I bought a book called The Mafia by Claire Sterling a few months ago expecting great things. I thought it would take the reader through a complete history of the Sicilian and American Mafia. It glossed over these details, but the author seemed more concerned with how many kilos of heroin and coke the Mob seemed to import and export.

Nothing about Albert Anastasia and his activities, or Meyer Lansky, Charlie Luciano, Vito Genovese ...just narcotics, narcotics, narcotics on every single page.

Don't get me wrong, Ms Sterling's research is impeccable but I have to say I wasn't gripped.

I sturggled through and finished it but it's not a book I will read again. I think I'll take some of the recommendations on this thread instead.