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harvchick's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
afaithu's review against another edition
3.0
This biography was rather interesting and offered a seemingly unbiased perspective on the life of Al Capone. I truly appreciated how the narrator attempted to remain separate from the issues and took each legend into consideration, whether they were likely to have occurred or not.
seppe2002's review against another edition
4.0
Goed boek, het vertelt je veel over het persoonlijk leven van Al Capone en de familie dynamiek.
curiousreader's review
2.0
The low rating has more to do with my personal taste (and interest) than the book's quality, I think it's well worth reading if the subject matter interests you.
I was looking for an audiobook to listen to while I was knitting, and stumbled upon this book on my library's overdrive, decided to listen to the sample - was immediately hooked, and just went along. I really like the audio format for nonfiction, and I think the narrator - Rob Shapiro, did a wonderful job, especially impressive with the Italian pronunciation that's one of those things that could've really annoyed me had it been done badly.
As for the actual book, it follows Al Capone's life from birth - his starting point, family life, academic history and then onto his work in all its forms - later delving into his downfall, the trials for his crimes, and later his sick days until his death and slightly onwards. I knew little of Capone before this point so there were a lot of little things I found fascinating, like I could suddenly see so many references in popular culture that has originated in his story, from the 'idea' of a 1920s gangster and big-wig, to his nickname Scarface, there were a lot of things about him that seems to have stuck to popular culture and history in lasting ways.
Stories of young men and women starting up in 1920s New York isn't exactly a story that hasn't been told, even less so if we lose the time point - New York struggle stories feel like a big chunk of current publishing as well. But one thing I enjoyed about Capone's story was that we get that story from a different perspective, from someone who came from not only a lower class in the city ranks but also from an immigrant's background, with his Italian heritage there were more things than class he had to overcome to reach the point he later did. Even after becoming a rich man, "sponsoring" so many men and women around, he never really reached a place of respect from his peers - he was still the person he was born as, to some of them. I liked seeing an exploration of the culture clashes between Italian and American cultures at this time, especially in values - how for example, Al's mother and sister had such differing ways of life and world-views than his wife, May.
Another aspect to do with culture that I enjoyed was the sort of discussion on or portrayal of the dichotomous ways women are thought of, or were thought of, in the Italian side of things. There's talk of the "madonna", for instance, the matriarch - the wife and mother of the family who gain respect and holds a great deal of control in the household. On the other hand there's women outside of the family who "should bend to men's rule" so to speak. These contrasting sides to the understanding of women within the Italian culture, and American too surely, but also just showing the contrasting sides of Capone himself - respecting women, and at the same time having zero respect for some chosen women. Being loving and caring towards his family and his fellow men, on the other hand being capable of cold murder.
It's really the contrasts and conflicts of all parts of Capone's life - the cultural differences, the lifestyles, his behaviour, etc. - that fascinates the author of this biography and it makes for some interesting reading. On the other hand it's not perfect, there are some questionable ways in which some of the women in Capone's life are described, in vaguer words than the men in the same stories. But what lessened my enjoyment mostly was the focus on the specifics of his businesses and crimes, the entire legal procedures in taking down Capone - the trials especially, these things just didn't interest me. Which doesn't come as a surprise since one of my least favourite topics is economy, law too in it's dry detail isn't much further from the top.
The book's last part, after Capone's release from prison when he is sick - and his last years, is another part I found especially interesting - the medical side of things, how syphilis affected both Capone as a person, his life, and also the people around him, how this disease changed things and how, I found surprisingly fascinating and leads me to believe I should really look up more medical science nonfiction. It's not at all dealt with in a, how to put it, manipulative way - to make it seem as if the things Capone has done is all well and done, since he fell ill, or the other way around - that he got what he deserved. The book feels on the whole very well-balanced between the good and bad, the critical eye is equally directed towards Capone and to the other people involved in the whole deal, which I really appreciated.
I was looking for an audiobook to listen to while I was knitting, and stumbled upon this book on my library's overdrive, decided to listen to the sample - was immediately hooked, and just went along. I really like the audio format for nonfiction, and I think the narrator - Rob Shapiro, did a wonderful job, especially impressive with the Italian pronunciation that's one of those things that could've really annoyed me had it been done badly.
As for the actual book, it follows Al Capone's life from birth - his starting point, family life, academic history and then onto his work in all its forms - later delving into his downfall, the trials for his crimes, and later his sick days until his death and slightly onwards. I knew little of Capone before this point so there were a lot of little things I found fascinating, like I could suddenly see so many references in popular culture that has originated in his story, from the 'idea' of a 1920s gangster and big-wig, to his nickname Scarface, there were a lot of things about him that seems to have stuck to popular culture and history in lasting ways.
Stories of young men and women starting up in 1920s New York isn't exactly a story that hasn't been told, even less so if we lose the time point - New York struggle stories feel like a big chunk of current publishing as well. But one thing I enjoyed about Capone's story was that we get that story from a different perspective, from someone who came from not only a lower class in the city ranks but also from an immigrant's background, with his Italian heritage there were more things than class he had to overcome to reach the point he later did. Even after becoming a rich man, "sponsoring" so many men and women around, he never really reached a place of respect from his peers - he was still the person he was born as, to some of them. I liked seeing an exploration of the culture clashes between Italian and American cultures at this time, especially in values - how for example, Al's mother and sister had such differing ways of life and world-views than his wife, May.
Another aspect to do with culture that I enjoyed was the sort of discussion on or portrayal of the dichotomous ways women are thought of, or were thought of, in the Italian side of things. There's talk of the "madonna", for instance, the matriarch - the wife and mother of the family who gain respect and holds a great deal of control in the household. On the other hand there's women outside of the family who "should bend to men's rule" so to speak. These contrasting sides to the understanding of women within the Italian culture, and American too surely, but also just showing the contrasting sides of Capone himself - respecting women, and at the same time having zero respect for some chosen women. Being loving and caring towards his family and his fellow men, on the other hand being capable of cold murder.
It's really the contrasts and conflicts of all parts of Capone's life - the cultural differences, the lifestyles, his behaviour, etc. - that fascinates the author of this biography and it makes for some interesting reading. On the other hand it's not perfect, there are some questionable ways in which some of the women in Capone's life are described, in vaguer words than the men in the same stories. But what lessened my enjoyment mostly was the focus on the specifics of his businesses and crimes, the entire legal procedures in taking down Capone - the trials especially, these things just didn't interest me. Which doesn't come as a surprise since one of my least favourite topics is economy, law too in it's dry detail isn't much further from the top.
The book's last part, after Capone's release from prison when he is sick - and his last years, is another part I found especially interesting - the medical side of things, how syphilis affected both Capone as a person, his life, and also the people around him, how this disease changed things and how, I found surprisingly fascinating and leads me to believe I should really look up more medical science nonfiction. It's not at all dealt with in a, how to put it, manipulative way - to make it seem as if the things Capone has done is all well and done, since he fell ill, or the other way around - that he got what he deserved. The book feels on the whole very well-balanced between the good and bad, the critical eye is equally directed towards Capone and to the other people involved in the whole deal, which I really appreciated.
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