Reference Reviews

Doug’s Student Reference Room

Great Events from History: Modern Scandals 1904-2008, edited by Carl L. Bankston III. Pasadena, CA: Salem Press, Inc., 2009. 3 vols., 1302pp. ISBN: 978-1-58765-468-8 (set). $295.

This three volume set chronicles nearly four hundred 20^th and early 21^st century scandals—acts that do “damage to reputation brought on by violations of codes of morality, propriety or ethics to which the transgressors are normally expected to adhere.” Scandals include those involving politics, business, entertainment, sports, education, religion, science and the arts. Organized chronologically, each entry provides ready-reference information including a descriptive title, summary paragraph, locales in which the scandal occurred, subject categories under which the event is listed and key figures involved. More than 190 scholars contributed articles that are structured with consistency throughout. A detailed chronological accounting of the event is followed by a discussion of its impact on the relevant culture and society. A short list of recommendations for further reading and a “see also” cross-reference with other events in the set complete each entry. More than 250 black and white photos accompany entries, along with occasional sidebars, typically excerpts of primary source documents related to an event. Appendixes include a bibliography organized by fourteen broad subjects, a complete chronological list of entries, a geographical index, a category index of more than fifty categories, a personages index and a subject index. Examination of the total collection creates a few key impressions. In a 100-plus years, for example, little has changed over the public’s fascination with what is perceived to be sexual impropriety. Same-sex and extramarital affairs among politicians, entertainers, athletes and religious figures abound, with a remarkable similarity among stories. And while drug use and abuse certainly increased in the 1960s and beyond, experimentation and scandal around this activity spanned the entire century. And if the current fraud, bribery and corruption cases feel unprecedented, one need only to turn to this resource to understand that, indeed, when it comes to human nature, some things never change. Teachers in a variety of content areas might use this set to create interest in a unit and the consistent format allows for easy comparisons. Nearly all of the science scandals, for example, are related to ethical or methodological violations of research protocol—providing a groundwork for explorations of the scientific method. Business and political scandals involving fraud or corruption might be used as a basis for a unit on ethics. Written in a style accessible to high school students, events from this set might also act as a springboard for further research. Recommended for high school and university libraries.