William Elliott azelgrove's Blog, page 3
February 25, 2022
Why Vladimir Putin Won't Blow up the World
Vladamir Putin says he has nuclear weapons and cutting edge weapons. Vladamir has three daughters one ex wife, one girlfriend, one grandchild, and by all accounts he is a doting father. So lets go down the I might just press the button scenario if you dont give me what I want. He wants Ukraine. He might want the Balkans. That would be NATO. The Russians have nukes and oil but not a great military. The US has the military all the world wants. We would immediately dominate the skies and all the world would rain down on Putin and Russia. But the logic behind I might use my nukes is moronic at best. It is the robber saying to you at gunpoint, if you dont give me your money I will shoot myself with my own gun. We have nukes too and we would use them. So while Putin can say Oh I might use my nukes. He might as well use them on himself and get it over with. He knows this. Putin and his daughters and his grandchild, girlfirend, exwife woudl die. Not a great move for the doting father. So while the Ukranians fight it out with the Russians, Putin holds his own gernade threatening to use it if anyone intervenes in the fight. So you have to wonder, if any of his generals have pointed out to him, that if he pulls the pin... he'll blow himself up too. "Rocket Man is the funniest novel since Russo's Straight Man."
Chicago Sun Times
"Rocket Man is a hilarious, well written novel about one man's search for the New American Dream." James Frey, author A Million Little Pieces and Bright Shiny Morning
Chicago Sun Times
"Rocket Man is a hilarious, well written novel about one man's search for the New American Dream." James Frey, author A Million Little Pieces and Bright Shiny Morning
February 18, 2022
Library Journal Review of Greed in the Gilded Age
Hazelgrove (Sally Rand: American Sex Symbol) chronicles the life and crimes of Cassie Chadwick, who, during the Gilded Age, scammed bankers out of millions of dollars, causing one bank failure and leading to the death of the head of a bank. Chadwick convinced prominent bankers, attorneys, and a reverend that she was the illegitimate daughter of industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie; she even dropped by Carnegie's home to pretend to retrieve promissory notes. When her scam came to light, she was prosecuted; the ensuing trial generated so much press that Carnegie himself sat in to observe. Hazelgrove vividly sets the scene, drawing intriguing parallels and contrasts between Carnegie and Chadwick—Carnegie ruthlessly punished striking workers who were protesting unsafe working conditions, while Chadwick broke the law in the pursuit of wealth, yet only Chadwick was held accountable. The delightfully sensationalist writing ("questions that rained down like nails into his soul") evokes the yellow journalism of the era. VERDICT Readers curious about the Gilded Age or who enjoy stories of con artists will appreciate Hazelgrove's lively tale of a most ambitious grifter.—Karen Sandlin Silverman Library Journal
"Rocket Man is the funniest novel since Russo's Straight Man."
Chicago Sun Times
"Rocket Man is a hilarious, well written novel about one man's search for the New American Dream." James Frey, author A Million Little Pieces and Bright Shiny Morning
"Rocket Man is the funniest novel since Russo's Straight Man."Chicago Sun Times
"Rocket Man is a hilarious, well written novel about one man's search for the New American Dream." James Frey, author A Million Little Pieces and Bright Shiny Morning
WHY THE GILDED AGE STILL FASCINATES US
It was a time of a enormous change for one thing. Untaxed money for another. And there were villans and robber barons and there was Cassie Chadwick. She was a con woman who claimed to be the illigitimate daughter of Andrew Carnegie and she lived on millions for years before the police caught up to her and she was tried for conspiracy to defraud a bank. Her trial was so popular it knocked the inauguration of Teddy Roosevelt off the front pages. But the opulance of this age as evidence in the HBO show The Gilded Age is astounding. For the first time America had a monied class built off the toil of people who worked in factories and foundaries and made the very few wealthy at the expense of the very many. It is during this time America came of age. The railroads allowed national markets to flower and bring goods to a national market. All those rail lines built during the Civil War to move troops could now move goods to market. And they did. For the first time local markets were eclipsed for a distant place where few would ever meet the people buying their wheat, tomatoes, corn, tobacco. Wage Slaves and Conspicuous Consumption were two terms born at the same time. Americans now would sell their time for a wage and become slaves to ten hour work days and six day weeks. There were no child labor laws. Childen died in foundaries and mills by the dozens. There were no rules at all except that the fabulous new class of the rich could do whatever they wanted. And yet it was a time of the building of the Statue of Liberty which had trouble finding funding. The Brooklyn Bridge where men died in droves from the bends. The corrupt election of Rutherford B Hayes which makes what Donald Trump tried to pull off small time. And there was Andrew Carnegie who wrote a book called Wealth where he tried to decide why he should have so much when others had so little. He didnt beleive in hard work and only worked four hours a day. So that wasn't it. He finally decided it was luck. Being at the right place at the right time. That right time was when the Civil War ended in 1865 and Titanic sunk in 1912. That time was called The Gilded Age.
"Rocket Man is the funniest novel since Russo's Straight Man."
Chicago Sun Times
"Rocket Man is a hilarious, well written novel about one man's search for the New American Dream." James Frey, author A Million Little Pieces and Bright Shiny Morning
"Rocket Man is the funniest novel since Russo's Straight Man."Chicago Sun Times
"Rocket Man is a hilarious, well written novel about one man's search for the New American Dream." James Frey, author A Million Little Pieces and Bright Shiny Morning
February 15, 2022
GREED IN THE GILDED AGE THE BRILLIANT CON OF CASSIE CHADWICK RELEASED!
CHICAGO, IL, February 15, 2022 /24-7PressRelease/ -- With THE GILDED AGE in the news.. the greatest con woman of the GILDED AGE in United States history will make her debut. The book Greed in the Gilded Age The Brilliant Con of Cassie Chadwick by William Hazelgrove will be released by Roman and Littlefield on Feb 15th. The prepublication reviews Publishers Weekly, Booklist and Library Journal have been strong and a movie deal is in negotiations. The book tells the tale of Cassie Chadwick, a drifter from Canada who set herself up as wife of a rich doctor in Cleveland before moving on to a much bigger con involving the richest man in the world, Andrew Carnegie. With little education, no financial training, and at a time when women didn't even have the vote, Cassie Chadwick (Elizabeth Bigley) moved up the chain of bankers, getting each banker to loan her more than the one before telling each one a simple lie, she was none other than the illegitimate daughter of Andrew Carnegie and she was due to inherit his entire fortune. By the time the police caught up to her she had wrecked the banking system of Cleveland, sending one unfortunate banker to his grave and causing the collapse of a major bank. When the trial was held it was a media event that pushed the trial of Teddy Roosevelt off the front pages with a climactic moment when Andrew Carnegie appeared to face his accuser. Cassie was eventually convicted but not before taking others with her and leaving a legacy as the biggest con woman in the United States only to be eclipsed by Charles Ponzi. "Rocket Man is the funniest novel since Russo's Straight Man."Chicago Sun Times
"Rocket Man is a hilarious, well written novel about one man's search for the New American Dream." James Frey, author A Million Little Pieces and Bright Shiny Morning
January 11, 2022
Publishers Weekly Review of Greed in the Gilded Age The Brilliant con of Cassie Chadwick
Against the backdrop of the Gilded Age, Hazelgrove briskly charts the career of scammer Cassie Chadwick. Born Elizabeth Bigley in 1857 in Canada, she forged checks as a young teen, was arrested, and later released on account of her age and on grounds of insanity. She later joined an older sister in America, where she changed her name multiple times, married three men for their money, and engaged in various scams. Her greatest con came under the name of Cassie Chadwick. As a wealthy doctor’s wife, Chadwick spent a fortune on European trips, diamonds, and designer clothes. Claiming to be the illegitimate daughter of Andrew Carnegie, she persuaded banks to loan her money based on forged promissory notes from Carnegie and vague promises. But it all came crashing down in 1904 when she was arrested by federal agents and tried and convicted of conspiracy to defraud the Citizens Bank of Oberlin. In 1905, her trial made bigger headlines than the inauguration of President Theodore Roosevelt. She died in prison in 1907. Excerpts from newspaper stories of the day dramatize the sensational proceedings. True crime fans will devour this sad, cautionary tale of a brilliant woman brought down by greed. ― Publishers Weekly"Rocket Man is the funniest novel since Russo's Straight Man."Chicago Sun Times
"Rocket Man is a hilarious, well written novel about one man's search for the New American Dream." James Frey, author A Million Little Pieces and Bright Shiny Morning
November 22, 2021
Autographed Copies Of All Books Sent To Your Home
Signed copies are available and will be sent to your address Priority Mail. Just go to autographed copies on the sidebar of this site. This cannot be done though a cellphone. "Rocket Man is the funniest novel since Russo's Straight Man."
Chicago Sun Times
"Rocket Man is a hilarious, well written novel about one man's search for the New American Dream." James Frey, author A Million Little Pieces and Bright Shiny Morning
Chicago Sun Times
"Rocket Man is a hilarious, well written novel about one man's search for the New American Dream." James Frey, author A Million Little Pieces and Bright Shiny Morning
October 7, 2021
October 4, 2021
WGN Chicago Interview with Rick Kogan on One Hundred and Sixty Minutes The Race To Save the RMS Titanic
I sat down with Rick Kogan at WGN Chicago and had a far ranging conversation on my new book One Hundred and Sixty Minutes The Race to Save the RMS Titanic WGN Interview Go to WGN.com Rick Kogan to hear the interview "Rocket Man is the funniest novel since Russo's Straight Man."
Chicago Sun Times
"Rocket Man is a hilarious, well written novel about one man's search for the New American Dream." James Frey, author A Million Little Pieces and Bright Shiny Morning
Chicago Sun Times
"Rocket Man is a hilarious, well written novel about one man's search for the New American Dream." James Frey, author A Million Little Pieces and Bright Shiny Morning
