Listen free for 30 days
The Black Hand
People who bought this also bought...
-
Five Families
- The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires
- By: Selwyn Raab
- Narrated by: Paul Costanzo
- Length: 33 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 565
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 514
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 513
Genovese, Gambino, Bonnano, Colombo, and Lucchese. For decades these Five Families ruled New York and built the American Mafia (or Cosa Nostra) into an underworld empire. Today, the Mafia is an endangered species, battered and beleaguered by aggressive investigators, incompetent leadership, betrayals, and generational changes that produced violent, unreliable leaders and recruits.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Interesting and well-written history
- By Andrew on 14-04-16
-
Agent Zigzag
- By: Ben MacIntyre
- Narrated by: Anthony Head
- Length: 5 hrs and 57 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 512
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 409
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 407
Eddie Chapman: rogue, criminal, confidence trickster, hero to both sides and betrayer of all. At the start of the Second World War, Chapman was recruited by the German Secret Service. He was a highly prized Nazi agent. He was also a secret spy for Britain, alias Agent Zigzag.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
brilliant
- By Martin on 16-11-10
-
Bad Pharma
- How Drug Companies Mislead Doctors and Harm Patients
- By: Ben Goldacre
- Narrated by: Jot Davies
- Length: 12 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 799
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 686
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 685
'Bad Science’ hilariously exposed the tricks that quacks and journalists use to distort science, becoming a 400,000 copy bestseller. Now Ben Goldacre puts the $600bn global pharmaceutical industry under the microscope. What he reveals is a fascinating, terrifying mess.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Not the critical appraisal Pharma wanted
- By Alex Moore on 06-02-15
-
The Irishman
- By: Charles Brandt
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 15 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 494
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 458
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 455
The Irishman is an epic saga of organised crime in postwar America told through the eyes of World War II veteran Frank Sheeran, a hustler and hit man who worked for legendary crime boss Russell Bufalino alongside some of the most notorious figures of the 20th century. Spanning decades, Sheeran's story chronicles one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in American history, the disappearance of legendary union boss Jimmy Hoffa, and it offers a monumental journey through the hidden corridors of organized crime: its inner workings, rivalries and connections to mainstream politics.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
I could've listened to it in one sitting
- By Peter Brookes on 23-09-19
-
Killers of the Flower Moon
- Oil, Money, Murder and the Birth of the FBI
- By: David Grann
- Narrated by: Will Patton, Ann Marie Lee, Danny Campbell
- Length: 9 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 358
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 330
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 329
In the 1920s the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Indian nation in Oklahoma. After oil was discovered beneath their land, they rode in chauffeured automobiles, built mansions, and sent their children to study in Europe. Then, one by one, the Osage began to be killed off. The family of an Osage woman, Mollie Burkhart, became a prime target. Her relatives were shot and poisoned. And this was just the beginning, as more and more members of the tribe began to die under mysterious circumstances.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
brilliant
- By Ms. Ej Austin on 19-06-17
-
The Butcher
- Anatomy of a Mafia Psychopath
- By: Philip Carlo
- Narrated by: Dick Hill
- Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 70
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 63
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 61
Written by the best-selling author of The Ice Man, The Butcher is a gripping and disturbing fly-on-the-wall account of the US Drug Enforcement Administration's four-year hunt to bring down Tommy 'Karate' Pitera, a drug-dealing, murderous capo in the Bonanno crime family. In 1992, Pitera was sentenced to life in prison for murdering six people and supporting a massive drug-dealing operation. Yet this covered only a fraction of the crimes he committed.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Sickening
- By Frank Cummins on 09-04-19
-
Five Families
- The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires
- By: Selwyn Raab
- Narrated by: Paul Costanzo
- Length: 33 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 565
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 514
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 513
Genovese, Gambino, Bonnano, Colombo, and Lucchese. For decades these Five Families ruled New York and built the American Mafia (or Cosa Nostra) into an underworld empire. Today, the Mafia is an endangered species, battered and beleaguered by aggressive investigators, incompetent leadership, betrayals, and generational changes that produced violent, unreliable leaders and recruits.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Interesting and well-written history
- By Andrew on 14-04-16
-
Agent Zigzag
- By: Ben MacIntyre
- Narrated by: Anthony Head
- Length: 5 hrs and 57 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 512
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 409
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 407
Eddie Chapman: rogue, criminal, confidence trickster, hero to both sides and betrayer of all. At the start of the Second World War, Chapman was recruited by the German Secret Service. He was a highly prized Nazi agent. He was also a secret spy for Britain, alias Agent Zigzag.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
brilliant
- By Martin on 16-11-10
-
Bad Pharma
- How Drug Companies Mislead Doctors and Harm Patients
- By: Ben Goldacre
- Narrated by: Jot Davies
- Length: 12 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 799
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 686
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 685
'Bad Science’ hilariously exposed the tricks that quacks and journalists use to distort science, becoming a 400,000 copy bestseller. Now Ben Goldacre puts the $600bn global pharmaceutical industry under the microscope. What he reveals is a fascinating, terrifying mess.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Not the critical appraisal Pharma wanted
- By Alex Moore on 06-02-15
-
The Irishman
- By: Charles Brandt
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 15 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 494
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 458
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 455
The Irishman is an epic saga of organised crime in postwar America told through the eyes of World War II veteran Frank Sheeran, a hustler and hit man who worked for legendary crime boss Russell Bufalino alongside some of the most notorious figures of the 20th century. Spanning decades, Sheeran's story chronicles one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in American history, the disappearance of legendary union boss Jimmy Hoffa, and it offers a monumental journey through the hidden corridors of organized crime: its inner workings, rivalries and connections to mainstream politics.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
I could've listened to it in one sitting
- By Peter Brookes on 23-09-19
-
Killers of the Flower Moon
- Oil, Money, Murder and the Birth of the FBI
- By: David Grann
- Narrated by: Will Patton, Ann Marie Lee, Danny Campbell
- Length: 9 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 358
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 330
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 329
In the 1920s the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Indian nation in Oklahoma. After oil was discovered beneath their land, they rode in chauffeured automobiles, built mansions, and sent their children to study in Europe. Then, one by one, the Osage began to be killed off. The family of an Osage woman, Mollie Burkhart, became a prime target. Her relatives were shot and poisoned. And this was just the beginning, as more and more members of the tribe began to die under mysterious circumstances.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
brilliant
- By Ms. Ej Austin on 19-06-17
-
The Butcher
- Anatomy of a Mafia Psychopath
- By: Philip Carlo
- Narrated by: Dick Hill
- Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 70
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 63
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 61
Written by the best-selling author of The Ice Man, The Butcher is a gripping and disturbing fly-on-the-wall account of the US Drug Enforcement Administration's four-year hunt to bring down Tommy 'Karate' Pitera, a drug-dealing, murderous capo in the Bonanno crime family. In 1992, Pitera was sentenced to life in prison for murdering six people and supporting a massive drug-dealing operation. Yet this covered only a fraction of the crimes he committed.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Sickening
- By Frank Cummins on 09-04-19
Summary
The gripping true story of the origins of the Mafia in America - and the brilliant Italian-born detective who gave his life to stop it.
Film rights optioned by Paramount Studios, starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
Beginning in the summer of 1903, an insidious crime wave filled New York City, and then the entire country, with fear. The children of Italian immigrants were kidnapped, and dozens of innocent victims were gunned down. Bombs tore apart tenement buildings. Judges, senators, Rockefellers, and society matrons were threatened with gruesome deaths. The perpetrators seemed both omnipresent and invisible. Their only calling card: the symbol of a black hand.
The crimes whipped up the slavering tabloid press and heated ethnic tensions to the boiling point. Standing between the American public and the Black Hand's lawlessness was Joseph Petrosino. Dubbed the "Italian Sherlock Holmes", he was a famously dogged and ingenious detective and a master of disguise. As the crimes grew ever more bizarre and the Black Hand's activities spread far beyond New York's borders, Petrosino and the all-Italian police squad he assembled raced to capture members of the secret criminal society before the country's anti-immigrant tremors exploded into catastrophe. Petrosino's quest to root out the source of the Black Hand's power would take him all the way to Sicily - but at a terrible cost.
Unfolding a story rich with resonance in our own era, The Black Hand is fast-paced narrative history at its very best.
More from the same
What members say
Average customer ratings
Overall
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars2
-
4 Stars7
-
3 Stars1
-
2 Stars0
-
1 Stars0
Performance
-
4.5 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars4
-
4 Stars2
-
3 Stars1
-
2 Stars0
-
1 Stars0
Story
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars2
-
4 Stars4
-
3 Stars1
-
2 Stars0
-
1 Stars0
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Navy Nick
- 16-03-18
Great historical storytelling.
This book is a rare glimpse into the repeating battle that each immigrant group must fight with earlier settlers and with itself in order to become Americans.
More than anything else it is a tribute to an amazing American.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
- TOM
- 11-01-18
good listen
I thaught this was a great book. I had never heard of The Black Hand. Love the time period as well. All around good listen.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Leslie W. Stewart III
- 19-06-17
What a story...!
This is a audio/book that everyone with an interest in the Mafia, gangsters, organized crime or even New York should pickup. From what I know very few Italians either know or admit to their history and yet it's so rich with details and history.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mark
- 19-07-18
Listen and Learn.
I think if you come at this book with the expectation of a history lesson, you will enjoy it much more (if you like learning). It was a very interesting read. I never even heard of the Black Hand Society and the author did a great job teaching me.
-
Overall2 out of 5 stars
-
Performance2 out of 5 stars
-
Story2 out of 5 stars
- Tabitha Rex
- 08-12-17
Not a great listen.
Skip this one. It’s not a great listen. Too many names and stories to follow casually by listening.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- GM
- 04-06-17
Like a newspaper from the 19th century
struggled to stay awake. it was an interesting story and the narrator is servicable, but a little smug and snarky.
it's like the author is the boring guy at a dinner party that tells the excruciatingly long story that is interesting but goes on way to long
not a failure and certainly entertaining at points, this would be an excellent book if you were doing background research for your own novel
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Eeryn Lubicich
- 24-05-17
Society of the Black Hand/ Order of the Family
What made the experience of listening to The Black Hand the most enjoyable?
The back story of an Italian Detective noted for his photographic memory and integrity. During a time during the Birth of the dark side of the Mafia. Joe Petrosino would stop at nothing to protect innocent lives from unfathomable crimes.
Locations included are a learning tool I find useful. Naples in Italy, Boston, Midwest, and mainly Little Italy in New York.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Joe Petrosino
Have you listened to any of Scott Aiello’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
No
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
Black Hand Society or Order Of The Family
Any additional comments?
Petrosino had a fond Love for the Violin and Opera
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story2 out of 5 stars
- E
- 27-12-17
I was expecting a dramatization
Although this book was well written, well narrated and very interesting - I was expecting it to be a dramatization based on true events. When in actual fact it reads more like an interesting history book, with a spattering of dialogue peppered in.
Was a bit disappointing. I’m interested to see how they make it more engaging for the upcoming movie.