Rating: 
Summary: Full of Surprises...
Review: This book surprised me from the very beginning when I discovered it was written in the 1920s... (For some reason, I thought it was written a few years ago)Having LOVED the recent movie by Martin Scorcese... I thought this book would unfold as a historical drama/love story surrounded by all of those strange but endearing underworld characters. As I read on, I found many of the same characters, but they were now in an entirely different story. This book is nothing like the movie... although, honestly, I was not disappointed in it at all. I enjoy reading about historical events that are not really taught in school. The detailed descriptions of the draft riots were interesting and horrifying at the same time. With half a dozen 'negros' being lynched every day for a week... (and many people think that racism only existed in the south during the Civil War) How many people know that Union forces fired Artillery into crowds. Artillery. Cannons... Lincoln is a popular president today, but can you imagine Bill Clinton authorizing the US Army to fire a howitzer into the crowd during the LA riots...? Anyway, I liked this book very much and I would recommend it to anyone who reads and enjoys American history. New York is an old city with many stories... this is one of them.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Book For The Interested!
Review: This is a great book for those interested in the roots of New Yorks dark side. There is much more to this book than what was made into the recent movie with the same title and the book even shows how the movie was not made 100% accurate. Being written in the early 1900s this book can give you a window to a time long gone. If you know about New York and its areas then this book may fascinate you but if not it could be boring. But I give it an A plus rating.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book For The Interested!
Review: This is a great book for those interested in the roots of New Yorks dark side. There is much more to this book than what was made into the recent movie with the same title and the book even shows how the movie was not made 100% accurate. Being written in the early 1900s this book can give you a window to a time long gone. If you know about New York and its areas then this book may fascinate you but if not it could be boring. But I give it an A plus rating.
Rating:
Summary: Good intro to Irish Gangs
Review: This is a great introduction to the story of the Irish Gangs who who originated in Ireland but came to rule first the Five Points district of Manhattan and then the Tammany Hall government of Manhattan.
Rating:
Summary: A Book that is just plain entertaining
Review: What to say about a book that was recently made into a movie robbed of its academy award to the horror of the movie "Chicago".Hmmmm...
Being a lad of only 19, I don't know how seriously this review will be taken, but I will say this; Gangs of New York by Asbury is a downright entertaining book.
I can honestly say that reading this book was "fun", unlike some of the books they force you to read in school. If one has any interest about the history of the new york gangs, this is the book to read. The writing is mainly anecdotes, with occasional police records throughout.
Is it far from what the movie was though. It is a history book, and if one doesn't like reading history related material, this book is not for you. Still, I don't see how reading about people being brutally murdered and robbed and gang war in general could be boring, but oh well.
The book is 300 plus pages, but is easy to read, though not for the light-going reader. The exploits of the gangs told are very brutal, and downright inhumane, but that is what makes it interesting. Bill the Butcher, Monk Eastman, and various others from the movie are introduced in it, but in different contexts. Still, learning that they were real beings makes for an exciting read
Still, i can't say its the perfect book, and some of it is boring, but one can overlook that in the fact that, for the most part, the stories are kept short and the anecdotes are over-embellished which makes it a good read. It is no War and Peace, but its almost like a modern day thriller and probably better. Hope this has been helpful.
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