Organized Crime: An Inside Guide to the World's Most Successful...

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 192 pages
• Published by: DK ADULT May 1, 2006
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0756618991
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0756618995
• Book Dimensions: 10.5 x 8.8 x 0.6 inches
• Weighs: 1.8 pounds

From Publishers Weekly
From the unusual origin of the term "Mafia" to the hit TV series The Sopranos, Lunde, who, according to his bio, "has long been interested in the structure and spread of organized crime," surveys a subculture that most law-abiding readers will hope they never directly encounter. In the first section, "What Is Organized Crime?," the author gives a succinct overview, then in part two identifies four major areas of criminal activity: "Exploiting the Human Condition," "Supplying the Illicit," "Extortion and Protection" and "Manipulating Money." The bulk of the book focuses on crime groups by geographic or cultural origin, starting with the Sicilian Mafia and including those that operate in Britain, Russia, Japan, China, the U.S., Mexico and South America. Color and sepia-toned illustrations, ranging from photographs of such recent white-collar felons as Nick Leeson and Michael Milken to mug shots of such legendary mobsters as Al Capone and grimly similar pictures of bloody victims of gangland hits, perfectly complement the incisive text. FYI: James Morton (Gangland International) is credited as the associate author.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Description
Providing a fascinating and in-depth account of the criminal underworld, from Al Capone and Pablo Escobar to the lesser-known Russian and Chinese crime figures, this is an insider's guide to each organization's origins, codes of conduct, and control of illegal markets.

Reader Reviews
For a coffee table-type book of less than 200 pages, this does provide a pretty good overview of the history, structure, and operations of major organized crime groups throughout the world and also offers a wonderful photo collection. Documentation is sparse, a few common legends are recirculated, and the sidebar on the Tommygun contains some inaccuracies but it's still a much better book than I expected.