Wicked Lexington, Kentucky

by Fiona Young-Brown

Filled with tales of infamous duels, cheating congressmen, and much more, Wicked Lexington, Kentucky offers the first collection the city's rowdy and ruckus history .
Despite its illustrious beginnings as the "Athens of the west," Lexington has always had a darker side lurking just beneath its glossy sheen. It didn't take long for the first intellectual hub west of the Alleghenies to quickly morph into a city with the same scandalous inclinations as neighboring Louisville and Cincinnati. From Belle Brezing's infamous brothel of the late 1800s, frequented by some of the city's most prominent businessmen, and once pardoned by the governor, to historic sports scandals of the 1900s, local author Fiona Young-Brown tracks Lexington's penchant for misdeeds from founding to modern times.

Genres: History

128 pages, Paperback

First published July 29, 2011

About the author

A former teacher turned freelance writer, Fiona Young-Brown has lived in Kentucky for 7 years.

Born and bred in England, Fiona lived in Germany and Japan before moving to the US, where she now lives with her husband and two dogs."

Reviews

[Rhonda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Title is very misleading.

Basically this is a history book about the start of Lexington, KY. I read all about duels in the 1700's -which was a common way to settle disputes back in that day. There was a brief mention of several prostitution houses in the 1800's.

The book basically ended in 1977 with the passing of Adolph Rupp and much written about him was speculation and never confirmed - racism.

Any type of modern "wickedness" - ie drug rings, crooked horse racing, or anything to do with the horse farms in general was left out.

Wicked Lexington?? A better title would be The History of Lexington. - but I am guessing there is already a book with that title out there...probably used in a classroom.

[Jay Atwood · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was well-written but the problem is that Lexington just wasn't terribly wicked. The author would've been better served simply writing a biography of Belle Breezing.

[Nic Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this book because of the interesting stories about Lexington's past. It's hard to believe that a town like Lexington was once considered one of the most wicked cities in the U.S. and it's even more amazing the reason why it got that title!!

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as juicy as the title.

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. It had some interesting information about the town, but it read like a school book.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting stories from Lexington, Kentucky's past. I enjoyed reading them very much.

[Chase Niceley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Lexington- and loved this book. A very quick read with interesting stories and bits on the wonders and quirks of prominent individuals in Lexington history.

[Twila · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is wonderful. Very well written with excellant research. The book is a must have for any one interested in Lexington and history.

[Harley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing really new, but is well researched and is a nice source of information for those folks that are interested in the history of Lexington ( and its less than attractive past)

[Richard Thompson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted it to be better.