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Black Mass: Whitey Bulger, the FBI, and a Devil's Deal Audiobook
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(3.02) - 1,547 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
James “Whitey” Bulger became one of the most ruthless gangsters in US history, and all because of an unholy deal he made with a childhood friend. John Connolly, a rising star in the Boston FBI office, offered Bulger protection in return for helping the Feds eliminate Boston’s Italian mafia. But no one offered Boston protection from Whitey Bulger, who, in a blizzard of gangland killings, took over the city’s drug trade. Whitey’s deal with Connolly’s FBI spiraled out of control to become the biggest informant scandal in FBI history.
Black Mass is a New York Times and Boston Globe bestseller, written by two former reporters who were on the case from the beginning. It is an epic story of violence, double-cross, and corruption at the center of which are the black hearts of two old friends whose lives unfolded in the darkness of permanent midnight.
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"Excellent in-depth reporting of Whitey Bulger and Stevie Flemmi. A horrifying expose of the FBI and how Bulger manipulated them, not the other way around. Bulger is described as vicious and amoral. Anyone that wants the background to go with the recent arrest of Bulger should read this."
— Louise (5 out of 5 stars)
Black Mass Listener Reviews
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Jozsef Mihaly Dr. Dus, 4/19/2019
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" I liked that it was very informative, it was something different because it was dealing with the Irish mob. For not being able to finish the full story because as of then he was not caught, I thought it was very good! "
— Zachary, 2/15/2014 -
" This was interesting, but the narrative was awful. The reporter thinks he's writing some kind of crime noir I think. It's full of hackneyed cliches. The chronology and details are good however. Quite an unbelieveable real-life story. "
— Troy, 2/15/2014 -
" The book that started my interest in organized crime. Brilliantly written and researched. "
— Jake, 1/29/2014 -
" The quintessential mafia tale. If you like "The Departed," you'll love this book. "
— Matt, 1/27/2014 -
" awful. just a former newspaper reporter bragging his brains out in a book. "
— Michael, 1/24/2014 -
" Fantastic. These two are outstanding journalists that capture the events and time frame exceptionally well. Cannot wait to read their new book about James "Whitey" Bulger. "
— Tim, 1/19/2014 -
" this was pretty well done for a sprawling book about the Boston mob. it's hard to read at times b/c of all the different characters they have to introduce so at points it can get confusing. "
— Kristin, 1/11/2014 -
" Great perspective on the downfall of not monitoring snitches "
— Luigib, 1/7/2014 -
" cool book. I lived in southie for a while and it was wild reading about places I knew very well. Boston has changed quite a bit since this was written, but it still provides a colorful history of some of the lesser known neighborhoods of the city. "
— Ben, 1/6/2014 -
" Having watched the Boston news as all this was going down, I found the book facinating. There are parralls to the Penn State scandal in that loyalty and family clouded judgement. I was amazed at all the people involved in this. It makes you wonder if you can trust anyone. "
— Ann, 1/2/2014 -
" God love journalism. "
— Kendra, 1/1/2014 -
" This definately falls under the "you can't make this stuff up" category. This story of Whitey Bulger and the FBI as told by two Golbe reporters is gripping and very disturbing. The final chapters are actually being written in a courtroom now. I would rate it higher, but damn it's depressing. "
— Brendan, 12/23/2013 -
" Living in New England, I remember when this story broke. I was still in school at the time, and didn't pay much attention to the details. This book brought it all back. I kept forgetting I was reading a true story, not a fantastic crime novel! "
— Melinda, 12/13/2013 -
" Great book. The actual first-hand account from the journalists that broke the story on Whitey Bulger. Great addition to The Brothers Bulger. "
— David, 12/8/2013 -
" Great book with TONS of tidbits about the FBI and Whitey Bulger. Easy read despite the amount of information contained within the book. "
— Michael, 12/2/2013 -
" Interesting read since it is a true story that takes place locally. "
— Denise, 11/24/2013 -
" There are many books out there covering the corrupt alliance between the Irish Mob and the Boston FBI. However, this one is probably the best researched and the most accurate. "
— Walt, 9/6/2013 -
" I enjoyed this book and could not put it down. It is shocking to see how much power Whitey Bulger had in this area "
— Susan, 9/5/2013 -
" If you live in the North End... a must read! "
— Megan, 8/30/2013 -
" Boston girl love everything about whitey "
— Barbara, 7/8/2013 -
" Interesting, but I couldn't keep all the people straight, even with the Cast of Characters provided at the start of the book. Also, this was published over 10 years ago, so a few more developments in this case have occurred in the meantime. "
— Meghan, 6/19/2013 -
" Absorbing and fast paced. "
— David, 5/16/2013 -
" Really proud to have worked on this book. "
— Gene, 3/28/2013 -
" This was recommended by a friend... "
— Corey, 3/18/2013 -
" I wish "The Departed" was more like this. "
— Alex, 2/23/2013 -
" Compelling story, but not particularly well written "
— Virginia, 12/31/2012 -
" Meh+, interesting story, sort of slow at times. "
— Jlkaskey, 12/5/2012 -
" This is being made into a movie. I tried to convert it to a Screenplay in 2003. "
— Douglas, 12/1/2012
About the Authors
Dick Lehr is a professor of journalism at Boston University. He is the author of seven works of nonfiction and a novel for young adults. His book The Birth of a Movement: How Birth of a Nation Ignited The Battle for Civil Rights became the basis for a PBS/Independent Lens documentary. Two other books were Edgar Award finalists: The Fence: A Police Cover-up along Boston’s Racial Divide and Judgment Ridge: The True Story behind the Dartmouth Murders. He has previously written for the Boston Globe, where he was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in investigative reporting and won numerous national and local journalism awards. He was a John S. Knight Journalism Fellow at Stanford University.
Gerard O’Neill has won the Pulitzer Prize in journalism as well as many other national journalism awards. He was the longtime editor of the Boston Globe’s award-winning investigative team. He co-authored Black Mass and also, with Dick Lehr, The Underboss, as well as Rogues and Redeemers, a political history of the Boston Irish focusing on the city’s most famous mayors.
About the Narrators
John Rubinstein is an actor, composer, and director who won a Tony Award for his starring role in Broadway’s Children of a Lesser God. He has narrated dozens of audiobooks, earning several AudioFile Earphones Awards and being named a finalist for the prestigious Audie Award for best narration in 2013.
Angela Goethals is a native New Yorker who has appeared on and off Broadway in Picnic, Four Baboons Adoring the Sun, and The Good Times Are Killing Me, for which she won an Obie Award and a Drama Desk nomination. Since moving to Los Angeles with her husband, she has appeared on Grey’s Anatomy, Without a Trace, and Boston Public, with a recurring role on 24.