The Godfather, by Mario Puzo

The Godfather was first published in 1969 and made into a hit movie in 1972. It was a best seller for 67 weeks, and the film adaptation won the Oscar. The book takes place from 1945-1955 and details the story of the Corleone family, a New York based family whose olive oil company is a front for organized crime.

The family gets involved in a mob war between five mafia families. Violence erupts, as well as a family code of conduct and loyalty. The book is fast paced and supposedly based on real people, although Puzo admits that it is all based on research, and not first-person experience.