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A Knight of Another Sort: Prohibition Days and Charlie Birger, Second Edition (Shawnee Classics) 2nd Edition

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Gary DeNeal (Author)
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Gary DeNeal (Author), Jim Ballowe (Foreword)
4.5 out of 5 stars 15 customer reviews
ISBN-13: 978-0809322176
ISBN-10: 080932217X
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Product Details

  • Series: Shawnee Classics
  • Paperback: 376 pages
  • Publisher: Southern Illinois University Press; 2nd edition (December 10, 1998)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 080932217X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0809322176
  • Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.1 x 9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #522,180 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Top Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsSouthern Illinois' Very Own Gangster
By Rick "Mad Dog" Mattix on December 3, 2004
Format: Paperback
I picked up the original edition of this book years ago. It seemed then to be the definitive biography of Charlie Birger but Gary DeNeal has seen fit to update it and expand it with new info. This is one of the best gangster biographies I've ever seen and the rural background adds to the fascination. The Birger-Shelton gang war, complete with machine guns, armored trucks, and aerial bombing, equalled the violence and color of Capone's Chicago. A well-written and researched work that brings to life the Prohibition era.
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4.0 out of 5 starsGreat Companion to Bloody Williamson
By A Customer on June 14, 2001
Format: Hardcover
If Paul Angle's BLOODY WILLIAMSON got your attention, you might consider DeNeal's portrait of Birger and his violent life as a natural companion piece. His exhaustive examination of the gangster's persona and the spectacle of his death is well-written and enjoyable. For those not so interested in the particulars of Birger's life, this study offers a solid snapshot of southern Illinois culture during the years just before the Depression. Ballowe's smart, albeit brief, introduction is also nicely done.
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4.0 out of 5 starsLocal History can be Interesting
By Movie Buff on October 11, 2004
Format: Paperback
I purchased this book originally while doing family research in Southern Illinois. My family had for years heard stories of my grandfather and Charlie Birger. I wanted to see if any dates/events coincided and to my surprise and relief there were not very many. During the reading of the book, however, I found myself being drawn in and even beginning to become enchanted by Charlie Birger. Don't get me wrong - he was a very dangerous and troubled person - but the writing by Gary DeNeal really drew me in. The history lessons as well as the interesting look at the world of a small time (even though Birger thought he was big-time) gangster was quite interesting. One of the most interesting facets was his association with other local gangsters and the historical look at how East St. Louis, now suffering from urban decay, was once a thriving and beautiful city. This book was a lot of fun and Mr. DeNeal did his research quite well.
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3.0 out of 5 starsGood Clarification of the Topic
By Travis J Smith on October 29, 2002
Format: Paperback
Growing up in southern Illinois, the stomping grounds of Charlie Birger, I always heard the stories of gangsters. For anyone who has lived in southern Illinois, it is hard to imagine gangsters, bootlegging, etc. going on in this rural part of the state. Being curious about what was fact and what was fiction regarding Birger, I found this book.
It is a really good read, covering all aspects of Birger, as well as some background information on southern Illinois and the Prohibition period there. It is especially interesting to read about areas you know really well, and soak in the history that took place there. I would recommend this book to anyone from the southern Illinois area.
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5.0 out of 5 starsThis book is an interesting view of the wild and woolly days when Charlie Birger was loose in S. Illinois
By Mary C. Castle on October 16, 2013
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
If I remember correctly, my mother talked to Gary while he was doing his research for the book.
It is also possible that one great uncle who vanished during those days, may have been at the
hand of Charlie Birger.
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5.0 out of 5 starsmy relative, sort of
By Timothy D. Kelley on April 16, 2014
Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase
I was fascinated by stories of this man as a child. well, moreso of his wife, a moll named beatrice (as I recall).

either way, it was fun getting the low down on this guy. How a man can be so good and so bad at the same time is a mystery.

the book is unremarkable in its professional review of this man's life, but easily readable. Enjoy it.
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3.0 out of 5 starsMy review
By Shirley A. Thomason on February 24, 2011
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
This book is good to read for those individuals that wondered how it was in the "good old days" and especially in southern Illinois. I had no idea it was like this. Having grown up in Springfield Illinois I didn't have a clue, and then to learn that some of my uncles were involved in the killings was a real surprise. My parents kept it a secret and I can understand why. Quite an eye opener, no different than today with gangs.
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4.0 out of 5 starsIt is a good portrait of the extent of crime and corruption generated ...
By Vincent on August 30, 2015
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
The author often gives more than one account of many of the events in this history. It appears to be the result of a lot of research and recollections of people around at the time. The motives of many of the people in the accounts are often unclear. As such it makes the reading a bit difficult at times. Lots of mysteries remain. It is not a fable that has been agreed upon. It is a good portrait of the extent of crime and corruption generated by Prohibition in Southern Illinois.
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