10 Books To Read if You Love ‘The Godfather’

Francis Ford Coppola‘s The Godfather is regarded as one of the greatest movies of all time and ultimately revitalized and redefined the gangster genre. Based on Mario Puzo‘s 1969 best-selling novel, The Godfather is a timeless tale about family, honor, revenge, and redemption that is a beloved favorite among many film fans, but for those who also love the occasional old-fashioned novel, there are plenty of titles that fall into the same category as Puzo’s infamous work that are guaranteed to catch any gangster fan’s attention.

From best-selling works of fiction such as The Friends of Eddie Coyle, Hot Springs, and Mario Puzo’s The Sicilian to reputable real-life stories including Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia, Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas, and Wiseguy, these are novels to read for anyone who is a dedicated bookworm as well as an avid fan of Coppola’s The Godfather.

10

‘The Sicilian’

By Mario Puzo

Mario Puzo’s 1984 novel, The Sicilian, is the literary sequel to The Godfather novel and rewinds a bit back to when Michael Corleone is about to return to America from Sicily. Before he departs for home, Michael learns that his father, Don Vito, and the most powerful boss in Sicily, Don Croce Malo, have come together to help a notorious bandit, Salvatore “Turi” Guiliano, escape the country and travel to the States with Michael.

While still a work of fiction, The Sicilian is based on the real-life career and exploits of the Italian brigand, Salvatore Giuliano, who rose to notoriety during the aftermath of the Allied invasion of Sicily in 1943. The book contains characters from The Godfather, but it mainly tells Giuliano’s origin story and the events that led to him becoming one of the country’s most wanted.

9

‘Wiseguy’

By Nicholas Pileggi

From crime reporter, Nicholas Pileggi, comes the best-selling novel, Wiseguy, which many recognize as being the basis for Martin Scorsese‘s iconic gangster movie, Goodfellas. Wiseguy tells the story of Henry Hill, who was a Mafia associate turned FBI informant, starting with his early start in crime at the age of eleven when he worked as a gofer for a local boss in his neighborhood and all the pivotal moments and associates he met on the way to the top.

Wiseguy dives deeper into Hill’s story, recalling immense detail, as well as the real-life figures who inspired several of the best characters in Goodfellas, such as Tommy “Two Gun Tommy” DeSimone, James “Jimmy the Gent” Burke, and William “Billy Batts” Bentvena. Pileggi accuracy and diligent work paints a vivid portrait of Hill’s rise and fall, providing an overflow of information that essentially expands on the brilliance of Scorsese’s film.

8

‘The Last Don’

By Mario Puzo

While Mario Puzo is universally recognized for The Godfather book series, he also wrote several unrelated works centered around the mob, notably his 1996 novel, The Last Don, which is a compelling story about an aging Mafia boss, Don Domenico Clericuzio, and his family’s struggle to manage and retain power. Some might think it sounds awfully similar to The Godfather, but The Last Don alternates between the movie industry and the Las Vegas strip, conveying how both profitable industries are connected to the Mafia.

The Last Don taps into all the elements that captivated audiences in The Godfather but, instead, focuses on West Coast operations and gives a more in-depth look into the inner workings of two of the Mafia’s most infamous money-makers. Puzo’s knack for vital and accurate details of the American Mafia and his unique character structure are the highlights of The Last Don and is an absolute must-read for anyone who is a major fan of The Godfather.

7

‘The Friends of Eddie Coyle’

By George V. Higgins

The Friends of Eddie Coyle is a crime thriller and the debut novel of George V. Higgins, who was an Assistant District Attorney in Massachusetts. The novel is centered around the Irish-American underworld of Boston and specifically follows a low-level gunrunner, Eddie Coyle, who is looking at a lengthy prison sentence unless he agrees to be an informant for the ATF.

The novel has often been compared to other notable gangster books, including The Godfather, but unlike Puzo’s famous novel, The Friends of Eddie Coyle has a bit more of a romanticized view of organized crime, setting it apart from other fictional crime stories. The immense success of The Friends of Eddie Coyle eventually led to a film adaptation in 1973 starring Robert Mitchum as Coyle and is easily one of the most underrated gangster movies of all time, which is essential for anyone who decides to check out Higgin’s novel.

6

‘Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia’

By Joseph D. Pistone

The 1988 autobiographical book, Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia, is written by former FBI agent, Joseph D. Pistone, who gives a detailed account of his experience working undercover and his successful infiltration of the Mafia during the 1970s. Pistone, who adopted the alias, Donnie Brasco, portrayed himself as an expert jewel thief and eventually meets and becomes friends with Anthony Mirria, who was an associate of the Bonano crime family.

For anyone who is a fan of gangster films, it’s no secret that Pistone’s book was later adapted into the 1997 movie, Donnie Brasco, starring Johnny Depp and Al Pacino, which was a major success and continues to be regarded by many as one of the best modern mafia movies. Even though Pistone’s story isn’t exactly from a legitimate mafioso perspective, Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia is still an intriguing true story full of gripping emotion and conflicts of morality as well as an authentic behind-the-scenes look into the American Mafia.

5

‘Gangster’

By Lorenzo Carcaterra

Lorenzo Carcaterra‘s 2001 book, Gangster, tells the fictional story of an Italian immigrant, Gabe, who, while sitting at the bedside of his mentor and old mob boss, begins to recall when he first came to the United States. This includes the chance encounter that led to him being introduced to the criminal underworld of New York City during the 1930s.

Gangster may seem like a familiar story to some, but Carcaterra adds an interesting twist to his story that puts Gabe in a difficult choice between taking over his mentor’s operation or choosing to live a normal, law-abiding life, ultimately presenting a monumental moral choice for the protagonist. The novel is a relentless tale of the gritty, unforgiving world of organized crime during its early days and explores the Mafia’s philosophy through an array of well-structured and captivating characters that deems Gangster to be perfect for any fan of The Godfather.

4

‘Hot Springs’

By Stephen Hunter

Hot Springs is a unique and exciting crime novel which tells the story of a former Marine and recipient of the Media of Honor, Earl Swagger, who returns from World War II in 1946, feeling as though he no longer has a purpose or sense of value in the world anymore. Swagger’s outlook on life is rejuvenated when he joins the local police department and joins the fight in the war against organized crime in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Stephen Hunter‘s Hot Springs stands out for its Southern landscape and its historical setting as the backdrop of an intense story full of sex, corruption, and violence which ultimately solidifies Hot Springs as an absolute page-turner. While the majority of the characters in the book are fictional, Hot Springs is essentially historical fiction at its finest and includes a handful of celebrities of the day, including Rita Hayworth, Mickey Rooney, and Rock Hudson, as well as the well-known mobster, Bugsy Siegel, who Hunter intricately weaves into the story.

3

‘Gangsterland: A Novel’

By Tod Goldberg

Tod Goldberg‘s Gangsterland: A Novel follows a hitman for the Chicago Outfit, Sal Cupertine, who has always managed to keep his head down and avoid unwanted attention from the authorities. When one of Sal’s hits goes terribly wrong and results in the unintended murder of three undercover FBI agents, Sal thinks it’s curtains for him and expects his employers to have him whacked. To his surprise, the bosses present him with another option of hiding out in Las Vegas as a Rabbi.

Even though Gangsterland might have a bit of an outlandish plot, Goldberg’s creativity and one-of-a-kind premise is still worth reading and stands to be one of the best gangster novels in recent years. The book is one of three in a series, each about Sal Cupertine, and is full of dark humor, intensity, and, of course, violence, all against the setting of the barren desert where anything is entirely possible. Gangsterland is the ideal read for anyone who is a fan of organized crime but who also enjoys a bit of comic relief and sparks of intuitive imagination that expand on the traditional tales of the American Mafia.

2

‘Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas’

By Nicholas Pileggi

Nicholas Pileggi’s Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas is a crucial gangster book which focuses on Lefty Rosenthal, a mob associate and casino owner who ran three of the most successful casinos in Sin City during the 1970s. While the book covers Rosenthal’s immense achievements and savvy business tactics, it also takes a look at the complex relationship between the casino owner and his friend and mob enforcer, Tony Spilotro.

As many have already guessed, Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas is another work by Pileggi that went on to inspire Martin Scorsese’s hit gangster movie, Casino, starring Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Sharon Stone. The interesting element of Pileggi’s book is his focus on a lesser-known but still powerful and influential person during the height of the mob’s reign over Las Vegas. While fans may think they know the whole story surrounding Casino, the movie doesn’t contain all the juicy details and extensive backstories, making it a vital read for anyone who loves the Scorsese film or even just the gangster genre.

1

‘The Godfather’

By Mario Puzo

This list wouldn’t be complete without including the novel that started it all and is an essential read for anyone who loves the 1972 film. While Coppola and Puzo successfully managed to carve out the core elements of the novel’s main story for the big screen, The Godfather novel itself feels like a massive expansion on the film, providing more details and backstory to the main characters as well as several side characters.

From learning about Al Neri’s past and how he came to work for Michael Corleone to Johnny Fontaine’s future after Don Vito secured him the movie role, Puzo doesn’t leave a single thing unturned or addressed, ultimately delivering an epic story that feels as though the movie only scratched the surface of. The movie The Godfather will always be in a category of its own, and as said before, Coppola and Puzo summarized the heart of the story. It’s also not always easy to include every single element and scene in a film adaptation. The Godfather novel is just a whole other experience that not only fills in some of the blanks in the movie and characters but also elevates the timeless story to another level of brilliance.

NEXT: 10 Novels To Read if You Love ‘No Country For Old Men’