Born to Kill: The Rise and Fall of America's Bloodiest Asian Gang

This book lay gathering dust on a shelf in my home for fourteen years because I didn't think I'd be interested in the subject matter, a specific faction of the Asian organized crime problem in the U.S. during the mid-Eighties to early Nineties. I acquired it during a chance encounter with the author, T.J. English himself, who was gracious enough to autograph a copy and give it to me after I told him how much I had enjoyed his (at that time) previous work, "The Westies." Last week, in search of something to read, I picked it up - and couldn't put it down until I had finished the last page. "Born to Kill" is the riveting tale of a violent gang of youthful Vietnamese refugees who not only preyed on merchants in New York City's Chinatown district, but extended their activities to such far-flung states as Texas and Georgia as well. They were eventually brought down by one of their own who, guilt-ridden because he thought he had taken part in the brutal murder of a Vietnamese shopkeeper in Georgia, decided to cooperate with a joint task force of ATF agents and NYPD detectives dedicated to bringing this group to justice. Enough said. I won't reveal anything more in this review because I don't want to ruin it for the rest of you. Just don't make the same mistake I did and assume it won't hold your interest. Trust me, it will.

TJ English gives the reader a look into a world many may not even know exists. He does an excellent job of portraying the harsh post-war existence that led Tinh into BTK, yet also shows great compassion for his plight. Despite the brutal nature of the subject matter the book is quite hard to put down. The events that happened resonate with me since I was living in the NYC area when they took place. I also know the exact locations of the streets in Chinatown that were named in the book. If you are not afraid to take a close look at the brutal nature of street life, then I suggest reading Born to Kill.

I am Vietnamese know first hand what the people in that gang experence. In my home town of Sacramento CA their are alot of asian gangs just like BTK. Their is even a gang called Born to Kill around sactown too. I use to kick it with alot of gang member that do some of the same stuff that BTK do like robberies, GTA and busting 211 on houses too. If people wants to know what really happens in an asian gang then you guys should read this book.

To me this book is truly amazing the way it takes the reader into a world -- the Asian underworld here in the U.S. -- that very few people know anything about. Not only that, the author presents his main character, a young Vietnamese-American gangster wannabe, in a way that is insightful and compassionate. This could have been just a true-crime mob book, but it's much more than that. This is a book about the American Dream. As the blurbs say -- MUST READING.

BORN TO KILL is a fascinating and well-researched account of the rise and fall of a Vietnamese gang operating out of Chinatown in New York City. Much of the story chronicles the experiences of one gang member who eventually decides to cooperate with the NYPD and ATF to help bring down the gang. This book does an impressive job of explaining the political and cultural forces that affect these mostly very young gang members, but in a way that is never boring or uninteresting. Mr. English is objective yet he also writes with compassion. If you are interested in Gangs or Asian organized crime you cannot ignore this book.