Marc Mappen

New Jersey: A History of the Garden State is a fresh and comprehensive overview of New Jersey’s history from the prehistoric era to the present. The findings of archaeologists, political, social, and economic historians are brought together to offer a new look at the ways in which the Garden State has changed over time. From its pivotal role in the American Revolution to its modern-day suburbs and cities, this book shows how the small state of New Jersey is often a bellwether for the nation.

Based on FBI and other government files, trial transcripts, and the latest scholarship, this book provides a lively narrative of shootouts, car chases, courtroom clashes, wire tapping and rub-outs from the 1920s and beyond, acknowledging how the Prohibition generation forever transformed organized crime from loosely associated gangs into sophisticated, complex syndicates.