The History Channel takes you back to a time where the American population was facing hard times. Banks were losing money and in turn foreclosing on many farms, people were losing jobs, and many were on the road seeking out a better place to live. During this turbulent time rose a crime wave unlike any other. Gangsters took over the headlines as they robbed banks, stole cars, and eluded the police; leaving the government to create the FBI.

This documentary takes a look at Machine Gun Kelly, Baby Face, Dillinger, Bonnie & Clyde, and others that took part in the short but memorable 18 months. Most came across as heroes to civilians and many rallied behind them. Dillinger was often talked about in a friendly manner by those he kidnapped or stole from.  There is not only photos and news articles but video footage of many of the criminals and often there aftermath. Team this with interviews from historians and even some that were there during that time and you are given a glimpse into the fascinating world of gangsters.

Of course The History Channel does a wonderful job getting you information and provides tons of re-enactments, interviews, documents, pictures, and more. The only downfall I found with this release is I felt it was a little short. To be covering so many different people and cramming it into 94 minutes leaves some of them not getting much focus at all. Really the bulk of the focus is on Dillinger followed by Bonnie & Clyde. The bonus feature is also an additional episode about only Bonnie & Clyde complete with interview with Clyde’s sister. I personally would have rather had several hour episodes about each of the big players like the Bonnie & Clyde one instead of a condensed tale of them all.