Reviews for Al Capone The Biography of a Self-made Man

The average rating for Al Capone The Biography of a Self-made Man based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2013-09-11 00:00:00 Clay Poupart I don't read many historical non-fiction pieces, hardly any biographies, but this book seemed so unusual. I picked it up expecting a biography (I mean, it's in the title, right?). I expected a look into the life and times of Al Capone from a historically informed perspective. What I got was a look at the late twenties in Chicago with Al Capone as a supporting character. Hundreds of players got roles in this extended newspaper article written before Capone even died. Interesting but not really what I expected. Stylistically there were chapters that read like the diary pages of a poet laureate scribbling with his trigger finger and there were some that had all the charisma of a wet grocery list. Honestly, I gave this book 3 out of 5 but this book--more than any other I've read--had sections that deserved a zero and some sections that legitimately deserved a resounding five. So, if you're interested in the history, facts, and stats surrounding the Volstead Era in Chicago I strongly recommend finding this rare gem but if you're looking for a focused biography you won't get further than the tenth page.

Review # 2 was written on 2021-04-11 00:00:00 Sharyl Targgart Willim J. Slim was a somewhat unlikely major figure in World War II. He came from a less than grand background, his father being unsuccessful in his business career. As a result, Slim went into the British military. In World War I, he survived the ghastly Gallipoli campaign and then served in what is now Iraq. After that, service in the Indian Army. World War II? He made his major contribution as an officer in Burma, and is often overlooked as a result. He began WW II as a corps commander. The British were driven out of Burma by the Japanese. Slim had become commander of British forces when they reengaged in Burma. The book does a good job of describing his strategic and tactical sense as, slowly, the British began to take control against the Japanese. Slim made major contributions as commander. He developed a good working relationship with Lord Mountbatten, a leader in the far eastern campaign. This stood him in good stead when he was the target of a sacking, even after some impressive successes in the theater. The book does a nice job, on the one hand, describing his "comeback" in Burma. However, the book is not very well written and there is a paucity of maps to help the reader make sense of his campaigns. And, sometimes, the text becomes confusing with its enumeration of units and oddities like a discussion of General Wingate;s death--followed by many pages about the tense relations between him and Slim. Still, if one is interested in the less well known campaigns of the far east, this is a good, solid work. As well, one gets a sense of Slim's later career--quite successful.