Customer Reviews

Machine Gun Kelly's Last Stand

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Having read many books on gangsters you come across some real turkeys but Stanley Hamilton's account of Machine Gun Kelly's crimes was very well written without the usual padding out that some writers tend to use.

It is a very informative account of the kidnapping and aftermath which kept me gripped until the end.

The book's ending was, for once, a surprise and I would recommend this title to readers who like True Crime to be based on facts and not the fiction.

Being a fan of old black and white gangster movies, I jumped at the chance to read this one. Hamiltons book reads like a novel and dispels a number of myths surrounding the kidnapping of oil magnate Charles Urschel, the major players in the crime and J. Edgar Hoovers fledgling FBI. Turns out that the image of Machine Gun Kelly portrayed by the FBI at that time was totally off the mark. And it appears that the brains behind the legend was none other than his wife Kathryn!! You will simply marvel at the story of the victim Charles Urschel and the determined way he approached his predicament. Equally insightful is the story of the FBI and how J. Edgar Hoover manipulated the press in order to prop up his agency. Cannot not say enough good things about this book. Highly enjoyable and highly recommended!!

Stanley Hamilton's account of the Urschel kidnapping is very good in this book. He has some new information on George "Machine Gun" Kelly, which has not be published previously. This book is good reading and should be in your library of crime books. A great job!

Mike Koch, author of "The Kimes Gang."

This is a great introduction to the case that made J. Edgar Hoover's "G-men" (even though, contrary to FBI lore, as Hamilton points out, that nickname wasn't coined by George "Machine Gun" Kelly). While not an actual biography of Kelly--it does provide more background info on him than previous accounts--it is the most detailed account of the Urschel kidnapping to date. Somewhat revisionist and updated to follow the fates of the principals, it is both a great read and an excellent followup to E.E. Kirkpatrick's 1933 inside account "Crimes' Paradise".

The telling of "Machine Gun Kelly's Last Stand" is at once fast-paced, eerie and suspenseful. Stanley Hamilton's eccentric characters are plucked from the pages of history to recreate their nefarious deeds. Truth really is stranger than fiction, and Hamilton fills every keystroke with tension.

Stan Hamilton has written a great narrative history in which there are surprises, odd twists and unexpected heroes. It is a fine well-written book in which neither Kelly nor his foil, J. Edgar Hoover, are the most fascinating charcters' but rather that role is reserved for the smartest of victims, Charles Urchel, and the powerful, conniving Kathryn Kelly. I will not give this one away, but will tell you that this book delivers one first rate couple of evenings of reading which not only tells a strong story but gives an insight into the world of 1933 --gangsters and bootleg gin. You will love this book!!!!

I wrote my masters thesis on the Urschel kidnapping case and spent a year reading thousands of related books, articles, historic documents and public records. Hamilton's book was by far the most exhaustive and most accurate account. The few errors in the book are errors that actually exist in the public record (Kathryn Kelly's eyes were green, not hazel; her middle name was not Mae, and a few other minor facts.)

In addition to being accurate and complete, it was also well-written and interesting to read. It's novel-like qualities included excellent character development and conclusions about each player that helped "close" the story. If you want to know the Machine Gun Kelly story, this is the book to read.

BTW: A few interesting facts were not included in the book, such as: 1)the Urschel kidnapping trials were the first in U.S. history to be recorded on moving camera; 2) the Kelly trials were the ONLY federal criminal trial EVER to have news cameras in the courtroom; and 3)Kelly's accomplices were the first criminal suspects ever transported by airplane.

Author Stanley Hamilton provides the reader with a gripping account of the infamous kidnapping of Oklahoma City businessman Charles Urschel by George "Machine Gun" Kelly and his cohorts. Urschel turned out to be the wrong choice for a victim since he was able to maintain a composed posture and one whose memory for detail enabled the authorities to locate the place he was held in Paradise, Texas. Kelly's wife wanted to have Urschel killed after the ransom was paid, but was overruled by her husband since it was a sure ticket to the electric chair should they be caught.
John Edgar Hoover of the F.B.I. embellished the reputations of depression-era gangsters such as Kelly with descriptive adjectives that didn't necessarily apply to someone such as Kelly in an effort at self- promotion and for the reputation of the organization. The story of Kelly supposedly saying, "Don't shoot G-Men," when he was captured by F.B.I. agents was an embellished story that Hoover enjoyed retelling. The last part of the book is mostly devoted to letters that were sent by Kelly from Alcatraz Prison to Urschel or from others involved in the abduction. Some of the letters were repetitive. Finally, what happened to the principals in the story is provided to close the book. From the beginning of the book through the trials (141 pages) makes this a book that is hard to put down.