American Scoundrel

by Thomas Keneally

First published 2002

Dan Sickles lived large, seducing queens and murdering rivals. As a Civil War general and congressman, his charm and lack of scruples won friends and ruined lives. When he gunned down his wife's lover, the scandal of the age erupted. But Sickles was acquitted, his outrageous exploits only feeding his legend. This is the compelling true tale of a man whose ambition and excess made him both a celebrated hero and a reviled scoundrel.

Genres: biography, 20th-century, american, crime, 19th-century, american-history

Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking

Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator

Setting: United States, Washington (D.C.)

Period: 19th-century, 20th-century

397 pages · Paperback · Talese/Doubleday

Content warnings: violence

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