Average customer rating:
- Not Free SF Reader
- You already know.
- Respect
- Flawed but good overall
- Review of The Godfather
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The Godfather
Mario Puzo
Manufacturer: NAL Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0451205766 |
Amazon.com
The story of Don Vito Corleone, the head of a New York Mafia family, inspired some of the most successful movies ever. It is in Mario Puzo's The Godfather that Corleone first appears. As Corleone's desperate struggle to control the Mafia underworld unfolds, so does the story of his family. The novel is full of exquisitely detailed characters who, despite leading unconventional lifestyles within a notorious crime family, experience the triumphs and failures of the human condition. Filled with the requisite valor, love, and rancor of a great epic, The Godfather is the definitive gangster novel.
Book Description
More than thirty years ago, a classic was born. A searing novel of the Mafia underworld, The Godfather introduced readers to the first family of American crime fiction, the Corleones-and became the definitive novel of the virile, violent subculture that remains steeped in intrigue, in controversy, and in our collective consciousness.
Customer Reviews:
Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03
Vito Corleone is the Godfather, and his last name is also the name of a small town in Italy. The book looks at the development of the mafia in America, and the Godfather's upbringing and rise to power.
An important part of this is that one of the important members of his crime family, Tom Hagen, is not of his immediate family, or Italian, and this drives some major conflict.
You already know........2007-07-19
No spoilers.
At this point, everyone and their mother knows what The Godfather is about. Unfortunately, too many people have seen the movie and have skipped over the book. Big mistake. Yes, the movie is great and one of the best of all time blah blah, but the book, just like every other book that is turned into a movie, offers the detail and character development unlike anything you experience in the movie. If the movie were six hours perhaps, then maybe it would be able to match the book, but then who would sit through that?
Without rehashing the plot, the best thing way to describe the book is what was said by the official Amazon review. In it, the writer says: "... despite leading unconventional lifestyles within a notorious crime family, [the characters] experience the triumphs and failures of the human condition." That is the perfect way to sum up the goings on of this book because regardless of crime that goes hand-in-hand with the Cosa Nostra lifestyle, it's easy, as a reader, to look past that and see each and every one of these characters as a regular person--a person who experiences all the ups and downs of life. The characterization and personal way in which Puzo created the players in the novel (especialy the Don,) forces you to cozy up to them and care where their respective roller coaster lifestyles will take them.
In summation, if you like the movie then you'll love the book because it's everything in the moive times two. Do yourself a favor and treat yourself to an evening or two with the Don.
Respect.......2007-06-29
Probably the pinnacle movie of all time is backed by a book that will easily be a classic for my children. Even though the movie follows the book well it is already starting to feel outdated with poor special effects. Now that I have read this book I feel that I belong to a special club that has an insight into the mob world and is allowed to use its terminology with a harsh Italian voice. The author creates tense, thrilling moments when he jumps ahead of the story a little bit to give a teaser. You will be on the edge when Puzo steps back and fills in the gaps. You will not get that same affect when you watch the movie. Yeah, the movie is good, but you will only get full respect for this amazing tale by getting deep into the book.
Flawed but good overall.......2007-06-19
I've seen the movies at least a dozen times so I figured it was time that I read the book. Overall, the book is pretty good. As a story-teller, Puzo is first-rate. The plot is intriguing and moves quickly. In other aspects, however, he is somewhat lacking as a writer.
While the story is great the characters tend to be flat and not well-developed. The writing style is mainly narration, which is probably good because what dialogue there is can often be lacking or outright lame. The characters are all rather one-dimensional; more caricatures than characters.
The quality of the story compensates for the (sometimes) bad writing, however. All things considered, I enjoyed the book (but not as much as the films).
Recommended.
Review of The Godfather.......2007-06-18
The strength of this book is Puzo's expertise and knowledge of the mafia. It makes the plot, events and the characters in the book seem extremely real. I would describe this book as a historical fiction of the mafia.
This is definitely a book that will fly by and one that you will have a hard time putting down. It is definitely a classic. It is a book that when you finish you will close it and say, "Now that was a good book!"
In the book you will be introduced to one of the most famous families in all literature. The Corleaone family of New York. You will learn how the family got its start in organized crime and how the family operates. You will also learn about the honor and respect it takes to work for and be a part of the family. And, of course, you will learn what happens when you cross ways with the family.
There were only two things that I did not like. First of all, I thought there was a lot of pointless sex irrelevant to the plot. I thought it was a little over-the-top and I just got tired of it after a while. The other thing I did not like was the location change to Las Vegas. I thought that it was unnecessary, a distraction and took away from the real story. Having that been said I thought the whole book was exciting and there was never a part in the book, like most, where there was a lull in the action.
This is definitely a book worth the money and time spent reading. If you do not like books with graphic violence, sex and drugs then perhaps you should read something else. If this does not bother you then you will find this book extremely exciting. Personally I would recommend buying a hardback copy of the book and putting it on your shelf with your collection of other great novels.
Average customer rating:
- This book would make a great 90 page novel...
- knocks spots off Puzo
- Below Par
- Great fun, surprisingly satifying sequel #2
- Read this review before you try the book
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The Godfather's Revenge
Mark Winegardner
Manufacturer: Putnam Adult
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0399153845
Release Date: 2006-11-07 |
Book Description
The third, and final, installment in Mario Puzo's epic chronicle of the Corleone crime family-one of the most enduring lineages in American literature and cinema-achieves a stunning crescendo with a story that imagines the role of the Mafia in the assassination of a young, charismatic president.
It's impossible to overstate the influence of Mario Puzo's The Godfather, which has become an essential part of our cultural lexicon. Puzo's novel about the secret world of organized crime became a megabestseller and an instant classic. The book inspired the Francis Ford Coppola films-unprecedented successes in their own right-and launched a national obsession with the Mafia that continues unabated today.
In The Godfather's Revenge-again authorized by the Puzo Estate-Mark Winegardner moves the Corleone family onto the biggest stage of all: the intersection of organized crime and national politics. A subordinate to Michael Corleone, New Orleans underboss Carlo Tramonti is publicly humiliated when the U.S. Attorney General-President Danny Shea's brother-has him arrested and deported to Colombia. Tramonti eventually returns, hell-bent on settling scores, and triggers a series of events destined to change the course of American history. Corleone, though haunted by the death of his brother Fredo, knows that this is no time for weakness-and so, with fearless consigliere Tom Hagen leading the way, a new path for the future is forged.
As the dramatic twists of The Godfather's Revenge take the reader from Las Vegas to Miami to New Orleans, from the power alleys of Washington, D.C., to the remote jungles of Colombia, the puppet master behind the curtain remains Michael Corleone, the tortured prodigal son who is determined to redefine his family's legacy and make his father-the original Godfather-proud.
Customer Reviews:
This book would make a great 90 page novel..........2007-08-06
But sadly it's over 300 pages. The extra 210 are full of story deviating verbose side stories that will both bore you and leave you confused when they come back to the core plot. I would only recommend this if you're a huge Godfather fan who can't get enough.
knocks spots off Puzo.......2007-07-26
His first Godfather novel was promising but this is even better; a barnburner of a yarn with the right historical background, superb characterisation and pacing and a delicious seam of black humour. Far, far better than anything Puzo himself wrote.
Below Par.......2007-06-09
This second sequel to 'The Godfather' includes improbable characters and story lines that diminish the Corleone legend and the memorable characters created by Puzo.
For some reason, Winegardner once again focuses on Nick Geraci, the turncoat Corleone family capo who was forced into hiding in his first sequel. In this book, Geraci is meant to be almost a mythic figure like the Count of Monte Cristo, a wronged man on an epic quest for vengeance. The problem with this story line is that Geraci is not a very sympathetic figure. He's a cold-blooded killer and drug dealer kicked out of the family for conspiring against his boss, not an innocent young man torn from his loved ones by false charges. It's hard to root for his revenge plot when we know that, far from being unjustly accused, he's guilty of even worse things than the Corleones realize. Geraci is not the sort of person you'd ever want to know, and at a very early point in this novel I found myself hoping he would just disappear -- permanently.
The other major story lines involve a plot to kill the Irish Catholic president in order to end the influence of his brother, who is pressuring the mob, and a plot by Michael to seize control of the Woltz movie studio, for reasons never made fully clear. Neither is terribly interesting or original.
Major Puzo characters like Michael, Hagen and Connie are made to seem smaller than life by vignettes that focus on their personal foibles -- it's a bit like reading a biography of Beethoven that is mostly about his untidy personal habits and spends little time on his musical achievements.
The story Puzo told so brilliantly was about organized crime families that began because a few strong-willed men refused to be relegated to membership in an underclass, that grew powerful by serving and exploiting the members of that underclass, and that ultimately waned when that underclass assimilated into the mainstream of American life. Winegardner doesn't seem very interested in that story.
If you're trapped in an airport with nothing else to read, you might want to try this book. Otherwise, don't.
Great fun, surprisingly satifying sequel #2.......2007-04-04
I've always been skeptical of sequels written to enormously popular books by authors other than the original, but Mark Winegardner's most recent "Godfather" sequel is absorbing and satisfying. Although he is a better, more polished writer than Mario Puzo, he lacks Puzo's blunt, breathless, headlong plunge into a hydra-headed tangle of story lines. By me, that's fine, because Winegardner keeps everyone connected and moving forward in a believable or even unbelievable-but-true page-turner.
Winegardner does justice to ongoing Puzo characters such as Michael and Connie Corleone and their children, and does a really satisfying job fleshing out people we know only fleetingly, such as Sonny's four children, and Tom Hagan's wife Theresa and family. In addition, he painstakingly details the other "crime families," while introducing new characters who dovetail nicely with ongoing or new plot lines. For example, Mike's elusive nemesis Nick "Ace" Geraci, his father Fausto "The Driver," and Nick's wife Charlotte and their daughters--just to name a few--take up where they left off in Winegardner's first sequal. Johnny Fontane, Jack Woltz, their wives, and many more make convincing reappearances in the current chapters of their lives.
If other sequels-by-other-authors were as well-written and engrossing as Winegardner's, we readers would be lucky indeed. I hope he has a third volume at least in the planning stages!
Read this review before you try the book.......2007-03-31
There are too many books to read to make this one of them. I stuck it out through the entire tape as I was walking while reading. I now wonder why. A very disappointing attempt. Move on up the food chain of books.
Book Description
"A STORY THAT NO OTHER AUTHOR COULD HAVE PUT
TOGETHER . . . Roemer [is] America's most decorated FBI agent."
--Chicago Tribune
For forty years Tony Accardo was America's most dangerous criminal. He cut his teeth on the Chicago mob wars of Capone and Elliot Ness. He got his nickname "Joe Batters" for killing two men with a baseball bat. As the bodies piled up, Capone's youngest capo murdered and schemed his way to the top.
William Roemer was the first FBI agent to face Tony "The Big Tuna" Accardo. Now, Roemer tells the story that only he could tell: the deals, the hits, the double-crosses, and the power plays that reached from the Windy City to Hollywood and to New York. Drawing on secret wiretaps and inside information, ACCARDO chronicles bloodshed and mayhem for more than six decades--as Roemer duels against the most powerful don of them all. . . .
"Roemer brings the reality of organized crime home to us."
--Boston Herald
"A big, sprawled out account that serves as anecdotal history of organized crime."
--Kirkus Reviews
Customer Reviews:
Readable, Interesting, and a bit flawed .......2007-01-26
Retired FBI Agent William Roemer (1926-1996) takes an interesting look at one of Chicago's most infamous mob bosses. Anthony "Big Tuna" Accardo (1906-1992) was a player in the syndicate from the prohibition-era 1920's until his death more than six decades later. Once complimented as "a real Joe Batters" by Al Capone for having killed another mobster with a baseball bat, Accardo had a mix of toughness, brains, and closed-mouthed brawn. As the author shows, these characteristics helped him rise through the syndicate ranks and avoid the downfalls (imprisonment, early death) of many associates. Accardo ran or helped rule the Chicago syndicate as boss, consiglieri, and finally as elder statesman. Readers also get a look at the Chicago mob and its many sources of illegal activities. The author regards his subject with a mix of distaste and respect, as did so many others in and out of law enforcement.
Roemer's books are very readable, but they suffer from a few doubtful claims and flirtations with the facts, not to mention some self-boasting by the author. Still, his easy-reading narratives on the Chicago mob are worth a look.
Giving law enforcement a black eye.......2006-10-20
Incredible. Here we have a retired FBI agent writing about a thug who he claims is the best godfather ever. He writes so admiringly about Tony Accardo that I really believe he wanted to give Joe Batters a foot massage, back rub and ticker-tape parade. I had to put the book down before I puked. True, the writer covers a lot of ground in his homage to this killer-thug and parasite, but it's all wasted by his glorification of a criminal.
Roemer Strikes Out.......2005-09-16
I find it amusing that every gangster biographer wants to elevate his subject to the level of being the most important figure ever in the history or organized crime. But one would expect a certain level of objectivity from a former FBI agent, even one who self-promoted himself for years as Chicago's number one Mob-buster. Roemer's admiration for adversary Tony "Joe Batters" Accardo is understandable in a way. Clearly one of the most untouchable mobsters of all time (though it is not true that he never spent a night in jail), Accardo's seventy year criminal career with no standing convictions shows he was no dumb hood. All the same, Roemer goes out of his way to inject Accardo into everything that ever happened in Chicago. His account of the Prohibition years is so far off the mark it's hilarious. He has Tony Accardo saving Capone from Hymie Weiss in the Hawthorne attack, which contemporary accounts credit to Frank Rio. He places Tony in New York with Jack McGurn, Anselmi and Scalise, and "a guy named Rio Burke" as the hitters of Frankie Yale in that city's first Tommygun killing. Strange, as I met the late Rio Burke and SHE never once mentioned handling a machine gun though she was a friend of Al Capone. Tony, McGurn, Anselmi and Scalise and "possibly Fred Burke" (in whose Michigan hideout the machine guns were found) are claimed to have been the St. Valentine's Day Massacre gunmen, on the basis of some bugged conversations Roemer claims to have heard years later and vaguely alludes to. More credible suspects, such as Gus Winkeler, who later ran Moran's former North Side territory for Capone and was highly publicized in the early Thirties, and Raymond "Crane-Neck" Nugent, who was once arrested at Capone's Miami estate, are dismissed as insignificant nobodies on the bare fringe of the Capone mob. Roemer goes on to have Accardo accompany Capone to the famous Atlantic City Mob convention, again at the expense of number one bodyguard Frank Rio, and conveniently oversteps the Philadelphia arrest and conviction of Capone and RIO by moving the meeting ahead one year to 1930. I find it amazing that a guy like Roemer could spend all that time investigating the Chicago Mob and display such little knowledge of its early years. No wonder the FBI took so long in catching up with organized crime! Roemer should have either stuck with the Fifties/Sixties time-frame he knew firsthand or else done some competent research on the pre-World War II era. As for the claim that Accardo had "more brains before breakfast than Al Capone had all day," well, like I said earlier, Tony's successful life in crime is impressive, and owes much to his low-key style but one doesn't need to distort history to emphasize this. And, when it all comes down to it, Capone was the guy who built the Chicago Mob and the guy who brought Accardo up through the ranks as well. Successful as he was, Tony was only following in Al's footsteps like so many others.
THE GANGSTER WHO MADE IT.......2005-03-29
Finally there is a book about the man that was the driving force behind the Chicago Outfit.While Sam Giancana has the fame and if often credited as being the Outfit's boss in the 60's, little is there any mention of the man who put him there.This is a great overall book with plenty of history on the man who the law couldn't lay a hand on.If ever there was a "successful gangster" it was Accardo, and this book explains why.This is also a great book to famialize yourself with Chicago's major organized players from Al Capone down to Joe "The Clown" Lombardo.
this guy was the godfather.......2004-06-18
Tony Accardo was the most successful mob boss of all time.At the top for 48 years!To put that in perspective Al Capone was boss for 5 years(1925-30)and John Gotti from 1985 to his death in 2002,but more than half of that he was in jail.Accardo did it all,from young apprentice of Capone favorite "Machine Gun" Jack McGurn to shooter in the St. Valentine's Day Massacre(according to Accardo's and Murray Humphrey's secretly recorded conversations in the 1950's and 60's)to Las Vegas kingpin to running the infamous Teamster's union(bet Accardo could tell you what happened to Jimmy Hoffa).This guy was responsible for literally hundreds of deaths,many of them very brutal,but reigned almost completely free from police interference save a few nuisance i.r.s. cases and congressional hearings.As others write,Roemer has a rather scattershot way of writing(it's even worse if you've read his other books as he likes to repeat his stories)but almost all info(except his Notre Dame mentions and his extreme love of God)is mob related and ain't that what you're here for?Some people find that there wasn't enough Accardo personal info but so what.What's there to wonder about?Did Accardo love his wife and kids?Did he kick his dog?Who cares.The guy was the mobster of mobsters and his criminal life is well documented and that's all that matters to me.I guess there is one story in the book that gives you a look into Tony Accardo' soul.His close friend of 40 years(the guy wasn't a mobster,he was the Accardo house caretaker)gave testimony in front of a grand jury and disappeared off the face of the earth days later.How's that for knowing Tony personally?
Book Description
The inside story of the don and the family who may have inspired The Godfather.
As head of the Bonanno clan, Joey Massino was the last don, and ran his world with an iron hand--until he got hit with a murder rap, and turned on his own people. Here, for the first time, is his shocking true story--a glimpse inside the world of organized crime that we may never see again.
Customer Reviews:
book to read .......2007-07-21
if this is a topic that is of intrest of you i recommend this book.
easy to read and gives you a small insight in the world that the Cosa nostra lives in.
Even as a Dutchman the written text is easy to follow not to many difficult English words.
Not enough.......2007-06-23
Short, novella-length account of Joey Massino; written in a hurry; not much documentation; rehash of available sources; follows up on Pistone's book; a light read on a lazy day.
Excellent reading.......2007-05-07
Excellent reading for mob book people. Great insight to the aftermath of Donnie Brasco and what happens as the Bannano family actually gets a lot stronger before being taken down...
The Boss sings an encore and brings the house down.......2007-02-02
A briskly written and brief yet very informative history of Joe Massino, former boss of the New York Massino organized crime family. The author does a great job in his description of the operations of the crime family during Massino's leadership and his early career of crime. At the finish Massino decides to sing to the Feds himself to avoid a possible death penalty. I guess he thought that because some many of his former mates in crime ratted on him and spilled the beans, he may as well join them as omerta meant nothing in the finish.
Essentially the mob exists to make as much money as it can as quickly as possible and to keep the money steadily flowing in. The author superbly captures the culture of the Mafia organization and its members and describes clearly the rackets, payoffs, murders etc. This book is great for those true crime buffs that have a clear understanding of the American mafia as the author assumes the reader has a solid understanding of the subject. This a narrowly focused book about the history of Massino and his leadership of his New York mafia family. For a novice l would suggest read Thomas Reppeto's book; American Mafia: A History of Its Rise to Power or "The Mob, 200 years of Organized Crime in New York' by Virgil Petersen to dig further into this history.
The information the author reveals about the activities of this mafia family is incredible and he obviously has excellent sources and has done his research very effectively, overall an informed, well written and brisk account, a good addition to the many books on organized crime.
Interesting subject, but book falters in substance and style.......2007-01-30
This is a fast-moving account of the rise and fall of Bonanno Family boss Joseph Massino. Author Simon Crittle presents the details of Massino's crimes, rackets and relationships and explains the power wielded by the man known as the "last godfather."
Crittle does a fair job of generating and maintaining reader excitement with a near-stream of consciousness writing style. That style, however, could be frustrating for readers looking for sequential history. One of the results of the author's oh-by-the-way and let-me-go-back-to tendencies is a book that frankly doesn't merit even the 256 pages it has been given. There is plenty of repetition (readers might get the impression that Massino was guilty of eighty murders rather than eight). Some excerpts of court testimony are provided. But a few of those fail to illustrate the author's points and come across as mere filler material.
For me, the book missed the mark by failing to provide more underworld context. Former Bonanno boss Philip Rastelli, for example, comes across as just another name and isn't given as much attention as the demolition of a couple of gas containers in Maspeth, Queens. While we are told that the Bonanno family is a vast criminal network with affiliate organizations in at least three nations, we are essentially shown just a handful of guys in a couple of old buildings on Long Island.
These omissions are not a problem for readers familiar with the mob, and Crittle's book seems to be intended as the latest installment in a series of journalistic accounts of the New York underworld, building on the still-warm bios of John Gotti.
However, the most frustrating lack of context occurs in the overall theme of the book. From the cover on, Crittle constantly repeats the "last godfather" and "last of the old world gangsters" theme (the mentions call to mind the similarly ridiculous titles of 1981's "The Last Mafioso" and 1988's "The Last Days of the Sicilians"). He doesn't fully explain how Massino was the "last" of anything at all or why we should be interested. Only in the final pages, after acknowledging that Massino already had been replaced by the time the book was written, does he finally come clean: "Time will only tell who'll be the next Last Godfather..."
Average customer rating:
- Great Reading
- slow
- A story would help
- A Bit Disconnected..
- A nice pass time of a book
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The Godfather Returns
Mark Winegardner
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
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Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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The Godfather's Revenge
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The Last Don
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ASIN: 0345478983
Release Date: 2005-08-30 |
Book Description
THE MISSING YEARS FROM THE GREATEST CRIME SAGA OF ALL TIME
Thirty-five years ago, Mario Puzo’s great American tale, The Godfather, was published, and popular culture was indelibly changed. Now, in The Godfather Returns, acclaimed novelist Mark Winegardner continues the story–the years not covered in Puzo’s bestselling book or in Francis Ford Coppola’s classic films.
It is 1955. Michael Corleone has won a bloody victory in the war among New York’s crime families. Now he wants to consolidate his power, save his marriage, and take his family into legitimate businesses. To do so, he must confront his most dangerous adversary yet, Nick Geraci, a former boxer who worked his way through law school as a Corleone street enforcer, and who is every bit as deadly and cunning as Michael. Their personal cold war will run from 1955 to 1962, exerting immense influence on the lives of America’s most powerful criminals and their loved ones, including
Tom Hagen, the Corleone Family’s lawyer and consigliere, who embarks on a political career in Nevada while trying to protect his brother;
Francesca Corleone, daughter of Michael’s late brother Sonny, who is suddenly learning her family’s true history and faces a difficult choice;
Don Louie Russo, head of the Chicago mob, who plays dumb but has wily ambitions for muscling in on the Corleones’ territory;
Peter Clemenza
, the stalwart Corleone underboss, who knows more Family secrets than almost anyone;
Ambassador M. Corbett Shea, a former Prohibition-era bootlegger and business ally of the Corleones’, who wants to get his son elected to the presidency–and needs some help from his old friends;
Johnny Fontane, the world’s greatest saloon singer, who ascends to new heights as a recording artist, cozying up to Washington’s power elite and maintaining a precarious relationship with notorious underworld figures;
Kay Adams Corleone, who finally discovers the truth about her husband, Michael–and must decide what it means for their marriage and their children and
Fredo Corleone, whose death has never been fully explained until now, and whose betrayal of the Family was part of a larger and more sinister chain of events.
Sweeping from New York and Washington to Las Vegas and Cuba, The Godfather Returns is the spellbinding story of America’s criminal underworld at mid-century and its intersection with the political, legal, and entertainment empires. Mark Winegardner brings an original voice and vision to Mario Puzo’s mythic characters while creating several equally unforgettable characters of his own. The Godfather Returns stands on its own as a triumph–in a tale about what we love, yearn for, and sometimes have reason to fear . . . family.
From the Hardcover edition.
Download Description
THE MISSING YEARS FROM THE GREATEST CRIME SAGA OF ALL TIME
Thirty-five years ago, Mario Puzo’s great American tale, The Godfather, was published, and popular culture was indelibly changed. Now, in The Godfather Returns, acclaimed novelist Mark Winegardner continues the story—the years not covered in Puzo’s bestselling book or in Francis Ford Coppola’s classic films.
It is 1955. Michael Corleone has won a bloody victory in the war among New York’s crime families. Now he wants to consolidate his power, save his marriage, and take his family into legitimate businesses. To do so, he must confront his most dangerous adversary yet, Nick Geraci, a former boxer who worked his way through law school as a Corleone street enforcer, and who is every bit as deadly and cunning as Michael. Their personal cold war will run from 1955 to 1962, exerting immense influence on the lives of America’s most powerful criminals and their loved ones, including:
Tom Hagen, the Corleone Family’s lawyer and consigliere, who embarks on a political career in Nevada while trying to protect his brother;
Francesca Corleone, daughter of Michael’s late brother Sonny, who is suddenly learning her family’s true history and faces a difficult choice;
Don Louie Russo, head of the Chicago mob, who plays dumb but has wily ambitions for muscling in on the Corleones’ territory;
Peter Clemenza, the stalwart Corleone underboss, who knows more Family secrets than almost anyone;
Ambassador M. Corbett Shea, a former Prohibition-era bootlegger and business ally of the Corleones’, who wants to get his son elected to the presidency—and needs some help from his old friends;
Johnny Fontane, the world’s greatest saloon singer, who ascends to new heights as a recording artist, cozying up to Washington’s power elite and maintaining a precarious relationship with notorious underworld figures;
Kay Adams Corleone, who finally discovers the truth about her husband, Michael—and must decide what it means for their marriage and their children and
Fredo Corleone, whose death has never been fully explained until now, and whose betrayal of the Family was part of a larger and more sinister chain of events.
Sweeping from New York and Washington to Las Vegas and Cuba, The Godfather Returns is the spellbinding story of America’s criminal underworld at mid-century and its intersection with the political, legal, and entertainment empires. Mark Winegardner brings an original voice and vision to Mario Puzo’s mythic characters while creating several equally unforgettable characters of his own. The Godfather Returns stands on its own as a triumph—in a tale about what we love, yearn for, and sometimes have reason to fear…family.
Customer Reviews:
Great Reading.......2007-07-24
I just finished reading this book myself and was delighted at most of how it was abridged by chapter and book form. I have also read the original Godfather book by Mario Puzo and seen all three movies. Highly recommend this.
slow.......2007-06-28
When I think of the Godfather I think of action packed mafia style war. I remember the surprising jumps into the future where the details are explained in later chapters. I think of characters that I like or even love and the concept of respect. This book does not give me the same feeling. I understand that Winegardner is partly trying to fill in the gaps between the movies and the original. It just doesn't have the same style that made the Godfather so thrilling. I believe that the plot is solid and with some changes with the way the book was written could be the difference between what was produced and what Puzo could have produced.
A story would help.......2007-06-05
I stuck with Godfather Returns because I love the characters but it would have been a whole lot better with a story. The icky porn scene every 20 pages or so was ineffective compensation. It ended as if the author just ran out of ink or paper. What a missed opportunity.
A Bit Disconnected.........2007-06-03
This is probably an offer you CAN refuse. The author has undertaken an unenviable task in writing a book that is a sequel to one of the most interesting novels in the last 30 years. First the good: 1) the characters are back. However, it is just not the same without Don Vito Corleone. 2) We find out the fate of the family buffoon, Fredo 3) We get a whole section on Michael's WWII experience. Now, the bad: 1) The author lacks Puzo's ability to give us the "feel" of the Mafia experience. 2) Each chapter seems like a book of short Mafia short stories.
All-in-all, not a terrible book; it just pales in comparison to its predecessor.
A nice pass time of a book.......2007-03-29
This is not a bad book. It is not a great book. It is a nice diverting way to spend a few hours. It suffers, however, by comparison to the original Puzo novel and to the movies (especially the first two). It gave an interesting and plausible back story to Fredo, and why he would unwillingly betray his brother and his family.
There were some aspects of the book that I found incompatible with the Godfather `canon" - most importantly the introduction of Nick Geraci as a major character and Tom Hagen's career choices. The book also spends too much time on the live of one of Sonny's daughters. In addition, some of the dates and back story did not seem to mesh with what was stated in the novel and the movies.
Read it, it is fun. But do not expect something as great as the Godfather.
Book Description
An Offer You Can't Refuse…
· Details on every building, business, racket, hub, and compound revealed
· Covers The Godfather: Mob Wars for the PSP (PlayStation Portable)
· Covers the new Xbox 360 and PSP (PlayStation Portable) versions of the game PLUS all previous versions as
well
· Includes everything you need to dominate as the Don of New York City and complete 100% of the game
· Optimal tactics and multiple paths for every mission and contract hit
· Learn all BlackHand attacks, execution styles, and extortion techniques
· All secrets uncovered — from safes, heists, and film reels to racket trucks and weapon upgrades
· How to maximize you money and respect
· Double-sided poster inside!
Customer Reviews:
Very clear and helpful book.......2007-03-17
Anyone who loved the original movies and novel will enjoy the game. Anyone who wishes to spend serious time not getting killed in the game should pick up this book.
"The Godfather" is a richly detailed odyssey, and to make the most of its demanding and thrilling scenarios, you're going to need all the help you can get. This text offers an abundance of information on everything from character profiles, to scene maps, to instructions on how to carry out tasks. It's hard to get ahead in business these days, and if you want to get to the end with your wits about you, this is the best guide. Saves you a ton of trouble.
Book Description
In six essays written especially for this volume, The Godfather trilogy is reexamined from a variety of perspectives. Providing original analyses on the form and significance of Coppola's achievement, they demonstrate how the filmmaker revised the conventions of the American crime film in the Vietnam era, his treatment of the capitalism of the criminal underworld and its inherent violence, the power struggles within Hollywood over the film, and the contribution of opera to the epic force and cinematic style of Coppola's vision of an American criminal dynasty.
Customer Reviews:
Just when you think you've read the dumbest review............2004-03-11
I find it striking that there are so many dumb people in the world. Like the person who wrote the review of this book and said "it's better than The Godfather...Mario Puzzo does an excellent job"! First, Editors Nick Browne & Horton Andrew wrote this book -- NOT MARIO PUZZO! Secondly, it analyzes the trilogy -- it's not an addition to the trilogy -- and thirdly, quit writing reviews about stuff you don't know. That's something I cannot understand, you write about something you know nothing about!
Amazing.......2001-01-20
I could not stop turning the pages! I read & re-read the book, and I am still completly compelled with the Godfather! Much better than the movies! This is simply one of the best novels that has ever been written. It can hold its own among some of the greatest writers in history. Truly the defining novel of its genre. Mario Puzo has written the perfect novel and I for one will never forget his work.
Amazon.com
Paul Klebnikov tells the incredible story of Boris Berezovsky, a one-time Russian car dealer who assembled a huge--and illicit--fortune after the collapse of Communism. "This individual had risen out of nowhere to become the richest businessman in Russia and one of the most powerful individuals in the country," writes Klebnikov, a respected reporter for Forbes. "This is a story of corruption so profound that many readers might have trouble believing it." Yet Godfather of the Kremlin is a careful work of journalism in which Klebnikov documents the business dealings of a man who once bragged to the Financial Times that he and six other men controlled half of the Russian economy and rigged Boris Yeltsin's reelection in 1996. Berezovsky survived both an assassination attempt and a murder investigation, and paved the way to power for Vladimir Putin. He and the other crony capitalists of post-Soviet Russia like to rationalize their deeds, writes Klebnikov: "Whenever I asked Russia's business magnates about the orgy of crime produced by the market reforms, they invariably excused it by pointing to the robber barons of American capitalism. Russia's bandit capitalism was no different from American capitalism in the late nineteenth century, they argued." Yet nothing could be further from the truth: Carnegie, Rockefeller, and their peers transformed the United States into an economic superpower. Berezovsky, on the other hand, has "produced no benefit to Russia's consumers, industries, or treasury." It's not that he didn't have an opportunity. To pick one example among many, he took over Aeroflot when it had a monopoly position in a booming market. But the company barely grew, and instead experienced myriad problems. Berezovsky controlled many businesses, but he was a lousy business manager; his only authentic success--as an auto dealer--depended on collusion. His real skill is shady dealmaking, especially with corrupt government officials. That's the way to success in modern Russia, as this well-told but troubling book reveals. --John J. Miller
Book Description
Boris Berezovsky's business career has been meteoric. In just six years he managed to seize control of Russia's largest auto manufacturer, largest TV network, national airline, and one of the world's biggest oil companies. When Moscow's gangster families battled one another in the Great Mob War of 1993-1994, Berezovsky was in the thick of it. He was badly burned by a car bomb; his driver was decapitated. A year later, Berezovsky emerged as the prime suspect in the assassination of the director of the TV network he acquired. Although plagued by scandal, he enjoyed President Yeltsin's support, serving as the personal "financial advisor" to Yeltsin and his family. In 1996, Berezovsky organized the financing of Yeltsin's re-election campaign-a campaign marred by fraud, embezzlement, and attempted murder. Berezovsky became the president's most influential political advisor, playing a key role in forming governments and dismissing prime ministers. Having labored to privatize the economy, Berezovsky privatized the state. Based on hundreds of taped interviews with top businessmen and government officials, as well as on secret police reports, contractual documents, and surveillance tapes, Godfather of the Kremlin is both a gripping story and a unique historical document.
Customer Reviews:
The Deadly Truth........2007-05-23
I personally witnessed the outcomes of the corrupted rule of the culprits portrayed by late Paul Klebnikov.
Many Russians believe that the truths revealed in this book were the cause of author's murder.
Great insight for Americans.......2007-03-01
This book tells a powerful story that most Americans are, sadly, unfamiliar with. Mr. Klebnikov outlines in impressive detail the history of Russia during the very turbulent times of the 1990s. The development of gangster capitalism under the Yeltsin regime in an environment of political corruption was a tragic episode in Russian history and an example of an opportunity squandered. This book outlines the rise of the mafia in Russia in the post-glasnost time period and the links they had to the Chechens and to the political leaders of the time.
While I sometimes became a bit lost in all the details and Russian names with which I was unfamiliar, the story came through well as Mr. Klebnikov built, step-by-step, a solid and well-documented case. This story is an important one for Americans who wish to better understand what happened during this time period and how it affected, and still affects, Russia. From political assassinations to presidential elections - the book tells a compelling and sadly disturbing story.
Since I have several Russian friends, I felt I owed it to myself to become more familiar with recent Russian history. And this book did not let me down. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in understanding Russia better and I suspect it will in time become a classic for the detailed description it provides of this time period in Russian history.
Highly recommended!
Berezovsky & the Litvininenko Killing (Polonium).......2007-02-22
Everybody should read this book - it helps to put the entire Litvinenko killing in perspective ; the dead Russian spy worked for Berezovsky - given Berezovsky long criminal history it would not be surprising at all that he was directly involved in murdering his own employee as part of his long ongoing campaign to overthrow the democratically elected president Putin and thereby illegally regain control of all of Russia's natural resources including in particular Russia's oil and gas wealth.
His insight Got him Killed.......2007-01-04
Paul Klebnikov is a modern Russian hero. He was assasinated because he tried to show the world how corrupt Russia had become at the hands of the oligarchs. "The Decline of Russia in the Age of Gangster Capitalism" is well written and organized. It follows not only the "rise" of Berezovsky but also illustrates how the majority of the Duma (Russian Congress) was in fact acting on behalf of the gangsters or were in fact gangsters themselves holding seats in the house.
It is a reavealing look into the saddest chapter of Russian history. A must read for anyone interested in politics or modern history. It is a shame and loss to us all that Paul was killed. Who knows what other truths he could have recovered had he lived. It is also a shame that in our modern age of information, only a few speak the truth - and if they speak to loudly they are silenced, as was Paul. May he rest in peace.
If you enjoyed this book, Paul also did an interview called "Theft of the century: Privatization and the looting of Russia." If you google it, you will find it on the net.
Telling The Truth Will Get You Murdered!.......2006-07-12
I am halfway through this incredible book and it deeply disturbs me that American Paul Klebnikov died because of this book and other articles he wrote while working in Russia for Forbes Magazine. Of late, all one reads is how someone incredibly powerful managed to get off the hook in one way or another. I am just weary of all the lies in the press and the deceitful 'spin' that the US media gives to people they find useful. No, we don't kill our reporters, but we ruin them in other ways. I hope I live long enough to see this change, but I fear it won't happen in my lifetime. I have learned from personal experiences in my life that 99 percent of what I have read and believed to be true was a lie. It starts with Santa Claus and moves on from there. This book has made me want to read more about Russia, the people, and the various governments. How sad I spent half of my life living in fear of the Russians, and they us. I tried to find 'Conversations With A Barbarian', also by Mr. Klebnikov, but it is no longer available. I feel so awful for his family and friends.
Book Description
Whirlwind's story is, indeed, a history of black tennis in America. Almost every significant African-American player to emerge before the 1980s trained on his backyard court.
Customer Reviews:
An example of opeing your doors to others..........2007-07-17
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is one that every well-to-do African American should read. It details how those who had opened their doors to help others who couldn't afford to. How building and making available to those promising few kids something they could strive for. We need more like whirlwind today.
Remebering the Great Ones.......2006-04-06
This book was such a great breath of fresh air! It is so good to read about African-American accomplishments, but it is even better to find out how it began. We always hear about the tennis greats of today, like the Williams' sisters but what about those African-Americans who paved the way. Doug Smith did an excellent job of presenting Dr. Johnson's story. I loved it!
Writers Notes 2005 Book Award Winner.......2005-04-28
Among the common qualities of world-changing people, you'll find passion, discipline, and an unrelenting determination to succeed. Dr. Robert Walter Johnson is no exception. It wasn't enough for Johnson to be a legendary college running back-thus the nickname `Whirlwind'--and a practicing medical doctor. He took his backyard pastime of tennis and built doors for the African American community into an exclusionary sport, shepherding the early tennis careers of greats such as Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe. Noted tennis writer Doug Smith delivers a gripping story of the life and times of this superb athlete, mentor, and visionary.
A fascinating and important sports book.......2004-12-24
"Whirlwind" portrays the triumphs and travails of an unsung pioneer for racial justice in the mostly white tennis world before and after Althea Gibson broke the color barrier in 1950.
Doug Smith, who attended the tennis program conducted by Dr. Robert Walter Johnson, chronicles how Arthur Ashe, Althea Gibson and other promising young African-American players learned lessons about ethics and etiquette as well as strokes and strategy. Dr. Johnson, while an altruist, was no saint, particularly in his family life, and his personal adventures and misadventures are part of what makes this biography so fascinating. Sports fans and history lovers will especially appreciate this poignant story. I highly recommend it.
Catch a whirlwind..........2004-11-26
for Christmas! Last-minute shoppers need to get this carefully crafted description of the life of a visionary, Dr. Robert Johnson. Smith makes the reader feel transported to a time when life was definitely not simpler for all and illustrates the struggles Johnson faced with clarity and personal admiration. As a lifelong sports fan, I was amazed that I hadn't heard more about Ashe's former coach. Can't wait for your next one!
Books:
- The Gold Coast
- The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town
- The Jesus Family Tomb: The Discovery, the Investigation, and the Evidence That Could Change History
- The Kitchen Witch (The Accidental Witch Trilogy, Book 1) (Berkley Sensation)
- The Last of the Red-Hot Vampires
- The Leadership Moment: Nine True Stories of Triumph and Disaster and Their Lessons for Us All
- The Power of Impossible Thinking: Transform the Business of Your Life and the Life of Your Business
- The Power of Impossible Thinking: Transform the Business of Your Life and the Life of Your Business
- The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Purpose Driven Life)
- The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Purpose Driven Life)
Books Index
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