Douglas Century

I had no idea. A Russian Jewish mob boss in Brooklyn? Not only that, but of course he wasn't alone. To be a boss, there must be others. There were, and possibly still are, many Russian criminals working among, but mostly not together with, the Italians in New York.

Although the topic is interesting, not all of the book was. I found a lot of it boring, and too much of it in Nayfeld's own words. And although he may be gifted as a criminal, he is not gifted with words. In fact, he managed to live for 3 or 4 decades in the US and during that time hardly learned any English. Somehow, you don't manage to learn that much about Nayfeld. Oh, you learn about many of his exploits and dirty dealings, but I, for one, didn't come away with the feeling that I had gotten to know the man and whereas I have read about other criminals for whom I developed some sympathy, that wasn't the case here. Maybe so much of the book was in his own words because he controlled the project and wanted to maintain a facade.

One thing I learned was that if you're going to be a criminal, better to do it in the U.S. than in Russia because according to Nayfeld, American prisons are oh so much better to be in -- some almost like country clubs. The book is said to be non-fiction.

… (altro)

Dieses Buch erzählt die Geschichte von Andrew Hogan, der Jagd auf den meistgesuchten Drogenboss Joaquin Archivaldo Guzman-Loera, genannt El Chapo, gemacht hat.
El Chapo schaffte es auch in die deutschen Nachrichten, denn nachdem er nach jahrelanger Jagd gefasst wurde, entkam er wieder aus dem Gefängnis. Dieser Drogenhändler ist sicherlich eine interessante Person und ich konnte mir in diesem Buch über seine Persönlichkeit einen guten Eindruck verschaffen. Aber noch interessanter ist es, den Mann kennenzulernen, der El Chapo hinter Gitter bracht, nämlich Andrew Hogan.
Hogan war zunächst Spezialagent der amerikanischen Drogenvollzugsbehörde DEA und hat mit seinem Partner Diego Jagd auf Kleinkriminelle und kleine Drogenhändler gemacht. Aber er wollte mehr. Er wollte die ganz Großen fangen und einer der größten, mächtigsten und gefährlichsten war El Chapo. Es ist Wahnsinn, was er dafür auf sich nimmt. Er baut sich ein anderes Leben auf und versucht als Undercover-Agent Kontakte zu bekommen. Es dauert lange, aber dann gelingt es ihm, in den inneren Kreis zu gelangen. Acht Jahre dauert seine Jagd und dann hat er den Drogenboss hinter Gitter gebracht.
Sehr detailliert wird berichtet, was alles unternommen wird während dieser Untercover-Tätigkeit. So eine lange Zeit und so viele Beteiligte, die alle auf das gleiche Ziel hinarbeiten.
Das Buch liest sich gut und ist spannend wie ein Krimi. Anfangs war es noch recht sachlich, aber die Spannung steigerte sich immer mehr.
Mit hat das Buch sehr gut gefallen.… (altro)

As the first biography I ever read (excluding autobiographies), "Barney Ross: The Life of a Jewish Fighter" did not disappoint. Barney Ross, originally known as Beryl Rasofsky, was the son of a rabbi who immigrated from Belarus to the United States of America to provide a better life for his family. Ross' father tried his best to keep everyone in his family away from crime, violence, and fighting, but living in a Chicago ghetto didn't make it easy. All his father's efforts could not stop young Barney from getting into fights and trouble. He would grow up to become one of the greatest boxers of all time.
Maybe I just like book because I'm a fan of Barney Ross, or maybe its just a great biography. Whatever the case may be, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this work of writing. Douglas Century's clear, to the point style is pleasing to read, and I enjoyed his references to Ross' autobiography and other outside works. The way Century takes you back in time to the period of Ross' life and makes you feel as if you actually were there is very enjoyable as well. I would definitely read more by Douglas Century, and I would recommend this book to anyone interested in boxing. This is a solid, interesting, quality book.… (altro)