I was very excited to read this book; however like another reviewer, it was not what I expected. I would have preferred a bit more about his photography and less of the other.

I have to say right off that I was disappointed with this book. None of Weegee's photos were included in the book copy I read. There is something absurd about writing a biography about an artist without including a hefty example of the artists' work. It's kind of like writing about an explorer but not explaining where that explorer went.
Personally I am not terribly excited to know where Weegee was born, his ethnic heritage, his bouts with employers, his public persona etc. I want to see his photos. And none of them were here.

Flash: The Making of Weegee the Famous is an excellent biography of the life and times of Arthur Fellig. Arriving in New York City in 1910 from Eastern Europe, Arthur was one of seven children.
And though he was hungry, frightened, unable to speak English and only ten years old, Arthur (born Usher Felig) was working within days to help support his large family.

Arthur was a go-getter. When the information for the 1910 census was taken 8 months after their arrival in NYC, Arthur was proficient in English, German, Polish and Yiddish. He was bright, ambitious and more importantly, he knew how to hustle to achieve what he wanted. And what he wanted was to become the best news photographer in the world. And that he was able to accomplish.

I was especially grateful for all the information included in this biography of the life and mores of NYC during the early to mid-twentieth century. Christopher Bonanos paints an interesting, vital picture of these times, and of Arthur Fellig's place in that world. This is a biography I can happily recommend to friends and family.