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 In 1989, Playboy contributing editor Helmer met Girardin and together they reworked the unpublished biography, until Girardin died in 1990.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.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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., DavisCopyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
