THE MURDER OF JIM FISK FOR THE LOVE OF JOSIE MANSFIELD A Tragedy of the Gilded Age

Railroad magnate Jim Fisk's rivalry with Ned Stokes over Josie Mansfield eventually took a fatal turn, leading to a trial that was played out in the headlines. Richard McGonagle's gruff voice captures that quality of sensationalism as he paints an aural picture of a cutthroat age of business. Brands covers the legal and business wrangling surrounding Fisk but focuses mainly on the love triangle and the subsequent murder trials. Brands's account is a little more sensational than the stories of the rivalry told in similar history books, and McGonagle's reading carries the day. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2011]