American Scoundrel

American Scoundrel Kai Bird

Reception

Rave reviews. 8 of 10 critics gave a rave.

Rave 8 · Positive 0 · Mixed 2 · Pan 0

“From the get-go, Bird provides a thorough and readable account of Cohn’s astonishing life and career … An elegant retelling of the lurid Cohn story, but it’s also something more”

The New York Times Book Review · Jennifer Szalai · Rave

1 more quote

“Offers an effective portrait of Cohn’s role in New York society in an era when sleaze and respectability were not clearly delineated.”

The Atlantic · Kim Phillips-Fein · Mixed

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The Atlantic · 1 October 2026 · Mixed

American Scoundrel

“Offers an effective portrait of Cohn’s role in New York society in an era when sleaze and respectability were not clearly delineated. There is a great deal of salacious gossip; readers will learn far more than they ever wanted to know about Cohn’s sexual habits. Yet despite the extent of Bird and Goldmark’s research, the portrayal of Cohn as an unbounded narcissist misses some of what his life mig”

By Kim Phillips-Fein

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The New York Times · 1 September 2026 · Rave

‘American Scoundrel,’ by Kai Bird

Read at The New York Times (opens in a new tab)

Kai Bird, born 1951, United States.

528 pages

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Catalogue data checked 4 October 2026