Blessed Are the Bank Robbers
The True Adventures of an Evangelical Outlaw
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- $16.99
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
A rollicking true story of Bibles and bank robberies in Southern California, from a talented and highly praised gonzo journalist.
NAMED A BEST TRUE CRIME BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW
Chas Smith grew up deeply enmeshed in the evangelical Christian world that grew out of Southern California in the late 1960s. His family included famous missionaries and megachurch pastors, but his cousin Daniel Courson was Grandma’s favorite. Smith looked up to Cousin Danny. He was handsome, adventurous, and smart, earned a degree from Bible college, and settled into a family and a stable career.
Needless to say, it was a big surprise when Cousin Danny started robbing banks. Known as the “Floppy Hat Bandit,” Courson robbed 19 of them in a torrid six-week spree before being caught and sentenced to seven years. When he tried to escape, they tacked on another year. And when he finally got out, despite seeming to be back on the straight and narrow, Cousin Danny disappeared. Banks started getting robbed again. It seemed Cousin Danny might be gunning for the record.
Smith’s Blessed Are the Bank Robbers is the wild, and wildly entertaining, story of an all-American antihero. It’s a tale of bank robberies, art and jewel heists, high-speed chases, fake identities, encrypted Swiss email accounts, jilted lovers, and the dark side of an evangelical family (and it wasn’t just Danny; an uncle was mixed up with the mujahideen). It’s a book about what it means to live inside the church and outside the law.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Journalist Smith (Now Go to Hell) delivers a rollicking portrait of his cousin Daniel David Courson, the scion of a prominent evangelical Christian family who is also a notorious bank robber. According to Smith, the Coursons are "a gilded evangelical Christian Camelot," with members serving as megachurch pastors and missionaries in California and Oregon and appearing regularly on the Trinity Broadcasting Network. A Bible college graduate and physician's assistant, Daniel David Courson robbed his first bank in 2006, shortly after his marriage collapsed. After a string of 19 bank robberies across the West Coast, he was arrested and served eight in years in prison. Three months after his release, he nearly got caught during an "art-and-jewel heist" and became a fugitive. Vicariously fascinated by his cousin's life "on the lam," Smith started corresponding with Danny, and he incorporates their communications into the narrative, as well as Danny's PowerPoint presentation on "how to make a living as a serial bank robber." Elsewhere, Smith comments on surfing culture; the nuances of being a "PK," or pastor's kid; the links between evangelical Christianity and Republican politics; and the history of bank robbing in the U.S. Though disjointed at times, it's an intriguing tale of rock bottoms, daredevil escapes, and life on the wrong side of the law. Readers will enjoy the ride.
