ROBBING BANKS WAS MY BUSINESS. THE STORY OF J. HARVEY BAILEY, AMERICA’S MOST SUCCESSFUL BANK ROBBER.

Canyon: Palo Duro Press, 1973.  xvi,210pp.  Index.  Notes.  Illustrations by Theda Rhea. Photographs. Facsimiles.  First edition. The book is a clean, fine copy. The dust jacket is rubbed, creased at the bottom, and has some edgewear, overall, good+. The little-known story of one of America’s most successful bank robbers who knew Capone, Machine Gun Kelly, Pretty Boy Floyd, Alvin Karpis and many of the other major gangsters of the era.  Baily has been referred to as “The Dean of American Bank Robbers” for his successful career robbing banks in the ‘20s and ‘30s. Reportedly, he stole over one million dollars during his career. After escaping prison in 1933, he was recaptured and implicated (probably wrongly) in the Urschel Kidnapping and sentenced to life in prison in 1933. He was paroled in 1964 at the age of 76 and worked in a furniture factory in Joplin, Missouri until his retirement in 1973. Bailey died peacefully in Joplin at the age of 91.  In writing the book, Mr. Haley spent a good deal of time traveling with Bailey---Mr. Haley enjoyed it but it made Nita, his wife, very nervous.  One of my favorites, it is scarce in any edition.