The Fall of the House of Zeus
The Rise and Ruin of America's Most Powerful Trial Lawyer
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Narrated by:
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Sean Runnette
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By:
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Curtis Wilkie
About this listen
The Fall of the House of Zeus tells the story of Dickie Scruggs, arguably the most successful plaintiff's lawyer in America. A brother-in-law of Trent Lott, the former U.S. Senate majority leader, Scruggs made a fortune taking on mass tort lawsuits against "Big Tobacco" and the asbestos industries. He was hailed by Newsweek as a latter-day Robin Hood and portrayed in the movie The Insider as a dapper aviator-lawyer. Scruggs's legal triumphs rewarded him lavishly, and his success emboldened both his career maneuvering and his influence in Southern politics - but at a terrible cost, culminating in his spectacular fall, when he was convicted for conspiring to bribe a Mississippi state judge.
Here Mississippi is emblematic of the modern South, with its influx of new money and its rising professional class, including lawyers such as Scruggs, whose interests became inextricably entwined with state and national politics. Based on extensive interviews, transcripts, and FBI recordings never made public, The Fall of the House of Zeus exposes the dark side of Southern and Washington legal games and power politics: the swirl of fixed cases, blocked investigations, judicial tampering, and a zealous prosecution that would eventually ensnare not only Scruggs but his son, Zach, in the midst of their struggle with insurance companies over Hurricane Katrina damages. In gripping detail, author Curtis Wilkie crafts an authentic legal thriller propelled by a "welter of betrayals and personal hatreds," providing large supporting parts for Trent Lott and Jim Biden, brother of then-senator Joe, and cameos by John McCain, Al Gore, and other D.C. insiders and influence peddlers. Above all, we get to see how and why the mighty fail and fall, a story as gripping and timeless as a Greek tragedy.
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None of the Above
- The Untold Story of the Atlanta Public Schools Cheating Scandal, Corporate Greed, and the Criminalization of Educators
- By: Shani Robinson, Anna Simonton
- Narrated by: Lisa Renee Pitts
- Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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An insider’s account of the infamous Atlanta Public Schools cheating scandal that scapegoated black employees for problems caused by an education reform movement that is increasingly a proxy for corporate greed.
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A well constructed story
- By Sumo Steve on 03-21-19
By: Shani Robinson, and others
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L.A. Noir
- The Struggle for the Soul of America's Most Seductive City
- By: John Buntin
- Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne
- Length: 17 hrs
- Unabridged
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Midcentury Los Angeles: A city sold to the world as "the white spot of America", a land of sunshine and orange groves, Midwestern values, and Hollywood stars, protected by the world's most famous police force, the Dragnet-era LAPD. Behind this public image lies a hidden world of "pleasure girls" and crooked cops, ruthless newspaper tycoons, corrupt politicians, and East Coast gangsters on the make. Into this underworld came two men - one L.A.'s most notorious gangster, the other its most famous police chief - each prepared to battle the other for the soul of the city.
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A good (but a little corny) history of LA
- By Jimmy on 10-23-12
By: John Buntin
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The Bettencourt Affair
- The World's Richest Woman and the Scandal That Rocked Paris
- By: Tom Sancton
- Narrated by: Amanda Carlin
- Length: 13 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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Heiress to the nearly 40-billion-dollar L’Oréal fortune, Liliane Bettencourt was the world’s richest woman and the 14th wealthiest person. But her gilded life took a dark yet fascinating turn in the past decade. At 94, she was embroiled in what has been called the Bettencourt Affair, a scandal that dominated the headlines in France. Why? It’s a tangled web of hidden secrets, divided loyalties, frayed relationships, and fractured families, set in the most romantic city - and involving the most glamorous industry - in the world.
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A Juicy Chronicle
- By Jean on 10-24-17
By: Tom Sancton
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Tangled Webs
- How False Statements are Undermining America: From Martha Stewart to Bernie Madoff
- By: James B. Stewart
- Narrated by: Michael Kramer
- Length: 19 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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In Tangled Webs, James B. Stewart reveals in vivid detail the consequences of the perjury epidemic that has swept our country, undermining the very foundation of our courts.With many prosecutors, investigators, and participants speaking for the first time, Tangled Webs goes behind the scene of the trials of media and homemaking entrepreneur Martha Stewart; top White House political adviser Lewis "Scooter" Libby; home-run king Barry Bonds; and Wall Street money manager Bernard Madoff. Tangled Webs reaffirms the importance of truth.
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in great detail
- By Andy on 06-22-11
By: James B. Stewart
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The Brothers Bulger
- How They Terrorized and Corrupted Boston for a Quarter Century
- By: Howie Carr
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
- Length: 12 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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This fresh account of Massachusetts' infamous Bulger brothers unveils a stunning criminal alliance, and with its dual biography format, goes deeper than the New York Times best-selling Black Mass. For the first time, journalist Howie Carr reveals the real story behind the infamous Bulgers, two brothers from South Boston who grew up to control a state.
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ZZZZZZzzzzzzzz
- By Tory on 11-18-06
By: Howie Carr
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The Tangled Web
- The Life and Death of Richard Cain—Chicago Cop and Mafia Hitman
- By: Michael Cain
- Narrated by: Clinton Wade
- Length: 7 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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The Tangled Web tells the dramatic story of detective Richard Cain's criminal career as revealed by his half-brother, Michael. Cain led a double-life—one as a well-known cop who led raids that landed on the front pages, and the other as a "made man" in one of Chicago's most notorious mob families.
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Reviews
- By G. D. Hoppe on 11-19-20
By: Michael Cain
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Being Oscar
- From Mob Lawyer to Mayor of Las Vegas
- By: Oscar Goodman, George Anastasia
- Narrated by: Oscar Goodman
- Length: 7 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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In Being Oscar,one of America’s most celebrated criminal defense attorneys recounts the stories and cases of his epic life. The Mafia’s go-to defender, he has tried an estimated 300 criminal cases, and won most of them. His roster of clients reads like a history of organized crime: Meyer Lansky, Nicky Scarfo, and "Lefty" Rosenthal, as well as Mike Tyson and boxing promoter Don King, along with a midget, a dentist, and a federal judge. After 35 years as a defender, he ran for mayor of Las Vegas, and America’s greatest Mob lawyer became the mayor of its sexiest city.
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Not as good as I expected
- By Eric Schurr on 11-16-14
By: Oscar Goodman, and others
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Washington Journal
- Reporting Watergate and Richard Nixon's Downfall
- By: Elizabeth Drew
- Narrated by: Jo Anna Perrin
- Length: 22 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Unfolding over the course of a single year, from September 1973 to August 1974, Washington Journal is the record of the near-dissolution of a nation's political conscience - told from within. In this book, we see corruption in its most prosaic and grandest forms, along with occasional flashes of decency, ethics, and humanity, and other sights rarely witnessed in the wilds of the capital.
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Brilliant reporting
- By Tad Davis on 10-01-14
By: Elizabeth Drew
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Too Close to Call
- The Thirty-Six-Day Battle to Decide the 2000 Election
- By: Jeffrey Toobin
- Narrated by: Eric Jason Martin
- Length: 10 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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From the best-selling author of A Vast Conspiracy and The Run of His Life comes Too Close to Call - the definitive story of the Bush-Gore presidential recount. A political and legal analyst of unparalleled journalistic skill, Jeffrey Toobin is the ideal writer to distill the events of the 36 anxiety-filled days that culminated in one of the most stunning Supreme Court decisions in history.
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Wow......
- By Micah M. on 06-02-17
By: Jeffrey Toobin
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A Woman in Charge
- The Life of Hillary Rodham Clinton
- By: Carl Bernstein
- Narrated by: Dick Rodstein
- Length: 24 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Carl Bernstein's stunning portrait of Hillary Rodham Clinton shows us, as nothing else has, the true trajectory of her life and career, with its zigzag bursts of risks taken and safety sought. Marshaling all the skills and energy that propelled his history-making Pulitzer Prize reporting on Watergate, Bernstein gives us the most detailed, sophisticated, comprehensive, and revealing account of Hilary Rodham Clinton yet.
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in depth and well-written
- By Katherine on 07-20-07
By: Carl Bernstein
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Bending Toward Justice
- The Birmingham Church Bombing That Changed the Course of Civil Rights
- By: Doug Jones, Greg Truman, Rick Bragg - foreword
- Narrated by: Doug Jones
- Length: 15 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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On September 15, 1963, the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, AL, was bombed, killing four young girls. Who were the perpetrators? Due to reluctant witnesses and racial prejudice, the FBI closed the case without any indictments. But as Martin Luther King, Jr., claimed, "the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." Bending Toward Justice is a detailed account of this key moment in our national struggle for equality and the long road to prosecuting those responsible for the tragedy, related by an author who played a major role in the investigation.
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Great piece of History
- By rita on 03-08-19
By: Doug Jones, and others
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Emmett Till
- The Murder That Shocked the World and Propelled the Civil Rights Movement
- By: Devery S. Anderson
- Narrated by: Brandon Church
- Length: 21 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Emmett Till offers the first truly comprehensive account of the 1955 murder and its aftermath. It tells the story of Emmett Till, the 14-year-old African American boy from Chicago brutally lynched for a harmless flirtation at a country store in the Mississippi Delta. His death and the acquittal of his killers by an all-white jury set off a firestorm of protests that reverberated all over the world and spurred on the civil rights movement.
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An important story narrated with power and warmth
- By R. Nance on 10-04-16
What listeners say about The Fall of the House of Zeus
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Placeholder
- 03-11-12
The title says it all - The fall of Scruggs
Would you listen to The Fall of the House of Zeus again? Why?
Yes, because it is masterfully done. You feel as if you are really getting a sense of who Dickie Scruggs is. You don't want to care about this man - this lawyer, but you do. It is kind of the story of a prostitute with a heart of gold. It is great listen and it is probably an even better read. It gives you some insight into why people are driven and why things sometimes turn out wrong, even though they started out right.
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Fall of the House of Zeus?
The most memorable moment is when the law firm, now located in Oxford, Mississippi, learns that Dickie, his son and partners are about to be arrested. Dickie, who has been cruising on pain killers and anti-anxiety medication, is now painfully alert that it is about to all fall down and he basically has nowhere to go.
What about Sean Runnette’s performance did you like?
Sean Runnette seems to capture the Southern cadence without being grating. He was down-home and lawyerly at the same time - a feat!
If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
You can never pay off enough people and when you piss off someone - there will be hell to pay!
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2 people found this helpful
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- Sharlene Bowie
- 07-02-17
Found it most interesting.
listen to it every opportunity I found till the final words of the Final Chapter
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- minadene
- 11-18-12
Sad story
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Yes--
What other book might you compare The Fall of the House of Zeus to and why?
John Grisham's novels
Have you listened to any of Sean Runnette’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
Have not listened.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
No--it made me so sad to hear the greed and jealously of people.
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- J.D. Schleimer
- 03-25-15
Well written and meticulously researched
The well written and meticulously researched tale of the rise and fall of an iconic trial lawyer. A first rate morality play.
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- Will
- 12-30-15
Great Read!
What made the experience of listening to The Fall of the House of Zeus the most enjoyable?
The narrator was not mono-toned at all!
What did you like best about this story?
The intertwined web of connections and betrayal.
What about Sean Runnette’s performance did you like?
His inflections! Really gave the story a feeling of a thriller.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
The lawyer's interaction with Zak after he left his sentencing. I could feel the burn of those words.
Any additional comments?
I would recommend this book to anyone. It really is an button pusher, since I could not help but press play every time I had a chance to listen. I am about to listen to it again. It was so well written and narrated. Great non-fiction book!
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- Amazon Customer
- 06-19-23
Great story
My office was 3 doors down from Mr. Scruggs in Pascagoula. One of the kindest people I have ever met in my life. The story was riveting, how politics affect so many things we would never expect. I wish I could say I have led a perfect life. All of us have stumbled at one time or another. The good this gentleman has done far outweighs the bad, and in my heart, he is forgiven. I am proud to have known him. I wish Mr. Scruggs all the happiness in the world.
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Overall
- Tory
- 02-21-11
True Story But Almost Like a Novel
I found this book fascinating. Though it is a true story, it was like listening to a novel and I found it entertaining all the way through. Tory Dutton
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2 people found this helpful
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- STEVEN K.
- 08-29-16
Worth a Listen
Intriguing story. Perhaps a few too many side stories to follow in an audio book.
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- Amazon Customer
- 12-23-20
Sad story
As an attorney, the events described in this book are a sad tale of big money and political corruption in the Mississippi judicial system. An otherwise good lawyer being brought down by unadulterated greed, and professional jealousy.
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- Mom of 3
- 04-06-19
Intriguing Real Life Political Drama
I am from Oxford and had read this book when it first came out. Years later I now know a majority of the characters so wanted to re-read it again but no longer have the time to read. I decided to instead listen to it. The only problem with the narrated version in the mispronunciation of several words and names. Two that I know off the top of my head were Lafayette and Rhea Tannehill’s name.
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