Satan's Circus: Murder, Vice, Police Corruption, and New York's Trial of the Century Audiobook

" I did like a lot of the detail in this book, especially some of the more "lay of the land" type descriptions of how gambling and prostitution were viewed at the turn of the century, but at times I just felt like it took a really long time to get through certain parts of the trial and retrial pieces. I just never really looked forward to reading this or got lost in it, but when I did find the time to read it, I felt like I was learning something about history and I liked the detail on the legal procedure. "

" Just couldn't get it going. Stopped reading and moved on to something else. "

" This feels like the work of a good writer who was in too much of a hurry. The historical context he provides on city culture in general, and police culture specifically, in turn of the century New York is quite interesting and relevant to Dash's subject matter; the strongest part of the book is Dash's knack for conveying the integral role of corruption in every level of New York City's basic functioning. But these discussions do not feel fully integrated with the basic story Dash is telling, softening their effect. The stephen crane anecdote with which he opens, for example, could have been a really effective way to introduce Charles Becker as a person. One can see Dash approaching that a few times in the discussion, but instead he never quite gets there, so the story feels more like an attention getting anecdote in which Dash includes his subject's run-in with a celebrity just because he can. All in all, a worthwhile read, but more than anything it makes me want to read some of Dash's earlier stuff, to see if he's better when not working on a deadline. "

" A fascinating and surprisingly heartbreaking story, if however, awkwardly constructed in the telling here. This would make an absolutely killer movie if it was done right... "

" Great story of vice and corruption in early 19th Century NYC as told through the single, somewhat tragic tale of police officer Charley Becker, the one man that paid with his life for the same sort of graft and vengeance he was awash in "

" It took me a long time to finish this book. It isn't the kind of book I'd recommend to anyone to read for enjoyment, but it does provide a very in depth feeling of New York City vice in the early 1900s. So for research purposes, I'd give it a four and a half. For reading pleasure, probably a one. "

" This book started out so promising and then sort of got lost in the details. There seemed to be real problems sticking to a time period...A new person would enter the story and there would be pages of backtracking or general NYC history before the narrative would continue. Made it a rather tough read. "

" Unabridged is putting it mildly. I am pretty sure that the author never met a fact he didn't want to share. The story was interesting, however, I got bogged down in all of the extra details. He goes over the history of EVERY part of New York. "

" Well-researched and jam-packed with interesting stories and facts about old New York. Highly recommended! "

" As a history lover, I enjoyed much of this book. However, it went into excruciating detail and I found myself skimming through it. "

" Interesting case that was very influential at the time though I doubt many people know about today. The turn of the century is one of my favorite time periods. I did find the book a bit long though. I think some of the details were unnecessary. "

" Not the best book I've ever read....Not the worst either. It drags in too many places and takes forever to actually get to murder in question. "

" Non fiction about NYC in 1919 and corruption in government and police. SLOW reading.......didn't grab my attention like I thought it would. "

" It was ok. I don't think I'd recommend it as compelling reading, but it was a good period piece. "

" Thi isn't my kind of book and the author spends so much time trying to put the story into context that the tory itself gets a little lost. It's very well written and researched though, and as far as studies of police corruption go, this is fascinating. "

" Very well written true-crime novel set in the late 1800s New York City. "

" This book was filled with so much fact it lost the story line til the very ending. I could've have gone without reading this. "

" Interesting but two thirds of the way in, it became so slow and mIred in detail that I no longer cared. "

" Only one police officer in U.S. has ever been convicted and sentenced to death for murder. This is the story and an interesting one at that. "

" Really interesting book that is backed up with facts. "

" I find I'm skipping forward over the personal histories. Mike Dash does encapsulate a moody and humorous nineteenth century New York. Quite impressive historical research. "

" It has taken me 2 months to get to page 150. I'm forcing myself to read a few pages at each sitting. This book is terrible. I can't finish it. Next! "

" Interesting but two thirds of the way in, it became so slow and mIred in detail that I no longer cared. "

" Sort of a typical recreationist type book about the "most corrupt cop in New York City history" who held sway in the 1890s and first decade of the twentieth century. Pretty standard crooked cop stuff. "

" It took me a long time to finish this book. It isn't the kind of book I'd recommend to anyone to read for enjoyment, but it does provide a very in depth feeling of New York City vice in the early 1900s. So for research purposes, I'd give it a four and a half. For reading pleasure, probably a one. "

" As a history lover, I enjoyed much of this book. However, it went into excruciating detail and I found myself skimming through it. "

" Non fiction about NYC in 1919 and corruption in government and police. SLOW reading.......didn't grab my attention like I thought it would. "

" Unabridged is putting it mildly. I am pretty sure that the author never met a fact he didn't want to share. The story was interesting, however, I got bogged down in all of the extra details. He goes over the history of EVERY part of New York. "

" A fascinating and surprisingly heartbreaking story, if however, awkwardly constructed in the telling here. This would make an absolutely killer movie if it was done right... "

" This book was filled with so much fact it lost the story line til the very ending. I could've have gone without reading this. "

" Just couldn't get it going. Stopped reading and moved on to something else. "