Doug J. Swanson

About the Author

Doug J. Swanson is an acclaimed investigative journalist and author renowned for his gripping narratives on the shadowy underbelly of American crime and power. With a career spanning decades at major newspapers like the Dallas Morning News and the Chicago Tribune, Swanson has earned a Pulitzer Prize for his incisive reporting on corruption and organized crime. His writing delves into the lives of larger-than-life figures who shaped history through audacity and cunning, blending meticulous research with vivid storytelling to reveal the human drama behind infamous events. In Blood Aces: The Wild Ride of Benny Binion, the Texas Gangster Who Created Vegas Poker, Swanson chronicles the tumultuous journey of the gambler and mobster who revolutionized Las Vegas, offering readers a front-row seat to the birth of modern poker culture. A master of true crime biography, Swanson continues to captivate audiences with his unflinching examinations of ambition's dark side.