Scan barcode
A review by modern_analog
Go Down Together: The True, Untold Story of Bonnie and Clyde by Jeff Guinn
5.0
I couldn't put this book down. It's a researched historical account of the life and times of Clyde and Bonnie. It details what life was like for poor farmers during the dustbowl and the depression. Otherwise law abiding, God fearing citizens turned to theft or bootlegging just to feed their families and once the law was after you, a lack of civil rights meant they could detain you any time they wanted on grounds of 'suspicion,' making it hard to go straight and get a factory job.
Clyde started down this path and as he got himself in deeper he eventually saw no way out but to continue with life on the run. That's not to say he didn't do horrible things. He stole and kidnapped and killed to escape ambush, but he and Bonnie were far from the cold blooded gangsters presented in the media. They spent much of their crime spree camping in their car in the backwoods, eating tinned food with the money they stole from banks. This book doesn't worship or condemn them, but it helps explain their motivation for the actions that ultimately led to the couple's death.
Clyde started down this path and as he got himself in deeper he eventually saw no way out but to continue with life on the run. That's not to say he didn't do horrible things. He stole and kidnapped and killed to escape ambush, but he and Bonnie were far from the cold blooded gangsters presented in the media. They spent much of their crime spree camping in their car in the backwoods, eating tinned food with the money they stole from banks. This book doesn't worship or condemn them, but it helps explain their motivation for the actions that ultimately led to the couple's death.