Eig makes you feel like you are in the smoky, crowded saloons, walking up downtown Chicago streets, riding in a bulbous old black automobile, not sitting on your couch reading a biography. This is no dry book of dates and names, but a fast moving story tommy guns, reporters, and corrupted politicians.
Al Capone is not a man anymore, but a symbol of crime, a symbol of how Chicago used to be. This book will bring him alive again, with his personality and troubles. He will be revealed as a family man, a man who was upset at his "scarred" reputation.
There are many important people in this book, but they are not merely mentioned briefly in passing. When you come across their names for the second time you won't have to stare off into space while you try to remember who they are. You will instead remember their occupation, their personality, and their background. Each character is fully fleshed out until you see a whole world coming together.
If you want to find out more about Capone, a man shrouded in rumors and time, this book is a must read.
Recommended to ages 14 and Up (can be a little graphic in violence and wounds)