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S'està carregant… Scoundrels in Law: The Trials of Howe and Hummel, Lawyers to the Gangsters, Cops, Starlets, and Rakes Who Made the Gilded Age (edició 2010)de Cait N. Murphy (Autor)
Informació de l'obraScoundrels in Law: The Trials of Howe and Hummel, Lawyers to the Gangsters, Cops, Starlets, and Rakes Who Made the Gilded Age de Cait N. Murphy
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Apunta't a LibraryThing per saber si aquest llibre et pot agradar. No hi ha cap discussió a Converses sobre aquesta obra. A marvelous book, well written and very enjoyable. The scoundrels in question are Howe & Hummel, a pair of shady but somehow very likeable lawyers who practiced in late nineteenth century New York City. They were the Johnny Cochran of their day, acting in service to the rich and famous, the notorious, the crazy and many others. Murphy's narrative style makes the story easy to follow in spite of the many names and places mentioned. Some knowledge of American history isn't necessary, but having some familiarity with the names and events makes the book even more enjoyable. Very much recommended. Sense ressenyes | afegeix-hi una ressenya
"Gangsters and con men. Spurned mistresses and wandering husbands. Strippers and Broadway royalty. Cat killers and spiritualists. These were the friends and clients of Howe & Hummel, the most famous (and famously rotten) law firm in nineteenth-century America. The partners gloried in their reputation and made a rich living from it. William Howe left London a step ahead of the law to find his destiny defending the perpetrators of murder and mayhem in post-Civil War New York, in an age of really good murders. A dramatic, diamond-encrusted presence, Howe was one of the great courtroom orators of his era, winning improbable acquittals time after time. Abraham Hummel enjoyed a quieter but perhaps more fearsome notoriety, shaking down high society so well and so often that receiving an envelope with the law firm's name on it became almost a rite of passage. The partners bestrode Gilded Age New York with wit and brio, and everyone from Theodore Roosevelt to Lola Montez had a part in their story. In Howe & Hummel's prime, it would not have been unusual to see a leading politician, a pickpocket, a Broadway star, a bank robber, and a socialite all crowded together into the waiting room of their offices, located conveniently across the street from the city jail. Howe and Hummel were not particularly good men. They were perfectly ready--even eager--to lie, cheat, and bribe on behalf of their clients. They did stop short of murder, though, a principle that played a critical role when the famous firm imploded in a truly spectacular web of deceit gone wrong. Through the windows of the dingy premises of Howe & Hummel, readers can glimpse the Gilded Age in all its grime and grandeur. Cait Murphy restores this once-famous duo to their rightful place in the pantheon of great American characters"--Jacket. No s'han trobat descripcions de biblioteca. |
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Google Books — S'està carregant… GèneresClassificació Decimal de Dewey (DDC)340.092Social sciences Law Law Law Biography And History BiographyLCC (Clas. Bibl. Congrés EUA)ValoracióMitjana:
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I stopped mid-chapter on the theatre clients Howe & Hummel defended. It was endless series of vignettes on the mostly minor lawsuits of the theater crowd.
There was a chapter on murderers. There was a chapter on thieves. Story after story of people and incidents I don’t care about.
The writing is mediocre and her humor is sophomoric. I suppose she’s trying to wink at the reader but for me it was painful. ( )