The Scandalous Hamiltons
A Gilded Age Grifter, a Founding Father's Disgraced Descendant, and a Trial at the Dawn of Tabloid Journalism
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- 52,99 zł
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- 52,99 zł
Publisher Description
One of the country’s most powerful families embroiled in sex, lies, bigamy, and blackmail . . . and every new, deliciously humiliating morsel splashed across every newspaper in America
Now in paperback, the believe-it-or-not historical true crime behind one of the greatest scandals of the Gilded Age, and the story that gave rise to the sensational tabloid journalism still driving so much of the news cycle in the 21st century.
An Alexander Hamilton heir, a beautiful female con artist, an abandoned baby, and the shocking courtroom drama that was splashed across front pages from coast to coast . . .
It’s a historical true crime story almost too tawdry to be true—a con woman met the descendant of a Founding Father in a brothel, duped him into marriage using an infant purchased from a baby farm, then went to prison for stabbing the couple’s baby nurse—all while in a common-law marriage with another man. The scandal surrounding Evangeline and Robert Ray Hamilton was one of the sensations of the Gilded Age, a sordid, gripping tale involving bigamy, bribery, sex, and violence.
Through personal correspondence, court records, and sensational newspaper accounts, The Scandalous Hamiltons explores not only the full, riveting saga of ill-fated Ray and Eva, but the rise of tabloid journalism—including an exclusive interview conducted by world-famous investigative reporter Nellie Bly—in a story that unfurls as a timeless tale of ambition, greed, and obsession.
“Fans of Erik Larson–style histories and anyone who just loves a fun, gossipy read will love The Scandalous Hamiltons.” —Apple Books, Best of the Month Selection
"Adultery? Check. Attempted murder? Check. Baby-trafficking? Check. These are just a few of the missteps of the woman who rained humiliation onto the House of Hamilton." —Marlene Wagman-Geller, author of Women of Means: Fascinating Biographies of Royals, Heiresses, Eccentrics and Other Poor Little Rich Girls
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Who knew you could connect the historical legacy of Alexander Hamilton to the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard trial? Author Bill Shaffer explains how a late-1800s scandal involving Hamilton’s great-grandson Robert Ray Hamilton paved the way for today’s tabloid journalism and celebrity gossip market. The aspiring politician’s secret marriage to a con artist and sex worker named Evangeline Steele gave newspapers plenty to write about—the sordid details included everything from purchased babies to attempted murder. Journalist Shaffer connects the dots, showing how the story serves as ground zero for the way the press reports on famous families to this day using court documents, newspaper clippings, and firsthand correspondence. This eye-opening take on the birth of society journalism kept us riveted. Fans of Erik Larson–style histories and anyone who just loves a fun, gossipy read will love The Scandalous Hamiltons.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Design historian Shaffer (George Nelson and the Design of Time) gives a detailed account of the scandal surrounding Robert Ray Hamilton (1851–1890), great-grandson of Alexander Hamilton, and his secret marriage to a prostitute and attempted murderer. After serving four years in the New York State Assembly, Hamilton's life took a dramatic turn in 1889, when he secretly married Evangeline Steele, a former prostitute with whom he'd had a years-long affair. The impetus for the marriage was the birth of their daughter, Beatrice—or so Hamilton thought. In reality, Evangeline, aided by her common-law husband, Joshua Mann, had purchased an unwanted infant girl from a midwife and passed her off as Hamilton's child in a scheme to get his money. The plot unraveled months later, when Evangeline stabbed the baby's nursemaid in a drunken argument. After a sensational trial and divorce proceedings, which were breathlessly documented by the era's tabloid reporters, including Nellie Bly, Hamilton retreated to the West, where he died under mysterious circumstances in Jackson Hole, Wyo. Shaffer relates these events in a straightforward style that drains the era of some its color, but resists caricature. Historical true crime buffs will be engrossed.
