Dangerous to Know
Women, Crime, and Notoriety in the Early Republic
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Narrated by:
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Sally Martin
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By:
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Susan Branson
About this listen
In 1823, the History of the Celebrated Mrs. Ann Carson rattled Philadelphia society and became one of the most scandalous, and popular, memoirs of the age. This tale of a woman who tried to rescue her lover from the gallows and attempted to kidnap the governor of Pennsylvania tantalized its audience with illicit love, betrayal, and murder.
Carson's ghostwriter, Mary Clarke, was no less daring. Clarke pursued dangerous associations and wrote scandalous exposés based on her own and others' experiences. She immersed herself in the world of criminals and disreputable actors, using her acquaintance with this demimonde to shape a career as a sensationalist writer.
In Dangerous to Know, Susan Branson follows the fascinating lives of Ann Carson and Mary Clarke, offering an engaging study of gender and class in the early 19th century. According to Branson, episodes in both women's lives illustrate their struggles within a society that constrained women's activities and ambitions. She argues that both women simultaneously tried to conform to and manipulate the dominant sexual, economic, and social ideologies of the time. In their own lives and through their writing, the pair challenged conventions prescribed by these ideologies to further their own ends and redefine what was possible for women in early American public life.
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In 1785, a sensational trial began in Paris that would divide the country and captivate Europe. A leading Catholic cardinal and scion of one of the most distinguished families in France stood accused of forging the queen's signature to obtain the most expensive piece of jewelry in Europe: a 2,800-carat diamond necklace. Where were the diamonds? Was the cardinal innocent? Was, for that matter, the queen?
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A History Buff's Guilty Pleasure
- By Kathy on 12-31-14
By: Jonathan Beckman
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Fallen Founder
- The Life of Aaron Burr
- By: Nancy Isenberg
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 19 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Generations have been told that Aaron Burr was a betrayer: of Alexander Hamilton, of his country, of those who had nobler ideas. But that version has been shaped by historians and writers from the 18th century on who were blinded by tabloid reports and propaganda created by Burr's political enemies during his lifetime. It is time to discover the real Aaron Burr.
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Very Burr-Centric
- By Derek on 11-11-07
By: Nancy Isenberg
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American Scoundrel
- The Life of the Notorious Civil War General Dan Sickles
- By: Tom Kenneally
- Narrated by: Humphrey Bower
- Length: 13 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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On the last, cold Sunday of February 1859, Daniel Sickles shot his wife's lover in Washington's Lafayette Square, just across from the White House. This is the story of that killing and its repercussions. Thomas Keneally brilliantly recreates an extraordinary period, when women were punished for violating codes of society that did not bind men. And the caddish, good-looking Dan Sickles personifies the extremes of the era.
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Interesting Good Listen
- By Kindle Customer on 01-10-24
By: Tom Kenneally
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The Fever of 1721
- The Epidemic That Revolutionized Medicine and American Politics
- By: Stephen Coss
- Narrated by: Bob Souer
- Length: 9 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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During the worst smallpox epidemic in Boston history, Mather convinced Doctor Boylston to try a procedure that he believed would prevent death - by making an incision in the arm of a healthy person and implanting it with smallpox. "Inoculation" led to vaccination, one of the most profound medical discoveries in history.
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Glad that's done
- By GB on 04-21-16
By: Stephen Coss
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The Girl on the Velvet Swing
- Sex, Murder, and Madness at the Dawn of the Twentieth Century
- By: Simon Baatz
- Narrated by: Christine Lakin
- Length: 10 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1901 Evelyn Nesbit, a chorus girl, dined alone with the architect Stanford White in his townhouse on 24th Street in New York. Nesbit, just 16 years old, had recently moved to the city. White was 47. As the foremost architect of his day, he was a celebrity. She told no one that White raped her that night until, several years later, she confided in Harry Thaw, the millionaire playboy who would later become her husband. Thaw, thirsting for revenge, shot and killed White in 1906 before hundreds of theatergoers during a performance in Madison Square Garden.
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"The Girl" is barely in this book
- By Polly L. Mccall on 07-12-18
By: Simon Baatz
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The Dreyfus Affair
- The Scandal That Tore France in Two
- By: Piers Paul Read
- Narrated by: David Pevsner
- Length: 16 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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On October 13, 1894, Captain Dreyfus was summoned by the General de Boisdeffre to the Ministry of War. Despite minimal evidence against him he was placed under arrest for the crime of high treason. Not long afterward Dreyfus was incarcerated on Devil's Island. But how did an innocent man come to be convicted? And why was he kept locked up for so long? The Dreyfus Affair uniquely combines a fast-moving mystery story with a snapshot of France at a moment of great social flux and cultural richness.
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Gripping look at an important moment in history
- By W. Brian Hall on 10-27-13
By: Piers Paul Read
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The Invention of Murder
- How the Victorians Revelled in Death and Detection and Created Modern Crime
- By: Judith Flanders
- Narrated by: Jennifer M. Dixon
- Length: 19 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Murder in the 19th century was rare. But murder as sensation and entertainment became ubiquitous, with cold-blooded killings transformed into novels, broadsides, ballads, opera, and melodrama - even into puppet shows and performing-dog acts. Detective fiction and the new police force developed in parallel, each imitating the other - the founders of Scotland Yard gave rise to Dickens's Inspector Bucket, the first fictional police detective, who in turn influenced Sherlock Holmes and, ultimately, even P. D. James and Patricia Cornwell.
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Excellent, awesome and educational!
- By Janalyn on 03-14-20
By: Judith Flanders
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Queen of Thieves
- The True Story of "Marm" Mandelbaum and Her Gangs of New York
- By: J. North Conway
- Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
- Length: 7 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Queen of Thieves is the gritty, fast-paced story of Fredericka "Marm" Mandelbaum, a poor Jewish woman who rose to the top of her profession in organized crime during the Gilded Age in New York City. During her more than twenty-five-year reign as the country’s top receiver of stolen goods, she accumulated great wealth and power inconceivable for women engaged in business, legitimate or otherwise.
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a bit repetitive
- By Andy on 09-19-14
By: J. North Conway
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The Modern Scholar
- The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin
- By: Professor H.W. Brands
- Narrated by: H.W. Brands
- Length: 7 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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This course examines the life of Benjamin Franklin and his influence on both American and world history. He remains the model of the American thinker - a man who was interested in nearly everything, and who pursued those interests with an admirable and contagious passion. To study Franklin's life is to learn not only the history of a single man, but to understand some of the most monumental changes in all of human history.
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Love it
- By Holly on 02-20-16
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The Battered Body Beneath the Flagstones, and Other Victorian Scandals
- By: Michelle Morgan
- Narrated by: Anne Dover
- Length: 10 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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A grisly book dedicated to the crimes, perversions and outrages of Victorian England, covering high-profile offences - such as the murder of actor William Terriss, whose stabbing at the stage door of the Adelphi Theatre in 1897 filled the front pages for many weeks - as well as lesser-known transgressions that scandalised the Victorian era. The tales include murders and violent crimes but also feature scandals that merely amused the Victorians.
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Doesn’t question it’s sources enough
- By Emily Stoneking on 11-27-18
By: Michelle Morgan
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Liberty's First Crisis
- Adams, Jefferson, and the Misfits Who Saved Free Speech
- By: Charles Slack
- Narrated by: Brian Holsopple
- Length: 9 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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When the United States government passed the Bill of Rights in 1791, its uncompromising protection of speech and of the press were unlike anything the world had ever seen before. But by 1798, the once-dazzling young republic of the United States was on the verge of collapse. Suddenly, the First Amendment, which protected harsh commentary of the weak government, no longer seemed as practical. So that July, President John Adams and the Federalists in control of Congress passed an extreme piece of legislation that made criticism of the government and its leaders a crime.
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Marvelous Book....
- By Douglas on 01-07-17
By: Charles Slack
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Prince of Pleasure
- The Prince of Wales and the Making of the Regency
- By: Saul David
- Narrated by: Sam Devereaux
- Length: 16 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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Described by the Duke of Wellington as "the most extraordinary compound of talent, wit, buffoonery, obstinacy and good feeling that I ever saw in one character in my life", George Augustus Frederick, Prince of Wales, later George IV, was a highly controversial figure. He courted both Whigs and Tories in his attempts to establish the Regency during the "madness" of his father, George III.
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George IV in all his "glory"!
- By TemperPolk on 08-25-16
By: Saul David
What listeners say about Dangerous to Know
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- April H.
- 09-17-16
Dangerous to Know
“This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.”
The story of women's criminal exploits in history. Quite enlightening for modern day listeners.
The narration was well done.
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- MolllyT
- 09-19-16
You owe it to yourself to read this one
This was originally a major thesis or a Publish or Perish piece. That does not diminish its relevance. While it is a biographical piece of two specific women in the Philadelphia, PA area in the early to mid 19th century, it is also a condemnation of the societal attitudes toward women at that time, and the injustices perpetrated upon them by the legal system.
Much of the (well documented) information is taken from "The history of the celebrated Mrs. Ann Carson, widow of the late unfortunate Lieutenant Richard Smyth : with a circumstantial account of her conspiracy against the late governor of Pennsylvania, Simon Snyder, and of her sufferings in the several prisons in that state : interspersed with anecdotes of characters now living" (1822), a text listed in WorldCat, which was co-written by the other woman of interest, Mrs Mary Clarke, ghostwriter of said book, as well as a publisher and journalist in her own right.
Each woman was victimized by society and the legal system, one turning to real criminal activities, the other trying to live more or less within the law. The publisher's blurb gives some useful clues, but this really needs to be read to truly appreciate what serious and appalling discrimination was perpetrated upon females in this time period.
This turned out to be a really compelling read for nearly anyone, whether a history buff, law enforcement, or legal studies, and the references do check out.
I'm prejudiced toward the audio rendering, partly because of physical issues, and mostly because Sally Martin is such an excellent narrator of academic works.
This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Amber
- 10-04-16
Good Book
Any additional comments?
This is a good book on stories of criminal women in PA in the 1800's. Quite interesting on how the women were treated by others and the legal system. The narrator did a good job narrating the book.
This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.
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- G.W.
- 09-30-16
Interesting, but not terribly engrossing.
Looking at two characters from the early 19th century US, Branson tries to convince us of the significance of these women's actions and decisions, but mostly ends up painting a picture of two semi-incompetent rogues - one with no fear and a persecution complex, the other trying first to run her lady's journal with blunt application of guilt/pity, then by using more pandering and sensationalism to sell her writings. The characters are indeed interesting, but to me their notoriety comes mostly from their audacity while being middle class women.
The writing is good, but the structure of the book is a bit strange: quite academic in form, which leads to a certain degree of repetitiveness. I believe the narrator had a difficult task due to the structure and nature of the material. She’s clear and easy to understand, but also quite dry with little variation. There were even a few humorous mispronunciations, which I found surprising.
Overall, an interesting and coherent work whose academic credentials I can’t question, but one that I would be reluctant to recommend to anyone who does not have a deep interest in either the locations or the people covered in the book.
I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.
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- cafurg
- 11-15-16
Female Criminals in the 1800s
Would you consider the audio edition of Dangerous to Know to be better than the print version?
Some audio versions helps me picture in my mind the goings on while I listen. That's a good thing.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Dangerous to Know?
How differently women were treated then vs now. The usual differences.
Have you listened to any of Sally Martin’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
Sally Martin is a narrator that I have heard before, and would not hesitate to listen to again. Good narrator.
Any additional comments?
I was voluntarily provided this review copy via Audiobook Boom at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator.
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- Mary Karowski
- 10-15-16
Early women who broke the gender barrier
Ann Carson and Mary Clark. Two woman hi began breaking gender barriers in the 1800's...adultery, scandal, murder most foul, attempted kidnappings, counterfeiting rings, theft and more. Ann Carson is revealed in all her infamy and Mary Clark is shown in the light of her accomplishments in relation to Ann Carson. Fascinating story well laid out. The narrator does a good job conveying the tale. I received this audiobook from the author narrator or publisher for free via audiobookboom in exchange for an unbiased review
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- Daman
- 10-14-16
Insightful and Informative
What did you like best about this story?
It gave insight on the injustices women faced during that time and how the legal system responded.
Any additional comments?
I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.
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