Family Story of Bonnie and Clyde, The
Outlaws Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were Depression-era pop cultural icons whose careers Scoma, Clyde's sister, and writer Steele recount. Although they tred lightly over questions concerning Clyde's sexual orientation, theirs is a comprehensive, very readable true-crime effort. It is replete with copious illustrations, for Bonnie, Clyde, and troupe were shutterbugs with a flair for striking poses, and all the familiar shots of them, such as the one of Bonnie holding a gat on Clyde, are here. Less well known candid shots, many recording furtive family get-togethers from the storied gangsters' days on the run, appear, too, and such snapshots capture the couple's legendary physical attractiveness far better than the starker, more familiar ones do. The accounts of the duo's dastardly exploits are rather restrained, which is a pleasant surprise in a true-crime opus, one that lends credibility to it. An excellent blend of regional and pop cultural history, as well as a comprehensive look at a couple of American notables, this is a standout effort.Mike Tribby