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Indlæser... A Pickpocket's Tale: The Underworld of Nineteenth-Century New York (udgave 2007)af Timothy J. Gilfoyle
Work InformationA Pickpocket's Tale: The Underworld of Nineteenth-Century New York af Timothy J. Gilfoyle
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Bliv medlem af LibraryThing for at finde ud af, om du vil kunne lide denne bog. Der er ingen diskussionstråde på Snak om denne bog. It's an excellent book, highly recommended for not only the biographical aspects, but also for it's extensive look into urban crime, justice and incarceration during the second half of the 19th century. It's not a lighthearted crime story but a serious yet still very readable scholarly work. Extensive notes and references are included and also many interesting illustrations. Gilfoyle is an accomplished historian and author who wrote the often-cited "City of Eros: New York City, Prostitution, and the Commercialization of Sex, 1790-1920." In "A Pickpocket's Tale" he examines the world of petty -- and not so petty -- crime in 19th century New York. The centerpiece of the book is George Appo, whose violent father, Quimbo Appo, was "the first Asian ever convicted of a capital crime in New York City" and whose mother was an Irish immigrant. Gilfoyle uses the unpublished memoir of George Appo, as well as his own exhaustive research, to present a detailed picture of con games, graft, and crime in the 1800s -- and prison life for those that were caught. "A Pickpocket's Tale" combines impeccable historical analysis and great story-telling. I highly recommend it to those who enjoy history that explores everyday life and to anyone with an interest in the American underbelly. ingen anmeldelser | tilføj en anmeldelse
In George Appo's world, child pickpockets swarmed the crowded streets, addicts drifted in furtive opium dens, and expert swindlers worked the lucrative green-goods game. On a good night Appo made as much as a skilled laborer made in a year. Bad nights left him with more than a dozen scars and over a decade in prisons from the Tombs and Sing Sing to the Matteawan State Hospital for the Criminally Insane, where he reunited with another inmate, his father. The child of Irish and Chinese immigrants, Appo grew up in the notorious Five Points and Chinatown neighborhoods. He rose as an exemplar of the "good fellow," a criminal who relied on wile, who followed a code of loyalty even in his world of deception. Here is the underworld of the New York that gave us Edith Wharton, Boss Tweed, Central Park, and the Brooklyn Bridge. No library descriptions found. |
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Also, had I not already known about some of the places discussed in these pages, I have a good feeling I would not know what was going on or where this guy was. I would say it would be great to use as a reference for a paper, but I'm not sure I'd really be able to find the information I was looking for within these pages again unless I highlighted or used post-its. Finally, in regards to certain facts, it took repetitive to a whole new level. I mean, I thought that The Iliad and Odyssey were repetitive with their constant repetition of epitaphs, but this made those seem like nothing. I honestly had to stop myself a few times because I thought I lost my page and was back a few chapters from the one I was reading. I'm pretty sure I read the same sentence in at least half a dozen places in this book. I jest not. If you aren't required to read it, I wouldn't. ( )