American Tabloid

by James Ellroy

Paperback, 592 pages

English language

Published April 24, 2001 by Vintage.

ISBN:: 978-0-375-72737-5

(12 reviews)

We are behind, and below, the scenes of JFK's presidential election, the Bay of Pigs, the assassination--in the underworld that connects Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago, D.C. . . .

Where the CIA, the Mob, J. Edgar Hoover, Howard Hughes, Jimmy Hoffa, Cuban political exiles, and various loose cannons conspire in a covert anarchy . . . Where the right drugs, the right amount of cash, the right murder, buys a moment of a man's loyalty . . .

Where three renegade law-enforcement officers--a former L.A. cop and two FBI agents--are shaping events with the virulence of their greed and hatred, riding full-blast shotgun into history. . . .

James Ellroy's trademark nothing-spared rendering of reality, blistering language, and relentless narrative pace are here in electrifying abundance, put to work in a novel as shocking and daring as anything he's written: a secret history that zeroes in on a time still …

We are behind, and below, the scenes of JFK's presidential election, the Bay of Pigs, the assassination--in the underworld that connects Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago, D.C. . . .

Where three renegade law-enforcement officers--a former L.A. cop and two FBI agents--are shaping events with the virulence of their greed and hatred, riding full-blast shotgun into history. . . .

10 editions

Rodolfo reviewed American Tabloid by James Ellroy (Underworld USA, #1)

Review of 'American Tabloid' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Primo libro della trilogia underworld. Racconta l'America degli anni che precedono l'omicidio Kennedy attraverso personaggi legati ai servizi segreti (deviati diremmo in Italia), alla mafia, al mondo degli esuli cubani e alla figura di Hoffa, una delle figure più controverse della storia recente degli Stati Uniti.
La forma narrativa è quella di un romanzo documentario in cui si confondono fatti e personaggi reali con situazioni romanzate. Un mix credibile e angosciante attraverso una scrittura stringata e violenta.
A me è piaciuto tantissimo

Michael @ Knowledge Lost reviewed American Tabloid by James Ellroy

Review of 'American Tabloid' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

At first I thought there were way too many characters and sides fighting against each other. It made it difficult to follow or to understand the characters. But then I realised, that is exactly what you want in a conspiracy/espionage novel; every side trying to setup or double cross each other, people playing a few sides in an attempt to achieve this.

The reason why I enjoy reading Ellroy books is simply because he knows how make it feel like I’m reading a book from the era. The way they talk, the way they act and especially the way Ellroy adds little bits of known truths into the book. In this book there was so much history added to the book, it almost made this book seem plausible. The bad blood between J. Edgar Hoover and the Kennedy’s, Jack Kennedy been a really ladies’ man, the hatred toward Cuba and …