Go Down Together: The True, Untold Story of Bonnie & Clyde

Written by Jeff Guinn

Narrated by Jonathan Hogan

Previous books and films have emphasized the supposed glamour of America's most notorious criminal couple, thus contributing to ongoing mythology. The real story is completely different—and far more fascinating.

With newly discovered material, bestselling author Jeff Guinn tells the real tale of two kids from a filthy Dallas slum who fell in love and then willingly traded their lives for a brief interlude of excitement and, more importantly, fame. The timing for their first heist could not have been better, when most Americans, reeling from the Great Depression, were desperate for escapist entertainment. Thanks to newsreels, true crime magazines, and new-fangled wire services that transmitted scandalous photos of Bonnie smoking a cigar to every newspaper in the nation, the Barrow Gang members almost instantly became household names. In the minds of the public, they were cool, calculating bandits who robbed banks and killed cops with equal impunity.

Nothing could have been further from the truth. Clyde and Bonnie were perhaps the most inept crooks ever, and their two-year crime spree was as much a reign of error as it was of terror. Lacking the sophistication to plot robberies of big-city banks, the Barrow Gang preyed mostly on small mom-and-pop groceries and service stations. Even at that, they often came up empty-handed and were reduced to breaking into gum machines for meal money. Both were crippled, Clyde from cutting off two of his toes while in prison and Bonnie from a terrible car crash caused by Clyde's reckless driving. Constantly on the run from the law, they lived like animals, camping out in their latest stolen car, bathing in creeks, and dining on cans of cold beans and Vienna sausages. Yet theirs was a genuine love story. Their devotion to each other was as real as their overblown reputation as criminal masterminds was not.

Now, thanks in great part to surviving Barrow and Parker family members and collectors of criminal memorabilia who provided Jeff Guinn with access to never-before-published material, we finally have the real story of Bonnie and Clyde and their troubled times, delivered with cinematic sweep and unprecedented insight by a masterful storyteller.

“Engaging … reads like a road story—two kids from the Dallas slums in a fast car, headed to nowhere good.”—The New Yorker

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jun 12, 2009
• ISBN: 9781440718304

Jeff Guinn

Jeff Guinn is the bestselling author of numerous books, including Go Down Together, The Last Gunfight, Manson, The Road to Jonestown, War on the Border, and Waco. He lives in Fort Worth, Texas, and is a member of the Texas Literary Hall of Fame.

Reviews for Go Down Together

[Olivia Ruprecht · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A complete and thorough account of Bonnie and Clyde. This is the most interesting and comprehensive biography on this outlaw duo that I’ve ever read—and I’ve read quite a few! Guinn dives into the heart of Bonnie and Clyde, exploring the reasons and emotions behind their crimes without justifying anything. Definitely worth a read… and then a reread!

[Andrew Fordham · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Highly recommend!!Great narration,very detailed history of Bonnie and Clyde.5 stars

[hobbitprincess · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read this book for my book club, so it isn't something I would normally have read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I knew so little about Bonnie and Clyde that almost all of this book was a learning experience. I got a good feel for what the pair was really like. I feel like the research behind this book is solid, especially based on the sources listed at the end. My impression of these two young people who chose short lives of crime is much more realistic than it was before I read this book. In many ways, the press hasn't changed much since the 30s! They still write what sells, even if it is embellished.

[librarycin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

4.25 stars

Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker (later known as “Bonnie and Clyde”) both grew up extremely poor in the slum of West Dallas, Texas. They both loved their families very much and visited as often as they possibly could, even while on the run. They knew they would die young, likely violently. They stole fancy cars, and robbed some small banks and small stores and gas stations, which really only gave them enough money for food and gas. They had very little left over, and mostly had to sleep in “their” car. When they had extra, they often brought it to their families.

I knew nothing of Clyde and Bonnie beyond their names and that they were criminals/gangsters on the run in (I thought) the 1920s (it was actually only for a couple of years in the early 1930s). This book was so well-researched. I feel like, if it’s not (it might already be), it should be the go-to book about the two of them. Their crimes did mostly start off as robberies and stealing cars, but in their haste to not get caught, there were shootouts and people got killed. There were a few other murders thrown in that weren’t part of shootouts, as well.

It was slow to read, but nonfiction often is. That being said, it was fascinating and I was interested all the way through. Now, there were multiple confrontations and shootouts, so I did get a few confused toward the end, and some of the criminals who came and went from the “Barrow Gang” also got a bit confusing, but overall, this was really good. There was also a section of photos included in the middle.

[deltaqueen50 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Go Down Together: The True, Untold Story of Bonnie and Clyde by Jeff Guinn is a fascinating read of this famous duo who caught the attention of the law and the imagination of the public in the early 1930’s. These two young people were each from a very poor background and in the impossible situation of trying to climb out from the West Dallas slums where they were raised. In these times the quickest way was to turn to crime for instant cash and the fame and excitement that came along with it were not unwelcome to these two kids. The Great Depression brought hard times to most Americans and thanks to over-exaggerated news stories Bonnie and Clyde became household names.

In fact these two were far from the cool and calculating criminals that they were painted to be. It was mostly luck that kept them from being caught during their two year crime spree. The jobs they pulled were most often on small businesses, gas stations, and grocery stores. Times were so hard that they often came up empty handed. They spent much of their time living hand-to-mouth, camping out in their stolen cars, bathing in cold creeks and living on cold cans of beans. They both seemed to be aware that their lives were going to be the price they would have to pay for their short stint in the spotlight. One thing the book does stress however, is that these two were devoted to one another. And although their life was nothing like the glamour that was portrayed in the excellent 1967 movie, this book paints a realistic picture of these two outlaw lovers.

The book is everything one wants in a non-fiction read - engrossing, beautifully written, highly readable and informative. The author manages to cut through much of the mystery that surrounds these two, yet still delivers a haunting, eye-opening story that is a great read for historians and crime buffs alike.

[msf59 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I remember seeing a double feature, in the early 70s, that included Bonnie and Clyde and Bullitt. I liked Bullitt, especially the famous car chase but I fell hard for Bonnie and Clyde. Truly one of the great American films. I had always wanted to read more about them, but never did, outside of an occasional true crime anthology. Once I heard about [Go Down Together], I knew I had to read it and it turned out to be an excellent biography.
However, fantastic the 1967 film was, it romanticized the infamous couple, casting them as tragic folk heroes. They were anything but. They were dirt poor kids, living in West Dallas, during the depression and Clyde Barrow slid steadily into a life of crime and eventually brought Bonnie Parker, along for the ride. They were not daring bank robbers, but two-bit hold up thieves, with an uncanny way of escaping the law. Clyde also became a cold-blooded killer, gunning down several law enforcement officers. They were only in their early 20s when they met their infamous fate.
This was a well-researched, page-turning bio, meticulously detailing the lives of this notorious couple, their families and the lawmen that finally tracked them down. Highly recommended.

[drmaf-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent book. The stories of the Depression-era outlaws are always fascinating, and Bonnie & Clyde are right up there in public fascination, due to the imagined romance of their lives, which it turns out was at least partly true. Bonnie & Clyde were inseparable to the end, their loyalty to one another is one of the outstanding things about them. Everything else was pretty grim. They grew up in grinding poverty, both wished for better things, small luxuries and a comfortable life, and in pursuit of these goals, almost by accident ended as criminals with a bloody death the inevitable end. It has to be remembered how young they were, neither had reached their 25th birthday when they died. This a tour de force of research, literally every day of the gang's life on the run is described in meticulous detail, and yet it remains an absolutely gripping read, the essential humanity of both pursued and pursuers is always present. Its warts and all, the author unflinchingly lists everyone's faults, Clyde was a control freak, Bonnie a drama queen, both coveted fame and bragged about their exploits, the lawmen chasing them bungled many times, even the final meticulously laid plan by ace crime fighter Frank Hamer was marred by rivalries within his posse and the credit-seeking of other police, but their humanity is never forgotten. This is a marvellous book, in terms of readability and sensitivity its up there with Clark Howard's Six Against The Rock, my favourite book about Depression era outlaws, its a terrific read.

[elizabeth.b.bevins · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's always exciting to find a writer that can and does make non-fiction read like fiction. Guinn does just that in this look at the life of the infamous Bonnie and Clyde. The "real" Bonnie and Clyde. I personally think truth was stranger than fiction in this case.

[elizabethbevins · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's always exciting to find a writer that can and does make non-fiction read like fiction. Guinn does just that in this look at the life of the infamous Bonnie and Clyde. The "real" Bonnie and Clyde. I personally think truth was stranger than fiction in this case.

[markfinl · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a comprehensive account of the lives of Bonnie and Clyde. Unfortunately, it's not an especially exciting account, because it turns out the lives Bonnie and Clyde led was anything but exciting. Bonnie and Clyde spent most of their time together stealing cars, committing penny ante robberies and sleeping in their car while fugitives from the law. Rather than being daring bank robbers, they lived more like drifters. The only exciting part of their story was Clyde's amazing ability to elude the authorities when cornered. It turns out that the legend of Bonnie and Clyde is far more exciting than the true untold story.

[aadyer · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An excellent description of dust bowl, and depression era America. A lot of insight into the "public enemy era" which seemed to last for most of the early 30's. Bonnie and Clyde's upbringing and their early experiences are dealt with well, describing how and why they became the way that they did (ie narcissitic and fame coveting). Their actual lifestyle and experience was very different from Warren Beaty's film. It was certainly not glamorous and not comfortable. Their personal injuries are dealt with in some gruesome detail, which might be a bit much for some, but I think that anyone with an interest in fame, crime, celebrity culture (of whatever era), gangesters, gunfights and car chases is going to like this. Just don't ever, ever upset Mr Frank Hamer. The man who brought down Bonnie & Clyde was one of the hardest law men I've heard of. Recommended with one caveat, there is some exhaustative detail here, you must get past that, but overall, very enjoyable

[hawkinsfamily · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the most recent addition to the many bio's of Bonnie and Clyde. The author has done some outstanding research that has added some interesting points to their story that I have not seen before. This is a very readable biography and I look forward to any new books by Jeff Guinn.

[marquel82 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Go Down Together: the True, Untold Story of Bonnie and Clyde is a new (early 2009) book by Jeff Guinn, a Fort Worth resident. This non-fiction book brings to light almost every detail of Bonnie and Clyde's "adventures."

Guinn has a team of what I would call world-class researchers. The details in this book are so specific that you can almost imagine yourself as an eye-witness. Guinn was able to write such a vivid account of Bonnie and Clyde because of "surviving Barrow and Parker family members and collectors of criminal memorabilia who provided Guinn with access to never-before-published material."

The reader will get a history lesson of both the Parker and Barrow families, what life was like in West Dallas in the 1920's and 1930's, the strong familial bond Bonnie and Clyde had with their families, and a look into the personalities of Bonnie and Clyde, as well as other members of the Barrow gang and "the laws" that were after them.

I enjoyed this book so much that I'm thinking of signing up for the Dallas Historical Society's Running with Bonnie and Clyde tour!

[hhs9staff · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Guinn takes all the old research, sifts out the myth and errors, and adds his own fresh findings to deliver what will probably be the last word on the infamous duo (note the "Untold" of the title). Even if you've already read enough about them to have stripped away the myth, you'll learn plenty of fascinating new information and come away understanding Bonnie, Clyde, their families, and their times much better. It's also exciting because so many significant incidents of their brief (and wildly incompetent) criminal career happened in Missouri!Submitted by:Phil OvereemLanguage Arts teacher

[drneutron_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The late 1920s and 1930s were a unique time for criminals. Law enforcement was still locally controlled and criminals could easily escape by crossing jurisdictional lines, and gangsters like Pretty Boy Floyd and John Dillinger captured the imagination of folks suffering from economic hard times, until they met their end at the hands of a posse. Clyde Barrow was a small-time car thief and robber of gas stations in the slums of West Dallas when he met Bonnie Parker at a party. They instantly formed a relationship that took them through the next several years of robbery, shoot-outs with police, living on the run, and a love/hate relationship with the press until May 23, 1934 when a posse of former Texas Rangers, Dallas police and a Louisiana sheriff ambushed them on a country road outside Shreveport, Louisiana. But the story could never end that simply, and the legend of Bonnie and Clyde grew out of any semblance to reality.

Jeff Guinn has put together a well-researched, well-written history of Clyde and Bonnie and the rest of the Barrow gang by going back to the source material and digging into the unpublished stories and interviews given by family members and others involved in the actual events. In doing so, he really clears away the built-up detritus from the efforts of magazines like True Crime, sensationalist books, and wildly inaccurate Hollywood productions that have clouded the actual events. For instance, the Barrow gang wasn't particularly successful as a criminals. Clyde was a pretty good car thief and could drive a mean get-away car, but he never scored more than a few thousand dollars robbing banks and lived hand-to-mouth on the run by robbing country gas stations and grocery stores. Bonnie wasn't the vicious mastermind of the gang portrayed by Faye Dunaway, but was devoted to Clyde and never to anyone's knowledge was an actual participant in a robbery or a killing. As Guinn ably demonstrates, much of what we "know" about Bonnie and Clyde is wrong.

Go Down Together is well worth the time to get a sense of what the Depression era - and the gangsters who were so prominent during that time - was really like.

[wmorton38 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An interesting history of the famous 30s outlaws. Bonnie & Clyde (or Clyde & Bonnie as they were known then) were essentially small time crooks who made a big name for themselves. They robbed many more gas stations, grocery stores and gum ball machines than they did banks. The 30s criminal aristocracy such as Pretty Boy Floyd and John DIllinger were contemptuous of them. Although Clyde could be very violent (he did not hesitate to kill when he felt threatened) he was not a mad dog killer and would frequently give his released hostages travel money to get back home. Readers from the ArkLaTex might be particularly interested in the book since the Barrow gang spent a good bit of time in the area.