American Tabloid
American Tabloid
James Ellroy
Michael Batnick
Such a good book. - Michael Batnick
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American Tabloid

American Tabloid

James Ellroy
By
James Ellroy
4.2
1103
ratings on Goodreads

In the shadowy corridors of power where history is shaped, "American Tabloid" by James Ellroy delves into the tumultuous era that witnessed the rise of JFK, the Bay of Pigs invasion, and a president's assassination. Through the eyes of three rogue law-enforcement officers—a defector from the LAPD and two FBI agents—Ellroy crafts a clandestine world where the Mafia, the CIA, and icons like J. Edgar Hoover and Howard Hughes play a high-stakes game of chess. This gritty narrative unfolds a secret history, revealing the sinister alliances and brutal tactics employed to manipulate events and cement legacies. The novel’s relentless pace and visceral language immerse readers into a vortex of ambition, betrayal, and corruption, creating a riveting exploration of American history's dark underbelly. Ellroy's mastery is evident in his unflinching portrayal of a period riddled with secrets, now laid bare in a narrative as daring and explosive as the events it chronicles. "American Tabloid" transcends the confines of genre, presenting a panoramic view of a nation on the brink of moral and political upheaval. With characters as complex as the plots they weave, Ellroy invites readers on a harrowing journey into the heart of American darkness, where loyalty is bought with blood and the price of power is unfathomable. This novel is not just a story—it's an experience, a stark reminder of the forces that shape our world, often from the shadows.

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Released
1995
14 Feb
Length
592
Pages

1

recommendations

recommendation

Such a good book. - Michael Batnick
America was never innocent. We popped our cherry on the boat over and looked back with no regrets. You can't ascribe our fall from grace to any single event or set of circumstances. You can't lose what you lacked at conception.Mass-market nostalgia gets you hopped up for a past that never existed. Hagiography sanctifies shuck-and-jive politicians and reinvents their expedient gestures as moments of great moral weight. Our continuing narrative line is blurred past truth and hindsight. Only a reckless verisimilitude can set that line straight.The real Trinity of Camelot was Look Good, Kick Ass, Get Laid. Jack Kennedy was the mythological front man for a particularly juicy slice of our history. He called a slick line and wore a world-class haircut. He was Bill Clinton minus pervasive media scrutiny and a few rolls of flab.Jack got whacked at the optimum moment to assure his sainthood. Lies continue to swirl around his eternal flame. It's time to dislodge his urn and cast light on a few men who attended his ascent and facilitated his fall.They were rouge cops and shakedown artist. They were wiretappers and soldiers of fortune and faggot lounge entertainers. Had one second of their lives deviated off course, American History would not exist as we know it.It's time to demythologize an era and build a new myth from the gutter to the stars. It's time to embrace bad men and the price they paid to secretly define there time.Here's to them.
— James Ellroy, American Tabloid

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