SKU: 89467036655

Vampires, Dragons, and Egyptian Kings: Youth Gangs in Postwar New York

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Vampires, Dragons, and Egyptian Kings: Youth Gangs in Postwar New YorkThey called themselves "Vampires," "Dragons," and "Egyptian Kings." They were divided by race, ethnicity, and neighborhood boundaries, but united by common styles, slang, and codes of honor. They fought and sometimes killed to protect and expand their territories. In postwar New York, youth gangs were a colorful and controversial part of the urban landscape, made famous by West Side Story and infamous by the media. This is the first historical study

They called themselves "Vampires," "Dragons," and "Egyptian Kings." They were divided by race, ethnicity, and neighborhood boundaries, but united by common styles, slang, and codes of honor. They fought--and sometimes killed--to protect and expand their territories. In postwar New York, youth gangs were a colorful and controversial part of the urban landscape, made famous by West Side Story and infamous by the media. This is the first historical study to explore fully the culture of these gangs. Eric Schneider takes us into a world of switchblades and slums, zoot suits and bebop music to explain why youth gangs emerged, how they evolved, and why young men found membership and the violence it involved so attractive.

Schneider begins by describing how postwar urban renewal, slum clearances, and ethnic migration pitted African-American, Puerto Rican, and Euro-American youths against each other in battles to dominate changing neighborhoods. But he argues that young men ultimately joined gangs less because of ethnicity than because membership and gang violence offered rare opportunities for adolescents alienated from school, work, or the family to win prestige, power, adulation from girls, and a masculine identity. In the course of the book, Schneider paints a rich and detailed portrait of everyday life in gangs, drawing on personal interviews with former members to re-create for us their language, music, clothing, and social mores. We learn what it meant to be a "down bopper" or a "jive stud," to "fish" with a beautiful "deb" to the sounds of the Jesters, and to wear gang sweaters, wildly colored zoot suits, or the "Ivy League look." He outlines the unwritten rules of gang behavior, the paths members followed to adulthood, and the effects of gang intervention programs, while also providing detailed analyses of such notorious gang-related crimes as the murders committed by the "Capeman," Salvador Agron.

Schneider focuses on the years from 1940 to 1975, but takes us up to the present in his conclusion, showing how youth gangs are no longer social organizations but economic units tied to the underground economy. Written with a profound understanding of adolescent culture and the street life of New York, this is a powerful work of history and a compelling story for a general audience.

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SKU: 89467036655

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Jammie Clark
Massapequa, US
★★★★★ 4
A good read
Format: Kindle
Multiple points of view. 3 Alpha men and an Omega male. She is a Beta in training for a new program placing betas in Alpha/Omega packs. Mila is only doing the program for the money to take care of her dad. She wasn't expecting to fall for a pack but when she sees this packs Omega she is done for. There is just something about him. His Alphas are good looking as well. Too bad she is hiding a secret and their government is acting shady. I liked it and can't wait to see where their story goes.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2023
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Bri Hires
Boise, US
★★★★★ 3
Slightly repetitive but I did love some things
Format: Kindle
I love this type of story. And omegaverse is one of my all time favorite genres. But there are a few things that pulled me out of my enjoyment while I was reading. It was repetitive at times as well as struggled with telling not showing. So we didn’t always feel like we were experiencing things with the main character. There were also some plot holes but they may still be answered in part 2. Now this isn’t to be said I didn’t enjoy parts of the story. I loved the almost instant love between Mila and Oliver. And how he started changing around her.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2024
K
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Kimberly G
Pawtucket, US
★★★★★ 5
delightful read
Format: Kindle
What a delightful read. The characters are awesome, the plot was so good, I loved it. I was intrigued and it kept me wanting more. Told in multiple pov, the book sucks you in and doesn’t let go. I cannot wait to read the next book.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2025
K
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Kimberly B
Chelsea, US
★★★★★ 4
not bad
Format: Kindle
I loved the plot of this book. The characters just didn’t have a lot of depth. The connections and “love” just weren’t communicated very well in the writing. The author didn’t write the sweet psycho trope very well at all either. Lachlan was just a mess of a character.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2023
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Carmen Alicea
Lexington, US
★★★★★ 5
A Beta Worth Rooting For
Format: Kindle
In Spare, Violet Fox flips the omegaverse on its head, giving us a Beta heroine determined to make her mark. Joining the Beta Trials to support her sick father, she's thrown into a pack that doesn't want her, especially the possessive Alphas. But here's the twist: their sweet Omega turns out to be her scent match. Cue the angst, forbidden tension, and a slow-burn romance that will make your heart ache in the best way. Violet Fox delivers an emotional, refreshing take on the genre, proving Betas aren't "spares." They're stars.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2025

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