The Dillinger Days

By: John Toland

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

Length: 12 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

For 13 violent months in the 1930s, John Dillinger and his gang swept through the Midwest. The criminals of the Depression robbed almost at will, as the Indiana State Police had only 41 members, including clerks and typists. Dillinger's daring escapes at Crown Point jail or through the withering machine gun fire of FBI agents at Little Bohemia Lodge, along with his countless bank robberies, excited the imagination of a despondent country. He eluded the lawmen of a half-dozen states and the growing power of the FBI, earning him the dubious honor of Public Enemy Number One and captivating Americans to the present day. His brief but significant career is vividly chronicled here in extraordinary detail, as is the entire outlaw era of Baby Face Nelson, Bonnie and Clyde, Ma Barker, and Machine Gun Kelly. John Toland conducted hundreds of interviews; his research took him through 34states, into the cells where Dillinger was confined, and into every bank he robbed.

The Dillinger Days is the inside account of a desperate and determined war between the law and the lawless, a struggle that did not end until a unique set of circumstances led to Dillinger's bloody death outside a Chicago movie house.

©2017 John Toland (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

overall a pretty straightforward account.

while I loved the book overall, the fact that the narrator felt the need to say coopay instead of coupe drove me absolutely crazy.

Old one but a good one

I probably first read this book 35 years ago and enjoyed very much hearing Grover Gardner re-read it to me. Dillinger is the main focus but Toland also expertly weaves in the stories of Bonnie and Clyde,The Barkers and various other criminals and law enforcement officers. Never a dull moment and gripping at times. Would love to see Audible get an unabridged version of Bryan Burrough's Public Enemies to get a more recent take on the same era.

Great book- just know there are inaccuracies

Good book, well written and entertaining. I spotted a lot of inaccuracies and generalities, but as long as you’re not using this as a basis for a scholarly work- highly recommend. I gave it five stars due to it being well written and entertaining, not to mention it currently being free. Even if I’d paid for it, despite spotting inaccuracies- I would feel like I got a good value.

Good

The voice is pretty cheesy. Great story overall. The book was pretty accurate no myth.

Riveting book!

I recently saw the movie on John Dillinger, and so when I saw a book entitled The Dillinger Days, I had to check it out. Marvelous book from beginning to end. I would highly recommend it. All thumbs up.

very good!

I liked this book . I have a interest in John Dillinger and the depression gangs!

Excellent straightforward telling of the facts.

It was nice to hear a good, straightforward telling with no favoritism or leanings. The book let’s you decide for yourself how you view the Gangsters and the Cops, and the FBI of that time.

Excellent reader as well.

Interesting

Although an interesting and entertaining listen, it's hard to overlook the factual inaccuracies, mostly regarding Bonnie and Clyde. This fact leaves me wondering how many other portions are also inaccurate.

Enjoyed this despite...

Some reviewers complained of factual inaccuracies. Perhaps, as an Aussie I wouldn’t know and I hadn’t read much about Dillinger. Regardless, I found this to be thoroughly engaging and Grover’s narration was up to his usual high standard. Overall, a great listen.

very well done

I found this book to be very informative. It filled in a lot of blanks from the stories I heard as a child.