Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Operation Underworld:
They may be criminals, but they are still Americans.
Quick synopsis:
The story of how the Mafia helped the war effort during World War II.
Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like:
When TVs were first being introduced to the public, RCA had to create TVs with a transparent case, so people didn’t think they were run on magic.
Fun Fact for History Nerds:
Lucky Luciano and his friends had so many people killed they earned the name “Murder Inc.”
My Take on Operation Underworld:
I feel badly for author Matthew Black because Operation Underworld sounds fantastic as a synopsis, and he clearly knows how to write. Unfortunately, there just aren’t enough interesting aspects of the story to keep it compelling.
A true story which follows how the U.S. Navy recruited the Mafia to help during World War II. Many of the names you expect to hear show up including Lucky Luciano. The navy is afraid of sabotage on the east coast and who knows it better than the wise guys running the docks?
Along the way, we learn more about everyone involved but ultimately, there is not a lot of drama to it. There is some inside baseball with the mob and a navy officer perhaps taking things too far. However, there is way too much smooth sailing for anything to reach the level of compelling.
Black’s prose and choice of details is the bright spot of the book. He can’t overcome the lack of action this story needs.
(This book was provided to me as an advance copy by Netgalley and Kensington Books.)
Verdict:
A good book but the story doesn’t allow it to be great. If you want to try it, buy it here!
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