Product Description

Written in the 1930s but first published in 1994, Dillinger: The Untold Story is a remarkable contemporary account of John Dillinger's life and crimes. Packed with illustrations and new information from FBI files and other sources, it is an authentic slice of American history and a feast for true crime buffs. The new paperback edition adds still more information about Dillinger and his era.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #175127 in Books
• Published on: 2005-03
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 377 pages

From Publishers Weekly
This is one of the most unusual books in the annals of modern true-crime writing, for the bulk of the text was written 60 years ago and never before published. In 1933, Girardin, a Chicago ad man, persuaded Louis Piquett, who had served as John Dillinger's lawyer, to collaborate on a series of newspaper articles, which were syndicated in the Hearst newspapers, and on a book-length biography of Dillinger, who was gunned down by the police in Chicago in 1934 at the age of 31. In 1989, Playboy contributing editor Helmer met Girardin and together they reworked the unpublished biography, until Girardin died in 1990. Helmer has been faithful to the florid style of the original, which retains much of the spirit of the Depression era, when many regarded bankers as evil and bank robbers were celebrated in the media. Piquette and Girardin contend that a number of Dillinger's robberies were prearranged with the banks. Helmer's copious and informative notes reflect his further research, based on sources not available to Girardin. The book constitutes a significant addition to Americana. Photos not seen by PW .
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
John Dillinger, Indiana's most infamous criminal, was gunned down by police in Chicago in 1934. His brief but violent bank-robbing and jail-breaking spree captured headlines and enhanced the FBI's crime-fighting image. By chance, Helmer, an editor at Playboy magazine and a crime buff, discovered Girardin's contemporary manuscript, an expansion of articles he sold to the Hearst press during the 1930s. It was based on interviews with Dillinger's lawyer, himself convicted in the case and thus a shaky source. Whatever its degree of accuracy, the mass of detail, largely favorable to Dillinger, is likely to benumb the general reader. The book does capture the flavor of the 1930s, and Helmer's extensive commentary and notes will appeal to those with a special interest in the subject.
Gregor A. Preston, Univ. of California Lib., Davis
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
It will be 60 years since John Dillinger, labeled "Public Enemy Number One," was gunned down by federal and local agents after being pointed out by the misnamed "woman in red" outside the Biograph Theatre in Chicago on July 22, 1934. For those familiar with the Dillinger saga and those who aren't, this book brings new light to the outlaw's story from two men who knew him best during the critical last few months, defense attorney Louis Piquett and legal investigator Arthur O'Leary. Each befriended Dillinger shortly before the bandit broke out of a Crown Point, Indiana, jail with a handmade wooden gun and escaped in a stolen car across the Indiana-Illinois border, thus bringing the FBI into the case. The contrasts between crooks and good guys alike are fascinating: the amiable, devil-may-care Dillinger offsets his tougher, more volatile confederates Homer Van Meter and "Baby Face" Nelson, both of whom also meet violent ends; and the hardworking, honest G-man, Melvin Purvis, clashes constantly with the fledgling FBI's power-hungry director, J. Edgar Hoover. Joe Collins

Customer Reviews

Midwestern Must Read
This is Dillinger, from early childhood through his notorious days. The book captures everything you'd expect from a biography and gives the gangster enthusiasts enough mouth-watering drama. I love the timelines! Being from the midwest, I recognized many of the towns he targeted so this is a must read for fellow midwesterners and highly recommended for everyone else!

The Real Deal on John Dillinger
In my opinion, one of the best and most underrated books written to date about John Dillinger. I picked up a copy by chance several years ago, not expecting much, and was soon totally engrossed. I feel that most of the contents are accurate (and certainly never before revealed in any published accounts I ever read) and I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the Dillinger saga.

Lets remember, the guy was a criminal
The authors seem to have forgotten the basics behind Dillinger, the guy was a cold blooded killer and thief...okay granted, a colorful and charming killer and thief, but a lowlife just the same. Instead, what we seem to get a glowing reivew of Dillingers life in crime, killing innocent cops who were doing their jobs and taking hard earned cash away from people who worked long and hard to make it and save it....in the depression.