The Life and Death of Pretty Boy Floyd

by Jeffery S King

Charles Arthur Floyd, better known as Pretty Boy Floyd (1904–1934), was one of the last of the so-called Robin Hood outlaws in the tradition of Jesse James, Billy the Kid, and John Dillinger. He engaged in numerous bank-robbing exploits across the Midwest until federal agents and local police shot him down near East Liverpool, Ohio, on October 22, 1934―a feat which helped build the image of the modern FBI. This detailed account of his life, crimes, and death makes extensive use of FBI reports, government records, local newspapers, and contemporary journalistic accounts. Neither highly intelligent nor polished, Floyd relied on his cool demeanor, shrewd cunning, and expert gun-handling ability, but he was also considered by those who knew him to be generous and honest. During the depression, many people saw banks as enemies and Floyd as a hero, and helped screen him from the police. Once he left a large contribution at an Oklahoma church–and no one reported his visit. He was known to drop in at country dances, dance with the prettiest girls, and pay the fiddler well. One story claims that he kept a rural school in fuel one winter. He attended church regularly, even during intense manhunts, and visited his father’s grave each Memorial Day, despite the risk of capture. In this biography, Jeffery S. King addresses many of the questions still surrounding Floyd, such as whether he had contact with other notorious outlaws of the period, including Dillinger, Alvin Karpis, and Bonnie and Clyde, and whether he was executed by the FBI. He also links Floyd to the infamous Kansas City Massacre. Particularly notable are King’s assessments of the effectiveness of the FBI and of J. Edgar Hoover’s talent for self promotion. Jeffery S. King is a freelance writer and retired reference librarian. His articles have appeared in Lincoln Herald, Sepia, and Utah Historical Quarterly.

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

272 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1998

Reviews

[Evan · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first the writing style seemed stilted, as it just relayed the facts and didn't do too much regarding transitional sentences. However, it grew on me and the hard and quick facts was an exciting method to convey Floyd's rampant bank robbery period. There were a few moments when dates and people confusingly overlapped (like Pulp Fiction, where someone who was dead was suddenly mentioned again as being involved in a crime). Overall I thought the book did a fine job trying to remain neutral in whether or not Floyd was a hero or villain by simply sticking to the available facts.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this to learn more about Pretty Boy Floyd. It is a thorough account, but if you'r not into details it can become cumbersome. Dates and places skip around a lot. The two main things I came away with are that the FBI gained prominence through this manhunt, and that there probably is not any completely accurate account of Floyd's life and death.

[David Grassé · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great biography of the legendary outlaw and social bandit. Pulls no punches.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a highly detailed and apparently exceptionally well researched biography of Chas Floyd, development of state and local policing, the early days of the FBI and J Edgar Hoover's early self-aggrandizement. Beginning with Chas's early days and family life, and progressing through his first prison sentence and how it affected his life, with very detailed reports involving his criminal career and demise. The material seems to have been gathered through police reports and an impressive amount of newspaper accounts and family interviews from that time period. It is presented in a very literary manner and woven together seamlessly.
Considering the publisher, one wonders if this is also a required text for CJ majors. If so, the chosen narrator is one who usually does very well in using a cadence well suited to note taking, and it is a good fit. Considering all of the quotations amassed, it is pleasant to have a narrator who is able to utilize character voices so well. I feel that the narrator was able to transform a routine assignment into a rather pleasant read.

[David Orphal · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I would have given the paperback version of this book 3 stars, I bought the audible version and the lackluster performance dropped my rating.

Jack Chekijan reads the story like he had a sleeping pill the night before and had just woken up. It's like a slightly slowed William Shatner. While well-reseached, King only does a passing-good job of delivering the story of Floyd's exploits and completely loses any potential drama. It's pretty mind boggling that a book about gangsters, bank robberies, high-topped get-a-ways, an shootouts can be boring.

King writes a decent history. I may have been more impressed with the book had I not been spoiled by Eric Larson's Thunderstruck, Dead Wake, and Devil in the White City. Maybe I'm being to hard on King, but there it is. The bar is raised for narrative history writing.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this audio book in exchange for a honest and unbiased review. This book is about the life and the death of Pretty Boy Floyd aka Charles Arthur Floyd. He was only alive for 30 years (1904 - 1934) yet he dd enough crime damage to go down in history as one of America's bad boys bank robber outlaws. This book is a detailed informative book about his comings and goings and how the FBI tracked him down.

The author, Jeffery S King did a good job in his research of Pretty Boy Floyd and wrote this book in a way to hold my interest throughout the book. The things he got away with was just amazing, along with his escapes. The narrator, Jack Chekijian delivers another flawless read to us. Mr Chekijian has a smooth voice that is easy on the ears and enjoyable to listen to. Great job guys!

[Cherie Waggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about an Oklahoma farm boy who grew up to become the notorious gangster of the 1930s, Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd. A friend of ours gave us this book that he had picked up at a yard sale, not knowing that Floyd was in our family history. Not a relative, but Great-Granddaddy Jack Kennedy, my mother's Granddaddy, had two photographs that he left to one of his sons, Jack Kennedy, showing Granddaddy, Uncle Jack's mother, and Uncle Jack (as a small boy) standing in front of their gate with Pretty Boy Floyd. Granddaddy knew Floyd, as did many other "hill" people in the Oklahoma hills at that time. Uncle Jack also showed us a photograph taken at Granddaddy's bar with Floyd, Frank James, Butch Cassidy, and one of the Barker boys (I think) sitting at a table playing poker.

[Rex · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this book started as an awesome and informative book. But sadly it became quite boring, and I found it hard to continue listening to the audible edition that last for a little more than 8 hours. I made it trough the entire book, and at the end it gets a bit interesting again, but sadly not enough for me to rate it higher

[Cary Lackey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fairly quick read on the short life and death of one of the last of the 30s era gangsters, Charles Arthur "Pretty Boy" Floyd. The book is very straightforward and well referenced. Would recommend.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even today, Charley Floyd's legend as the Okie Robin Hood still intrigues. King authored his entry in the Pretty Boy library in 1998, but it still reads well as writers and scholars likely won't discover any more primary sources on the outlaw.