he is known and his trigger-prone gang killed over 20 people before they were arrested and charged with murder.
I love books that grab you by the soul and won't let go. From the first sentence in the first chapter, "Violence is like a honing pigeon," I was hooked and listened to the audiobook almost non-stop. Bowden's preface lays out exactly how he became interested in the story as well as his research and approach.
His focus is broader than the TTG gang. Bowden explores how cities, city planning, "renewal" efforts, and policing practices continue to prevent Blacks from ascending out of poverty, particularly in Baltimore.
April 12, 2023
What a sad tragic, gruesome story!
Such a gritty sad story that reverberates through neighborhoods of the poorest places to live and grow! We see life up close and personal to what it was like being in a gang.
Montana Barronette, was a very young man when crime came and tapped him on his shoulders. At thirteen, he was selling drugs and then quickly graduated into serious crimes with murder and mayhem as his companions.
This story will certainly make one realize that the lives of the inner city poor, (Baltimore's Sandtown) afforded people nothing. They became immune to the killings, the savagery, the loss of one's soul, because this is what they were being raised in.
It's truly a depressing story and although Mark Bowden offers what he thinks will cure what ails our poor black people, I felt his solutions held little merit.
Pouring more money into education might be a way, but not if the kids drop out before they finish high school. I believe we have to start educating the mothers, to make them understand that killing is not in their future and the care they give to their young children will help in turning them away from the dark. Kids can't be left to raise themselves and the cycle they come to accept has to be broken. People need to know they can change before any change can take place.
A very sad telling of what life in darkness produces.
Thank you to Mark Bowden, Grove Atlantic, and NetGalley for the ability to listen to this horrendous story which published April 11, 2023.
Such a gritty sad story that reverberates through neighborhoods of the poorest places to live and grow! We see life up close and personal to what it was like being in a gang.
Montana Barronette, was a very young man when crime came and tapped him on his shoulders. At thirteen, he was selling drugs and then quickly graduated into serious crimes with murder and mayhem as his companions.
This story will certainly make one realize that the lives of the inner city poor, (Baltimore's Sandtown) afforded people nothing. They became immune to the killings, the savagery, the loss of one's soul, because this is what they were being raised in.
It's truly a depressing story and although Mark Bowden offers what he thinks will cure what ails our poor black people, I felt his solutions held little merit.
Pouring more money into education might be a way, but not if the kids drop out before they finish high school. I believe we have to start educating the mothers, to make them understand that killing is not in their future and the care they give to their young children will help in turning them away from the dark. Kids can't be left to raise themselves and the cycle they come to accept has to be broken. People need to know they can change before any change can take place.
A very sad telling of what life in darkness produces.
Thank you to Mark Bowden, Grove Atlantic, and NetGalley for the ability to listen to this horrendous story which published April 11, 2023.
July 18, 2023
This was a fascinating and sad listen, one that I'd definitely reread. Perhaps not re-listen though, not because the audio wasn't good - it was okay - but I think having a black narrator would've been better for this book.
It was quotes using the n word that made me pause, I went and double checked the narrator was white when the first one hit and I was like okaaaay...but then it kept happening and it made me uncomfortable. So I suppose if I read it myself they would really seem like quotes and not a random white narrator saying the n word again and again.
So do keep that in mind if you want to get into this.
It was quotes using the n word that made me pause, I went and double checked the narrator was white when the first one hit and I was like okaaaay...but then it kept happening and it made me uncomfortable. So I suppose if I read it myself they would really seem like quotes and not a random white narrator saying the n word again and again.
So do keep that in mind if you want to get into this.
May 22, 2023
I wouldn’t last 3 hours in a place like Sandtown.
December 13, 2022
Walk in the shoes of Montana Barronette, a young gang leader in Baltimore. He started dealing drugs by the time he was thirteen, later taking over drug turf when he was still very young. He was taken down by people he grew up with, some were former friends or competitors. A fast paced, stark read that’s full of background and inside information about the case.
From the court case, “You’re going to hear evidence that these individuals, this enterprise, killed people for money,” he said. “They killed people to protect their business; They killed people to grow their enterprise; and they killed or tried to kill people to silence them from cooperating with law enforcement witnesses.”
From the court case, “You’re going to hear evidence that these individuals, this enterprise, killed people for money,” he said. “They killed people to protect their business; They killed people to grow their enterprise; and they killed or tried to kill people to silence them from cooperating with law enforcement witnesses.”
May 1, 2023
While Mark Bowden’s Life Sentence is frequently described as a chronicle of the rise and fall of Montana Barronette, AKA Tana, while ruling the illicit drug markets of Sandtown, a violent Baltimore, Maryland neighborhood, it is also a social critique upon the too often found harsh life found within depressed and poor inner-city enclaves.
In returning to Sandtown, Bowden revisits a neighborhood previously examined in both the non-fiction writings of David Simon (Homicide: A Year On The Killing Streets) and Justin Fenton (We Own This City), and of dramatized television programs based upon Sandtown (The Corner, The Wire, Homicide: Life on the Street and We Own This City). Bowden also returns to the real-life characters previously mentioned in those non-fiction works and to fictional characters in the dramatizations inspired by these works.
In Life Sentence, Barronette and his brother lead a relatively small group of drug peddlers that rule with a level of violence even more callous than in the past. Violent acts are no longer doled out just as a matter of doing business but in a way to deal with the slightest acts of disrespect and insult.
Bowden’s book details the 2016 investigation and eventual prosecution of Barronette, his brother, and their gang known as “Trained To Go” (TTG) after the group finally gathers the attention of the FBI after years of flying under their radar.
Not only does Bowden follow those of TTG, but he also provides a fascinating backstory on the development of Baltimore, the emergence of crime and violence, and a social critique of why little changes in urban environments in places like Sandtown when it comes to poverty, drugs, and crime.
After reading numerous non-fiction books by Mark Bowden, I have yet to read one that has poor research or is unable to hold my interest, with Life Sentence continuing that streak.
Life Sentence reads like an extra episode to HBO’s The Wire and is encouraged reading for those interested in gritty, true-crime accounts of people and situations in urban settings. Grove Atlantic provided an advanced readers copy for review and is available for purchase.
In returning to Sandtown, Bowden revisits a neighborhood previously examined in both the non-fiction writings of David Simon (Homicide: A Year On The Killing Streets) and Justin Fenton (We Own This City), and of dramatized television programs based upon Sandtown (The Corner, The Wire, Homicide: Life on the Street and We Own This City). Bowden also returns to the real-life characters previously mentioned in those non-fiction works and to fictional characters in the dramatizations inspired by these works.
In Life Sentence, Barronette and his brother lead a relatively small group of drug peddlers that rule with a level of violence even more callous than in the past. Violent acts are no longer doled out just as a matter of doing business but in a way to deal with the slightest acts of disrespect and insult.
Bowden’s book details the 2016 investigation and eventual prosecution of Barronette, his brother, and their gang known as “Trained To Go” (TTG) after the group finally gathers the attention of the FBI after years of flying under their radar.
Not only does Bowden follow those of TTG, but he also provides a fascinating backstory on the development of Baltimore, the emergence of crime and violence, and a social critique of why little changes in urban environments in places like Sandtown when it comes to poverty, drugs, and crime.
After reading numerous non-fiction books by Mark Bowden, I have yet to read one that has poor research or is unable to hold my interest, with Life Sentence continuing that streak.
Life Sentence reads like an extra episode to HBO’s The Wire and is encouraged reading for those interested in gritty, true-crime accounts of people and situations in urban settings. Grove Atlantic provided an advanced readers copy for review and is available for purchase.
April 14, 2023
⭐️ rating: 3+
I listened to the audiobook version, narrated by L.J. Ganser. The story follows a gang in Baltimore City called TTG (trained to go) through their rise and fall. The protagonist is Montana “Tana” Barronette, who the author refers to as Baltimore’s deadliest gang leader.
I thought the subject material of the book was interesting, as I had never heard of Sandtown and did not know the extent of crime in Baltimore City. There was extensive detail regarding each person as well as the court cases. Bowden ends the book by providing ideas of reform, especially within schools and communities, in order to address the cycle of poverty and crime.
While I appreciated the concept of the book, I think it could’ve been expressed in a more thoughtful way. My biggest hang up is the white narrator saying the n word upwards of 10 times. They are all quotes, however they could be omitted or bleeped. Beyond that, the narrator was speaking in Ebonics, accent and all, when he was quoting - which made me uncomfortable as well. It is uncouth at best. Due to the content of the story and the language used, perhaps having a Black narrator seems more appropriate. Honestly, had I not received this as a free copy in order to write a review, I would’ve stopped reading (aka listening) because of these issues.
I received a copy of this book as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. #NetGalley #LilReads
I listened to the audiobook version, narrated by L.J. Ganser. The story follows a gang in Baltimore City called TTG (trained to go) through their rise and fall. The protagonist is Montana “Tana” Barronette, who the author refers to as Baltimore’s deadliest gang leader.
I thought the subject material of the book was interesting, as I had never heard of Sandtown and did not know the extent of crime in Baltimore City. There was extensive detail regarding each person as well as the court cases. Bowden ends the book by providing ideas of reform, especially within schools and communities, in order to address the cycle of poverty and crime.
While I appreciated the concept of the book, I think it could’ve been expressed in a more thoughtful way. My biggest hang up is the white narrator saying the n word upwards of 10 times. They are all quotes, however they could be omitted or bleeped. Beyond that, the narrator was speaking in Ebonics, accent and all, when he was quoting - which made me uncomfortable as well. It is uncouth at best. Due to the content of the story and the language used, perhaps having a Black narrator seems more appropriate. Honestly, had I not received this as a free copy in order to write a review, I would’ve stopped reading (aka listening) because of these issues.
I received a copy of this book as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. #NetGalley #LilReads
April 11, 2023
"game's the same, it just got more fierce."
December 24, 2022
If you have ever been to Baltimore, nothing in Life Sentence by Mark Bowden will shock you. This also happens to be Bowden's point. A searing look at a crime infested area of Baltimore called Sandtown, Bowden is more than telling a story of a gang. He is indicting the society which created Sandtown and refuses to do anything about it or at least anything successful so far. He's also depicting gang life and how murder could be so commonplace.
A book like this can easily spin too far into blaming a tragic story on only one source. If you place all the blame on a racist society then the gang member murdering innocent people isn't guilty at all. If you blame crime purely on criminals then you are ignoring the world they grew up in and probably could never leave. I felt Bowden managed all these viewpoints. In telling the story of Montana "Tana" Barronette and his gang "TTG", Bowden doesn't give Tana a pass. He is a murderer and the circumstances of his life do not absolve him from destroying lives. However, Bowden points out that locking up Tana didn't solve Sandtown's problems, either.
I loved this book. Bowden humanizes everyone involved from gang leaders to police officers. He never paints anyone as all good or all bad and highlights the blind spots people have. It's a powerful narrative by someone who clearly knows what he's doing.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Grove Atlantic. The full review will be posted to HistoryNerdsUnited.com on 4/13/2023.)
A book like this can easily spin too far into blaming a tragic story on only one source. If you place all the blame on a racist society then the gang member murdering innocent people isn't guilty at all. If you blame crime purely on criminals then you are ignoring the world they grew up in and probably could never leave. I felt Bowden managed all these viewpoints. In telling the story of Montana "Tana" Barronette and his gang "TTG", Bowden doesn't give Tana a pass. He is a murderer and the circumstances of his life do not absolve him from destroying lives. However, Bowden points out that locking up Tana didn't solve Sandtown's problems, either.
I loved this book. Bowden humanizes everyone involved from gang leaders to police officers. He never paints anyone as all good or all bad and highlights the blind spots people have. It's a powerful narrative by someone who clearly knows what he's doing.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Grove Atlantic. The full review will be posted to HistoryNerdsUnited.com on 4/13/2023.)
April 15, 2023
This is such an interesting book and I look at a part of Society most of this never see Mark Boden has done a wonderful job with his deep dive into the inner life those living just miles from the White House in Washington DC when reading this book I kept thinking of the differences between those to live in the projects in low income housing and those living in Georgetown this was such an interesting book and when I highly recommend if you like being a fly on the wall and viewing the way the other half live then you need to read Life Sentence by Mark Boden just make sure you have time to read it because you will not want to put it down. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.
June 4, 2023
This was a letdown. It felt more voyeuristic than journalistic.
The author’s pretext is pretty flimsy. He wants to tell gangster stories, and there really isn’t a lot more to it than that. He would like you to think this is a story about inequality and systemic racism - and yes it is! The historical bits are what carried me through the book - but overall it’s just “Here are some horrifying Baltimore gang stories”.
So if that’s your thing, giv’er. The overlaps with The Wire and We Own This City are interesting. You could do worse.
But it’s not enlightening in any sense. You would do better to reread The Corner.
The author’s pretext is pretty flimsy. He wants to tell gangster stories, and there really isn’t a lot more to it than that. He would like you to think this is a story about inequality and systemic racism - and yes it is! The historical bits are what carried me through the book - but overall it’s just “Here are some horrifying Baltimore gang stories”.
So if that’s your thing, giv’er. The overlaps with The Wire and We Own This City are interesting. You could do worse.
But it’s not enlightening in any sense. You would do better to reread The Corner.
January 24, 2024
I originally DNF'd this, but chose to pick up the audiobook again and see if it was any better. I did get through it, but it felt very white savior of the author to repeatedly talk about his own privilege and his own liberal beliefs while describing the horrible situation in Baltimore and then preaching about how we can fix Baltimore.
DNF @ 18%. There was far too much history and not enough crime for me to keep going. I know it’s relevant, but it was super boring.
DNF @ 18%. There was far too much history and not enough crime for me to keep going. I know it’s relevant, but it was super boring.
May 10, 2023
TV show “The Wire” was based on lives of young black men in Baltimore. Today they are either dead or serving life sentences. Superb job reporting on Montana Barronette.
May 12, 2023
Kind of weird that the guy who wrote Black Hawk Down has entered the oddly crowded world of Baltimore True Crime, but it is definitely a welcome addition. This book does a great job of detailing the cruel ways that drug dealers in Baltimore devastate and terrorize Black communities, while also being very careful (sometimes maybe too careful, there is some awkward "bodies and spaces" language here, clearly no one told the author that, thank god, no one uses that anymore) to contextualizes that violence in the racism and police neglect that made West Baltimore what it is.
It was all surprisingly decent for an old white guy from Towson, who even had a pretty good grasp of the Baltimore rap scene (though he called it Baltimore drill, which isn't really a thing), but that fell apart at the prescriptive ending of the book. I don't know why editors feel the need to have non-fiction authors always come up with solutions to the problems they addressed at the end of the book, it rarely turns out well. He basically says "education is the answer" and goes off on how schools are funded by property taxes and this means bad schools in the hood. He has to uses examples from Pennsylvania because he refuses to acknowledge that Baltimore has one of the best funded school systems in the world that spends far more per student than most wealthy districts. Out of all the solutions he tries to offer, none are just to give poor people money, which is the only thing that could fix the Baltimore's many problems, including the school system.
It was all surprisingly decent for an old white guy from Towson, who even had a pretty good grasp of the Baltimore rap scene (though he called it Baltimore drill, which isn't really a thing), but that fell apart at the prescriptive ending of the book. I don't know why editors feel the need to have non-fiction authors always come up with solutions to the problems they addressed at the end of the book, it rarely turns out well. He basically says "education is the answer" and goes off on how schools are funded by property taxes and this means bad schools in the hood. He has to uses examples from Pennsylvania because he refuses to acknowledge that Baltimore has one of the best funded school systems in the world that spends far more per student than most wealthy districts. Out of all the solutions he tries to offer, none are just to give poor people money, which is the only thing that could fix the Baltimore's many problems, including the school system.
August 21, 2023
Not quite a five-star experience, but definitely a solid read on the criminal side of Baltimore. Bowden is a very skilled reporter, he has a much better grip on his subject than Fenton, for instance. Actually, "We Own This City" complements this book pretty well, by painting the picture of dysfunction in Baltimorean law enforcement.
June 21, 2023
3 and 1/2 stars-true story about Montana; gang leader, drug leader, murderer in Baltimore…
August 25, 2024
I wasn't convinced that a story about a small, nasty, short-lived gang was a sufficient basis for the author's sweeping proposals on how to reduce crime.
July 3, 2023
3/5⭐: This novel covers the life and journey of Montana Barronette, "Baltimore's Number One Trigger Puller," as deemed by the BCPD. Essentially a biography, the chapters cover the history of Tana's Baltimore City hometown, Sandtown, and the years leading up to his eventual arrest and sentencing in federal prison.
Bowden does a great job of chronicling Tana's early upbringing, while also weaving in a discussion of how Sandtown came to be disregarded by Baltimore as a community too forgone for intervention and support. Several chapters detail the TTG "Trained to Go" gang relationships within the town and Tana's alleged involvement. Many of the scenes are pretty interesting and the story flows just as a regular novel following a young boy and his friends in Baltimore doing their best to stay alive.
There's a lot to unpack in terms of why Tana participates in the drug gang, how Tana came to be involved, and why the City government couldn't care less about the town. With no surprise, city cops are preoccupied with arresting and targeting as many people as possible for as many crimes as possible, without taking a look at a single underlying cause or doing anything remotely focused on meeting community members' desperate needs. Bowden's chapters touch on a variety of these points, and are organized well. This is a tragic and sad story, but one that is incredibly researched and thorough.
Bowden points out that an attempt to resolve the relationship between Baltimore and Sandtown would "take social engineering on a scale unlike anything America has ever tried." The last chapter summarizes Bowden's belief that by really focusing on public schooling in Baltimore, things would actually change. He writes that the root cause of young gang involvement stems from a lack of proper schooling and access to appropriate programs. His point is furthered by noting that Tana did everything right; stayed in school, went to church, and supported his family, but ultimately Tana had little choice in the opportunities available to him. Not because he didn't have big dreams, but because no outside-Sandtown opportunities existed to support him.
However, there is also a sight undertone that Sandtown members should be working with BCPD officers and that forging a better relationship is essential to turning the town around and rehabilitating their community. I'm not too sure about that. Sure, Bowden recognizes that the relationship, as it currently stands is abysmal (obviously), but suggests that there is a possibility of everyone working together one day for a common goal. Probably not happening.
Overall, I found this really interesting and enjoyed the deep dive into Sandtown and Tana's life.
**I listened to part of this on audio and it is entirely narrated by a white man. Several passages include rap lyrics, transcriptions of phone calls, and the N word, which is just uncomfortable to hear read by the narrator. There are more than a few instances where his infliction is blatantly offensive, especially during the part where a transcription of Hongde Pan, a Chinese chemist, are read. The narrater's accent is incredibly uncalled for and should not have been permitted. If you plan to jump into this book, I highly suggest reading it. Audiobook was uncomfortable.
Bowden does a great job of chronicling Tana's early upbringing, while also weaving in a discussion of how Sandtown came to be disregarded by Baltimore as a community too forgone for intervention and support. Several chapters detail the TTG "Trained to Go" gang relationships within the town and Tana's alleged involvement. Many of the scenes are pretty interesting and the story flows just as a regular novel following a young boy and his friends in Baltimore doing their best to stay alive.
There's a lot to unpack in terms of why Tana participates in the drug gang, how Tana came to be involved, and why the City government couldn't care less about the town. With no surprise, city cops are preoccupied with arresting and targeting as many people as possible for as many crimes as possible, without taking a look at a single underlying cause or doing anything remotely focused on meeting community members' desperate needs. Bowden's chapters touch on a variety of these points, and are organized well. This is a tragic and sad story, but one that is incredibly researched and thorough.
Bowden points out that an attempt to resolve the relationship between Baltimore and Sandtown would "take social engineering on a scale unlike anything America has ever tried." The last chapter summarizes Bowden's belief that by really focusing on public schooling in Baltimore, things would actually change. He writes that the root cause of young gang involvement stems from a lack of proper schooling and access to appropriate programs. His point is furthered by noting that Tana did everything right; stayed in school, went to church, and supported his family, but ultimately Tana had little choice in the opportunities available to him. Not because he didn't have big dreams, but because no outside-Sandtown opportunities existed to support him.
However, there is also a sight undertone that Sandtown members should be working with BCPD officers and that forging a better relationship is essential to turning the town around and rehabilitating their community. I'm not too sure about that. Sure, Bowden recognizes that the relationship, as it currently stands is abysmal (obviously), but suggests that there is a possibility of everyone working together one day for a common goal. Probably not happening.
Overall, I found this really interesting and enjoyed the deep dive into Sandtown and Tana's life.
**I listened to part of this on audio and it is entirely narrated by a white man. Several passages include rap lyrics, transcriptions of phone calls, and the N word, which is just uncomfortable to hear read by the narrator. There are more than a few instances where his infliction is blatantly offensive, especially during the part where a transcription of Hongde Pan, a Chinese chemist, are read. The narrater's accent is incredibly uncalled for and should not have been permitted. If you plan to jump into this book, I highly suggest reading it. Audiobook was uncomfortable.
March 12, 2023
Thanks to Grove Atlantic and Netgalley for sharing Mark Bowden’s latest work with me. I think I’ve read and enjoyed everything he has written and this is no exception. This is a disheartening study of the gang and drug culture in Baltimore near my home, but could be many other cities, I’m sure. He also covers the hard work that local and federal investigators did to make a case leading to the conviction of gang members. Bowden does a great job of trying to identify some of the causes such as institutional racism which has lead to an overall sense of nihilism among Baltimore residents, especially young ones. It’s not an easy read, but worthwhile.
May 17, 2023
Interesting parts but I’d like my supposed nonfiction with just two tablespoons less personal bias. I understand Bowden is very familiar with that area and the failed social experiments of the past few generations and so I welcome his experience and commentary but when those become louder on the pages than the voice the author is trying to capture of “Baltimore’s deadliest gang leader,” the EQ needs to be adjusted…just my 2 cents.
June 7, 2023
Tossing judgment around is so easy when we haven’t experienced another person’s struggles.
I’m sitting here thinking about this book’s title and what it means. Most of us read or hear “Life Sentence,” and we immediately think of a punishment, sentenced to life in prison, usually for murder. But what if that life sentence begins with the environment at birth, with society’s indifference and callousness toward certain zip codes?
Life Sentence is an illuminating look at one of the poorest, gang-infested Baltimore neighborhoods. The fact that anyone born there is able to hold onto even a shred of compassion and empathy is pretty damn miraculous.
Mark Bowden’s deep-dive into all aspects of the TTG (Trained To Go) gang dominating an area known as Sandtown is a powerful piece of journalism. Read this book and imagine what your life might have been if you’d been born in this Baltimore zip code. It’s easy to say “I would never” when you have, in fact, never been forced to decide.
*Huge thank you to Atlantic Monthly Press for the free copy.*
I’m sitting here thinking about this book’s title and what it means. Most of us read or hear “Life Sentence,” and we immediately think of a punishment, sentenced to life in prison, usually for murder. But what if that life sentence begins with the environment at birth, with society’s indifference and callousness toward certain zip codes?
Life Sentence is an illuminating look at one of the poorest, gang-infested Baltimore neighborhoods. The fact that anyone born there is able to hold onto even a shred of compassion and empathy is pretty damn miraculous.
Mark Bowden’s deep-dive into all aspects of the TTG (Trained To Go) gang dominating an area known as Sandtown is a powerful piece of journalism. Read this book and imagine what your life might have been if you’d been born in this Baltimore zip code. It’s easy to say “I would never” when you have, in fact, never been forced to decide.
*Huge thank you to Atlantic Monthly Press for the free copy.*
December 3, 2025
I really enjoyed this book. The first part starts with sociological explanations for crime in Baltimore, but it descends into strong copaganda by the end of the book. Nonetheless I enjoyed the story (if you can look past the biases) but I wish there had been more information from the TTG perspective because I really liked the information provided by other prior gang members and this made it feel one-sided and a bit like an onslaught on the part of the author. If you’re on the fence I would still recommend reading it, provided you like nonfiction. 3.8 stars
March 11, 2024
Well I'm not about to live this life that's for sure. Gritty and hard-hitting, this book let's you really see the nightmare that is Harlem.
April 28, 2024
This was a tough listen- excellently and thoroughly researched and written about the deadliest gang in Baltimore and the murders and crimes they committed and the reign of terror they held over the city.
June 11, 2024
I really enjoyed this book, I thought it was very informative and well researched. I appreciated the author’s objectivity when analyzing the experiences of black Baltimoreans. I appreciated his analysis of the history of racial segregation in Baltimore and the generational effects it’s had on Montana and people like him.
Would have given it 4⭐️s but I took a star away because of the audiobook narrator. Hiring a white narrator for a book that is partially written in AAVE and quoted rap lyrics was tone deaf af!
Would have given it 4⭐️s but I took a star away because of the audiobook narrator. Hiring a white narrator for a book that is partially written in AAVE and quoted rap lyrics was tone deaf af!
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September 2, 2024Thoroughly enjoy M Bowden's narratives. In my living pantheon of great non fiction writers along side Junger, Hampton Sides and David Grann.
December 12, 2022
Life And Death On These Streets Of Sandtown Baltimore.
Ruling by fear Sandtown is nicknamed Bodymore as it is so bad on the streets as drug dealers, shootings and corrupt police vie for position, territory, and respect. Most young black children who are brought up in Sandtown have not know anything else in their lives as their parents and grandparents use drugs and dominate their corners selling drugs with guns and violence used daily. Shootings are the norm, and every family knows somebody in their family who has been shot or killed.
This book is about a Gang Leader named Montana Barronette or Tana as he is known on the Sandtown streets. Tana has grown up in Sandtown and at a young age he is on the streets ducking and diving running drugs for dealers and jumping over bodies of people lying dead or dying. When Tana becomes a young teenager he becomes the leader of his gang, and they decide to name the gang Trained To Go or TTG.
This book is all about life on these streets and how Tana and the gang live their lives daily as drug dealers, rappers, thugs, and murders killing anyone who crosses their path for snitching or for the smallest of things like bad mothing someone or disrespecting Tana or the gang.
Eventually the FBI start to investigate all the murders going on in Sandtown as they have increased rapidly up to 50% on deaths since Tana and his gang have formed their TTG gang on these streets.
It is a fascinating read into the life of these young men growing up in what is known as the deadliest streets in the world and the consequences that came from their actions, as Mark tells the story from the exclusive access to the FBI files and unprecedented insight into one of the city’s deadliest gangs and its notorious leader.
Eventually Tana’s rule and domination in Sandtown comes to an end as detectives gather enough evidence to land eight gang members in prison on charges of serial murder. You will read about how the police gathered together wire taps, police interviews, drug buys, text messages from cell phones, videos and witnesses who are too intimidated to testify but some eventually change their minds as they no they could be the next to die and most have families and small children and no this is there one chance to leave and maybe turn their life’s around.
This book would be one of the most in-depth books and accounts I have ever read of an inner-city gang. This is an extremely well researched and written book by Mark Bowden. It is not only a true crime book but also a good history book on The Brief and Tragic Career of inner-city gang life in Baltimore’s Deadliest city Sandtown. Thanks to NetGalley and to the publishers of this book for giving me a free advance copy of the book to preview and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Ruling by fear Sandtown is nicknamed Bodymore as it is so bad on the streets as drug dealers, shootings and corrupt police vie for position, territory, and respect. Most young black children who are brought up in Sandtown have not know anything else in their lives as their parents and grandparents use drugs and dominate their corners selling drugs with guns and violence used daily. Shootings are the norm, and every family knows somebody in their family who has been shot or killed.
This book is about a Gang Leader named Montana Barronette or Tana as he is known on the Sandtown streets. Tana has grown up in Sandtown and at a young age he is on the streets ducking and diving running drugs for dealers and jumping over bodies of people lying dead or dying. When Tana becomes a young teenager he becomes the leader of his gang, and they decide to name the gang Trained To Go or TTG.
This book is all about life on these streets and how Tana and the gang live their lives daily as drug dealers, rappers, thugs, and murders killing anyone who crosses their path for snitching or for the smallest of things like bad mothing someone or disrespecting Tana or the gang.
Eventually the FBI start to investigate all the murders going on in Sandtown as they have increased rapidly up to 50% on deaths since Tana and his gang have formed their TTG gang on these streets.
It is a fascinating read into the life of these young men growing up in what is known as the deadliest streets in the world and the consequences that came from their actions, as Mark tells the story from the exclusive access to the FBI files and unprecedented insight into one of the city’s deadliest gangs and its notorious leader.
Eventually Tana’s rule and domination in Sandtown comes to an end as detectives gather enough evidence to land eight gang members in prison on charges of serial murder. You will read about how the police gathered together wire taps, police interviews, drug buys, text messages from cell phones, videos and witnesses who are too intimidated to testify but some eventually change their minds as they no they could be the next to die and most have families and small children and no this is there one chance to leave and maybe turn their life’s around.
This book would be one of the most in-depth books and accounts I have ever read of an inner-city gang. This is an extremely well researched and written book by Mark Bowden. It is not only a true crime book but also a good history book on The Brief and Tragic Career of inner-city gang life in Baltimore’s Deadliest city Sandtown. Thanks to NetGalley and to the publishers of this book for giving me a free advance copy of the book to preview and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 23, 2023
UGH...this book was so dryly clinical & boring!
July 23, 2023
Audiobook review:
As an audiobook, it felt confusing and somewhat offensive. Choosing a non-Black narrator to navigate the reader through African American urban vernacular, rap lyrics and numerous "N-" words is unsettling. At various times, I had to stop listening due to the narration. It felt intentionally dismissive, disrespectful and exploitative.
I acknowledge the thorough research and the nods to systemic and historical racism and poverty in Baltimore. I learned more about "Tana" and TTG than I previously knew.
Lastly, had I read the paper version and not listened to the audio version, I may have had a more favorable reaction. However, the narration negatively impacted my experience of this book.
As an audiobook, it felt confusing and somewhat offensive. Choosing a non-Black narrator to navigate the reader through African American urban vernacular, rap lyrics and numerous "N-" words is unsettling. At various times, I had to stop listening due to the narration. It felt intentionally dismissive, disrespectful and exploitative.
I acknowledge the thorough research and the nods to systemic and historical racism and poverty in Baltimore. I learned more about "Tana" and TTG than I previously knew.
Lastly, had I read the paper version and not listened to the audio version, I may have had a more favorable reaction. However, the narration negatively impacted my experience of this book.
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