Product Description

In "Satan's Circus" Mike Dash vividly opens up the world of 20th century New York, and tells the gripping story of Charley Becker's rise and fall, and the sensational murder trials that led to his gruesome death in the electric chair. With a cast of colourful characters, from Big Tim Sullivan, the election-rigging vice lord, to future President Theodore Roosevelt and beloved gangster Jack Zelig, "Satan's Circus" brings to life an almost-forgotten Gotham - a raucous, gaudy and utterly corrupt city.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #311135 in Books
• Published on: 2009-01-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 464 pages

Review
'Book of the week... With an eye for crime-world factoids and period detail, Dash introduces us to prostitutes and underbelly dwellers with monikers like Kid Twist"... people looking for a walk on the grimy side of prewar New York are in for a treat.' - Time Out New York "If the story that Mike Dash tells in Satan's Circus sometimes seems like a chapter from Gangs of New York, that's because it is ... This is a true-crime thriller - but it is also a portrait of the end of an era' The Telegraph ' ****_ Satan's Circus is a thrilling, atmospheric story peopled with outlandish characters, but it also conveys a profound understanding of how New York's criminals, policemen and politicians conspired on a systematic basis' - Sunday Express

Independent, Marianne Brace
"Dash handles with relish the sleazy circus of pimps and gangsters ... His research is meticulous"

Telegraph, Peter Robins
"A true-crime thriller ... but it is also a portrait of the end of an era"

Customer Reviews

Excellent history, strong narrative
Mike Dash is an unusual author. He combines top-quality historical research with a strong narrative drive. The results are always credible and compelling. Dash has turned his talents to many diverse subjects from Tulipmania to seventeenth century ship-wreaks off the coast of Australia, from Indian Thugees, to the early days of the American mafia. This time he has unearthed a fabulous story about the first New York cop to be executed for murder. He brings to life turn of the century Gotham, and weaves a compelling and nuanced story around his protagonist who was clearly crooked, but probably innocent of the crime for which he met his end. All in all, excellent history and a strong narrative make for a fine read.

thoughtful, provocative
This is a compelling story, told in a canny and engaging manner. The characters are colourfully drawn, the narrative is balanced and candid and the pacing makes this a wonderfully entertaining read.

Corruption and Murder NYPD-style
The problem with a lot of true crime writing is it relies too much on other true crime books and doesn't get to grips with original sources. A lot of it, lets face it, is a bit sloppy. And even at its peak, a writer like James Ellroy can produce a brilliant and gripping piece of 'faction' like American Tabloid, but at the end you really don't know what's documented, what's made up, what's a good guess, because there are no sources. In short, this is a genre that has largely been bypassed by regular historians.

In which case thank god for Dr Mike Dash. I've just finished reading his latest look at American criminals about the roots of the Mafia: First Family, but Satan's Circus is every bit as good. The Circus of the title is a notorious area of New York which, at the turn of the century, was the centre of scams and purse-snatching, prostitution and gambling. Every kind of vice, and every kind of criminal, could be found there. Against this vividly-painted backdrop Dash tells the story of Charley Becker, the only serving officer on the NY Police payroll to be tried for murder. Becker like most of his contemporaries, bought his way onto the force as a way of plugging into the wellspring of graft and bribery being a policeman provided. Unlike them he was of German origin and marked out as particularly intelligent and articulate. Which ultimately made him a particularly intelligent, articulate and corrupt policeman who got so involved in scheming and double dealing that he wound up having to kill to cover up his activities.

Given how incredibly corrupt and nepotistic the police and local government were at the time - which Dr Dash lovingly lays out for you with examples that are almost funny they're so incredible - it says something for Becker that he was still noticeably worse than his fellow officers.

Dr Dash follows his career through his indictment and trial, making evident the many agendas being pursued by defense and prosecution, as well as the powers that be, that eventually led to his execution. It's an incredible, meticulously researched story and if you like your true crime to be sensationally written, rather than just sensationalist, Satan's Circus will grip you.