The Rascal King: The Life and Times of James Michael Curley (1874-1958) (Unabridged‪)‬

"A truly brilliant biography." (John Kenneth Galbraith, Chicago Tribune)

James Michael Curley was the stuff of legend. Twice jailed while serving in office, yet a champion of the people; builder of schools, yet a shameless grafter; born in the slums of South Boston, yet rising to become one of the most wealthy, powerful politicians of his day. In a remarkable career extending from the Progressive Era of Teddy Roosevelt to the ascendancy of the Kennedy sons, Curley represented both the triumph of Irish Americans and the birth of divisive politics of ethnic and racial polarization. When he died in 1958, more than one million mourners turned out to pay their respects in the largest wake Boston had ever seen. He truly was a man like no other.

This riveting biography, nominated for a National Book Critics Circle Award in Biography, is National Book Award-winning author Jack Beatty at his very best. A spellbinding story of "the Kingfish of Massachusetts", this remarkable work is also an epic of his city, its immigrant people, and its turbulent times. It is a biography that will keep you enthralled from page one.

"Beatty's book is a delight—rich, witty, flowing, and full of insight about the nature of political corruption." (Constance Casey, Los Angeles Times)

"A panoramic, exquisitely incisive biography that illuminates the triumphs, debacles, and personal sorrows of the irrepressible man known as Boston's 'Mayor of the Poor.'" (Robert Wilson, USA Today)

Performed by award-winning narrator, Boston College graduate and Boston-area native Chris Andrew Ciulla.

Proudly brought to you by Leonardo Audio, a New England-based imprint.