EMPIRE

Skullduggery, back-stabbing, and megalomania worthy of an Aaron Spelling opus dominate this true story as gazillionaires vie for ownership of the Empire State Building. The dramatis personae include the J.R. of real estate, Donald Trump; an unscrupulous Japanese speculator; his illegitimate daughter; Leona Helmsley; and a supporting cast of relatives, stooges, and lawyers. As abridged here, we get a fast-paced, perversely fascinating account in a hard-boiled muckraking style. Narrator Cashman sounds more like a middle-aged insurance salesman than a crusading journalist, but, aside from occasionally getting a bit thick-tongued, he delivers the goods without tripping over the byzantine maneuvering of the players. Y.R. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/JUL 02]