Tyrant, blackmailer, racketeer, murderer—his reach extends to every level of American society. Meet Don Corleone, a genial man, a fair man, a sensible man. The most lethal leader of the Cosa Nostra. The Godfather.
Yet no man can remain at the top indefinitely, especially with enemies on both sides of the law. As the aging Vito Corleone approaches the end of a long criminal life, his sons must rise to manage the family enterprise. Sonny Corleone is experienced, while World War II veteran Michael Corleone is unfamiliar with the criminal world and hesitant to dive into the business.
Both the police and merciless rival crime bosses sense vulnerability. For the Corleone family to endure, it requires a merciless new leader. But the cost of triumph in a violent world may be too steep...
A contemporary classic, The Godfather is an intense depiction of the 1940s criminal underworld. Still provocative forty years after its initial publication, this gripping story of blackmail, murder, and family values remains a true classic.
