Herbert Asbury

Born on September 1, 1891, Herbert Asbury was an American journalist and writer whose work focused on the rougher edges of American life. He is most closely associated with lively histories of crime, gangs, gambling, and urban vice in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

His best-known books include The Gangs of New York, The Barbary Coast, The French Quarter, Gem of the Prairie, and Sucker's Progress. Though written as nonfiction, these books are remembered as much for their colorful atmosphere and memorable characters as for their historical detail.

Asbury died on February 24, 1963. His reputation has endured largely because The Gangs of New York remained especially influential and helped introduce new generations of readers to his dramatic, street-level view of American history.