Robert Booth and DEATH OF AN EMPIRE

Join Marblehead historian Robert Booth for a reading and talk based on his highly-anticipated Macmillan release, DEATH OF AN EMPIRE: THE RISE AND MURDEROUS FALL OF SALEM, AMERICA’S RICHEST CITY. Salem produced America’s first millionaire (still one of history’s 75 wealthiest men) and boasted a maritime trade that made it the country’s richest city. Westward expansion and the industrial revolution would eventually erode Salem’s political importance, but it was a shocking murder and the scandal that followed which led at last to its fall from national prominence. Booth details this event and the times and city surrounding it in remarkable and engaging detail. Q&A and book signing follow talk; books available for purchase on-site. For Booth’s full bio, see http://www.salemlitfest.com/authors. Event to be held at the Salem Athenæum, 337 Essex Street, Salem.