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Brutal: The Untold Story of My Life Inside Whitey Bulger's Irish Mob
By Kevin Weeks, Phyllis Karas. 2006
I grew up in the Old Colony housing project in South Boston and became partners with James "Whitey" Bulger, who…
I always called Jimmy.Jimmy and I, we were unstoppable. We took what we wanted. And we made people disappear—permanently. We made millions. And if someone ratted us out, we killed him. We were not nice guys.I found out that Jimmy had been an FBI informant in 1999, and my life was never the same. When the feds finally got me, I was faced with something Jimmy would have killed me for—cooperating with the authorities. I pled guilty to twenty-nine counts, including five murders. I went away for five and a half years.I was brutally honest on the witness stand, and this book is brutally honest, too; the brutal truth that was never before told. How could it? Only three people could tell the true story. With one on the run and one in jail for life, it falls on me.Redbone: The Millionaire and the Gold Digger
By Ron Stodghill. 2007
Lance Herndon was at the top of his game in 1996. At age forty-one he was a self-made millionaire, the…
owner of Access, Inc., a successful information-systems consulting company. As a prominent member of Atlanta's young, wealthy, and powerful set, he was surrounded by black Atlanta's "beautiful people." But when he failed to show up for work one day, friends and family started to worry. Their worry soon turned to horror when he was found murdered in his own home, his head smashed in—in what appeared to be either an act of jealousy-fueled rage or a seedier sex crime. With a laundry list of ex-wives and lovers, competitors, critics, and admirers in hand, detectives had to break through the city's upper crust to discover his killer. Journalist Ron Stodghill tells the riveting, true story of this investigation.Part investigative thriller, part sociological commentary, Redbone offers a truly intriguing story that channels insight into one of America's great metropolises.My War Criminal: Personal Encounters with an Architect of Genocide
By Jessica Stern. 2020
An investigation into the nature of violence, terror, and trauma through conversations with a notorious war criminal by Jessica Stern,…
one of the world's foremost experts on terrorism.Between October 2014 and November 2016, global terrorism expert Jessica Stern held a series of conversations in a prison cell in The Hague with Radovan Karadzic, a Bosnian Serb former politician who had been indicted for genocide and other war crimes during the Bosnian War and who became an inspiration for white nationalists. Though Stern was used to interviewing terrorists in the field in an effort to understand their hidden motives, the conversations she had with Karadzic would profoundly alter her understanding of the mechanics of fear, the motivations of violence, and the psychology of those who perpetrate mass atrocities at a state level and who—like the terrorists she had previously studied—target noncombatants, in violation of ethical norms and international law.How do leaders persuade ordinary people to kill their neighbors? What is the “ecosystem” that creates and nurtures genocidal leaders? Could anything about their personal histories, personalities, or exposure to historical trauma shed light on the formation of a war criminal’s identity in opposition to a targeted Other?In My War Criminal, Jessica Stern brings to bear her incisive analysis and her own deeply considered reactions to her interactions with Karadzic, a brilliant and often shockingly charming psychiatrist and poet who spent twelve years in hiding, disguising himself as an energy healer, while also offering a deeply insightful and sometimes chilling account of the complex and even seductive powers of a magnetic leader—and what can happen when you spend many, many hours with that person.Black and Blue: One Woman's Story of Policing and Prejudice
By Parm Sandhu. 2021
At the point of her retirement from the Metropolitan Police Service in 2019, Parm Sandhu was the most senior Asian…
woman in London's police force. She was also the only non-white female to have been promoted through the ranks from constable to chief superintendent in the Met's entire history.In this enthralling memoir, Parm chronicles her journey from life on the outskirts of Birmingham as the fourth child of immigrants from the Punjab to the upper echelons of the Met. Forced into an abusive arranged marriage aged just 16, Parm made the decision to escape to London with her newborn son and later joined the police as a constable.During her thirty-year career, Parm worked in everything from crime prevention to counter-terrorism, and she also served in the Met's police corruption unit. She played a senior organizing role in the London Olympics and was the superintendent on duty when Lee Rigby was beheaded in the street in Greenwich.However, Parm's time on the force was marked throughout with incidents of racial and gender discrimination, and, after deciding to make a stand, she found herself facing a spurious charge of gross misconduct. Black and Blue tells her shocking story and of her quest for justice in her police work and for herself. It is a story that cannot fail to inspire anyone who has experienced prejudice or abuse of any kind.Hunting El Chapo: The Inside Story of the American Lawman Who Captured the World's Most-Wanted Drug Lord
By Andrew Hogan, Douglas Century. 2018
A blend of Manhunt, Killing Pablo, and Zero Dark Thirty, Andrew Hogan and Douglas Century’s sensational investigative high-tech thriller—soon to…
be a major motion picture from Sony—chronicles a riveting chapter in the twentieth-century drug wars: the exclusive inside story of the American lawman and his dangerous eight-year hunt that captured El Chapo—the world’s most wanted drug kingpin who evaded the law for more than a decade.Every generation has a larger-than-life criminal: Jesse James, Billy the Kid, John Dillinger, Al Capone, John Gotti, Pablo Escobar. But each of these notorious lawbreakers had a "white hat" in pursuit: Wyatt Earp, Pat Garrett, Eliot Ness, Steve Murphy. For notorious drug lord Joaquín Archivaldo Guzmán-Loera—El Chapo—that lawman is former Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Andrew Hogan. In 2006, fresh out of the D.E.A. Academy, Hogan heads west to Arizona where he immediately plunges into a series of gripping undercover adventures, all unknowingly placing him on the trail of Guzmán, the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, a Forbes billionaire and Public Enemy No. 1 in the United States. Six years later, as head of the D.E.A.’s Sinaloa Cartel desk in Mexico City, Hogan finds his life and Chapo’s are ironically, on parallel paths: they’re both obsessed with the details.In a recasting of the classic American Western on the global stage, Hunting El Chapo takes us on Hogan’s quest to achieve the seemingly impossible, from infiltrating El Chapo’s inner circle to leading a white-knuckle manhunt with an elite brigade of trusted Mexican Marines—racing door-to-door through the cartel’s stronghold and ultimately bringing the elusive and murderous king-pin to justice. This cinematic crime story following the relentless investigative work of Hogan and his team unfolds at breakneck speed, taking the reader behind the scenes of one of the most sophisticated and dangerous counter-narcotics operations in the history of the United States and Mexico.Gaspipe: Confessions of a Mafia Boss
By Philip Carlo. 2008
The boss of New York's infamous Lucchese crime family, Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso's life in the Mafia was preordained from birth.…
His rare talent for "earning"—concocting ingenious schemes to hijack trucks, rob banks, and bring vast quantities of drugs into New York—fueled his unstoppable rise up the ladder of organized crime. A mafioso responsible for at least fifty murders, Casso lived large, with a beautiful wife and money to burn. When the law finally caught up with him in 1994, Casso became the thing he hated most—an informer.From his blood feud with John Gotti to his dealings with the "Mafia cops," decorated NYPD officers Lou Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa, to the Windows case, which marked the beginning of the end for the New York Mob, Gaspipe is Anthony Casso's shocking story—a roller-coaster ride into an exclusive netherworld that reveals the true inner workings of the Mafia, from its inception to the present time.The Fence: A Police Cover-up Along Boston's Racial Divide
By Dick Lehr. 2009
“A monumental account of an urban travesty….[It] has all the earmarks of a classic.”—Dennis Lehane, New York Times bestselling author…
of Mystic River and Shutter IslandDick Lehr’s The Fence, subtitled, “A Police Cover-up Along Boston’s Racial Divide,” is a shocking true story of racism, brutality, official lies and negligence, when the truth about the savage beating of black plainclothes policeman by white officers was hidden behind a “blue wall of silence.” Respected journalist Lehr, winner of the Hancock Award, the Loeb Award, finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, and bestselling author of Black Mass and Judgment Ridge, sheds a brilliant light on all aspects of this powerful, disturbing event and its aftermath.Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling
By Jason De León. 2024
&“A work of extraordinary reportage and compassion...[it] will shock you, move you, and leave you changed.&”—Matthew Desmond, Pulitzer Prize-winning and…
New York Times bestselling author of Evicted and Poverty, by America&“An enlightening, frightening, unforgettable read.&”—Sandra Cisneros, bestselling author of The House on Mango StreetAn intense, intimate and first-of-its-kind look at the world of human smuggling in Latin America, by a MacArthur "genius" grant winner and anthropologist with unprecedented accessPolitical instability, poverty, climate change, and the insatiable appetite for cheap labor all fuel clandestine movement across borders. As those borders harden, the demand for smugglers who aid migrants across them increases every year. Yet the real lives and work of smugglers—or coyotes, or guides, as they are often known by the migrants who hire their services—are only ever reported on from a distance, using tired tropes and stereotypes, often depicted as boogie men and violent warlords. In an effort to better understand this essential yet extralegal billion dollar global industry, internationally recognized anthropologist and expert Jason De León embedded with a group of smugglers moving migrants across Mexico over the course of seven years.The result of this unique and extraordinary access is SOLDIERS AND KINGS: the first ever in-depth, character-driven look at human smuggling. It is a heart-wrenching and intimate narrative that revolves around the life and death of one coyote who falls in love and tries to leave smuggling behind. In a powerful, original voice, De León expertly chronicles the lives of low-level foot soldiers breaking into the smuggling game, and morally conflicted gang leaders who oversee rag-tag crews of guides and informants along the migrant trail. SOLDIERS AND KINGS is not only a ground-breaking up-close glimpse of a difficult-to-access world, it is a masterpiece of narrative nonfiction.The Butcher: Anatomy of a Mafia Psychopath
By Philip Carlo. 2009
The New York Times bestselling author of Gaspipe and The Ice Man, Phillip Carlo returns with a hair-raising portrait of…
arguably the most depraved psychopath in the history of the Mafia, mob enforcer Tommy “Karate” Pitera. The Butcher tells the riveting true story of a hit man who loved his work too much—a maniac believed responsible for more than sixty remarkably brutal murders—whom even organized crime’s most cold-blooded assassins feared. Another riveting journey into the darkest corners of the underworld, Carlo’s The Butcher is destined to be a true crime classic alongside Wiseguys by Nicholas Pileggi and Underboss by Peter Maas.Evil Angels: The Case of Lindy Chamberlain
By John Bryson. 1985
The basis for the Meryl Streep film A Cry in the Dark: The dramatic true story of a mother&’s worst…
nightmare and the murder trial that shocked Australia. On a camping trip at Ayer&’s Rock, the Chamberlain family&’s infant daughter disappeared in the middle of the night. Her distraught mother, Lindy, claimed she saw a dingo carry her off into the Australian outback. Two years later, their tragedy worsened when, without a murder weapon, a body, or even a motive, a jury convicted Lindy Chamberlain of killing her own daughter. The public cheered. John Bryson, a trial lawyer and award-winning journalist, deconstructs the factors that led to a seemingly reasonless incarceration and the public attitude that demanded it. With this book, he began to sway popular opinion in the Chamberlains&’ favor by discussing the failures on the part of the police, forensics team, and press. Winner of the CWA Gold Dagger and the inspiration for the film A Cry in the Dark starring Meryl Streep, Evil Angels presents an impartial analysis of the most notorious miscarriage of justice in Australian history. It serves as a reminder of the dangers of blindly searching for a conviction, the importance of scientific accuracy, the volatility of the media, and the ease with which a nation can fall prey to bigoted thinking. Written with literary finesse, this is one of the twentieth century&’s most important—and thoughtful—works of true crime.Cults: The World's Most Notorious Cults (And the People Who Escaped Them)
By Jamie King. 2024
Belief system or brainwashing? Captivated or captive? Community or cult? Uncover stories of the world's most infamous cults in this…
true crime compendium... Filled with stories of notorious cults, this book details their origins, beliefs, leaders, followers and victims, and uncovers the unthinkable horrors hidden by these "utopian" societies.Me, the Mob, and the Music: One Helluva Ride with Tommy James & The Shondells
By Tommy James, Martin Fitzpatrick. 2011
The sensational ’60s music memoir—part rock & roll fairytale, part mob epic—that “reads like a music-industry version of Goodfellas” (The…
Denver Post).Tommy James was the 60’s pop icon behind timeless hits like “Hanky Panky,” “Mony Mony,” “I Think We’re Alone Now,” “Crimson and Clover,” and more. These songs helped define the era, and they have been covered by artists ranging from Billy Idol to Tiffany to R.E.M. But just as compelling as the music itself is the life Tommy James lived while making it.In Me, the Mob, and the Music, James reveals his complex and sometimes terrifying relationship with Roulette Records and Morris Levy, the legendary Godfather of the music business. It is a fascinating portrait of this swaggering era of rock ‘n’ roll, when concerts were wild and the hits kept coming—while, just backstage, payola schemes and mafioso tactics were the norm.The true story of a lawyer’s fight to expose DuPont’s deadly chemical contamination—“For Erin Brockovich fans, a David vs. Goliath…
tale with a twist” (The New York Times Book Review)1998: Attorney Rob Bilott specializes in helping big corporations follow environmental regulations. Then he gets a phone call from a West Virginia farmer who is convinced the creek on his property is being poisoned by the neighboring DuPont landfill, causing his cattle to die in hideous ways. No local lawyer or regulatory agency will take the case. As soon as they hear the name DuPont—the area’s largest employer—they shut him down.Once Rob sees the foamy water that bubbles into the creek, the gruesome effects it seems to have on livestock, and the disturbing frequency of cancer and other health problems in the area, he’s persuaded to fight against the type of corporation he routinely represents. Rob’s dogged legal wrangling reveals how DuPont had hidden decades of studies proving the harmful effects of PFOA, a chemical used in making Teflon. The case of one farmer spawns a class action suit on behalf of seventy thousand residents—and the shocking realization that virtually every person on the planet carries the “forever chemical” PFOA in his or her blood. Exposed is a legal drama “in the grand tradition of Jonathan Harr’s A Civil Action” about malice, manipulation, and one lawyer’s twenty-year struggle to expose the truth (Booklist, starred review).My Right Hand to Goodness: The Life and Times of Crazy Dale Varnam
By Lynn Cook Betz. 2024
Most wonder how Dale Varnam stayed alive. Dale wonders why.Back in the eighties, the quaint fishing village of Varnamtown, North…
Carolina—full of zany Southern characters—got rich, and so did town clown Dale Varnam, who perfected his own brand of crazy. Dale rose to the top of the heap in the drug smuggling biz, helping the town&’s livelihood of shrimping go to pot. Although it&’s not big enough to be on most maps, Varnamtown became the second busiest port of entry for illegal drugs on the Eastern Seaboard. Dale Varnam&’s misfit persona contradicts any preconceived notions of an international drug smuggler. His &“good ol&’ southern redneck persona&” belies his past…and oh, what a past! During the 1980s, Dale Varnam was newspaper fodder. He was depicted as a &“show-off,&” &“hot dog,&” and &“homicidal nut case,&” until &“armed career criminal&” became the headline. The prankster extraordinaire now lives in a junkyard morphing into a grandiose roadside attraction of sorts called Ft. Apache, where a sign reads &“A crazy place blessed by God&’s Grace.&” How did Dale get here from what he was? It took two Dales—not just one. &“New Dale&” dusts off &“Old Dale,&” who danced with the devil for over twenty years. Between the Dales were ten years he considers a &“vacation.&” As an informant, he helped bring more than one hundred and fifty of those involved to grand juries resulting in over eighty indictments. Many in Varnamtown succumbed to smuggling. This story does not leave them out; secrets are replaced by revelations, forgiveness, and healing. Forever changed, these God-fearing southern folks got caught up in crime, then caught, before eventually returning to their lives. The widespread corruption of law enforcement and politicians unfurls its tentacles through Dale&’s tales. From courting Manuel Noriega and Pablo Escobar to selling cocaine to Disney characters, from Playboy Bunnies mowing his yard to jungle labs where preserved tongues rested in jars, jaw-dropping events punctuate Dale&’s story from beginning to end.Big Spring: The Casual Biography of a Prairie Town
By Shine Philips. 2024
Big Spring: The Casual Biography Of A Prairie Town is a non-fiction book written by Philips Shine. The book provides…
a detailed account of the history of a prairie town called Big Spring. The author takes the readers on a journey through time, starting from the early days of the town's establishment to the present day. The book is divided into several chapters, each covering a specific period in the town's history. The author describes the town's growth and development, the challenges it faced, and the people who played a significant role in shaping its destiny. The book also highlights the town's cultural and social aspects, including its festivals, traditions, and customs. The author uses a casual writing style, making the book easy to read and understand. The book is well-researched, and the author provides a wealth of information about the town's history. The book is also accompanied by several photographs, which help to bring the town's history to life. Overall, Big Spring: The Casual Biography Of A Prairie Town is an excellent book for anyone interested in the history of small towns in America. The book provides a fascinating insight into the life of a prairie town and its people, making it a must-read for history enthusiasts.-Print ed.The Frontier Of North West Texas: Advance And Defense By The Pioneer Settlers Of The Cross Timbers And Prairies
By Rupert Norval Richardson. 2024
“This is the account of the settlement of the area from the Red River to the cities of Sherman, Dallas,…
Waco, Brownwood, San Angelo, Abilene, and Wichita Falls, Texas. Although the inclusive dates of the study are 1846 to 1876, there is a brief account of 18th century Spanish and French activity. Most of the book is concerned with the difficulties of pioneer life—hunger and privation, and the ever-present Indian peril. The story is a familiar one in the old Southwest.Author Richardson of Hardin-Simmons University is an experienced writer on the Southwest and the Indian wars, and he was born and raised in the area he describes. The result is an attractive book, not only in content but in format…”—Duke University Historical Review.The Navajo creation myth, called the Diné Bahaneʼ, is one of the greatest stories of the Native American peoples, filled…
with evocative images of nature and wondrous storytelling.Hasteen M. Klah was a Navajo medicine man who grew up among the culture, whereby ceremonial events and sandpainting were a direct expression of the people’s beliefs. Over the course of his life he sought to write down the various myths of his people, plus the ritual events and songs. The greatest challenge Klah faced was relating the entirety of the creation myth - being true and accurate to the Navajo peoples, but understandable to readers unaccustomed to such an immense religion.The reader will find the complexity and intricacy of their spiritual lore rewarding; this book contains not only the full narration of the Diné Bahaneʼ, but also the verses sung by the Navajo during the telling of the story. We hear further parts of the creation myth; stories whereby gigantic beasts lay claim to parts of the world, influencing the ancient Navajo tribe’s affinity with nature and its creatures. Towards the conclusion, Klah includes further songs that celebrate the Earth, or commemorate certain occasions and ceremonies. Lastly, there is a lengthy glossary explaining the many names and terms used in the mythos.Becoming Bulletproof: Protect Yourself, Read People, Influence Situations, and Live Fearlessly
By Evy Poumpouras. 2020
Former Secret Service agent and star of Bravo&’s Spy Games Evy Poumpouras shares lessons learned from protecting presidents, as well…
insights and skills from the oldest and most elite security force in the world to help you prepare for stressful situations, instantly read people, influence how you are perceived, and live a more fearless life.Becoming Bulletproof means transforming yourself into a stronger, more confident, and more powerful person. Evy Poumpouras—former Secret Service agent to three presidents and one of only five women to receive the Medal of Valor—demonstrates how we can overcome our everyday fears, have difficult conversations, know who to trust and who might not have our best interests at heart, influence situations, and prepare for the unexpected. When you have become bulletproof, you are your best, most courageous, and most powerful version of you. Poumpouras shows us that ultimately true strength is found in the mind, not the body. Courage involves facing our fears, but it is also about resilience, grit, and having a built-in BS detector and knowing how to use it. In Becoming Bulletproof, Poumpouras demonstrates how to heighten our natural instincts to employ all these qualities and move from fear to fearlessness.Let the Law Catch Up: Thurgood Marshall in His Own Words
By Cathy Cambron. 2022
A collection of US Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall&’s legal writings spanning his career, including his arguments, opinions, and dissents.…
The US Constitution promised much to Black citizens with its post–Civil War amendments designed to eliminate the stigma of slavery and create equality between all races, but unfortunately it delivered little justice. Thurgood Marshall spent his life working to make the Constitution live up to its promises. In the 1940s and &’50s, Marshall worked as an attorney for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), facing threats and harassment as he argued cases before the Supreme Court. His efforts culminated in the Brown v. Board of Education case, where the Supreme Court&’s ruling outlawed &“separate but equal&” public schools. After serving as a judge for the US Court of Appeals and as the first Black US solicitor general, Marshall became the nation&’s first Black Supreme Court Justice in 1967. Marshall believed the Constitution was a living document and a work in progress, and his career and legacy demonstrate it is indeed just that. Only through struggle, suffering, sacrifice, amendment, argument, and interpretation can the Constitution be made better. Marshall committed decades of his life to this effort, focused on his vision of what America could be. Let the Law Catch Up collects Justice Marshall&’s words from over the course of his career, from his advocacy with the NAACP to his arguments as solicitor general and his Supreme Court opinions and dissents. With introductions providing historical and legal context, this book paints a powerful portrait of a fearless man and his life&’s work.The Way Women Are: Transformative Opinions and Dissents of Justice Ruther Bader Ginsburg
By Cathy Cambron. 2020
A collection of US Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg&’s legal writings spanning her career, featuring her arguments, opinions, and dissents. US…
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg spent her life defying notions about women. She garnered the status of a cultural icon, the &“Notorious RBG.&” Her life story is inspirational, and her work ethic is aspirational. Ginsburg&’s dissents on behalf of liberal values have been lauded. She has been the subject of films and books, and her image has even been featured on everything from T-shirts to scented candles. But what is known about how her viewpoint shaped the development of law in the United States from the 1970s to 2020? The Way Women Are collects a broad range of Justice Ginsburg&’s legal writings, shedding light on who she was and what she contributed to American jurisprudence. The book begins with her arguments before the Supreme Court as a women&’s rights advocate in the 1970s. It proceeds to her opinions and dissents as a member of the Court. The opinions range from United States v. Virginia (1996) to Little Sisters of the Poor (2020)—a case she participated in from her hospital bed. Also included are a brief biography of Ginsburg and introductions to the writings that explain the background, issues, and laws involved in each case. Additionally, the collection includes oral arguments and bench announcements of decisions to make the issues more accessible. Altogether, The Way Women Are sketches an enlightening portrait of an extremely influential American jurist.