The Price of Silence: The Duke Lacrosse Scandal, the Power of the Elite, and the Corruption of Our Great Universities

William D. Cohan

Apr 2014 · Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

A Duke alumnus whose work has been hailed as “authoritative” (The Washington Post), “seductively engrossing” (Chicago Tribune), “riveting” (The Economist), and “masterful” (Los Angeles Times), presents a stunning new account of the infamous Duke lacrosse team case.

Despite it being front-page nationwide news, the true story of the Duke lacrosse team rape case has never been told in its entirety. It is more complex and profound than all the reporting to date would indicate. The Price of Silence is the definitive account of what happens when the most combustive forces in American culture—unbridled ambition, intellectual elitism, athletic prowess, sexual and racial bias, and absolute prosecutorial authority—collide and then explode on a powerful university campus, in the justice system, and in the media.

Deeply reported and brilliantly written, The Price of Silence shines a bright light on the ever-widening gap between America’s rich and poor, and how the powerful protect themselves, even at the price of justice.

Ratings and reviews

Bold and in depth look into the party culture at Duke University. No matter what a person thinks about the lacrosse case, one cannot deny there were seriois problems with alcohol at Duke. Beer fueled parties with young men with an inflated sense of entitlement are a dangerous thing for themselves and others. Cohan is Duke alum and lends credibility to an unbiased examination of the school and it's infamous lacrosse team. Read the book and don't just bring your personal bias. This is well researched.

About the author

William D. Cohan is the bestselling author of Money and Power, House of Cards, and The Last Tycoons. He has appeared on The Daily Show, Charlie Rose, CBS This Morning, ABC Evening News, Good Morning America, and more. He has also been featured on numerous NPR programs, including Marketplace, Diane Rehm, Leonard Lopate, and Studio 360 with Kurt Anderson. In addition to being media savvy, Cohan is himself a Duke alum who worked on Wall Street for seventeen years.