A review by raychwrites
Public Enemies: America's Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the Fbi, 1933-34 by Bryan Burrough

4.0

Encyclopedic narrative journalistic account of famous outlaw gangs from the early 1930s and law enforcement’s desperate attempts to get them under control. The chaos of the era resulted in the formalizing of the FBI, although they basically accomplished their goals by assassinating everyone (this isn’t a spoiler, it’s a pretty well-known fact).

The author and editors had a colossal task in keeping the various storylines distinct while also weaving them together into a coherent narrative.