First published 2009
Bryan Burrough exposes the real story behind America's first War on Crime. His investigation cuts through decades of FBI propaganda to reveal what actually happened during the most famous crime spree in American history. Between 1933 and 1935, a young J. Edgar Hoover faced off against John Dillinger, Machine Gun Kelly, Bonnie and Clyde, Baby Face Nelson, Pretty Boy Floyd, and the Barker gang. Police couldn't cross state lines. The FBI barely existed. Fast cars and automatic weapons were easy to buy. Bank robbers had every advantage. Burrough draws on newly discovered documents to map the connections between these criminals and their network that ran from Texas to Minnesota. He shows how masterminds, psychopaths, romantics, and fools operated in this underworld. More importantly, he reveals how Hoover used this crime wave to build his own power. The FBI director created a public narrative that would make him untouchable for nearly fifty years.
Genres: 20th-century, crime, non-fiction, american-history
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers
Setting: America, Texas, Minnesota
Period: 1933-1935
Audio CD · Simon & Schuster Audio