Running With Bonnie and Clyde: The Ten Fast Years of Ralph Fults

Excellent book about 1930s Dallas crime scene. I can relate to many of the towns and locations where B&C were. Interesting side note: I know a lady who was a nurse and treated Fultz as an old man in the early 1980s. He must have died soon after. I have followed the B&C story for decades, but this book provided a lot more detail.Highly recommended.

This is the story of a criminal in the 1930's who was part of the Barrow gang, and whom we've previously heard little if any about. Though a good part of the book is about his time spent with Bonnie and Clyde, it's also about his own career in crime and the atrocities of the Texas prison system of the era. The book is well written and also very well researched. The author is to be applauded for his extensive list of resources. Mr. Fults, the ex-gang member, does put a sympathetic spin on Barrow and Parker. But he was there, and he got to know them in a different way than a lawman or reporter. The book contains some good photos, many which were new to me. Well done!

I purchased this book to compare some of the stories in it with what was conveyed to me by a good friend of Ralph Fults, my next door neighbor. My neighbor grew up in the era and knew Ralph and his father the local mail man. The author was told many stories by Ralph but printed very few of them in this book. Ralph himself was not happy with the book and that says it all. I was disappointed in it myself.I even have pictures of Ralph his son Kenny and Ralphs wife Ruth along with my neighbor when they went to Las Vegas together. In fact Ralph had a job installing insulation in the house 2 down from where i live and that house is still there. Ralph got this job after he was released from prison and was acclimating back into society here in McKinney. The 90 year old gentleman I speak of who is my neighbor remembers very well the stories Ralph had told him about the Bonnie and Clyde era. The man lived through it and has no reason to fabricate anything.The stories about the McKinney area are well known. Ralph spent most of his time in jail and would have had little first hand knowledge of Bonnie and Clyde's activities or those of Ray Hamilton. Ralph worked at the Buckner boys home and was in charge of the laundry where another good friend of mine was an orphan. At first the boys didn't think much of Ralph other then that he was a crusty old man but once Ralph brought in some of the news paper clippings showing he ran with Bonnie and Clyde they began to respect and listen to what he had to say. The author spends more time talking about the gang then he does the life of Ralph Fults and that is a shame. Ralph helped to change the Texas prison system in his own small way and also helped to shape and change the lives of many young boy at Buckner.

After reading the Blanche Barrow book, the James R. Knight and the E.R. Milner book I have to admit I was a little disapponinted in this one. I found it to be very self-serving. After all, these people were common criminals who chose to make a life of robbery and violence. Mr. Fults wanted to project the idea that it was solely the corruption of the Texas penal sytem that was most to blame for the lives of the badmen of the era. Also, he constantly surrounded himself with vicious violent men; yet he wants us to beleive that even though he was willing to kill and came close several times, he was basically innocent and an honorable man.One last point that confused me. In all the other books, Ray Hamilton was portrayed as afraid of, and loathed by, Joe Palmer. In this books, supposedly they are best of pals and are comforted in the fact that they are executed at the same time. There just seems to be more than a few inconsistancies in thsi book.

I enjoyed reading this book to get a good insight into the characters of Bonnie & Clyde and associates. I came away from this book having no sympathy whatsoever for any of the criminal characters. Nothing but a bunch of dumb no class punks and scumbags stealing from (and weren't even good at it) and killing good people who were just trying to survive the depression. Whenever I see a reference to these punks as being like Robin Hood, I want to puke. No comparison at all as these scums would steal from and kill anybody to get a couple of bucks. They certainly didn't steal from the rich and give to the poor. They stole from the poor and gave to friends. If anyone can admire people like this, there is something seriously wrong with them.

Having read books on Bonnie and Clyde since 1968, I was unsure what to expect when I began this book. I was surprised to actually gain new material! A very good read. Honest, to the point, and not grandiose as some tend to get with this story when telling of their own involvement. Definitely would tell my friends a great read!

First hand accounts from the last known surviving member of the Barrow Gang. Ralph Fults had an interesting life on his own. Really love his first hand accounts of not only his life in crime,but also the lasting effects it had on his life, how he turned things around for himself and what he thinks would improve the criminal justice system.

Have looked forward to this book after , first reading his " My Life With Bonnie and Clyde " by Blanche Barrow . It lived up to my expectations of a thorough and very readable history of the couple . There have been quite a few books written and this will be one that you will rank at the top of the bunch . It is that good . Recomended . Lee .

Tremendous book with loads of detail. Don't get confused with a book having a similar title, this is the one to buy. As a reminder it is'RUNNING WITH BONNIE AND CLYDE' by John Neal Phillips.

loved reading about this clydes sister said it was the best book ever wrote on her brother and it give you a look into what they were really like..i never knew bonnie didnt like guns so she never used them she drove the car