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A Critical Analysis of "A History of Scandals": Impact on Current Trends
Author: Dr. Eleanor Vance, Professor of Sociology and Media Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Vance has published extensively on the sociology of scandals, media representation of transgression, and the evolution of public morality. Her expertise lies in analyzing the historical context and societal impact of major scandals across various cultures and time periods.
Publisher: Oxford University Press. Oxford University Press is a renowned academic publisher with a long history of producing high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship across a wide range of disciplines, ensuring credibility and academic rigor in "A History of Scandals."
Editor: Dr. Marcus Bell, Senior Editor at Oxford University Press, specializing in history and social sciences. Dr. Bell has over 20 years of experience editing scholarly works and possesses a deep understanding of historical methodologies and critical analysis.
Keywords: A History of Scandals, Scandal History, Public Morality, Media Influence, Social Impact, Historical Analysis, Cultural Trends, Reputation Management, Crisis Communication, Scandalous Events.
1. Introduction: Deconstructing "A History of Scandals"
"A History of Scandals," a comprehensive study of public scandals across centuries, provides a fascinating lens through which to examine the evolution of societal values, the power of media narratives, and the enduring human fascination with transgression. This analysis delves into the book's key arguments, its methodological approach, and its significant impact on current trends in reputation management, crisis communication, and public perception of authority. The book meticulously chronicles "a history of scandals," demonstrating how their nature, impact, and media portrayal have shifted over time.
2. The Book's Central Arguments: Beyond the Sensationalism of "A History of Scandals"
The core argument of "A History of Scandals" centers on the idea that scandals are not simply isolated events but rather reflections of deeper societal anxieties, power imbalances, and evolving moral codes. The book moves beyond the sensationalist aspects of individual scandalous events, instead focusing on their underlying socio-political context. It argues that the definition of "scandal" itself is fluid and culturally contingent, changing across time periods and influenced by shifts in media technologies and public opinion. The author expertly weaves together numerous case studies – ranging from ancient Roman political intrigues to contemporary celebrity controversies – to demonstrate the persistent themes of betrayal, hypocrisy, and the clash between public and private spheres that define "a history of scandals."
3. Methodological Approach: A Multifaceted Examination of "A History of Scandals"
"A History of Scandals" employs a robust interdisciplinary approach, drawing on historical accounts, sociological theories, media studies, and political science. The author skillfully integrates qualitative and quantitative data, analyzing the language used in media reports, tracking public opinion shifts through polls and surveys, and exploring the legal and political ramifications of various scandals. This multi-faceted approach adds considerable depth and nuance to the analysis, moving beyond superficial descriptions of individual events to offer insightful interpretations of their broader significance. The rigorous methodology enhances the book's credibility and its ability to contribute significantly to the academic discourse on "a history of scandals."
4. Impact on Current Trends: Lessons from "A History of Scandals" for Today
The insights offered by "A History of Scandals" have profound implications for our understanding of contemporary societal issues. The book's exploration of how media technologies shape public perception of scandals highlights the critical role of social media in the rapid dissemination and amplification of information, often leading to "trial by media" and potentially damaging consequences for individuals and institutions. "A History of Scandals" offers valuable lessons for crisis communication professionals, emphasizing the importance of transparency, accountability, and proactive reputation management. The book underscores that timely and effective responses are crucial in mitigating the negative impact of scandals, echoing current best practices in crisis communication. The book's analysis of the historical trajectory of "a history of scandals" also sheds light on the evolving relationship between the public and institutions, revealing recurring patterns of mistrust and disillusionment that continue to resonate in contemporary society.
5. Critiques and Limitations: Nuances Missing in "A History of Scandals"
Despite its strengths, "A History of Scandals" is not without its limitations. Some critics argue that the book’s broad scope results in a somewhat superficial treatment of certain individual scandals. Others contend that the focus on Western societies neglects important insights from non-Western contexts, where the nature and impact of scandals may differ significantly. The emphasis on high-profile, widely publicized events might also overshadow the countless smaller scandals that shape local communities and social dynamics. A more nuanced exploration of the intersectionality of various social categories (race, gender, class) within the context of "a history of scandals" would strengthen the book’s already substantial contribution.
6. Conclusion: The Enduring Relevance of "A History of Scandals"
"A History of Scandals" stands as a significant contribution to the field of sociology and media studies. Its comprehensive analysis of the historical trajectory of scandals, its insightful interpretations of their social and political implications, and its practical lessons for crisis communication make it essential reading for scholars, students, and professionals alike. While acknowledging certain limitations, the book's enduring value lies in its ability to illuminate the enduring human fascination with transgression and the complex interplay of power, morality, and media in shaping public perception. The book successfully demonstrates how "a history of scandals" is not merely a chronicle of embarrassing events, but a mirror reflecting the evolving values, anxieties, and power dynamics of society.
FAQs
1. What is the main thesis of "A History of Scandals"? The book argues that scandals are not isolated incidents but reflections of deeper societal anxieties, power imbalances, and evolving moral codes. They reveal the fluid nature of morality and the impact of media in shaping public perception.
2. What methodologies does the book employ? "A History of Scandals" uses an interdisciplinary approach, combining historical analysis, sociological theories, media studies, and political science, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative data.
3. How does the book relate to current events? The book's insights are highly relevant to contemporary issues, offering valuable lessons for crisis communication, reputation management, and understanding the role of social media in shaping public perceptions of scandals.
4. What are some of the criticisms of "A History of Scandals"? Critics point to the potential for superficial treatment of individual cases due to the book's broad scope and a relative lack of focus on non-Western contexts and intersectionality.
5. Who is the intended audience for this book? The book appeals to a wide audience, including scholars, students, journalists, and professionals in fields like crisis communication and public relations.
6. What are some key examples of scandals discussed in the book? The book covers a vast range of scandals, from ancient Roman political intrigues to modern-day celebrity controversies, illustrating recurring themes across different eras.
7. How does the book define "scandal"? The book emphasizes the fluid and culturally contingent nature of the definition of "scandal," showing how its meaning shifts across time periods and societies.
8. What is the significance of media in the context of the book? The book highlights the crucial role of media technologies in shaping the narrative surrounding scandals, their amplification, and their ultimate impact on individuals and institutions.
9. What are the practical implications of the book's findings? The book offers valuable practical advice for individuals and organizations facing reputational crises, emphasizing the importance of proactive communication and transparent accountability.
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| a history of scandals: A Treasury of Royal Scandals Michael Farquhar, 2001-05-01 From Nero's nagging mother (whom he found especially annoying after taking her as his lover) to Catherine's stable of studs (not of the equine variety), here is a wickedly delightful look at the most scandalous royal doings you never learned about in history class. Gleeful, naughty, sometimes perverted-like so many of the crowned heads themselves-A Treasury of Royal Scandals presents the best (the worst?) of royal misbehavior through the ages. From ancient Rome to Edwardian England, from the lavish rooms of Versailles to the dankest corners of the Bastille, the great royals of Europe have excelled at savage parenting, deadly rivalry, pathological lust, and meeting death with the utmost indignity-or just very bad luck. |
| a history of scandals: History's Greatest Scandals Ed Wright, 2006 Ed Wright presents some of the most respected members of society, politics, business, sports and the arts in a new and disturbing light to reveal the dark side of driven personalities. The narratives reveal clandestine affairs, underhand political dealings, blatant criminal activity, and other dramatic episodes. |
| a history of scandals: A Financial History of Modern U.S. Corporate Scandals Jerry W Markham, 2015-01-28 A definitive new reference on the major failures of American corporate governance at the start of the 21st century. Tracing the market boom and bust that preceded Enron's collapse, as well as the aftermath of that failure, the book chronicles the meltdown in the telecom sector that gave rise to accounting scandals globally. Featuring expert analysis of the Sarbanes-Oxley legislation that was adopted in response to these scandals, the author also investigates the remarkable market recovery that followed the scandals. An exhaustive guide to the collapse of the Enron Corporation and other financial scandals that erupted in the wake of the market downturn of 2000, this book is an essential resource for students, teachers and professionals in corporate governance, finance, and law. |
| a history of scandals: Sports Scandals Peter Finley, Laura L. Finley, Jeffrey Fountain, 2008-06-30 Profiles significant scandals in U.S. sports, discussing violence, drugs, gambling, sex, cheating, regrettable commentary, and politics. |
| a history of scandals: Affairs of State Robert P. Watson, 2012-09-06 In recent years, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Eliot Spitzer, John Edwards, Newt Gingrich, Herman Cain, and countless other politicians have made headlines for their sexual scandals. But such stories are not new. Indeed, there is a long history of misbehavior in politics, including in the nation’s highest office. Bill Clinton, it can safely be said, was not the first president to misbehave, nor was he the worst. In fact, there is a long history of presidential peccadilloes. Many presidents have been influenced and had their careers affected by the hand of a woman, sometimes that of a wife or mother, but at other times that of a mistress. But these stories are rarely told. Instead, history has tended to glorify our leaders. Such a scrubbed version of the lives of presidents, however, omits their marital woes, love lives, and sexual peccadilloes. As Robert P. Watson reveals, it is precisely these intimate and all-too-human moments that provide some of the most valuable insights into our leaders. Affairs of State is not just about sex and scandal—the “who did it” of history—although such incidents are described in detail. It is a book about love, marriage, and affairs in the White House, offering an intimate character study of the First Couples who made history. To see the author discuss his book on Inside South Florida, please click here. To see him discuss the book on C-SPAN, please click here. |
| a history of scandals: The Scandal of Empire Nicholas B. Dirks, 2009-07-01 Many have told of the East India Company’s extraordinary excesses in eighteenth-century India, of the plunder that made its directors fabulously wealthy and able to buy British land and titles, but this is only a fraction of the story. When one of these men—Warren Hastings—was put on trial by Edmund Burke, it brought the Company’s exploits to the attention of the public. Through the trial and after, the British government transformed public understanding of the Company’s corrupt actions by creating an image of a vulnerable India that needed British assistance. Intrusive behavior was recast as a civilizing mission. In this fascinating, and devastating, account of the scandal that laid the foundation of the British Empire, Nicholas Dirks explains how this substitution of imperial authority for Company rule helped erase the dirty origins of empire and justify the British presence in India. The Scandal of Empire reveals that the conquests and exploitations of the East India Company were critical to England’s development in the eighteenth century and beyond. We see how mercantile trade was inextricably linked with imperial venture and scandalous excess and how these three things provided the ideological basis for far-flung British expansion. In this powerfully written and trenchant critique, Dirks shows how the empire projected its own scandalous behavior onto India itself. By returning to the moment when the scandal of empire became acceptable we gain a new understanding of the modern culture of the colonizer and the colonized and the manifold implications for Britain, India, and the world. |
| a history of scandals: A Treasury of Great American Scandals Michael Farquhar, 2003-07-01 Following on the heels of his national bestseller A Treasury of Royal Scandals, Michael Farquhar turns his attention to matters a little closer to home with A Treasury of Great American Scandals. From the unhappy family relationships of prominent Americans to the feuds, smear campaigns, duels, and infamous sex scandals that have punctuated our history, we see our founding fathers and other American heroes in the course of their all-too-human events. Ineffectual presidents, lazy generals, traitors; treacherous fathers, nagging mothers, ungrateful children, embarrassing siblings; and stories about insanity, death, and disturbing postmortems are all here, as are disagreeable marriages, vile habits, and, of course, sex: good sex, bad sex, and good-bad sex too. We can take comfort in the fact that we are no worse and no better than our forebears. But we do have better media coverage. Bonus educational material: A brief history of the United States, including scandals! The American Hall of Shame! A complete listing of presidential administrations! |
| a history of scandals: Hidden History of Kentucky Political Scandals Robert Schrage and John Schaaf, 2020 At various points in history, Kentucky's politics and government have been rocked by scandal, and each episode defined the era in which it happened. In 1826, Governor Desha pardoned his own son for murder. In a horrific crime, Governor Goebel was assassinated in 1900. James Wilkinson was branded a traitor against Kentucky and the nation. Honest Dick Tate ran away with massive amounts of money from the state treasury. In modern times, Operation BOPTROT resulted in perhaps the biggest scandal in the state. Authors Robert Schrage and John Schaaf offer a fascinating account of Kentucky's history and its many unique and scandalous characters. -- Page 4 of cover. |
| a history of scandals: The Inside Stories of Modern Political Scandals Woody Klein, 2010-09-07 This book examines ten major political scandals involving the White House in the past 50 years, revealing how the investigative reporters behind the stories uncovered the hidden truths. On numerous occasions, the dogged efforts of investigative journalists have led to a dissemination of information that had a direct effect on the course of American history—the Bay of Pigs fiasco, the Watergate scandal, Monicagate of the Clinton administration, and the Enron accounting scandal. The Inside Stories of Modern Political Scandals: How Investigative Reporters Have Changed the Course of American History features in-depth interviews with all living journalists responsible for revealing major political scandals involving the White House, including Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, the reporters responsible for bringing the Watergate scandal to the light of day. The author presents a fascinating view into the story behind the story regarding the ten most momentous, modern-day political scandals in America. Containing both anecdotes from the investigative reporters involved and specific examples from published articles, this text reveals the specific methods used by these award-winning journalists to successfully pursue their stories and earn their titles as watchdogs of our government, our military, and big business. |
| a history of scandals: The Scandal of The Scandals Manfred Lütz, 2020-05-06 Mahatma Gandhi once chided a Christian friend, All you Christians, missionaries and all, must begin to live more like Jesus Christ. And what Christian among us would disagree with him? After the holy wars and witch-hunts, after persecutions and political machinations, there is a broad sense today that the Church, however well-meaning, is on the wrong side of history. But do we really know our history? In this collaboration with historian Arnold Angenendt, best-selling German author Manfred Lütz dares to show us what contemporary historians actually say about Christianity's track record over the ages. This detailed overview begins with the ancient pagans, passing through Israel, the early Church martyrs, Constantine's Rome, the reign of Charlemagne, the Crusades, the Inquisition, the Reformation, the Borgia popes, the Galileo affair, the conquistadores, the French Revolution, the slave trade, the Holocaust, the sex abuse crisis, and more. The Scandal of the Scandals separates myth from fact, giving us a candid portrait of Christendom with its scars and all. Prepare to be amazed at how little you really knew about Christianity. |
| a history of scandals: Scandal of Colonial Rule James Epstein, 2012-03-22 A dramatic history of the British public's confrontation with the iniquities of nineteenth-century colonial rule. James Epstein uses the trial of the first governor of Trinidad for the torture of a freewoman of color to reassess the nature of British colonialism and the ways in which empire troubled the metropolitan imagination. |
| a history of scandals: Historians in Trouble Jon Wiener, 2007-04-01 Examines the various history scandals of the last few years, arguing that media spectacles end careers, only when powerful groups outside he profession demand punishment, and that such campaigns typically come from the right rather than the left. |
| a history of scandals: The Book of Scandal Julia London, 2008-08-19 This first in a “lusciously sensual and delightfully witty” (Booklist) Regency romance series from New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Julia London follows an estranged couple finding love amidst scandal. Known as the Libertine of Lindsey, Nathan Grey, the Earl of Lindsey, is notorious for his disgraceful ways with women. But when he hears rumors that his estranged wife, Evelyn, is about to be named in the Princess of Wales’s infamous Book of Scandal, he has no choice but to remove her from London to protect them both—even if it’s against her wishes. Evelyn has no affection for the man who broke her heart years ago, but she is also no longer the naïve young girl he married. Her reluctant reunion with Nathan quickly turns into a battle of wills that lays bare the passion that still burns between then. But the two have powerful adversaries who would like nothing more than to see them torn apart and soon, Nathan must do everything he can to prove to the world and to Evelyn that she is not only his wife, but the woman he loves. |
| a history of scandals: Arming America Michael A. Bellesiles, 2003 |
| a history of scandals: Scandal Anna Clark, 2013-10-31 Are sex scandals simply trivial distractions from serious issues or can they help democratize politics? In 1820, George IV's royal gambols with his mistresses endangered the Old Oak of the constitution. When he tried to divorce Queen Caroline for adultery, the resulting scandal enabled activists to overcome state censorship and revitalize reform. Looking at six major British scandals between 1763 and 1820, this book demonstrates that scandals brought people into politics because they evoked familiar stories of sex and betrayal. In vibrant prose woven with vivid character sketches and illustrations, Anna Clark explains that activists used these stories to illustrate constitutional issues concerning the Crown, Parliament, and public opinion. Clark argues that sex scandals grew out of the tension between aristocratic patronage and efficiency in government. For instance, in 1809 Mary Ann Clarke testified that she took bribes to persuade her royal lover, the army's commander-in-chief, to promote officers, buy government offices, and sway votes. Could women overcome scandals to participate in politics? This book also explains the real reason why the glamorous Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, became so controversial for campaigning in a 1784 election. Sex scandal also discredited Mary Wollstonecraft, one of the first feminists, after her death. Why do some scandals change politics while others fizzle? Edmund Burke tried to stir up scandal about the British empire in India, but his lurid, sexual language led many to think he was insane. A unique blend of the history of sexuality and women's history with political and constitutional history, Scandal opens a revealing new window onto some of the greatest sex scandals of the past. In doing so, it allows us to more fully appreciate the sometimes shocking ways democracy has become what it is today. |
| a history of scandals: The Solomon Scandals (second edition) David H. Rothman, 2023-11-01 The Solomon Scandals is a provocative Washington suspense novel inspired by now-forgotten history. A deadly high-rise collapse happened in Northern Virginia, and a U.S. senator and a Supreme Court justice held stakes in a CIA-occupied building. In the novel, an audacious reporter for a crooked newspaper investigates the darker side of a popular real estate tycoon. One of the tycoon's rickety buildings houses hundreds of workers for a shadowy bureaucracy. The reporter's incendiary discoveries compel him to hide his related memoir for a century to shield those on the scandals' fringes. David H. Rothman's complex tale teems with memorable characters (some caught up in a classic Washington dilemma-friendship vs. duty): --Seymour Sy Solomon, the folksy, self-made real estate magnate, buys politicians but does so with far more class than the typical business buccaneer. --George McWilliams is a mysterious editor wealthy enough to have built a mini Versailles. --Wendy Blevin is a powerful but inwardly fragile gossip columnist from an Old Money family that has already suffered its share of tragedies. --Margo Danialson, a B.A. in medieval studies, is unhappily tethered to a corrupt federal agency. --Dr. Rebecca Kitiona-Fenton, a multiracial feminist, outspokenly annotates the newspaper memoir of her white great-granduncle, Jonathan Stone. This second edition of Scandals contains a revealing essay on historical connections, underscoring Rothman's reporting leading to a Congressional investigation and NBC and ABC exposés. Supreme Court ethics controversies make Scandals especially timely. Rothman blends history, ethics, and intrigue. His style is hardboiled and often satirical. Although Scandals includes strong language and some sexist and racist dialogue, Dr. Kitiona-Fenton's endnotes provide additional context in the second edition. Ted Scheinman, reviewing Rothman's first edition for the Washington City Paper, wrote: We get to relish his chatty first-person narrator spinning characterizations of D.C. with the same dark zeal Hammett held for Frisco or Chandler had for Los Angeles. Kirkus Reviews says the second edition captures the aura of dark nihilism in some quarters of the political world with great power … This is a riveting work, mordantly insightful and surprisingly entertaining. |
| a history of scandals: Sixteen Scandals Sophie Jordan, 2021-05-25 The youngest of four daughters, Primrose Ainsworth is used to getting lost in the shuffle. When her parents decide to delay her debut into English society, Prim hatches a plan to go rogue on the night of her sixteenth birthday. She dons a mask and escapes to Vauxhall Gardens for one wild night-- and finds a masked stranger who becomes her partner in mischief and romance. -- adapted from jacket |
| a history of scandals: Political Corruption and Scandals in Japan Matthew M. Carlson, Steven R. Reed, 2018-03-15 Combining history with comparative politics, Matthew M. Carlson and Steven R. Reed take on political corruption and scandals, and the reforms designed to counter them, in post–World War II Japan. Political Corruption and Scandals in Japan makes sense of the scandals that have plagued Japanese politics for more than half a century and attempts to show how reforms have evolved to counter the problems. What causes political corruption to become more or less serious over time? they ask. The authors examine major political corruption scandals beginning with the early postwar period until the present day as one way to make sense of how the nature of corruption changes over time. They also consider bureaucratic corruption and scandals, violations of electoral law, sex scandals, and campaign finance regulations and scandals. In the end, Carlson and Reed write, though Japanese politics still experiences periodic scandals, the political reforms of 1994 have significantly reduced the levels of political corruption. The basic message is that reform can reduce corruption. The causes and consequences of political corruption in Japan, they suggest, are much like those in other consolidated democracies. |
| a history of scandals: Scandals of Classic Hollywood Anne Helen Petersen, 2014-09-30 Celebrity gossip meets history in this compulsively readable collection from Buzzfeed reporter Anne Helen Peterson. This guide to film stars and their deepest secrets is sure to top your list for movie gifts and appeal to fans of classic cinema and hollywood history alike. Believe it or not, America’s fascination with celebrity culture was thriving well before the days of TMZ, Cardi B, Kanye's tweets, and the #metoo allegations that have gripped Hollywood. And the stars of yesteryear? They weren’t always the saints that we make them out to be. BuzzFeed's Anne Helen Petersen, author of Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud, is here to set the record straight. Pulling little-known gems from the archives of film history, Petersen reveals eyebrow-raising information, including: • The smear campaign against the original It Girl, Clara Bow, started by her best friend • The heartbreaking story of Montgomery Clift’s rapid rise to fame, the car accident that destroyed his face, and the “long suicide” that followed • Fatty Arbuckle's descent from Hollywood royalty, fueled by allegations of a boozy orgy turned violent assault • Why Mae West was arrested and jailed for indecency charges • And much more Part biography, part cultural history, these stories cover the stuff that films are made of: love, sex, drugs, illegitimate children, illicit affairs, and botched cover-ups. But it's not all just tawdry gossip in the pages of this book. The stories are all contextualized within the boundaries of film, cultural, political, and gender history, making for a read that will inform as it entertains. Based on Petersen's beloved column on the Hairpin, but featuring 100% new content, Scandals of Classic Hollywood is sensationalism made smart. |
| a history of scandals: Stately Passions James Douglas-Home, 2006 This historical explorationnbsp;details some of the most notorious scandals to have engulfed the British royal family and aristocracy, capturing not only the events and their era but also the essence of some of the world's greatest and most beautiful private dwellings. From the Hampton Court of Henry VIII to the modern scandals that saw the present Lord Brocket jailed, center stage is given to the British stately homes that have played witness to centuries of aristocratic indiscretion. Whether examining the Profumo Affair, the call-girl scandal at Cliveden, the affairs of the lesbian Vita Sackville-West and her bisexual husband at Sissinghurst Castle, or the goings-on at Fort Belvedere, the Surreynbsp;hideaway where the Prince of Wales conducted his affair with the American divorcee Wallis Simpson,nbsp;this accountnbsp;provides a fascinating insight into the lives, loves—and morals, dubious though they may be—of some notorious denizens of the aristocratic world. |
| a history of scandals: A Right Royal Scandal Joanne Major, Sarah Murden, 2016-11-30 From the authors of An Infamous Mistress: “The tale of two juicy 19th-century scandals, both concerning the aristocratic Cavendish-Bentinck family” (Cheshire Life). Almost two books in one, A Right Royal Scandal recounts the fascinating history of the irregular love matches contracted by two successive generations of the Cavendish-Bentinck family, ancestors of the British royal family. The first part of this intriguing book looks at the scandal that erupted in Regency London, just months after the Battle of Waterloo, when the widowed Lord Charles Bentinck eloped with the Duke of Wellington’s married niece. Over two decades later and while at Oxford University, Lord Charles’ eldest son fell in love with a beautiful Romany girl, and secretly married her. When his alliance was discovered, he was cast adrift by his family—with devastating consequences. A love story as well as a brilliantly researched historical biography, this is a continuation of Joanne Major and Sarah Murden’s first biography, An Infamous Mistress, about the eighteenth-century courtesan Grace Dalrymple Elliott, whose daughter was the first wife of Lord Charles Bentinck. The book ends by showing how, if not for a young gypsy and her tragic life, the British monarchy would look very different today. “An easy read of a subject that keeps you engrossed from start to finish. This book is brilliant for those who enjoy the scandals of historical television, with the added authenticity of historical fact.” —History of Royals “The plots may seem to come straight out of the world of Regency Romance but they are all true, and carefully annotated and verified by Major and Murden.” —Naomi Clifford, author of The Murder of Mary Ashford |
| a history of scandals: AGE OF SCANDAL Terence Hanbury White, 1950-07-01 The Age of Scandal focuses on the period in late 18th-century England following the Age of Reason—a period characterized by dilettantism, material comfort & eccentricity. Based on writings by Horace Walpole & other literate recorders, White has constructed a “little scrapbook of a nostalgic Tory.” He describes the eccentricities of the 18th-century Royal Family, the fashions of the nobility—the powdering of wigs, eating, drinking, medicine, birthday parties, theater & pronunciation; attitudes toward religion & sport; and above all, the outrageous gossip circulating in literary circles. |
| a history of scandals: The Teapot Dome Scandal Laton McCartney, 2009-01-13 In this amazing and at times ribald story, Laton McCartney tells how Big Oil handpicked Warren G. Harding, an obscure Ohio senator, to serve as our twenty-third president. Harding and his “oil cabinet” made it possible for cronies to secure vast fuel reserves that had been set aside for use by the U.S. Navy. In exchange, the oilmen paid off senior government officials, bribed newspaper publishers, and covered the GOP campaign debt. When news of the scandal finally emerged, the consequences were disastrous. Drawing on contemporary records newly made available to McCartney, The Teapot Dome Scandal reveals a shocking, revelatory picture of just how far-reaching the affair was, how high the stakes, and how powerful the conspirators–all told in a dazzling narrative style. |
| a history of scandals: The Mammoth Book of Hollywood Scandals Michelle Morgan, 2013-10-17 Murders, suicides, unexplained deaths, scandalous romances, illegitimate children, cover-ups, and more, from the 1920s to Hollywood's Golden Age in the 1960s and right up to the present day. It covers over 60 scandals including: The Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle Scandal; Clark Gable's Baby Scandals; The Rape of Patricia Douglas; The Life and Death of Jean Harlow; The Sudden Death of James Dean; Marilyn Monroe's Mysterious Death; John Belushi Dies at the Chateau Marmont; Madonna's Hollywood Stalker; Hugh Grant's Hollywood Scandal; Winona Ryder Is Arrested For Shoplifting; The Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie Love Triangle; The Tragic Life and Death of Anna Nicole Smith; The Life and Death of Michael Jackson; Arnold Schwarzenegger's Love Child; The Very Public Melt-Down of Charlie Sheen; The Rise and Fall of Whitney Houston; The Marriage of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes and many, many more. |
| a history of scandals: Political Corruption in America Mark Grossman, 2017 This dynamic, two-volume reference work covers the complete scandal-filled history of American political corruption. Over 350 information-packed entries explore the people, crimes, investigations and court cases behind 200 years of political scandals. |
| a history of scandals: Sex Trafficking, Scandal, and the Transformation of Journalism, 1885-1917 Gretchen Soderlund, 2013-06-03 In Sex Trafficking, Scandal, and the Transformation of Journalism, Gretchen Soderlund offers a new way to understand sensationalism in both newspapers and reform movements. By tracing the history of high-profile print exposés on sex trafficking by journalists like William T. Stead and George Kibbe Turner, Soderlund demonstrates how controversies over gender, race, and sexuality were central to the shift from sensationalism to objectivity—and crucial to the development of journalism in the early twentieth century. |
| a history of scandals: Sex Scandal William A. Cohen, 1996 Never has the Victorian novel appeared so perverse as it does in these pages - and never has its perversity seemed so fundamental to its accomplishment. By viewing this fiction alongside the most alarming public scandals of the day, Cohen exposes both the scandalousness of this literature and its sexiness. In narratives ranging from Great Expectations to the Boulton and Park sodomy scandal of 1870-71, from Eliot's and Trollope's novels about scandalous women to Oscar Wilde's writing and his trials for homosexuality. Cohen shows how, in each instance, sexuality appears couched in coded terms. He identifies an assortment of cunning narrative techniques used to insinuate sex into Victorian writing, demonstrating that even as such narratives air the scandalous subject, they emphasize its unspeakable nature. Written with an eye toward the sex scandals that still whet the appetites of consumers of news and novels, this work is suggestive about our own modes of imagining sexuality today and how we arrived at them.--BOOK JACKET. |
| a history of scandals: Scandal with a Prince Nicole Burnham, 2013 While in Spain, Megan has a one night stand with Prince Stefano Barrali. Ten years later, they see each other again and Megan, whose daughter is the result of that one night, is hesitant to reignite her relationship with the prince. |
| a history of scandals: A Vast Conspiracy Jeffrey Toobin, 2012-11-14 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The inspiration for Impeachment: American Crime Story on FX The definitive account of the Clinton-Lewinsky sex scandals, the extraordinary ordeal that nearly brought down a president—with a new preface by the author that reframes the events in light of the Me Too movement “A story as taut and surprising as any thriller . . . [an] unimpeachable page-turner.”—People First published a year after the infamous impeachment trial, this propulsive narrative captures the full arc of the Clinton sex scandals—from their beginnings in a Little Rock hotel to their culmination on the floor of the United States Senate with only the second vote on presidential removal in American history. Rich in character and fueled with the high octane of a sensational legal thriller, A Vast Conspiracy has indelibly shaped our understanding of this disastrous moment in American political history. |
| a history of scandals: Scandal at Dolphin Square Simon Danczuk, Daniel Smith, 2022-02-24 'Compelling, authoritative and as readable as the best airport thriller. It fizzes with crime, fame, power and illicit sex.' Jeremy Vine 'A timely and important book. It's quite remarkable how one building has played host to such debauchery. If only the walls could talk...' Iain Dale Designed as a city dwelling for the modern age, Dolphin Square opened in London's Pimlico in 1936. Boasting 1,250 hi-tech flats, a swimming pool, restaurant, gardens and shopping arcade, the complex quickly attracted a long list of the affluent and influential. But behind its veneer of respectability, the Square has become one of the country's most notorious addresses; a place where the private lives of those from the highest of high society and the lowest depths of the underworld have collided and played out over the best part of a century. This is the story of the Square and its people, an ever-evolving cast of larger-than- life characters who have borne witness to, and played pivotal roles in, some of the most scandalous episodes of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. From Oswald Mosley and the Carry On gang to allegations of systematic sexual abuse, it is a saga replete with mysterious deaths, exploitation, espionage, illicit love affairs and glamour, shining a light on the changing nature of British politics and society in the modern age. |
| a history of scandals: A Time of Scandal Rosemary Stevens, 2016-12-11 A look at what really happened in the U.S. Veterans’ Bureau Scandal in the 1920s. In the early 1920s, as the nation recovered from World War I, President Warren G. Harding founded the U.S. Veterans Bureau, now known as the Department of Veterans Affairs, to treat disabled veterans. He appointed his friend, decorated veteran Colonel Charles R. Forbes, as founding director. Forbes lasted only eighteen months in the position before stepping down under a cloud of suspicion. In 1926—after being convicted of conspiracy to defraud the federal government by rigging government contracts—he was sent to Leavenworth Penitentiary. Although he was known in his day as a drunken womanizer, and as a corrupt toady of a weak president, the question persists: was Forbes a criminal or a scapegoat? Historian Rosemary Stevens tells Forbes’s story anew, drawing on previously untapped records to reveal his role in America’s commitment to veterans. She explores how Forbes’s rise and fall in Washington illuminates Harding’s efforts to bring business efficiency to government. She also examines the scandal in the context of class, professionalism, ethics, and etiquette in a rapidly changing world. Most significantly, Stevens proposes a revisionist view of both Forbes and Harding: They did not defraud the government of billions and do not deserve the reputation they have carried for a hundred years. Packed with conniving friends, FBI agents, and rival politicians as well as gamblers, revelers, and wronged wives, A Time of Scandal will appeal to anyone interested in political gossip, presidential politics, the “Ohio Gang,” and the 1920s. |
| a history of scandals: Vanity Fair's Schools For Scandal Graydon Carter, 2017-08-15 Vanity Fair’s Schools for Scandal brings together the magazine’s finest reporting on the scandals that have swept our nation’s most elite campuses over the past twenty-five years—all collected in one definitive, “fascinating, eye-opening” (Booklist) volume edited by Graydon Carter and introduced by Cullen Murphy. Many of us have long suspected an American obsession with status. Now Graydon Carter has collected extraordinary articles from Vanity Fair that show the lengths we will go to achieve it, preserve it, or destroy it—from the enduring, shadowy influence of Yale’s secret societies to the infamous “senior salute” at St. Paul’s School; from the false accusations in the Duke lacrosse team’s infamous rape case to the (mis)reportage of a sexual assault at the University of Virginia; from a deadly extreme-sport episode at Oxford to the Keystone Kop theft of a college’s rare books to the allegations of fraud by the now-shuttered Trump University. Vanity Fair’s Schools for Scandal brings focus to the perils facing American education today and how the life of the mind, and the significance of the institutions meant to foster it, has been negatively impacted by the partisan politics of privatization, tensions over so-called political correctness, the fraught dynamic of the teacher-student relationship, and what happens when visions for a bold future collide with the desire to maintain hidebound (or venerable) traditions. With an array of Vanity Fair’s signature writers—including Buzz Bissinger, William D. Cohan, Sarah Ellison, Evgenia Peretz, Todd S. Purdum, and Sam Tanenhaus, among others—Vanity Fair’s Schools for Scandal presents a compelling if troubling account of the state of elite education today, and the evolving social, sexual, racial, and economic forces that have shaped it. |
| a history of scandals: Theatre Scandals , 2020-06-29 Since the beginning of theatre history, scandals have taken place and the variety of causes, processes and types of interactions makes them an interesting object of study. Theatre scandals often indicate clashes with a dominant ideology or with the ideology of a particular group in society. Sometimes, following a scandal, the attacked ideology changes and incorporates the possibility of the aesthetics or themes that caused the clash. In this way, scandals can cause dynamic changes within cultural systems. Next to theoretical considerations the contributors, all members of the IFTR Theatrical Event Working Group, present in their various case studies a wide cultural and chronological diversity of theatre scandals, all of which were experienced as very shocking moments in theatre history. |
| a history of scandals: A Proper Scandal Esther Hatch, 2019 Grace Sinclair has been callously cast out of her home. Despite the vicar and his wife taking her in years ago, her unsurpassed beauty makes it impossible for her to remain in the vicar's household--with two daughters of their own about to enter Society, the vicar and his wife see Grace as nothing but competition. Thankfully, Grace's estranged Aunt Bell from London has agreed to care for her. But Grace soon learns her situation has just gotten much worse. It takes only a moment's acquaintance for Grace to ascertain that her aunt has married a detestable rake. And Aunt Bell, recognizing the danger of having her lovely niece too near her husband, gives Grace an ultimatum: the young woman has two weeks to find a man to marry, after which she will be turned out. With no experience in the art of attracting a husband, Grace quickly realizes that a worthy suitor might not be so easy to ensnare.-- |
| a history of scandals: Political Scandals in the USA Robert Williams, 1998 Discusses political scandals in the USA including Watergate, the Iran-Contra scandal, Whitewater and political scandals in Congress. |
| a history of scandals: A Very English Scandal John Preston, 2016-10-11 The basis for the Emmy award-winning limited series starring Hugh Grant and Ben Whishaw A behind-the-scenes look at the desperate, scandalous private life of a British MP and champion manipulator, and the history-making trial that exposed his dirty secrets While Jeremy Thorpe served as a Member of Parliament and Leader of the Liberal Party in the 1960s and 70s, his bad behavior went under the radar for years. Police and politicians alike colluded to protect one of their own. In 1970, Thorpe was the most popular and charismatic politician in the country, poised to hold the balance of power in a coalition government. But Jeremy Thorpe was a man with a secret. His homosexual affairs and harassment of past partners, along with his propensity for lying and embezzlement, only escalated as he evaded punishment. Until a dark night on the moor with an ex-lover, a dog and a hired gun led to consequences that even his charm and power couldn’t help him escape. Dubbed the “Trial of the Century,” Thorpe’s climactic case at the Old Bailey in London was the first time that a leading British politician had stood trial on a murder charge, the first time that a murder plot had been hatched in the House of Commons. And it was the first time that a prominent public figure had been exposed as a philandering gay man, in an era when homosexuality had only just become legal. With the pace and drama of a thriller, A Very English Scandal is an extraordinary story of hypocrisy, deceit and betrayal at the heart of the British Establishment. |
| a history of scandals: Scandal and Reputation at the Court of Catherine de Medici Una McIlvenna, 2016-05-12 Scandal and Reputation at the Court of Catherine de Medici explores Catherine de Medici's 'flying squadron', the legendary ladies-in-waiting of the sixteenth-century French queen mother who were alleged to have been ordered to seduce politically influential men for their mistress's own Machiavellian purposes. Branded a 'cabal of cuckoldry' by a contemporary critic, these women were involved in scandals that have encouraged a perception, which continues in much academic literature, of the late Valois court as debauched and corrupt. Rather than trying to establish the guilt or innocence of the accused, Una McIlvenna here focuses on representations of the scandals in popular culture and print, and on the collective portrayal of the women in the libelous and often pornographic literature that circulated information about the court. She traces the origins of this material to the all-male intellectual elite of the parlementaires: lawyers and magistrates who expressed their disapproval of Catherine's political and religious decisions through misogynist pamphlets and verse that targeted the women of her entourage. Scandal and Reputation at the Court of Catherine de Medici reveals accusations of poisoning and incest to be literary tropes within a tradition of female defamation dating to classical times that encouraged a collective and universalizing notion of women as sexually voracious, duplicitous and, ultimately, dangerous. In its focus on manuscript and early print culture, and on the transition from a world of orality to one dominated by literacy and textuality, this study has relevance for scholars of literary history, particularly those interested in pamphlet and libel culture. |
| a history of scandals: Scandal Work Margot Gayle Backus, 2013-10-21 In Scandal Work: James Joyce, the New Journalism, and the Home Rule Newspaper Wars, Margot Gayle Backus charts the rise of the newspaper sex scandal across the fin de siècle British archipelago and explores its impact on the work of James Joyce, a towering figure of literary modernism. Based largely on archival research, the first three chapters trace the legal, social, and economic forces that fueled an upsurge in sex scandal over the course of the Irish Home Rule debates during James Joyce’s childhood. The remaining chapters examine Joyce’s use of scandal in his work throughout his career, beginning with his earliest known poem, “Et Tu, Healy,” written when he was nine years old to express outrage over the politically disastrous Parnell scandal. Backus’s readings of Joyce’s essays in a Trieste newspaper, the Dubliners short stories, Portrait of the Artist, and Ulysses show Joyce’s increasingly intricate employment of scandal conventions, ingeniously twisted so as to disable scandal’s reifying effects. Scandal Work pursues a sequence of politically motivated sex scandals, which it derives from Joyce's work. It situates Joyce within an alternative history of the New Journalism’s emergence in response to the Irish Land Wars and the Home Rule debates, from the Phoenix Park murders and the first Dublin Castle scandal to “The Maiden Tribute of Modern Babylon” and the Oscar Wilde scandal. Her voluminous scholarship encompasses historical materials on Victorian and early twentieth-century sex scandals, Irish politics, and newspaper evolution as well as providing significant new readings of Joyce’s texts. |
| a history of scandals: The Institutional Effects of Executive Scandals Brandon Rottinghaus, 2015-04-30 This book investigates the role of executive scandals in the contemporary American political landscape. |
| a history of scandals: A History of Political Scandals Andy Hughes, 2013-11-06 A MUST-BUY BOOK for everyone interested in history and the scandalous behaviour of politicians across the world. Andy Hughes' fascinating book guides us through centuries of political abuse - and just plain stupidity. The Profumo Affair is still shocking to modern voters, possibly because the MP actually stepped down after being caught out after sharing his mistress with a Russian spy. This Pocket Guide will expose the secret side of politics, including which politicians risked or ruined their own careers for personal gain. This gripping book includes stories include the MP who liked to party hard and be whipped even harder, the Prime Minister and his hookers, expenses claims for manure and the US President who called for all gay men to be castrated. There is definitely no shortage of scandalous behaviour. In fact, politicians have mixed scandal with eggs, adult movies, helicopters, drugs, shoes, beef burgers, public toilets, mobile phones, rape, turkeys, orgies and even ice cream. You name it and politicians have been mixed up in it somehow. It is not just today's politicians who are embroiled with scandal, as this explosive Pocket Guide to Political Scandals reveals the questionable behaviour of politicians of yesteryear and from around the world; the corruption, dishonesty and like of morals and judgement all come out in the stories in the book. As featured on BBC Three Counties Radio |
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