# Good Books With Criminal Authors? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 29, 2003, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-books-with-criminal-authors/178320 "2003-05-29T17:48:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2011, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-books-with-criminal-authors/178320/61 "2011-10-22T01:48:09Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > _How I Might Have Done It If I’d Done It But I Didn’t_ by OJ Oh. I forgot the premise is _good_ books one would recommend. Never mind. . ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2011, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-books-with-criminal-authors/178320/62 "2011-10-22T02:36:36Z")
Sir Thomas Malory’s identity is as hotly disputed as Shakespeare’s; the difference is, three of the four major claimants were actually named Thomas Malory, and two of these were knights who’d done some prison time, one for embezzling money from a parson, the other for being (per Wikipedia) “a thief, bandit, kidnapper, and rapist, hardly in keeping with the high chivalric standards in the book.” Anyway, one of these people wrote **Le Morte d’Arthur**. Dennis Eichhorn, best known for his autobiographical stories in **Real Stuff** comics, did a 90-day stint for drug possession. The OP excludes this specific situation, but if the guy’s stories are to be believed, he should probably have been in there a bit longer… ---
**Author:** ![Hershele\_Ostropoler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e47c2d/32.png) [@Hershele\_Ostropoler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hershele_Ostropoler)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2011, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-books-with-criminal-authors/178320/63 "2011-10-22T21:50:59Z")
I read somewhere (_Book of Lists_?) that Victor Hugo served time, but Wikipedia doesn’t mention it. If so it was probably political, though. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-books-with-criminal-authors/178320/64 "2011-10-23T20:28:28Z")
Crips founder and mass killer Tookie Williams wrote a few good [books](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Williams#Books_by_Williams) denouncing his criminal past. His redemption didn’t save his sorry ass, and he died of lrthal injection. ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-books-with-criminal-authors/178320/65 "2011-10-23T22:01:49Z")
I have a copy of Nathan Leopold’s “Life Plus 99 Years”, but I haven’t gotten around to reading it yet. I’ve heard that it’s fairly well written and interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-books-with-criminal-authors/178320/66 "2011-10-24T13:25:25Z")
I understand there’s a convicted felon named Martha Stewart who has written a few books. Jean Harris, who servced time for murdering diet doctor Herman Tarnower, wrote a book about her trial and prison experiences. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-books-with-criminal-authors/178320/67 "2011-10-25T01:16:18Z")
> [@Dr.Rieux](#): > > So can we also count **RN: the Memoirs of Richard Nixon**? In that case, I nominate every book by every president of the United States who may be regarded by some as a war criminal;or, any other kind of criminal. From Washington through Obama. hh ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-books-with-criminal-authors/178320/68 "2011-10-25T02:24:52Z")
> **[Michael Peterson trial](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Peterson_%28author%29)** > > Michael Iver Peterson (born October 23, 1943) is an American novelist who was convicted in 2003 of murdering his second wife, Kathleen Peterson, on December 9, 2001. After eight years, Peterson was granted a new trial after the judge ruled a critical prosecution witness gave misleading testimony. In 2017, Peterson submitted an Alford plea to the reduced charge of manslaughter. He was sentenced to time already served and freed. > Peterson's case is the subject of the French documentary miniseries... ---
**Author:** ![mac\_bolan00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@mac\_bolan00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mac_bolan00)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-books-with-criminal-authors/178320/69 "2011-10-25T02:43:36Z")
“because that’s where the money was.” – hank sutton, when asked by cops why he robbed banks for a living. “where the money was” by hank sutton ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-books-with-criminal-authors/178320/70 "2011-10-25T03:12:13Z")
Willie Sutton, not Hank Sutton. ---
**Author:** ![mac\_bolan00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@mac\_bolan00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mac_bolan00)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-books-with-criminal-authors/178320/71 "2011-10-25T06:01:03Z")
^ christ, what was i thinking?? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-books-with-criminal-authors/178320/72 "2011-10-25T08:15:01Z")
> [@mac\_bolan00](#): > > ^ > christ, what was i thinking?? You apparently had him confused with e.e. cummings. ---
**Author:** ![GilaB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@GilaB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GilaB)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-books-with-criminal-authors/178320/73 "2011-10-25T19:22:26Z")
[Chow.com](http://Chow.com) just had [an article](http://www.chow.com/food-news/94567/is-it-still-ok-to-like-the-frugal-gourmet/) about whether it’s OK to like _The Frugal Gourmet_, even though the author, who died in 2004, almost certainly molested many teenage boys. Obviously none of his books are about crimes/prison, and he was never convicted due to statute of limitations issues, but probably a criminal nonetheless. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-books-with-criminal-authors/178320/74 "2011-10-25T19:37:48Z")
Zombie criminal authors! Run awaaaaaaaaaaaaay! He was already mentioned upthread, but Jeffrey Archer was the first person to spring to mind. He did time for perjury and perverting the course of justice after he’d earlier sued a newspaper and won for (correctly) saying he patronized a prostitute. Turns out he did a whole lot to make sure the witnesses would say what he wanted them to say in the libel trial. I like his writing a lot, though; his _First Among Equals_ is a first-rate British political thriller. Not a criminal, but a very unpleasant person wrote a sweet little book: [Asa Earl Carter - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asa_Earl_Carter) ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-books-with-criminal-authors/178320/75 "2011-10-25T19:41:24Z")
Tim Allen did time for cocaine, then wrote some funny books. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-books-with-criminal-authors/178320/76 "2011-10-25T20:11:09Z")
Robert Stroud, ‘Birdman of Alcatraz’ wrote a couple of books on ornithology. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-books-with-criminal-authors/178320/77 "2011-10-25T21:03:51Z")
[George Jackson’s _Soledad Brother_.](http://www.historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/soledadbro.html) ---
**Author:** ![8ballz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/8/f08c70/32.png) [@8ballz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/8ballz)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2011, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-books-with-criminal-authors/178320/78 "2011-10-26T11:58:32Z")
Machiavelli did jail time and mainly wrote sarcastic shit to appease whoever was in power. He was considerably less ruthless than The Prince would suggest because in contrast to his other work, it almost seems like his Modest Proposal. Something so extremely awful and logical that it draws attention to the need for morality ---
**Author:** ![depocali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@depocali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/depocali)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-books-with-criminal-authors/178320/79 "2011-11-02T18:19:23Z")
A name that is not well known in the english language (mostly because he has been very thinly transalated) but a great magic-realism/tramp steamer author was jailed for creatively disposing of Esso’s(Exxon’s) PR budget in throwing great bohemiam parties. > **[South American Gothic: A Review of Alvaro Mutis' The Mansion](https://themillions.com/2008/07/south-american-gothic-review-of-alvaro_14.html)** > > Longtime readers of this blog will know that The Adventures and Misadventures of Maqroll is one of my favorite books. While I think it stands as a very good book by nearly any standard, it has several qualities that appeal particularly to me. To boil... ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-books-with-criminal-authors/178320/80 "2011-11-02T19:01:45Z")
What about the works of Chuck Colson (obstructed justice)? > **[Charles Colson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Colson)** > > Charles Wendell Colson (October 16, 1931 – April 21, 2012), generally referred to as Chuck Colson, was an American attorney and political advisor who served as Special Counsel to President Richard Nixon from 1969 to 1970. Once known as President Nixon's "hatchet man", Colson gained notoriety at the height of the Watergate scandal, for being named as one of the Watergate Seven, and also for pleading guilty to obstruction of justice for attempting to defame Pentagon Papers defendant Daniel Ellsbe... [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-books-with-criminal-authors/178320.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-books-with-criminal-authors/178320.md?page=5)