The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars | 155 ratings

Price: 23.88

Last update: 07-30-2024


Top reviews from the United States

Hugh Mclaughlin
5.0 out of 5 stars cliche a page turner , spellbinding
Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2024
Unknown to me was a story so interesting and captivating about Tammany Hall and the corruption of NYC. Facts are stranger than fiction in this compelling book. The author is superb…enjoy
richard c kloch
4.0 out of 5 stars Good read
Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2024
I enjoyed the book. It read like a murder mystery but covered an interesting examination into political corruption and NewYork politics.
kerila18
5.0 out of 5 stars Such a great read!
Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2024
I learned so much about the political history of NYC and enjoyed it so much. This book is so informative and so well-written.
Amazon Customer
3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting history, terrible editing
Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2024
The Bishop and the Butterfly tells a very thorough history of the downfall of Tammany Hall and its corrupt hold on New York City politics in the 1920's and 1930's. However, the author tries to connect the sensational murder of a young woman of many talents to the eventual investigation that eventually overtook the Tammany organization and Mayor Jimmy Walker, and in my opinion, fails to do so. While it may have played a part in the history, the connection is mainly speculation on the author's part.
More disconcerting, however, is the atrocious editing throughout. There is constant reference to the New York Times, when its proper name is The New York Times. On page 52 we find a reference to "Stephen Wise, a renowned Reform rabbi..." but on page146 "Rabbi Stephen Wise, the reformed rabbi..." and too many sentences such as "There were countless ways to skim the riches and no accountability because ...." I am not a grammar commando but "with" instead of "and" would make the sentence better understood. The use of today's gender sensitive words which did not exist in 1929 also grate on the reader: "Representative Fiorello La Guardia, a Republican congressperson from lower Manhattan..." (p45) as well as numerous other sloppy editing errors throughout. Finally there are too many surprising or controversial quotes that have no source citation in the end notes, leaving one to question the author's literary license. Taken in total, it makes for a very annoying read.
kevin b. scott
4.0 out of 5 stars Decent story
Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2024
Decent story how the murder of a society girl in NYC around the time of the Depression led to an expose of corruption in NYC. government.
Brian Lewis
5.0 out of 5 stars Wiseguys and Dolls, Lawyers and Hookers
Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2024
The Bishop and the Butterfly offers a fascinating glimpse of Jazz Age and Great Depression era New York justice and corruption. It is several cuts above typical historical true crime story because of the author's diligent research and his cogent argument for the story's political impact.

The murder of Vivian Gordon captivated New York City and the nation in the 1930s. She was almost the opposite of a hooker with a heart of gold; more like a manipulative cynic who expanded her prostitution career into a far more lucrative blackmail practice. She made an appointment to speak with lawyers from Samuel Seabury's team investigating Tammany Hall corruption in New York City, but never appeared. Her body was subsequently found in the Bronx and the case went as viral as a story could go in the 1930s, dominating the tabloids.

Author Michael Wolraich makes the case that the murder drew so much public interest to the corruption investigation that, when added to Seabury's dogged pursuit, it brought down Tammany Hall, led to ouster of Tammany's tool, Mayor Jimmy Walker and that led to the rise of Mayor LaGuardia. Oh, and it helped New York Governor Franklin Roosevelt get elected president.

In terms of style, it often felt to me like the book was written by a combination of Michael Lewis and Damon Runyon. There is a research effort on the level of Lewis at his best and the dialogue could have been written by Runyon, who I always thought offered readers a stylized version of gangster speak. But it comes through here, often in print. Wow, people really used to talk like that.

Highly recommended. As history. As murder mystery. As true crime. As organized crime. As political corruption. Just a terrific non fiction book.
Grrrdaliah
5.0 out of 5 stars That New York Times review was spot on
Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2024
This is a really well-done book, taking us back to a time in New York City that helped to shape larger national trends. It's also a wonderful job of reporting and scene setting. If you like narrative history with a touch of true crime and political intrigue, you will love this book.
Simon DelMonte
4.0 out of 5 stars Good but not great non-scholarly history
Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2024
In terns of re-creating long forgotten events and people, the author does a good job. In terms of unearthing sources besides newspapers, he doesn't even try. And he is not convincing in saying that Vivian Gordon's murder really led to the end of Tammany Hall. His writing style is good but not great, sometimes clumsy, And talks about the immigrant experience - especially the Jewish immigrant experience - without really understanding it.

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