Email Novel Suspects Logo
Hachette provides comprehensive global distribution services in the following territories:
United States flag Switch to United States region United Kingdom flag Switch to United Kingdom region Australia flag Switch to Australia region India flag Switch to India region

Hachette Book Group menu

  • Home
  • Publishers
  • Customers
  • Sustainability
  • Retailer Portal
  • Location
  • Our Culture
  • Our Careers
Go to Hachette Book Group home

Hachette Book Group menu

  • Home
  • Publishers
  • Customers
  • Sustainability
  • Retailer Portal
  • Location
  • Our Culture
  • Our Careers

By clicking “Accept,” you agree to the use of cookies and similar technologies on your device as set forth in our Cookie Policy and our Privacy Policy. Please note that certain cookies are essential for this website to function properly and do not require user consent to be deployed.

The Gangs of Chicago

An Informal History of the Chicago Underworld

The Gangs of Chicago Open the full-size image

Loading

Contributors

By Herbert Asbury

Formats and Prices

On Sale
Sep 25, 2002
Page Count
448 pages
Publisher
Basic Books
ISBN-13
9781560254546

Price

$24.99

Price

$31.99 CAD

Format

Trade Paperback

Format:

Trade Paperback $24.99 $31.99 CAD

Buy from Other Retailers:

  • Amazon
  • Barnes & Noble
  • Books-A-Million
  • Bookshop
  • Target
  • Walmart

This classic history of crime tells how Chicago’s underworld earned — and kept — its reputation. Recounting the lives of such notorious denizens as the original Mickey Finn, the mass murderer H. H. Holmes, and the three Car Barn Bandits, Asbury reveals life as it was lived in the criminal districts of the Levee, Hell’s Half-Acre, the Bad Lands, Little Cheyenne, Custom House Place, and the Black Hole. His description of Chicago’s infamous red light district — where the brothels boasted opulence unheard of before or since — vividly captures the wicked splendor that was Chicago. The Gangs of Chicago spans from the time “Slab Town” was settled to Prohibition days. The story of Chicago’s golden age of crime climaxes with a dramatic account of the careers of the “biggest of the Big Shots”: Big Jim Colosimo, Terrible Johnny Torrio, and the elusive Al Capone. Photographs and illustrations round out this telling of Chicago’s early underworld. “Still the most detailed, reliable, and readable account of the nether side of Chicago’s first century, deserves reading and rereading . . . ” — Perry R. Duis, Chicago historian

Genre:

  • Nonfiction
  • History
  • United States
  • 20th Century

Herbert Asbury (1891-1963) was a prolific journalist, editor, newspaperman, and author of The Gangs of New York, The Barbary Coast, The French Quarter, Sucker's Progress, The Gangs of Chicago, and other books.

You May Also Like

Freedom Season
Freedom Season $34.00 $45.00 CAD
Golden Years
Golden Years $32.00 $42.00 CAD
The Stadium
The Stadium $32.00 $41.00 CAD
Reds
Reds $35.00 $45.00 CAD
The Last Honest Man
The Last Honest Man $21.99 $28.99 CAD

Herbert Asbury

About the Author

Herbert Asbury (1891-1963) was a prolific journalist, editor, newspaperman, and author of The Gangs of New York, The Barbary Coast, The French Quarter, Sucker’s Progress, The Gangs of Chicago, and other books.

Learn more about this author

▲
HBG Distribution logo
  • FAQ
  • Vendors
  • Cookie Policy
  • Report Piracy
  • Fraud Alert
  • CPSIA
  • GPSR
© 2026 Hachette Book Group | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Do Not Sell My Personal Information