The Complete Public Enemy Almanac: New Facts and Features on the People, Places, and Events of the Gangster and Outlaw Era, 1920-1940

William J. Helmer and Rick Mattix
Cumberland House Publishing (2007)
ISBN 9781581825244
Reviewed by Kathleen Dowdell for Reader Views (8/07)

This beautifully-bound, 889-page, hardcopy book is a must have for any person interested in true-crime. Chock full of gangster and outlaw events of the 1920s to 1940s era, the authors have succeeded in presenting in chronological order, many little known facts that occurred in what they call the golden age of crime. The book may be a little daunting with its dialogue and graphic pictures, but it gives the reader a true sense of how life in America really was in those days and is an example of good stories often ignored because of the negative connotation they portray.
 
Each of the seven chapters is filled with nuggets of factual information that has been researched and documented by the authors. Besides just telling about the events that took place during this era, the authors provide in-depth information about the evolution of official police departments, passage of amendments, inception of cooperative crime control, and the development of criminal identification in crime detection laboratories in Chicago. Throughout the book, events occur in chronological order giving the reader a sense of order, enabling an easy transition from one event to the next.
 
An entire chapter is devoted to “quotable quotes.” You can read about Al Capone’s colorful remark about prohibition in which he says “When I sell liquor, they call it bootlegging. When my patrons serve it on silver trays on Lake Shore Drive, they call it hospitality,” and “You can get much farther with a smile, a kind word, and a gun than you can with a smile and a kind word.” One chapter’s focus is on mobsters and outlaws and explains the difference between consensual crime and violent crime. Included in this chapter are short biographies of gangsters and outlaws who achieved notoriety.
 
It is apparent that countless hours of research went into gathering and documenting all of the information found in this book. This book could never be read in one sitting, nor would you want to rush through the meticulously scribed information. To aid in taking your research even further, the authors provide nearly 60-pages of bibliographical resources. That in itself is an added treat.
 
I would recommend “The Complete Public Enemy Almanac” for any historical researcher who needs accurate facts and information on how crime has influenced politics and culture. In addition, the book is filled with newspaper headlines, cartoons, pictures, and biographies about the golden age of crime. This would make a great bedside book on a dark, stormy night.

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