This book tells the tale of some of each heroes who risked all to save the lives of others, and those who lust for money justified their lack of morals. There are the courageous men and women of the United States and Canadian Life-Saving Service, and Coast Guard who have heroically risked their lives when the lives of others were in peril. In contrast to the heroics some people have displayed, the Great Lakes have seen some very evil people as well. There pirates who took ships and cargo by force, or lured unsuspecting ships to run up on rocky shoals to be destroyed by the pounding surf, lumber thieves who clear cut vast tracks of forests which they did not own and gangsters who controlled prostitution, illegal liquor trade, murder for hire, sale of drugs, and anything else illegal and who would kill to protect their profits.
Author: Wayne Louis Kadar
Paperback – 8.5 x 5.5
Number of Pages: 208
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Great Lakes Heroes and Villains by Wayne Louis Kadar is a new release just published.
It may not have been the Spanish Main, but pirates did sail the Great Lakes as did all manner of thieves and bloodthirsty murders. The great Sweetwater Seas had their fair share of criminal activity. Captains sank their ships to obtain the insurance money and honest lightkeepers were “done in” for their meager savings. Throughout Prohibition the Great Lakes were the back door to America’s thirst for alcohol. Hundreds of boats hauled millions of gallons of illegal booze over the Lakes to wet the dry throats of honest citizens. Lakeshore dance halls, roadhouses and speakeasies, provided the perfect place for folks to toast “wine, women and song.” Bullets often flew as bootleggers and government agents fought it out on the Inland Seas. On shore and sometimes afloat, female companionship was always available, for a price. Relive the tales of murder, rum running and shady ladies in this great book.
Author: Frederick Stonehouse
Paperback – 8.5 x 5.5
Number of Pages: 224
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This is volume two of the original book published in 2004.
Frederick Stonehouse chronicles the bloody history of the Great Lakes crime and criminals, from the bootleggers to the pirates and thieves. Thrill to stories of murder, rum running, prostitution and more. Stories of murderers and violent death, mutiny and run running, piracy and more. Relive the tales of murder, rum running and shady ladies in this great book. This is a must-have for anyone with an interest in the dark side of Great Lakes history.
Author: Frederick Stonehouse
Paperback – 8.5 x 5.5
Number of Pages: 193
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What readers say:
I picked up this book at a store around the Straits (of Mackinac), hoping to find material on mutiny and maybe some bootlegging. I was surprised to find out that the Great Lakes at one time had a culture similar to the Old West! Only rowdier! The subtitle, “Murder, Mayhem, Booze and Broads” surely lives up to its name in this book! The book is broken down by sections, not by chronology; so the book tends to jump from time period to time period. The author blatantly interjects his own personal political/social commentaries on the subject at hand, which I found a little tiresome at times. There are also headings of cities (Fairport, Kingston, Ashland, etc.) with no State with them; so unless the reader is very familiar with cities along the Great Lakes, he might be lost in picturing exactly where these events took place. It would’ve also helped the author to hire an editor, as there are a significant number of misspelled/misplaced grammatical errors. Fortunatley, there is an abundance of photos, drawings, and vintage ads to paint a vivid picture as to what life was like around the Great Lakes from the late 18th century to the present.
This book was the most enjoyable history lesson I ever had. All that crime on the Great Lakes of Michigan- amazing! The lighthouse murders are fascinating and so are the stories of piracy. And about every other page has a picture. If you like the history channel, you will love this book.
