Reference Reviews

Lawrence Looks at Books

Great Events from History: Modern Scandals, edited by Carl L. Bankston, III. 3 vols. 1,388p. Pasadena, CA: Salem Press, 2009. 978-1-58765-469-8; 2008-54757. $295.

The Great Events from History series has traced seminal events from ancient times through the twentieth century. Recently, the editors of series have departed from a chronological approach with the thematically titled Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Events: 1848-2006 (Salem Press, 2007). Modern Scandals constitutes a second foray into social history with a themed title. The 388 chronologically arranged entries describe revelations of notorious behavior in wide spectrum of public life, including government, politics, academia, business, entertainment, journalism, organized crime, religion, science, medicine and sports. Some events, like the Dreyfus Affair and Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, brought down governments or inspired reforms. Other scandals brought careers to an end as public scrutiny of private lives exposed hypocrisy and corruption. Still more events, like the failure of bystanders to stop the murder of Kitty Genovese or Lorena Bobbitt’s retaliation against her husband, ignited social debates on issues long ignored by polite society. This wide-ranging survey includes instances of adultery, banking fraud, bribery, censorship, forgery, illicit drug use, incompetence, insider trading, military misconduct, murder, plagiarism, pollution, prostitution, racially motivated attacks, sports fixing, suicide, swindles, and many other crimes. While more than half of the coverage is devoted to American scandals, examples are provided from more than fifty nations. Each entry includes a brief summary description, date, lists of locales and key figures, plus a 1,600 to 3,000 word summary of events. Also noted are historical impacts of the scandal, suggestions for further research, and cross-references to related articles. Each volume includes a table of contents listing scandals alphabetically by name or keyword. Additional access is provided by separate chronological, geographical, topical, and name indexes. A general subject index connects thousands of related topics. While one may question the need for students to consider the extramarital relations of the likes of Marie Curie or Hugh Grant, the authors use both minor and major social infractions to raise questions about society and to demonstrate changes in social mores over time. The result is a useful guide that introduces students to issues of ethics, social justice, civic responsibility and accountability. This encyclopedia of modern social history will serve high school and public library audiences well.