The Scandalous Hamiltons - by Bill Shaffer (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

One of the country's most powerful families embroiled in sex, lies, bigamy, and blackmail...and every new, deliciously humiliating morsel splashed across every newspaper in America

Now in paperback, the believe-it-or-not historical true crime behind one of the greatest scandals of the Gilded Age, and the story that gave rise to the sensational tabloid journalism still driving so much of the news cycle in the 21st century.

An Alexander Hamilton heir, a beautiful female con artist, an abandoned baby, and the shocking courtroom drama that was splashed across front pages from coast to coast...

It's a historical true crime story almost too tawdry to be true--a con woman met the descendant of a Founding Father in a brothel, duped him into marriage using an infant purchased from a baby farm, then went to prison for stabbing the couple's baby nurse--all while in a common-law marriage with another man. The scandal surrounding Evangeline and Robert Ray Hamilton was one of the sensations of the Gilded Age, a sordid, gripping tale involving bigamy, bribery, sex, and violence.

Through personal correspondence, court records, and sensational newspaper accounts, The Scandalous Hamiltons explores not only the full, riveting saga of ill-fated Ray and Eva, but the rise of tabloid journalism--including an exclusive interview conducted by world-famous investigative reporter Nellie Bly--in a story that unfurls as a timeless tale of ambition, greed, and obsession.

"Fans of Erik Larson-style histories and anyone who just loves a fun, gossipy read will love The Scandalous Hamiltons."--Apple Books, Best of the Month Selection


"Adultery? Check. Attempted murder? Check. Baby-trafficking? Check. These are just a few of the missteps of the woman who rained humiliation onto the House of Hamilton." --Marlene Wagman-Geller, author of Women of Means: Fascinating Biographies of Royals, Heiresses, Eccentrics and Other Poor Little Rich Girls

Review Quotes

Praise for The Scandalous Hamiltons

"Shaffer gives a detailed account of the scandal surrounding Robert Ray Hamilton (1851-1890), great-grandson of Alexander Hamilton, and his secret marriage to a prostitute and attempted murderer. Historical true crime buffs will be engrossed." --Publishers Weekly

"Shaffer, an author and historical researcher, has resurrected a forgotten story of lies, betrayal, and blackmail in The Scandalous Hamiltons. The author explores the role of the press as the narrative unfolds, and his meticulous research brings turn-of-the-twentieth-century New York to life. Shaffer discovered this wild story by chance and put his formidable historical sleuthing skills to work. Readers will be glad he did." --Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

"If legal-thriller star John Grisham thought up the story of Robert Ray Hamilton and Eva Steele one morning, by lunch he would have abandoned the idea as too far-fetched. Yet historian Shaffer shows that these seemingly implausible events not only happened in the late-nineteenth century, they played out for millions, thanks to the telegraph and the nearly 16,000 newspapers in existence at the time... Shaffer has an appealing writing style and a talent for sneaking up on the reader with each big reveal.." --Booklist

"Adultery? Check. Attempted murder? Check. Baby-trafficking? Check. These are just a few of the missteps of the woman who rained humiliation onto the House of Hamilton." --Marlene Wagman-Geller, author of Women of Means: Fascinating Biographies of Royals, Heiresses, Eccentrics and Other Poor Little Rich Girls

"This eye-opening take on the birth of society journalism kept us riveted. Fans of Erik Larson-style histories and anyone who just loves a fun, gossipy read will love The Scandalous Hamiltons." --Apple Books, Best of the Month Selection

About the Author

Bill Shaffer is the author of The Scanbdalous Hamiltons, George Nelson and The Design of Time, and Emotion in Motion: 55 Baranger Displays. He has been published on designobserver.com and the online site of Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum, where he was a Smithsonian Fellow. He holds an M.A., History of Design and Curatorial Studies from Parsons, The New School. He and his wife live in New York City, not far from the historic Hamilton fountain, endowed by the subject of this book. Visit him at billshafferbooks.com