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Al Capone: Chicago's King of Crime
Crime writer Nate Hendley examines the life and crimes of Al Capone, the world's most famous gangster, during his brief reign over corrupt, Prohibition-era Chicago.
144 pages, Paperback
First published April 15, 2006
9 people are currently reading
243 people want to read
About the author
Nate Hendley
31 books30 followersMy name is Nate Hendley and I am a Toronto-based journalist, writer, and speaker.
My latest book, Atrocity on the Atlantic is a full account of the torpoedo attack on Canadian hospital ship, Llandovery Castle, in the First World War. Sinking hospital ships violated international treaties, so the sub commander had his deck gun shell lifeboats containing survivors to kill any witnesses to his war crime. One lifeboat with two-dozen survivors escaped to bear witness.
The sinking was condemned by the public, press, and politicians, around the world. In 1921, the attack was prosecuted at the Leipzig War Crimes Trials (the little-known attempt to bring German war criminals to justice after the Great War). In its ruling, the Leipzig court set a legal precedent that guided subsequent war crime prosecutions, including the Nuremberg Trial.
Sadly, for all the impact it had, the Llandovery Castle tragedy soon faded from memory.
As published by Dundurn Press, my book details the attack, profiles medical staff on board the ship, and discusses the long wake of a forgotten war crime that continues to influence international law.
My last book, The Beatle Bandit, was about Matthew Kerry Smith, a troubled young man who robbed a Toronto-area bank in 1964 disguised in a Halloween mask and a "Beatles" wig. A bank patron tried to intervene and was killed in a gunfight with Smith. This murderous heist fueled a nationwide debate about guns, capital punishment, and the death penalty.
As published by Dundurn Press, The Beatle Bandit won the Crime Writers of Canada Award of Excellence for Non-Fiction 2022. It was also nominated for the Toronto Heritage Book Awards 2022.
I have written several other books, primarily in the true-crime genre. Previous books have focused on organized crime, Bonnie and Clyde, gang bosses Al Capone and Dutch Schultz, wrongful murder convictions, and cons and hoaxes, among other topics.
For more information about my books and background, visit my website at http://www.natehendley.ca
I host a blog, which can be viewed at https://crimestory.wordpress.com/
I am a member of the Canadian Freelance Guild (CFG) and the Crime Writers of Canada (CWC).
I live next-door to Jeanne, world's greatest girlfriend.
I do public presentations based on my books. For more information, contact me at: nhendley@sympatico.ca.
My latest book, Atrocity on the Atlantic is a full account of the torpoedo attack on Canadian hospital ship, Llandovery Castle, in the First World War. Sinking hospital ships violated international treaties, so the sub commander had his deck gun shell lifeboats containing survivors to kill any witnesses to his war crime. One lifeboat with two-dozen survivors escaped to bear witness.
The sinking was condemned by the public, press, and politicians, around the world. In 1921, the attack was prosecuted at the Leipzig War Crimes Trials (the little-known attempt to bring German war criminals to justice after the Great War). In its ruling, the Leipzig court set a legal precedent that guided subsequent war crime prosecutions, including the Nuremberg Trial.
Sadly, for all the impact it had, the Llandovery Castle tragedy soon faded from memory.
As published by Dundurn Press, my book details the attack, profiles medical staff on board the ship, and discusses the long wake of a forgotten war crime that continues to influence international law.
My last book, The Beatle Bandit, was about Matthew Kerry Smith, a troubled young man who robbed a Toronto-area bank in 1964 disguised in a Halloween mask and a "Beatles" wig. A bank patron tried to intervene and was killed in a gunfight with Smith. This murderous heist fueled a nationwide debate about guns, capital punishment, and the death penalty.
As published by Dundurn Press, The Beatle Bandit won the Crime Writers of Canada Award of Excellence for Non-Fiction 2022. It was also nominated for the Toronto Heritage Book Awards 2022.
I have written several other books, primarily in the true-crime genre. Previous books have focused on organized crime, Bonnie and Clyde, gang bosses Al Capone and Dutch Schultz, wrongful murder convictions, and cons and hoaxes, among other topics.
For more information about my books and background, visit my website at http://www.natehendley.ca
I host a blog, which can be viewed at https://crimestory.wordpress.com/
I am a member of the Canadian Freelance Guild (CFG) and the Crime Writers of Canada (CWC).
I live next-door to Jeanne, world's greatest girlfriend.
I do public presentations based on my books. For more information, contact me at: nhendley@sympatico.ca.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
July 15, 2011
If you don't know very much about Al Capone or the heyday of Chicago criminal activity this is an excellent overview. Easily read in one sitting and written in a clear factual manner, yet far from boring. There is no hyperbole or drama just a conversational saga of the mob scene and the corrupt graft taking legal and governmental attitude of Prohibition America. It is interesting to learn of the various personalities of these cruel, vicious, murderous men. One crime lord a florist who drew a line at being involved in prostitution; the Mafia's Sicilian only membership--Capone was Neapolitan!; the personalities that could carry out the Valentine's Day massacre and then play golf or attend family dinners; the politicians who sincerely tried to fight crime and yet socialized with its biggest leaders. Simply unbelieveable and yet historically true and not confined to Chicago or Cicero Illinois--New York City was equally corrupt. I kept waiting for the appearance of Elliot Ness and the Untouchables , but television and movies aside, he entered the Capone picture pretty late in Scarface Al's spree. Also, though he pulled some pretty incredible raids on Capone's installations and some fun irritating stunts on Alphonse, his actions were secondary in the Federal Governments efforts to bring Capone down on tax evasion charges.
In the beginning it was hard to keep all the actors straight with their Italian, Jewish and Irish names to say nothing of their colorful monikers but eventually they and the slang of the day attained a rhythm and familiarity and became easier to navigate. One thing I always enjoy are photos of the characters and events. Unfortunately, there are none here. Nevertheless, this is a good starting off place for anyone interested in the history of organized crime in the 20's-30's Chicago.
In the beginning it was hard to keep all the actors straight with their Italian, Jewish and Irish names to say nothing of their colorful monikers but eventually they and the slang of the day attained a rhythm and familiarity and became easier to navigate. One thing I always enjoy are photos of the characters and events. Unfortunately, there are none here. Nevertheless, this is a good starting off place for anyone interested in the history of organized crime in the 20's-30's Chicago.
July 30, 2011
I am writing this review for my 85 year old father. He throughly enjoyed this book. He remembers hearing about Al Capone growing up and lived in the Miami area when Al Capone did. It brought back many memories he had forgotten and heard about Al Capone. He also stated he learned much more about the man through this well written book. He would have give it more then 5 stars if he could. He is an avid reader and stated "this is one of the best books i have read in a very long time".
December 16, 2019
Very well-written exploration of Al Capone's life. It was a fast read. I learned a lot without getting pulled down into the weeds.
September 8, 2010
I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
I have never read any other books on Al Capone and so I cannot comment on the standard of the factual content of the book.
This is not normally the type of book that I would read although I have to say I really enjoyed reading this book.
The book gives a good account of the life of Al Capone: where he came from and how he became the greatest gangster in American history. It is rather ionic that Al Capone was responsible for the deaths of countless numbers of people and numerous Volstead Act violations; however, in the end, the only offence the prosecution could pin on him was the fact that he had not paid tax on the illegal income he was receiving.
This book is well written and gives a good critical analysis of other accounts of Al Capone’s life. It was both enjoyable and easy to read while not being over simplistic.
The only thing I would have liked to have seen, which was not present, is more specific references. On numerous occasions the author quotes from other books, however, he fails to give the exact place he got the quote from. Personally I would have found it helpful if the author would have included most/ all of the following: name of book, author’s name, publisher, date and place published, edition, name of chapter and page number that the quote was taken from. This would have allowed the reader to follow up any quotes of interest.
I have never read any other books on Al Capone and so I cannot comment on the standard of the factual content of the book.
This is not normally the type of book that I would read although I have to say I really enjoyed reading this book.
The book gives a good account of the life of Al Capone: where he came from and how he became the greatest gangster in American history. It is rather ionic that Al Capone was responsible for the deaths of countless numbers of people and numerous Volstead Act violations; however, in the end, the only offence the prosecution could pin on him was the fact that he had not paid tax on the illegal income he was receiving.
This book is well written and gives a good critical analysis of other accounts of Al Capone’s life. It was both enjoyable and easy to read while not being over simplistic.
The only thing I would have liked to have seen, which was not present, is more specific references. On numerous occasions the author quotes from other books, however, he fails to give the exact place he got the quote from. Personally I would have found it helpful if the author would have included most/ all of the following: name of book, author’s name, publisher, date and place published, edition, name of chapter and page number that the quote was taken from. This would have allowed the reader to follow up any quotes of interest.
July 5, 2011
I won this book from a contest on Goodreads.
I've never been interested in reading a biography as I believed all I would read is dates, places, times and no real story. Author, Nate Hendley's 'Al Calpone - Chicago's King of Crime' certainly was an eye-opener for me. This was such an enjoyable read that once I began reading, I did not put it down until I finished the last page.
The life of this man and how he got to be where he was had me totally captivated. From a young man and his sexual encounters (which would turn out to be his demise), to drugs, alcohol, money, bloodshed and most importantly, the power. Once he had obtained the power as "supreme mob boss in Chicago" nothing could stand in Capone's way. Even his first jail sentence had him set up in style like no other. Throughout the read, I had to keep nudging myself into the realization that this is not a fictional character, but, in fact, a real person.
This was a terrific read and I have to say, Nate Hendley put it together with superb flair!
I've never been interested in reading a biography as I believed all I would read is dates, places, times and no real story. Author, Nate Hendley's 'Al Calpone - Chicago's King of Crime' certainly was an eye-opener for me. This was such an enjoyable read that once I began reading, I did not put it down until I finished the last page.
The life of this man and how he got to be where he was had me totally captivated. From a young man and his sexual encounters (which would turn out to be his demise), to drugs, alcohol, money, bloodshed and most importantly, the power. Once he had obtained the power as "supreme mob boss in Chicago" nothing could stand in Capone's way. Even his first jail sentence had him set up in style like no other. Throughout the read, I had to keep nudging myself into the realization that this is not a fictional character, but, in fact, a real person.
This was a terrific read and I have to say, Nate Hendley put it together with superb flair!
May 5, 2018
This was a serendipitous find while scanning and inducting books as a volunteer at our local library. It was a quick and easy read but it led me to more research. The Valentine Day massacre, Mae Capone (who outlived Al by almost 40 years), Sonny Capone (who went to Notre Dame briefly under an assumed name). What a corrupt place Chicago was in the early 20th century. What a misguided idea Prohibition was.
July 28, 2011
I am really excited to have won this book! I entered this giveaway for a friend that is very interested in the topic of mobsters and so this book is to be shared with my friend! Thanks Goodreads!
I always like a book that can be read in one sitting! This book gives a very accurate account of the life of Al Capone. I have read other books on the mobsters of this era and find the life of the mobsters and their families quite compelling and interesting as it is a lifestyle that I cannot even fathom living. This story gives the reader the most basic and important facts surrounding the life of Al Capone. It is an excellent read for this reason. It doesn’t get mired down with a lot of details that interrupt the flow of the story. The author lends his personal touch to the story that brings freshness to a story that has already been told.
I always like a book that can be read in one sitting! This book gives a very accurate account of the life of Al Capone. I have read other books on the mobsters of this era and find the life of the mobsters and their families quite compelling and interesting as it is a lifestyle that I cannot even fathom living. This story gives the reader the most basic and important facts surrounding the life of Al Capone. It is an excellent read for this reason. It doesn’t get mired down with a lot of details that interrupt the flow of the story. The author lends his personal touch to the story that brings freshness to a story that has already been told.
May 16, 2012
While not a huge fan of nonfiction, I do normally enjoy a good true crime novel so I requested this book when it was made available on a free give-away.
The information about Al Capone's life and crimes that is presented in this novel seems to be very thoroughly researched and accurately presented. My problems with this book is that is about all that I got out of it...information. A successful true crime book to me presents the reader with accurate information about the subject, but do so in a way that is engaging and entertaining; weaving a story instead of just presenting information. This is where this book fails in my opinion. I got a lot of information about Al Capone, but I was pretty bored most of the time while reading it.
The information about Al Capone's life and crimes that is presented in this novel seems to be very thoroughly researched and accurately presented. My problems with this book is that is about all that I got out of it...information. A successful true crime book to me presents the reader with accurate information about the subject, but do so in a way that is engaging and entertaining; weaving a story instead of just presenting information. This is where this book fails in my opinion. I got a lot of information about Al Capone, but I was pretty bored most of the time while reading it.
July 25, 2011
I won Al Capone: Chicago's King of Crime from a First Reads Giveaway on Good Reads. I have always had an interest in learning more about Al Capone and this book certainly gave that to me. It is a very short book and basically highlights Al Capone's life from start to finish. I did learn a few things but the book was not extremely engaging. Due to the length of the book the reader only gets a small glimpse of his life and so there are times where it will feel as if you were left hanging. All in all it was a good book and a quick read. I am sure there are other books out there that are much more in depth than this one.
September 6, 2011
I first want to say thank you to the publisher for the copy I received in a goodreads giveaway. I have always had a huge fascination with the mafia life, especially Al Capone. This was a very nice, brief summary of the life of Al Capone. For someone who isn't already familiar with the man and his life, this book may not be in depth enough to cover your interest. However, if you are just looking for a brief summary or something to round out your reading on Al Capone, this is an excellent book. The author also references several books that he used as sources for his story, which also look like excellent reads.
July 15, 2011
I received this book through GR First Reads.
At first, this brief book read a bit like the biographical reports my students wrote in composition classes. But it picked up speed, and I was soon hooked on finding out the details it contained about Capone's life, from its humble beginnings to its ignominious end. It's not eloquent or masterfully constructed, but for someone who wants to learn more about the famous mobster, it offers a broad overview and some interesting details. I would definitely read more of Hendley's condensed biographies.
At first, this brief book read a bit like the biographical reports my students wrote in composition classes. But it picked up speed, and I was soon hooked on finding out the details it contained about Capone's life, from its humble beginnings to its ignominious end. It's not eloquent or masterfully constructed, but for someone who wants to learn more about the famous mobster, it offers a broad overview and some interesting details. I would definitely read more of Hendley's condensed biographies.
July 10, 2011
This was a first reads giveway. I appreciate Five Rivers Chapmanry and Nate Hendley the opportunity to read this. Although I am not clear on the shortness nor the compelling reason why Henley wrote this story, I found the pace and prose well done. I am more interested in this time period of prohibition as well as the depression (although Capone's heyday was before the stock market collapse of 1929) and as a result will delve more deeply into this subject matter. I will be reading Public Enemies and The Forgotten Man at some point in the near future.
July 28, 2011
"AL CAPONE" BY NATE HENDLEY
I have always been somewhat fascinated by the mob life. This book read as a documentary in part and was extremely informative. I have always heard about Al Capone and read other historical articles about him but this book went above and beyond.
It was fluidly written and a quick and easy read. Anyone interested in learning more about the infamous Al Capone should definitely pick up this book!
-Kitty Bullard / Great Minds Think Aloud Book Club
Read more: http://www.greatmindsthinkaloud.probo...
I have always been somewhat fascinated by the mob life. This book read as a documentary in part and was extremely informative. I have always heard about Al Capone and read other historical articles about him but this book went above and beyond.
It was fluidly written and a quick and easy read. Anyone interested in learning more about the infamous Al Capone should definitely pick up this book!
-Kitty Bullard / Great Minds Think Aloud Book Club
Read more: http://www.greatmindsthinkaloud.probo...
September 23, 2010
This book was a very quick read and I liked the fact that there was a lot of information in there that I had no idea about Al Capone. The author certainly did his homework in the history of Al Capone and growing up in Brooklyn, his rise to a mobster in Chicago, and his troubles with Elliot Ness. It blew me away that Capone suffered from Syphilis and this is essentially what killed him. I won this book thru Library Thing.
November 15, 2011
A great incite into the world of American gangsters. Nate Hendley does an excellent job of giving light background into the life of AL Capone. For someone who has an interest in early American mobsters this book is an excellent start. It is an easy read and gives a great deal of information about Capone's struggles both personally and financially.
a goodreads giveaway
a goodreads giveaway
September 8, 2010
While I found the information within this book interesting, the writing, for me, was dry and somewhat dull. The book reads like a factual timeline, stating only the facts without any insight or life to the words. I felt like I was reading a long newspaper article.
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September 7, 2010I found it very interesting to learn about Al Capone. I live in Chicago and barely knew anything about the man. The timeline and the different characters were hard to follow but I guess that is the life of a notorious mobster.
June 16, 2011
I really enjoyed this book! I normally do not read biographies, but the cover got my attention plus my interest in mobsters. I plan on using this book for a speech in a few weeks for my college Speech class. Very well written! I look forward to reading Hendley's biography on Bonnie & Clyde.
July 13, 2011
GOODREADS GIVEAWAY!!!!!
Mr. Al Capone.
Never really researched much into this guy, only had to learn about him in school. So I never thought I would get to know about his life through leisurely reading.
I don't know that everything there is factual, but then again, I didn't know much about him.
Mr. Al Capone.
Never really researched much into this guy, only had to learn about him in school. So I never thought I would get to know about his life through leisurely reading.
I don't know that everything there is factual, but then again, I didn't know much about him.
October 5, 2010
I won this in the book giveaway on Goodreads. It was an interesting history on Al Capone.
Thanks, Mr Hendley for a nicely done bio.
Thanks, Mr Hendley for a nicely done bio.
May 11, 2012
An interesting and concise look into the life of one of Chicago's most notorious criminals.
I have received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads
I have received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads
November 7, 2011
received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads
Currently reading
July 23, 2012 How do you read these books on here?
August 16, 2011
seemed elementary but informative
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews