Review of Ten Notches
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Jenna Floyd
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Review of Ten Notches
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Ten Notches" by Jeffery S. King.]
When officers killed Charles Arthur "Pretty Boy" Floyd, they found his lucky coin with ten carved notches among the items on his person. Many believe these notches signify his kill count, making him one of the most dangerous depression-era criminals. In Ten Notches: Murders Committed by Pretty Boy Floyd by Jeffery S. King, the author highlights a much-needed perspective on the lives lost to this notorious gangster. While Floyd killed a few criminals, most of his victims were law officers. Law enforcement officials have sacrificed their lives for decades but rarely receive the same enthusiastic recognition as those who killed them. King takes the reader through a timeline of Floyd's criminal life and the lives lost in efforts to apprehend him.
This book is well-researched and offers multiple perspectives on debating issues. For example, when discussing the Kansas City Massacre, the author informs the reader about conflicting accounts and why some believe Floyd was not involved. The author also puts the crimes in a historical context. The FBI did not exist before criminals like Dillinger, Nelson, and Floyd. Even when the FBI did begin taking shape, its powers were limited. King notes how, early on, FBI officials could not carry guns or make arrests; they had to work with local law enforcement officers to execute an operation. Depression-era officials had a challenging and confusing job. King did an excellent job underscoring the importance of this difficult work.
While I appreciated this book in many ways, I have a few criticisms. First, the book's structure was challenging for me to follow. The early chapters contained a lot of historical facts, but they needed to flow in a more organized manner. I believe the author intended to summarize the murders and crimes to come while also providing some background on Floyd. However, I needed clarification on the sequencing; I read the first fifty pages multiple times. My second critique is that I wanted more information about the victims than the book provided. The premise fascinated me, and I was eager to learn about the lost lives. Some victims did get considerable attention, but I would've liked to know more about their early lives and who they were beyond their service records or criminal escapades. It might be challenging to accomplish with limited historical records, but I was somewhat disappointed. Finally, some minor typos and grammatical errors distracted me while reading. This makes me believe it was not professionally edited and would benefit from further revisions.
Taking all of the above into consideration, I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. It is a worthwhile read if you are interested in depression-era crime and the people who tried to keep order in that time.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys learning about the crime wave of the early 20th century. The book is sometimes heavy on facts, but with a little patience and persistence, most readers can follow the underlying narrative. It eventually develops a more linear flow and does a fair job of presenting multiple perspectives. Despite the subject matter, there is very little profanity - though there are a few choice quotes containing curse words.
******
Ten Notches
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
When officers killed Charles Arthur "Pretty Boy" Floyd, they found his lucky coin with ten carved notches among the items on his person. Many believe these notches signify his kill count, making him one of the most dangerous depression-era criminals. In Ten Notches: Murders Committed by Pretty Boy Floyd by Jeffery S. King, the author highlights a much-needed perspective on the lives lost to this notorious gangster. While Floyd killed a few criminals, most of his victims were law officers. Law enforcement officials have sacrificed their lives for decades but rarely receive the same enthusiastic recognition as those who killed them. King takes the reader through a timeline of Floyd's criminal life and the lives lost in efforts to apprehend him.
This book is well-researched and offers multiple perspectives on debating issues. For example, when discussing the Kansas City Massacre, the author informs the reader about conflicting accounts and why some believe Floyd was not involved. The author also puts the crimes in a historical context. The FBI did not exist before criminals like Dillinger, Nelson, and Floyd. Even when the FBI did begin taking shape, its powers were limited. King notes how, early on, FBI officials could not carry guns or make arrests; they had to work with local law enforcement officers to execute an operation. Depression-era officials had a challenging and confusing job. King did an excellent job underscoring the importance of this difficult work.
While I appreciated this book in many ways, I have a few criticisms. First, the book's structure was challenging for me to follow. The early chapters contained a lot of historical facts, but they needed to flow in a more organized manner. I believe the author intended to summarize the murders and crimes to come while also providing some background on Floyd. However, I needed clarification on the sequencing; I read the first fifty pages multiple times. My second critique is that I wanted more information about the victims than the book provided. The premise fascinated me, and I was eager to learn about the lost lives. Some victims did get considerable attention, but I would've liked to know more about their early lives and who they were beyond their service records or criminal escapades. It might be challenging to accomplish with limited historical records, but I was somewhat disappointed. Finally, some minor typos and grammatical errors distracted me while reading. This makes me believe it was not professionally edited and would benefit from further revisions.
Taking all of the above into consideration, I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. It is a worthwhile read if you are interested in depression-era crime and the people who tried to keep order in that time.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys learning about the crime wave of the early 20th century. The book is sometimes heavy on facts, but with a little patience and persistence, most readers can follow the underlying narrative. It eventually develops a more linear flow and does a fair job of presenting multiple perspectives. Despite the subject matter, there is very little profanity - though there are a few choice quotes containing curse words.
******
Ten Notches
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Murder Rides a Gale Force Wind by Yvonne Maximchuk
