Add to List

Added to

Unable to add item to List. Please try again.

Flip to back Flip to front

Listen Playing... Paused You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition.
Learn more

See all 3 images

Follow the Author

Stanley Hamilton

Machine Gun Kelly's Last Stand Hardcover – June 23, 2003

by Stanley Hamilton (Author)

11 ratings

See all formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Hardcover

"Please retry"

$10.00

$48.96

$2.86

Hardcover
$10.00

14 Used from $2.86 10 New from $48.96

Orchestrated to the sounds of getaway cars and machine guns, the abduction of Oklahoma City businessman Charles Urschel in 1933 was a highly publicized crime in an era when gangsters were folk heroes and kidnapping had become a scourge. The criminals' interstate flight to a desolate hideout in Texas called for federal action, instigating the most intensive manhunt the country had yet seen. It also set in motion a chain of events that would have lasting significance for crime-fighting in America.

In an exciting account of that celebrated manhunt, Stanley Hamilton rekindles the spirit of yesterday's newsreels to chronicle the pursuit and capture of George "Machine Gun" Kelly and his wife, Kathryn. Tapping a wealth of newspaper reports, court transcripts, literary accounts, and recollections of participants, he draws readers into the chase and its aftermath, unraveling what was then considered the most compelling crime mystery of the day.

Hamilton sets the stage with an overview of the lawlessness of that era and of Kelly's formative years, getting under the skin of a hard-boiled criminal to show us what made Kelly tick. He assembles a cast of larger-than-life characters to weave this tale of true crime, one of the largest of whom was the 38-year-old director of the national police force, J. Edgar Hoover.

Hoover had revitalized an ineffective agency whose operatives were still not authorized to carry firearms or make arrests, and when the Urschel case broke, it was Hoover who stepped up to coordinate the manhunt. Hamilton takes readers behind the scenes in Hoover's operation to show how this case was responsible for popularizing the G-man and institutionalizing the FBI, creating the agent-as-hero image that replaced earlier characterizations of blundering foils to glamorous gangsters.
,br>This iconic kidnapping case, breathlessly followed by a fascinated public, was so quickly and effectively concluded that it was largely instrumental in bringing about the end of the Gangster Era in America. Machine Gun Kelly's Last Stand brings that era to life again by providing a fresh look at one of America's most notorious criminals, vividly recreating the times in which he lived and sharing the stories of the people whose lives he touched.

Print length

248 pages
Language

English
Publisher

University Press of Kansas
Publication date

June 23, 2003
Dimensions

6 x 0.69 x 9 inches
ISBN-10

0700612475
ISBN-13

978-0700612475
See all details

Customers who bought this item also bought

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

47
Hardcover
16 offers from $9.84
Alston Purvis
81
Hardcover
70 offers from $1.52

Special offers and product promotions

Amazon Business: Make the most of your Amazon Business account with exclusive tools and savings. Login now

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

George Kelly, a flamboyant crook during the Depression era, was one of the reasons the federal government became involved in criminal investigation, hitherto largely a local task. The FBI reaped favorable publicity in the kidnapping case that ended Kelly's life on the lam in 1933--"Don't shoot, G-men," Kelly's purported plea when arrested, coined a phrase--but cut corners in its zeal, perhaps unsurprising in an era less punctilious about legal niceties. Author Hamilton dramatizes the central facts of the case in detail redolent of the period. The victim, Oklahoma City oil magnate Charles Urschel, was clapped into a lonely, windblown farmstead on the high Texas plain. Urschel was an unusually keen observer of his surroundings and captors, which he memorized while a friend chugged by steam train to Kansas City to deliver the ransom. Hamilton's account of the entire episode--three months from crime to sentence--certainly offers a contrast with the contemporary pace of justice. Entertainment for true-crime buffs. Gilbert Taylor
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"Hamilton dramatizes the central facts of the case in detail redolent of the period. Entertainment for true-crime buffs."--Booklist

"This well-paced book . . . offers societal context, personal histories, and two trials, as well as a complex crime examined from start to finish. . . . It should earn reputable standing in true crime, a competitive genre regularly noted for its terrific new entries. Best of all, Hamilton paints no sympathy for criminals who rain destruction wherever they roam, and he returns to the national memory a resolute family that refused to cower."--Kansas Alumni Magazine

"Hamilton's thorough research and electric narrative style illuminate George 'Machine Gun' Kelly's sensational criminal career and the untold tale of his subsequent incarceration. In telling Kelly's story, Hamilton also tells the story of his victim, Charles Urschel, and adds an important chapter to the history of kidnapping in the United States."--Claire Potter, author of War on Crime: Bandits, G-Men, and the Politics of Mass Culture

"Hamilton's authoritative account of the 'Machine Gun' Kelly case offers a fascinating insight into the 'gangster era' of the early '30s and the operations of the FBI. His research is impeccable and his book a terrific read."--Lee Grieveson, coeditor of Mob Culture: Essays on the American Gangster Film

Publisher ‏ : ‎ University Press of Kansas (June 23, 2003)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 248 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0700612475
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0700612475
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.23 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.69 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,835,756 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,511 in Criminal Procedure Law
- #5,281 in Crime & Criminal Biographies
- #7,713 in Murder & Mayhem True Accounts

Customer Reviews:
11 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload video

Customer reviews

5 star		53%
4 star		47%
3 star 0% (0%)		0%
2 star 0% (0%)		0%
1 star 0% (0%)		0%

How are ratings calculated?

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Bill EmblomTop Contributor: Baseball

This Book Separates Fact From Fiction

Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2003

Verified Purchase

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.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Dana D. Schuler

The best source of information on this topic

Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2006

Verified Purchase

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.

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Paul Dickson

Great Narrative

Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2003

Verified Purchase

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!!!!

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

S. Muckala

Good Oklahoma history

Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2013

Verified Purchase

Interesting book on the kidnaping and trials in Oklahoma City connected with the Urschel kidnaping. I became acquainted with some of the people involved many years after the event.

Helpful

Thomas Prior

Last word on Machine Gun Kelly

Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2004

Verified Purchase

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.

9 people found this helpful

Helpful

Billie McCalley

Machine Gun Kelly's Last Stand

Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2006

Verified Purchase

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.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Benny

Four Stars

Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2015

Verified Purchase

Helpful

Paul Tognetti

Engaging account of ones of the century's biggest crimes

Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2003

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!!

6 people found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

thomas ian winton

Machine gun kelly

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 16, 2019

Verified Purchase

Very good read on someone I new very little about, some good photos if ever a story showed how crime doesn't pay the kelly, s are it, great book

See all reviews

Follow the Author

Similar authors to follow

Machine Gun Kelly's Last Stand Hardcover – June 23, 2003

Customers who bought this item also bought

Special offers and product promotions