
- 272 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
About this book
A rollicking true story of Bibles and bank robberies in Southern California, from a talented and highly praised gonzo journalistChas Smith grew up deeply enmeshed in the evangelical Christian world that grew out of Southern California in the late 1960s. His family included famous missionaries and megachurch pastors, but his cousin Daniel Courson was Grandma's favorite. Smith looked up to Cousin Danny. He was handsome, adventurous, and smart, earned a degree from Bible college, and settled into a family and a stable career. Needless to say, it was a big surprise when Cousin Danny started robbing banks. Known as the "e;Floppy Hat Bandit, "e; Courson robbed 19 of them in a torrid six-week spree before being caught and sentenced to seven years. When he tried to escape, they tacked on another year. And when he finally got out, despite seeming to be back on the straight and narrow, Cousin Danny disappeared. Banks started getting robbed again. It seemed Cousin Danny might be gunning for the record. Smith's Blessed Are the Bank Robbers is the wild, and wildly entertaining, story of an all-American anti-hero. It's a tale of bank robberies, art and jewel heists, high-speed chases, fake identities, encrypted Swiss email accounts, jilted lovers, and the dark side of an evangelical family (and it wasn't just Danny; an uncle was mixed up with the mujahideen). It's a book about what it means to live inside the church and outside the law.
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Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Contents
- Dedication
- Chapter 1: Welcome to Paradise
- Chapter 2: Uncle Dave
- Chapter 3: A Brief History of Bank Robbery in America
- Chapter 4: Jesus Freaks
- Chapter 5: An Evangelical Camelot
- Chapter 6: Of Cinder Block Mausoleums and Men
- Chapter 7: Mohegan Sun
- Chapter 8: A Brief History of Gambling in America
- Chapter 9: Rob a Bank
- Chapter 10: Paradise Found
- Chapter 11: Paradise Lost
- Chapter 12: Do Not Wear Clothing That Resembles the Clothing That Prisoners Wear
- Chapter 13: Nothing Could Be More Absurd Than Moral Lessons at Such a Moment
- Chapter 14: A Brief History of Fugitives in America
- Chapter 15: Fathoming Secrets
- Chapter 16: Weird, Right??
- Chapter 17: Can I Possibly Not Understand Myself That I Am a Lost Man?
- Chapter 18: A Nice Place for Rough Boys
- Chapter 19: Intentional Living
- Chapter 20: Get Down. Get the Fuck Down, Now.
- Chapter 21: Writer’s Retreat
- Chapter 22: You’ve Never Been to Heaven, But You Got Pretty Close Last Night
- Postscript