A review by outsmartyourshelf
Go Down Together: The True, Untold Story of Bonnie and Clyde by Jeff Guinn
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
In this book, author Jeff Guinn, looks at the truth behind the headlines & the folk-myths about the notorious couple. Bonnie & Clyde - as usual the reality fails to live up to the 'glamorous' hype. They were certainly not master criminals, nearly everything they tried was either bungled or foiled due to bad luck & timing. Alongside a jail break (that Clyde got the credit for but didn't actually plan) & several bank hold-ups, most of their crimes were small-time robberies of stores & gas stations. Money hauls were usually small-time allowing them to live day to day, but no massive paydays.
The author does a good job of humanising the two without glamorising what they actually did. Lest we forget, the Barrow gang killed their fair share of people, but we can also see that Bonnie & Clyde did love each other & their families. I found this an informative & interesting read, & the author obviously did a lot of research judging by the copious notes & bibliography, but I was a little disappointed that apart from the cover, none of the photographs of the two found following a botched raid on the apartment they were staying in were reproduced. They are available online but it felt like an odd omission for a work that covered everything else in detail. Overall, great research & well-written.
The author does a good job of humanising the two without glamorising what they actually did. Lest we forget, the Barrow gang killed their fair share of people, but we can also see that Bonnie & Clyde did love each other & their families. I found this an informative & interesting read, & the author obviously did a lot of research judging by the copious notes & bibliography, but I was a little disappointed that apart from the cover, none of the photographs of the two found following a botched raid on the apartment they were staying in were reproduced. They are available online but it felt like an odd omission for a work that covered everything else in detail. Overall, great research & well-written.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Gun violence, and Death
Moderate: Sexual assault