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Alvin Hall in The Bonfire of the Vanities

Alvin Hall in The Bonfire of the Vanities: Episode 5: The Politics of the Case

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The Politics of the Case

Episode 5

Episode 5: The Politics of the Case

BBC Radio 4 - Alvin Hall in The Bonfire of the Vanities, The Politics of the Case

Race, politics and justice - Alvin asks whether they are as intertwined in New York today.

Racial politics were at the heart of the original Bonfire of the Vanities case. Alvin Hall explores whether it would be the same huge story today.

A rich Wall Street trader being involved in a hit-and-run in the Bronx set off a cascade of racial grievances, political manipulation and media delirium in Tom Wolfe's depiction of 1980s New York.

Alvin Hall asks how differently a case like this would play out today. He talks to former mayor Ed Koch about trying to control the media, and lawyers and journalists about what part race and money would play in the unfolding of the story today.


Produced by Lucy Lloyd.

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Alvin Hall compares the New York of Tom Wolfe's scathing 1980s satire with that of today

Alvin Hall compares the New York City of Tom Wolfe's scathing 1980s satire with that of today

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Alvin Hall in The Bonfire of the Vanities

Episode 5: The Politics of the Case

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