The full title New York Exposed: The Gilded Age Police Scandal that Launched the Progressive Era was a bit long to fit as my title. The author is Daniel Czitrom. The history of New York City is an interesting one. At least, I find it interesting.

The story is set in gilded age New York City. It was 1892 and the rich were very rich, the poor were very poor, the police and the city government were corrupt, and Tammany was in charge of it all.

The minister was bothered by vice – saloons open on Sunday, brothels all around, streetwalkers in plain view, gambling. But what bothered him even more was that this vice was protected by the police and politicians in the city government in return for bribes.

This book is a very detailed account of the abuses, the hearings about them, and the reform movement that changed the city. It is well researched and well documented.

I enjoyed parts of the book and no doubt learned a lot but the story was too detailed to keep my interest. For some readers the detail may be a good thing.

In summary, a good book but it was just to detailed for me.