Capone - by Laurence Bergreen (Paperback)

About the Book

Al Capone reached a pinnacle of celebrity that modern-day upstarts like John Gotti can only dream about. Going behind the myths and movie portrayals, Bergreen introduces Capone as he really was--a cold-blooded killer who saw himself as a modern-day Robin Hood. Bergreen creates an unequaled portrait of prohibition-era America. Includes 16-page photo insert.

Book Synopsis

In this brilliant history of Prohibition and its most notorious gangster, acclaimed biographer Laurence Bergreen takes us to the gritty streets of Chicago where Al Capone forged his sinister empire.

Bergreen shows the seedy and glamorous sides of the age, the rise of Prohibition, the illicit liquor trade, the battlefield that was Chicago. Delving beyond the Capone mythology. Bergreen finds a paradox: a coldblooded killer, thief, pimp, and racketeer who was also a devoted son and father; a self-styled Robin Hood who rose to the top of organized crime. Capone is a masterful portrait of an extraordinary time and of the one man who reigned supreme over it all, Al Capone.

Review Quotes

Joseph Wambaugh An incredible slice of American history. Capone is not only fascinating, it's great fun to read.

Nelson DeMille author of The General's Daughter Laurence Bergreen does a remarkable job of boring through the legends, the myths, and the misinformation, to reveal the true man. Capone: The Man and the Era is just that: an incredibly engaging look at the actual Capone, presented within a rich and evocative setting of time and place. Well written, well researched, surprising, and totally entertaining.

Peter Maas author of Manhunt This is rich American history. There was only one Al Capone, and he and his times are brought to life in definitive and engrossing detail.

Richard Gid Powers The Washington Post Book World Laurence Bergreen's beautifully crafted biography of Capone transcends the true-crime genre to become a masterful study of a major figure in American history....This is a great story with all the trimmings.

Vincent Patrick The New York Times Book Review Certainly the definitive biography....Mr. Bergreen has written a book objective and rigorous enough to meet scholarly standards, yet colorful enough to engross the general reader.

About the Author

Laurence Bergreen is the author of two previous biographies, "James Agee" and "As Thousands Cheer: The Life of Irving Berlin." He lives in New York City.