April 17, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. — The latest book by bestselling author James B. Stewart, a 1973 graduate of DePauw University, is a "newsbreaking investigation of our era's most high-profile perjurers, revealing the alarming extent of this national epidemic," notes a synopsis of Tangled Webs: How False Statements are Undermining America -- From Bernie Madoff to Martha Stewart. Published by Penguin Press, it arrives in bookstores this week.
"Our system of justice rests on a simple proposition: that witnesses will raise their hands and tell the truth," states the publisher. "In Tangled Webs, James B. Stewart reveals in vivid detail the consequences of the perjury epidemic that has swept our country, undermining the very foundation of our courts. With many prosecutors, investigators, and participants speaking for the first time, Tangled Webs goes behind the scene of the trials of media and homemaking entrepreneur Martha Stewart; top White House political adviser Lewis 'Scooter' Libby; home-run king Barry Bonds; and Wall Street money manager Bernard Madoff."
It adds, "The perjury outbreak is symptomatic of a broader breakdown of ethics in American life. It isn't just the judicial system that relies on an honor code: Academia, business, medicine, and government all depend on it. Tangled Webs explores the age-old tensions between greed and justice, self-interest and public interest, loyalty and duty. At a time when Americans seem hungry for moral leadership and clarity, Tangled Webs reaffirms the importance of truth."
A former Page One editor at the Wall Street Journal, Stewart won a Pulitzer Prize in 1988 for his reporting on the stock market crash and insider trading. He is a regular contributor to SmartMoney and the New Yorker. His previous books include Den of Thieves, Blood Sport, Heart of a Soldier, DisneyWar and Blind Eye.
Learn more about Tangled Webs and order a copy at Barnes & Noble.com or Amazon.com.
A member of DePauw's Board of Trustees and former chair of the group, James B. Stewart was the 2006 recipient of the Loeb Award, the highest honor in business journalism.
An opera based on Stewart's best-selling 2002 book, Heart of a Soldier: A Story of Love, Heroism, and September 11th, will have its world premiere on September 10, 2011, at the San Francisco Opera. Details can be found in this recent story.