“Whitey Bulger” by Kevin Cullen and Shelley Murphy Essay (Book Review)

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Introduction

The book “Whitey Bulger: America’s Most Wanted Gangster and the Manhunt That Brought Him to Justice” focuses on organized crime in the United States (Cullen and Murphy 21). The book talks about a true crime story featuring James “Whitey” Bulger, who is known as was one of the most wanted criminals in the United States during the 1980s. Bulger was a cold-blooded terrorist who tortured his victims mercilessly. He was very elusive and escaped most of the traps set for him by the security forces. Bulger also managed to be one step ahead of the security agents almost at all times. That is why it was so difficult to bring him to justice. There was an argument that he had close associates within the security agencies because he was always aware of the police programs that targeted him. Bulger was finally caught and arrested after a long while, even though the public was convinced that he had been an invisible criminal. The book is thrilling and also very informative and authoritative in describing America’s justice and security systems.

Analysis of the Book

Cullen and Murphy give a precise description of Bulger’s criminal activities. The authors introduce the reader to the strategies employed by the criminal to escape from the police. That way, the students of criminology are informed of the potential weaknesses of the American law enforcement of the 1980s. Telling Bulger’s story is highly useful because it contains valuable knowledge concerning the psychology and way of thinking of a criminal and a message that the tactics of the lawbreakers should not be underestimated. The authors provide detailed information concerning the methods of search the American police applied to locate the criminal along with the strategy and the law enforcement popular back then. The students of criminology may find this book useful concerning the meaning and outcomes of the cooperation between the police and the gangsters which, unfortunately, still occurs in contemporary America. In the book, it is demonstrated that the assistance of the police workers helped Bulger to become practically invincible to the investigation techniques. Reading this case, the students would obtain a clear idea about the value of a criminologists’ error where the loss of time may cost some citizens their lives.

The book reveals a complex network of hiding places Bulger developed to stay invisible and uncatchable for years continuing to commit crimes. One of the most important chapters in this book is his arrest. The arrest of Bulger was seen as an attempt by the FBI to clear their reputation after having been accused of helping the criminal escape from the justice system. This chapter describes how the police officers were able to identify their weaknesses and address them. It shows a new approach that they took and how well the whole process was planned to arrest a man who had mastered the skill of avoiding the security agents. It was with great relief to the public that he was finally taken to the court to face justice.

Relevance of the Book

According to Schmalleger, different books may be relevant to different classes based on multiple factors (41). One of the important factors to consider when determining the relevance of a book is its content (Williams 82). The book by Cullen and Murphy focuses on the weaknesses of the law enforcement studied through the perspective of a criminal mind utilizing them. The complexity of a book’s content and style of writing is another important factor used to determine its relevance (Bosworth and Hoyle 113). This book is very relevant for advanced learners because it gives an in-depth knowledge of the United States’ legal and security systems. It explains how the two relate when it comes to administering justice. As Tierney notes, the justice and security systems must cooperate to ensure that justice is upheld (53). One of the strongest sides of the book is that it views the criminal from the environmental perspective studying him within the situational and societal factors.

Bulger’s success is a failure of the justice system and its administration. That way, Cullen and Murphy’s approach to teaching the reader about criminal justice is not based on the profile of the criminal, but on the weaknesses of the opposing side that allowed him to avoid the punishment for years. The book also explains that the security organs do not have the right to implement the penalty but are to isolate the criminal from the rest of the society presented him before the court. This is a vital educational moment for criminology students because it explains the jurisdiction of the security agents (Dantzker and Hunter 26).

Recommendations on its Usage

The analysis of the book called “Whitey Bulger: America’s Most Wanted Gangster and the Manhunt That Brought Him to Justice” has shown that the work is highly valuable for the students of criminology. It should be used as educational material. Even though the case explored in the book has occurred during the 1980s, the book contains priceless educational experiences for the learners. For instance, by studying this book the criminology students will learn about the crucial errors made by the American justice system and its weaknesses from the past that may still take place today. Besides, the learners get to explore the importance of self-evaluation and critical thinking in the work of a criminologist, the fact that no information should be taken for granted, and that security and secrecy are highly important in this professional field. Finally, the students will learn to study criminal behaviors within situations and societies.

References

Bosworth, Mary, and Carolyn Hoyle. What Is Criminology? Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011. Print.

Cullen, Kevin, and Shelley Murphy. Whitey Bulger: America’s Most Wanted Gangster and the Manhunt That Brought Him to Justice. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2013. Print.

Dantzker, Mark, and Ronald Hunter. Research Methods for Criminology and Criminal Justice. Sudbury: Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2012. Print.

Schmalleger, Frank. Criminology Today: An Integrative Introduction. Boston: Pearson Education, 2014. Print.

Tierney, John. Key Perspectives in Criminology. Maidenhead: Open University Press, 2009. Print.

Williams, Kennedy. Textbook on criminology. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012. Print.

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IvyPanda. 2022. ""Whitey Bulger" by Kevin Cullen and Shelley Murphy." April 16, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/criminology-book-review-and-analysis/.

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IvyPanda. ""Whitey Bulger" by Kevin Cullen and Shelley Murphy." April 16, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/criminology-book-review-and-analysis/.

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