Batchelor, Bob

Compared with William Cook’s King of the Bootleggers, this is a more comprehensive look at Remus’s life, though Cook’s work more closely examines its subject’s political connections and has deeper coverage of his courtroom performances. Recommended primarily for readers already interested in nonfiction accounts of organized crime or Prohibition.

This accessible and engaging book, which is similar in scope, size, and style but slightly less scholarly than the Cambridge Companion to Bob Dylan (2009), is a solid primer for students and critical readers and could inspire further, more inclusive study.

While fans of Fitzgerald's work would be better served by Matthew Bruccoli's excellent biography Some Sort of Epic Grandeur, this title may still interest those wanting to investigate further the novel's enduring appeal.

Although many pop-culture sets exist, this one stands out for its focus on cult status and placing pop culture within the greater American experience. Appropriate for and likely appealing to patrons of public, school, and academic libraries.