The vendetta : special agent Melvin Purvis, John Dillinger, and Hoover's FBI in the age of gangsters / Alston Purvis and Alex Tresinowski.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Purvis, Alston W., 1943-

Contributor:

Tresniowski, Alex.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

United States. Federal Bureau of Investigation--Officials and employees--Biography.

United States.

Purvis, Melvin, 1903-1960.

Purvis, Melvin.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (401 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

New York : PublicAffairs, c2005.

Summary:

In The Vendetta, author Alston Purvis recounts the story of his father, Melvin Purvis, the iconic G-man and public hero made famous by his remarkable sweep of the great Public Enemies of the American Depression-John Dillinger; Pretty Boy Floyd, and Baby Face Nelson. Purvis's successes led FBI boss J. Edgar Hoover to grow increasingly jealous, to the point where he vowed to bring down Purvis. Hoover smeared Purvis's reputation, and tried to erase his name from all records of the FBI's greatest triumphs. This book sets the record straight, and provides a grippingly authentic new tell

Contents:

Contents; Acknowledgments ix; 1 Legacy 1; 2 North to America's Capital 13; 3 "Home of the Gods" 25; 4 "He Is Possessed of Snap" 37; 5 Kidnappers and Crooks 64; 6 "The Man You Want Most Is Up Here" 91; 7 Surveillance 126; 8 The Biograph Theater 146; 9 Pleasure and Commendation 169; 10 Pretty Boy 198; 11 Conkle's Farm 221; 12 When the Fall Is All There Is 242; 13 Hoover the Hero 275; 14 "The Biggest Giant in the World" 302; 15 Fathers and Sons 324; Epilogue 343; Index 347

Notes:

Includes index.

ISBN:

1-282-74834-3

9786612748349

0-7867-4666-1

OCLC:

402359361