Asbury, Herbert

Herbert Asbury (Image from the Daily Journal Online)

As numerous sources will tell you, the journalist Herbert Asbury, author of The Barbary Coast, was more attuned to a colorful story than to historical accuracy. Thus, a major focus of this Annotated Barbary Coast (ABC) will be to tease out, whenever possible, just what in his book can reasonably be believed to be accurate, what can not, and where between these two poles the rest lies.

More details of his life and writings can be found online:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Asbury

I am not (yet) aware of any sustained investigation into Asbury's life. A good many writers, mostly commenting on his Gangs of New York, hold him at arm's length--noting his inaccuracies and errors, while still relying on him when convenient.