Investigating the wayВ Hollywood scoops upВ notorious criminals and turns them into legends, thisВ entertaining who's-who guideВ provides thumbnail sketchesВ ofВ such killers as Ma Barker, Black Beard, Al Capone, John Wesley Hardin,В and Charles Starkweather. Noting that some figuresВ are glamorized in popular culture (Jesse James),В while others are demonized (Charles Manson),В this encyclopedic collectionВ explores the legends' emotional truths as depicted in movies, stories, and songs. Facts of the real cases behind these notorious criminals are also presented, including theВ landmarkВ rulings that pioneered new approaches to criminal justice.