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: #404700 in Books
• Published on: 2005-02-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 400 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 In 1989, Playboy contributing editor Helmer met Girardin and together they reworked the unpublished biography, until Girardin died in 1990.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

The Truth About Dillinger
Contrary to what one anonymous reviewer from Indianapolis, who obviously did not read the book, has written, there are no invented stories in this book. None of the facts have been changed except for revision of erroneous old popular legends. What's more, the book was not written by "I.U. Profs." I know because I helped with the research. Unlike the speculative fiction of Jay Robert Nash, this is about as close to the truth on Dillinger as we're ever likely to get.

The Original Public Enemy #1
The bank robbing spree of John Dilliniger is the work of legends. Never has a single criminal been so intensely targeted by the government. Amid the corruption of Northwest Indiana that allowed Dillinger to break free from jail and prosper, many stories were created. G. Russel Girardin and William J. Helmer attempt to sort the facts in "Dillinger".

The stories of Dillinger are told chronologically based on the facts known at the time Girardin wrote his manuscript. His storytelling is reasonably accurate and entertaining. It follows Dillinger from his youth to the dissolution of his gang after his death. The one objection I have with this book is Helmer's addition. Rather than add new information to Girardin original manuscript, Helmer chooses to tack on additional information at the end of the book in the form of end notes. Obviously, the flow of the reader's continuity is interupted.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to those who are interested in Dillinger. The world may never know the whole truth, but the most accepted version of the truth is here.

Classic Dillinger
Newly revised and expanded Giradin-Helmer classic, skillfully edited with the assistance of premier crime historian, Rick Mattix..A well-crafted telling of the life and crimes of America's most notorious criminal icon. Cram-packed with new information (40 pages) and told directly from the mouths of the outlaw's family, lawyer, and associates. This fast-paced and entertaining book truly represents the holy grail for Dillinger aficionados."