Welcome to my author website, which contains the latest information about my non-fiction writings, which started with a biography of the actress Jean Arthur in 1997, published by Limelight Editions. The year 2014 saw publication of two new books: American Queen, a biography of Kate Chase, a Civil War-era socialite and political hostess; and An All-American Murder, about a notorious cold case homicide in Columbus, Ohio in 1975. The former, published by Da Capo Press, is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other sites, and the latter is a free e-book available on Scribd as well as Google Books. In 2016 Da Capo published my biography of American Revolutionary war hero and guerrilla fighter Francis Marion, the “Swamp Fox.” He was the subject of a Walt Disney television series in the late 1950s-early 1960s and the inspiration for the Mel Gibson film "The Patriot."

In 2019 my book about the influential early 20th century white shoe lawyers of Wall Street was published by Dutton, a division of Penguin Random House. The title is "White Shoe: How a New Breed of Wall Street Lawyers Changed Big Business--and the American Century." 

My most recently published book is “Rogues’ Gallery: The Birth of Modern Policing and Organized Crime in Gilded Age New York,” also published by Dutton.

My upcoming book, set in the 1930s, is titled “Gangster Hunters: How Hoover’s G-Men Vanquished America’s Deadliest Public Enemies.” Also published by Dutton, it will be released on November 26, 2024 and is available now for pre-order.

Thank you for visiting!   - John

“An epic and engrossing look at the history of New York City crime and law enforcement from the early 1870s to about 1910. Oller weaves an enthralling narrative that presents both the origins of the NYPD and of organized crime in the Big Apple. True crime fans will relish what is likely to be the definitive account of this seminal period for lawbreakers and law enforcers alike.”

–Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

“Perfect for New York City history buffs or true crime readers.”

–Library Journal

“Mr. Oller could not have chosen a better moment for the publication of his book. ‘Rogues’ Gallery’ provides useful context for today’s continuing conversation about the importance and limits of policing—and even what constitutes a crime.”

—Wall Street Journal

“A fascinating page-turner, Rogues’ Gallery will appeal to true crime buffs and anyone interested in the dark side of life in late 19th century New York City.”

—New York Journal of Books

“For crime buffs, Oller delivers ample murder and mayhem as well as organizational notes for students of criminology… some fine moments of cops-and-robbers and cops-and-politicos action throughout.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“For fans of true crime stories, Oller has assembled an abundance of colorful characters.”

—Booklist

“Rogues’ Gallery is a remarkable and impressive achievement.  John Oller’s deep dive into a rich variety of primary sources has produced a riveting and compelling narrative.  Important but forgotten events and characters like the Manhattan Savings Bank robbery, Marm Mandelbaum, Shang Draper, and Arthur Carey have long needed their own historian, and John Oller rises to the occasion.  I wish I had written Rogues’ Gallery.”

–Timothy Gilfoyle, professor of history, Loyola University Chicago and author of A Pickpocket’s Tale and City of Eros: New York City, Prostitution, and the Commercialization of Sex

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WHITE SHOE

BY JOHN OLLER

“Entertaining history”

—Wall Street Journal

“In White Shoe, John Oller traces America’s earliest super lawyers, hard-charging Wall Streeters who tilted history in the building of the Panama Canal, the birth of gargantuan American businesses, and the pursuit of world peace.  A riveting portrayal of the swaggering advocates who deftly pulled the most important strings while raking in the biggest fees.”

—David O. Stewart, author of The Summer of 1787 and Impeached: The Trial of President Andrew Johnson and the Fight for Lincoln’s Legacy

“A lucid account of the rise of the modern law firm and the concomitant rise of the modern corporation. Students of economic and legal history will find Oller's book insightful and revealing.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“Oller makes the history of such firms surprisingly fascinating in this nuanced look at how their formation and development during the Progressive Era (1890–1916) “led to the creation of a new organizational society” in the United States . . . A valuable addition to the literature on America’s transformation during the Gilded Age.” 

—Publisher’s Weekly (starred review)

“This fast-paced history of the period from the white shoe perspective will be both entertaining and enlightening for most readers.”

—Library Journal

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AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK AND ON KINDLE : THE SWAMP FOX

by John Oller

"Not only a new Francis Marion, but a new American Revolution emerges from these riveting pages. Best of all, John Oller has performed this feat with solid, totally convincing research. This is a book that every American will learn from—and enjoy."

—Thomas Fleming, bestselling author of The Great Divide 

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