{"product_id":"war-in-illinois","title":"War in Illinois","description":"\u003cp\u003eYet another book about Prohibition  this time in rural Illinois  where rival gangs of bootleggers fought for supremacy and the Ku Klux Klan was charged with keeping order. One gang went so far as to bomb their rivals headquarters from an airplane  and it was this incident which led Donald Bain--whose earlier efforts included another sort of airplane saga  Coffee  Tea  or Me--to investigate the whole period. Unfortunately  the airplane bombing is not strong enough to support an entire book  especially since it is buried some 200 pages into this over-long tale. Its Charlie Birgers gang vs. the Shelton Brothers  against a backdrop of murders and Klan raids  with popular support on the side of the Klan. When a number of Klansmen are indicted for everything from malicious mischief to assault with intent to murder  3 000 townspeople rally at a local church and post over $3 million in bonds \"\"for the accused.\"\" This book started out to be a novel  and while Bain admits to taking \"\"certain liberties with putting words in my characters mouths\"\" and to compressing time  he swears the facts are true  based on research in Southern Illinois libraries. The problem is that  true or juiced up  the book has nothing to say.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44964322246709,"sku":"ByrdShop_0139442723","price":227.51,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780139442728.jpg?v=1770457061","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/war-in-illinois","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}