The Bishop and the Butterfly
Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age
(Author) Michael WolraichThe riveting story of how the murder of prostitute Vivian Gordon brought about the downfall of the mayor of New York City and an end to the dominance of Tammany Hall. "Propulsive. . . . Unlike the sensationalist reporters of the era, Wolraich manages to handle even the seediest of underworlds with reportorial spareness and elegance, treating his material more as a nonfiction political thriller than a true-crime whodunit. . . . The Gordon murder and Seabury hearings might have long since faded from public memory, but their prism into corruption and ruthless opportunism remains ever relevant."--New York Times Vivian Gordon went out before midnight in a velvet dress and mink coat. Her body turned up the next morning in a desolate Bronx park, a dirty clothesline wrapped around her neck. At her stylish Manhattan apartment, detectives discovered notebooks full of names--businessmen, socialites, gangsters. And something else: a letter from an anti-corruption commission established by Governor Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Led by the imperious Judge Samuel Seabury, the commission had uncovered a police conspiracy to frame women as prostitutes. Had Vivian Gordon been executed to bury her secrets? As FDR pressed the police to solve her murder, Judge Seabury pursued the trail of corruption to the top of Gotham's powerful political machine--the infamous Tammany Hall.
Michael Wolraich
Michael Wolraich is a historian and author known for his work on American politics and history. He is the author of several books, including "Blowing Smoke: Why the Right Keeps Serving Up Whack-Job Fantasies about the Plot to Euthanize Grandma, Outlaw Christmas, and Turn Junior into a Raging Homosexual" and "Unreasonable Men: Theodore Roosevelt and the Republican Rebels Who Created Progressive Politics."
Wolraich's writing style is characterized by its engaging and accessible approach to complex political topics, making history come alive for readers. His works often shed light on the political forces and personalities that have shaped American society.
Through his insightful and thought-provoking analysis, Wolraich has made significant contributions to the understanding of American political history, particularly the Progressive Era. His most famous work, "Unreasonable Men," explores the clash between Theodore Roosevelt and the Republican establishment, illuminating the birth of progressive politics in the United States.
Overall, Michael Wolraich's works have had a lasting impact on the literary genre of political history, offering valuable insights into the forces that have shaped American politics and society.
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