Filled with mayhem, mountains of illicit cash, and rivers of bourbon, “Tales of the Bourbon King” presents the life and crimes of George Remus, bootleg king of the Jazz Age, a dazzling true crime spectacle. With gunfights and fisticuffs, he turned America into his violent playground, grafting his way into Warren Harding’s White House. A model for Jay Gatsby, Remus’s story epitomizes the spectacular 1920s – until it came crashing down in an improbable tale of deceit and rage, centered on the dastardly G-man who stole his wife, leading directly to a fateful gunshot that ended her life.
Read more"Tristate True Crime" on "Cincy Lifestyle" and WCPO
Cultural Historian and Biographer Bob Batchelor on the “Cincy Lifestyle” television show, airing M-F at 10 a.m. on WCPO
“Tristate True Crime” on WCPO’s Cincy Lifestyle
Join cultural historian Bob Batchelor as he presents “Tristate True Crime” bi-monthly on WCPO’s Cincy Lifestyle, airing weekdays at 10 a.m. The segment by the award-winning author airs on Tuesdays.
Batchelor’s first segment — The Rookwood Mad Man — debuted on February 23, 2021. The episode featured a 1888 true crime mystery at Cincinnati’s famous Rookwood Pottery, the art studio that birthed art pottery in the United States.
Please share with other true crime, mystery, history fans! And, look for future episodes on WCPO 9's Cincy Lifestyle!
Signed And Personalized Copy -- The Bourbon King: The Life And Crimes Of George Remus, Prohibition's Evil Genius
The Bourbon King: The Life and Crimes of George Remus, Prohibition’s Evil Genius is the epic tale of 1920s “Bootleg King” George Remus, one of the greatest criminal masterminds in American history.
You can order a signed and personalized copy of The Bourbon King via www.bobbatchelor.com/store.
Overview
Prohibition didn’t stop George Remus from cornering the boozy, illegal liquor marketplace and amassing a fortune that is rumored to have eclipsed $200 million (the equivalent of $5 billion today.) As eminent documentarian Ken Burns proclaimed, “Remus was to bootlegging what Rockefeller was to oil.”
Author Bob Batchelor has unearthed a treasure trove of untapped historical archives to cover the life, times, and crimes of the man who ran the largest bootlegging operation in America—larger and more powerful than that of Al Capone—and a man who was considered the best criminal defense lawyer of his era.
Remus bought an empire of distilleries on what is now The Bourbon Trail and used his other profession, as a pharmacist, to profit from loopholes in the law. He spent millions bribing government officials in the Harding Administration, directly tied to Attorney General Harry Daugherty and Harding’s “Ohio Gang.” And he created a roaring, opulent lifestyle that epitomized the Jazz Age over which he ruled. So extravagant was this Bourbon King’s lifestyle that his lush parties served as an inspiration for The Great Gatsby.
But Remus came crashing down in one of the most sensational murder cases in American history. After serving a brief prison sentence, he was driven mad by his cheating wife Imogene and Franklin Dodge, the G-man who not only put him in jail, but also seduced her before stealing all his riches. Remus murdered his wife in cold-blood, setting loose the most media-saturated trial of the Jazz Age. Claiming a condition that he invented – temporary maniacal insanity – Remus took on Charles Taft, son of former President and current Chief Justice William Howard Taft, in a trial that grabbed national headlines. Remus won over the star-struck jury with lurid allegations about his lost millions at the hands of his two-timing wife and the federal agent who stole her away.
Love, murder, mountains of cash, bribery, political intrigue, rivers of bourbon, and a grand spectacle like few before it, the tale of George Remus transcends the era and provides readers with a lens into the dark heart of Prohibition’s Bourbon Trail, the thirst of the American people, and their fascination with crime.
THE BOURBON KING NAMED 2020 BEST HISTORICAL BIOGRAPHY
THE BOURBON KING NAMED 2020 BEST HISTORICAL BIOGRAPHY
Cultural Historian Bob Batchelor Wins Independent Press Award® for true crime biography of George Remus, America’s 1920s “Bootleg King”
Cincinnati, May 4, 2020 – Love, murder, political intrigue, mountains of cash, and rivers of bourbon! The Bourbon King: The Life and Crimes of George Remus, Prohibition’s Evil Genius (Diversion Books) by cultural historian and biographer Bob Batchelor is a grand spectacle and lens into the dark heart of Prohibition. As one Jazz Age journalist put it, “Remus was to bootlegging what Rockefeller was to oil.”
Batchelor breathes life into the largest bootlegging operation in America—greater than that of Al Capone—and a man considered the best criminal defense lawyer of his era. Remus bought an empire of distilleries on Kentucky’s “Bourbon Trail” (making billions of dollars in today’s money) and used his other profession, as a pharmacist, to profit from legal loopholes. He spent millions bribing officials in the Harding Administration.
Remus created a roaring lifestyle that epitomized the Jazz Age over which he ruled. F. Scott Fitzgerald used Remus as one of the models for Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby (celebrating its 95th anniversary this year). That is, before he came crashing down in one of the most sensational true crime murder cases in American history: a cheating wife, the dastardly G-man who seduced her and put Remus in jail, and the plunder of a Bourbon Empire. Remus later murdered his wife in cold-blood and then shocked a nation winning his freedom based on a condition he invented—temporary maniacal insanity.
The Independent Press Award is an international book competition judged by experts from different functions within the book industry, including publishers, writers, editors, book cover designers, and professional copywriters. Selected award winners and distinguished favorites are based on overall excellence.
In 2020, the Independent Press Award had entries worldwide. Participating authors and publishers reside in countries such as Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, India, Ireland, Portugal, Sweden, and others. Books submitted included writers located in cities such as Austin to Memphis to Santa Cruz; from Copenhagen to Mumbai; from Albuquerque to Staten Island; from Boise to Honolulu, and others.
“We are thrilled to announce the winners and distinguished favorites in our annual 2020 Independent Press Award. This year included a myriad of excellent independently published books. It is clear that independents are prospering in every corner of the earth. We are so proud to be highlighting key titles representing global independent publishing,” said IPA Awards sponsor Gabrielle Olczak.
For more information please visit independentpressaward.com; and to see this year's list of IPA Winners and Distinguished Favorites, please visit the website pages:
2020 WINNERS:
https://www.independentpressaward.com/2020winners
2020 DISTINGUISHED FAVORITES:
https://www.independentpressaward.com/2020distinguishedfavorites
ABOUT BOB BATCHELOR
Bob Batchelor is a critically acclaimed, bestselling cultural historian and biographer. He has published widely on American culture and literature. In addition to The Bourbon King: The Life and Crimes of George Remus, Prohibition's Evil Genius (Diversion), Bob wrote Stan Lee: The Man Behind Marvel, the first full-scale biography of the Marvel legend. He has also written books on Bob Dylan, Mad Men, John Updike, and The Great Gatsby, among others. His next book is Rookwood: The Rediscovery and Revival of an American Icon--An Illustrated History (September 8, 2020, Rockport/Quarto)
Bob graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a bachelor's degree in history, philosophy, and political science. He earned an M.A. at Kent State University under the tutelage of the eminent historian Lawrence S. Kaplan. His doctorate is in English Literature from the University of South Florida, where he studied with Phillip Sipiora. He has taught at universities in Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, as well as Vienna, Austria. Bob lives in Cincinnati with his wife Suzette and their teenage daughters.
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92 Years Ago Today -- George Remus Murders Imogene in Cincinnati's Eden Park
92 years ago in 1927, George Remus murdered his wife Imogene in Eden Park, just outside Cincinnati.
The gunshot that indian summer morning capped a tumultuous period of mayhem, betrayal, and embezzlement. The subsequent trial would be followed by millions worldwide!
The accompanying February 1928 insanity trial transcripts provide insight into what Remus thought about his wife and the murder.
Below is a portion of the February 1928 insanity hearing transcript. Remus answers questions about his early days with Imogene and admits that they engaged in “illicit relations.”
February 1928 insanity hearing transcript — George Remus answers questions about his early days with Imogene — “illicit relations”
Remus admits that he hoped to catch Imogene and Franklin Dodge together — so he could kill them both!
Remus admits that he hoped to catch Imogene and Franklin Dodge together — so he could kill them both!
George claimed he married Imogene to bring her up from poverty…and that she owed him as a result. The betrayal with Dodge was too much. The affair and that it became common knowledge in the criminal underworld, disgraced him, and — in his mind — forced action.
George claimed he married Imogene to bring her up from poverty…and that she owed him as a result. The betrayal with Dodge was too much…
Given his ability to manipulate juries, Remus declared he would defend himself, giving him direct access to the 12 people who held his life in their hands.
Given his ability to manipulate juries, Remus declared he would defend himself, giving him direct access to the 12 people who held his life in their hands.
5 Minutes to Murder: George Remus, The Bourbon King
5 Minutes to Murder: George Remus, The Bourbon King
Historian Bob Batchelor discusses The Bourbon King outside the former Cincinnati hotel where "Bootleg King" George Remus stalked his wife Imogene, before murdering her in cold blood at Eden Park.
The Bourbon King, The Inside Story: The Murder, Video
The Bourbon King, The Inside Story: The Murder, Video
The Murder, Part II: From Cincinnati, Historian Bob Batchelor, author of The Bourbon King: The Life and Crimes of George Remus, Prohibition's Evil Genius (Diversion Books), discusses how George Remus chased down his wife Imogene and murdered her in Eden Park and then retraces their steps!
There is a great deal of conflicting opinion about exactly where Remus and his driver, George Klug, ran Imogene and Ruth’s taxi off the road, even among eyewitnesses! I recreate the murder from the information I pieced together from those accounts. In any case, the murder took place along a 10 to 20 yard strip near Mirror Lake.
George Remus murdered Imogene in Eden Park, Cincinnati’s version of Central Park in the 1920s. The murder location is behind me in this photo, in this stretch of roadway.
The Bourbon King, The Inside Story: The Chase Leads to Murder, Video!
The Chase Leads to Murder!
From Cincinnati, Historian Bob Batchelor discusses how George Remus chased down his wife Imogene and murdered her in Eden Park while also retracing the route through the city!
Starred Review in Publishers Weekly!
The Bourbon King: The Life and Crimes of George Remus, Prohibition’s Evil Genius received a starred review in Publishers Weekly, one of the essential publications in the publishing industry.
“Larger-than-life characters take the reins of this story, a rip-roaring good time for any American history buff or true-crime fan.”
“Batchelor’s action-packed narrative both entertains and informs with its tales of the corruption of President Warren G. Harding’s attorney general, the bootlegging trade, and the public’s oscillating views of Remus and Prohibition in general.”
You can find the complete review at this link!
George Remus, King of the Bootleggers: Insanity and Murder
Atlanta Constitution, February 22, 1928
George Remus, the former King of the Bootleggers, fought to prove that he was sane in February 1928, two months after a jury declared the murder of his wife Imogene “transitory maniacal insanity” and that he should go free.
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