J Edgar Hoover was the face of the FBI But the federal agents in the field relentlessly chasing the most notorious gangsters of the 1930s with their own lives on the line truly transformed the Bureau. In 1932 the FBI lacked jurisdiction over murder cases It also could not pursue bank robberies or kidnappings and it had no power of arrest Relegated to the sidelines the Bureau mostly investigated corporate wrongdoing such as bank fraud and antitrust violations Agents spent their days at their desks But all of that changed during the War on Crime which began in 1933 and lasted until 1936 Hunting down infamous public enemies in tense frequently blood soaked shootouts the Bureau was thrust into the front pages for the first time. Young agents fresh out of law school and anticipating a quiet white collar job faced off with murderous felons who were heavily armed clad in bulletproof vests and owned cars that outraced the best vehicles the Bureau had But the federal men were fiercely devoted to the Bureau to each other and to bringing America s most wanted criminals to justice. The G men crisscrossed the United States in pursuit of the likes of John Dillinger Bonnie and Clyde Ma Barker s criminal family Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd But they were always one step behind and a moment too late the criminals slipping between their fingers and leaving bodies in their wake Facing mounting criticism the agents had to learn to adapt After all than their reputations were at stake John Oller transports readers right to the most harrowing and consequential raids of the 1930s with fast paced action that shows the lengths both sides will go to win Gangster Hunters How Hoover s G men Vanquished America s Deadliest Public EnemiesThanks to John Oller Penguin Group Dutton and NetGalley for access to the Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is a very readable and comprehensive account of the gangster era It s clear the author has done considerable research as noted by the extensive notes and bibliography in the back of the book and he has used that research to great effect This is a very interesting and well done book about a fascinating time in US history Recommended John Oller 4. 5 5 stars John Oller s Gangster Hunters was a fascinating account of the FBI s War on Crime which served as the inception of the FBI as we know it today Oller details the critical few years in which the bureau necessarily evolved in order to track down and apprehend famous gangsters like Bonnie Clyde Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd. Perhaps this is well known but the FBI began as an organization riddled with young middle upper class law school graduates who had zero qualifications to serve as FBI agents at least those we re familiar with in present day Contextualized by the Great Depression the FBI served as an ideal opportunity for a well paying desk job with a prestigious title yet these young men were met with quite the surprise when J Edgar Hoover turned the FBI into a frontline crime fighting organization What was most fascinating to me was reading these accounts of ill equipped young men fumbling investigations particularly when compared to modern day stories of the FBI like those portrayed through shows like Criminal Minds. Despite being a non fiction Oller s writing style allows this book to read like a fiction I m generally a fan of non fictions but am able to recognize that many non fictions can be difficult to get through Instead I found myself drawn to this book unable to put it down. I would definitely recommend this book to others especially history buffs in fact I m planning to gift this book once it s published Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for this ARC John Oller 5 starsThis is a very good book It is filled with facts personalities and some very audacious crimes At the inception of the FBI only later renamed to FBI the agency did not have arrest powers They did not catch violent criminals or kidnappers They were empowered to investigate white collar crimes However that changed in 1933 when a War on Crime was proclaimed by the government During the years between 1933 and 1936 the FBI chased captured and killed and were killed many many public enemies Pretty Boy Floyd Baby Face Nelson Ma Barker Bonnie Clyde and John Dillinger were just a few of the miscreants and killers the FBI caught and or killed They also worked and solved some high profile kidnappings The Bureau had arrived They made the front pages of newspapers they were the subjects of radio programs They were proclaimed heroes in pulp fiction As a group the men no women allowed at that time were intelligent dedicated and wholly devoted to their jobs My feelings for Hoover aside they were a group of individuals to be admired Mr Oller tells a good story The book is not at all dry or difficult to follow The author takes the reader on an informative and fascinating journey I liked this book very much and recommend it to anyone who enjoys the history of law enforcement true crime or American history I want to thank NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton Dutton for forwarding to me a copy of this very entertaining book for me to read enjoy and review The opinions expressed in this review are solely my own John Oller