Go Down Together: The True, Untold Story of Bonnie and Clyde

Excellent Book!

You probably have seen the 1967 movie about Bonnie & Clyde, with Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway...this book has their true story, and it shows just how inaccurate the movie itself really was, and how inaccurately the Barrow Gang was being portrayed. Their true story is really much more interesting, and you won't be able to put this book down. I highly recommend this book!

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

Great Book!

I highly recommend this book to anyone that has an interest in Bonnie and Clyde. It tells the story of how hard life really was in thier era. Minute details of thier lives are brought out as no other book,movie or publicatation I have ever read ( and I have read many ) or saw does. Do not expect some Hollywood version of thier lives here,

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Great book

This book is great. It is written very well and full of facts about Bonnie & Clyde. It's hard to put down. For anyone that is interested in these two people and their life in crime it's a must read! It shows them as human beings that made some really bad decisions.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Well done!

This is a great book providing not only the exploits of two legendary people, but goes in to the socioeconomic structures which prompted the two to take such drastic actions. Whereas the Beatty and Dunaway film takes incredible license with the story and combine different people into one character, the book flushes out the story and gives greater detail as to what happened.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

I could not put this book down.

A must read. This book states the true facts and shows what was gossip and fiction about Bonnie & Clyde. Everyone should read this even if you think you already know everything about their story.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Best Biography I have read in YEARS!

Thorough, well-written, detailed study of Clyde and Bonnie, their personalities, relationships, ideals. WOW! Can't say enough good about it. Must read for anyone interested in historic crimes or the people behind them. My entire opinion of these two changed after reading this book; Mr. Guinn even had family members' opinions included, and these alone are surprising. Wow. Loved it.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Intense!

GO DOWN TOGETHER: THE TRUE, UNTOLD STORY OF BONNIE AND CLYDE by Jeff Guinn is a well researched and thorough account of the lives of this notorious couple. It takes us back to the depression-era Texas and we learn about whom they were and how they became to be what history has portrayed them to be. This book is filled with all the information you ever wanted to know and a few surprises to boot.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

MADE FAMOUS BY VIOLENCE

The background of the West Dallas slums is interesting, and the research based stories of how the Barrow and Parker families survived the Great Depression is riveting.

Readers of true crime histories may be disappointed to find that two of the best known public enemies were simply antisocial outcasts, unwilling to deal with the nationwide events impacting almost everyone, and who were otherwise not special in any way except their desire for glory and propensity to commit violence without conscience.

The author debunks much of the common knowledge created by Warren Beaty's 1967 movie, "Bonnie and Clyde."

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Excellent Read and very informative

I had thought that I knew alot about the Bonnie and Clyde saga, boy was I wrong! I absolutely loved this book. The details about their early lives and the conditions that they lived in were eye opening. It really set up the whole story and helps you understand how two young people could end up as the most wanted criminals in the country. The research in this book is incrediable, to be able to reproduce Clyde and Bonnie's lives on a day to day basis over the few years they were together was amazing. It made me feel like I was right there with them on the back roads of Texas, Oklahoma, etc. I also the liked the pictures that were included in the book, besides the popular ones that everyone uses there were some unique ones that I had never seen before. I would have loved to seen more pictures. I absolutely love true crime books especially ones about the "gangster" types, Dillinger, Capone, etc. This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. Thank you. I will be looking forward to your next effort.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Amazing Work! A Must-Read

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Mr Guinn and discussing his objective for this book. His goal was to reveal the TRUE story of Bonnie and Clyde instead of retelling the Hollywood version everyone is so familiar with, and he did an excellent job. You can tell he really put effort and research into this book for it is nothing like what I knew-or thought I knew-about the real Bonnie and Clyde. You see them in a whole new light. Though it's honest and straight-forward and not embellished, it is not boring in the least. I was enthralled the whole time. I originally started reading this book because my class required it, but soon found that I thoroughly enjoyed it. I've never had so much fun with a class reading assignment. I'm not a huge fan of nonfiction, but this is an amazing piece of literature, one that everyone should read (especially those interested in individuals like Jessie James, John Dillinger and the likes). Excellent work, Guinn! I can't wait to read your other books.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Fascinating and Straight Forward

Fascinating and straight forward are the words I would use to describe this book. The author presents us with the facts, but in a very readable and interesting way. Even though they were criminals and murderers, the author takes you into their minds and why they did it. The author does not make excuses or glamorize their lives. In fact, quite the opposite. These were desperate people who came from desperate conditions. Their life on the run was not romantic and they knew things would not end well for them. They knew they would pay with their lives. It is interesting how the author contrasts these two with the "big" names of the time (Pretty Boy Floyd, John Dillinger). I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys nonfiction / biographies / history.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Great Read!!

This book is very well written. It is very informative yet very easy to read. Even if you don't like nonfiction or history type books you will like this one. The author makes a great effort to tell the true story and his research is the best of any B&C book.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Unequalled story/history telling

This is a masterpiece that even in knowing the ultimate outcome, kept me turning the pages at a fever pitch. Mr. McGuinn's attention to detail is extensive yet never gets bogged down with inconsequential data. This book reads like a Grisham novel but with a realism that captures the essence of the horrible dust bowl/depression era that made me see and understand that desperate people take desperate measures and, in fateful irony towards the end, the duo ultimately find themselves more desperate than when it all began in the festering West Dallas slums. These were not Dillingeresque, professional bankrobbers, but a pair of bungling kids...sleeping in their(stolen)car, pilferring gumball machines and holding up gas stations and grocery stores to live in the bushes. Their only "successful" bank jobs (save 1) were in the last three months of their short lives. Clyde and Bonnie are portayed as very real people...and not what legend, lore and Hollywood have depicted. It was especially profound to me to read how family oriented they truly were..."coming home" whenever they could to give their impoverished families some clothing, gifts for holidays and monies for food. Clyde's character shone through (despite the obvious murders) in his quest to live up to his word and his co-inmate/friends in "bustin 'em outta jail"...a little different today, but I think Mr. McGuinn also showed that times have not changed as much as we think they have....the law and the media create and haunt us. The inhumane prison system created a frightened and angry man who was now capable of ANYTHING before ever being sent back to the "death farm". Families are harrassed and divided and in Clyde's case,he never had a chance at keeping a "decent job" with the "laws" continual presence at his workplace....nowadays it's criminal background and credit checks. Mind your Pees and Qs America...someone is watching and wishing to make a name for themselves. This book is a real eye opener.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Go Down Together

I enjoyed this book.. informative and entertaining. I have a better understanding of the duo than I did before.
If your looking for a book about Clyde and Bonnie I believe you will not be disapointed with this one!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Read this one!

There are few books written about B&C that are both entertaining and well researched. This book is both. I expected more photos and was disappointed when I reached end of book and several pages were missing. Otherwise this book is worth reading.

great!

best book on bonnie & clyde

The real story.

This book gives the real account of two notorious criminals during the depression era. Not the Hollywood version!

Recommended read!

I really enjoyed reading this book. It stayed true to facts, not trying to over-glamorize or over-romanticize the story of Bonnie and Clyde, but instead it tells the true story of the lover's lives, including the unglamorous overnight stays in the car or botched robbery attempts. The story of Bonnie and Clyde is a fantastic story & this book is wondefully written. Like other reviews, the end did get a tad tedious though, and I found myself trying to rush through some of the last chapters.

Quite enlightening!

I thorougly enjoyed the telling of Bonnie and Clyde throughout this book. It kept your interest and was truthful as to fact and supposition.

interesting -- but kind of got long winded

Found it interesting -- and of course you can't make this stuff up -- just got a bit tedious toward end - it kind of dragged on and on