Rage of Angels [antikvár]

The characters and events in this novel are fictional. The background, however, is real, and I am indebted to those who generously helped to fill it in for me. In a few instances I have taken what I believe to be necessary dramatic license. Any legal or factual errors are mine alone. My deep gratitude for sharing with me their courtroom lives and experiences goes to F. Lee Bailey, Melvin Belli, Paul Caruso, William Hundley, Luke McKissack, Louis Nizer, Jerome Shestack and Peter Taft. In California, the Honorable Wm. Matthew Byrne, of the United States District Court, was most helpful. In New York, I owe special thanks to Mary de Bourbon of the New York District Attorney's oflBce for showing me the inner workings of the court system; to Phil Leshin, former Assistant Commissioner for Public Affairs of the New York City Department of Correction, for escorting me through Riker's Island; and to Pat Perry, the Assistant Deputy Warden at Riker*s Island. Barry Dastin*s legal supervision and counsel have proved invaluable. My appreciation to Alice Fisher for her assistance in researching this book. And finally, a thank you to Catherine Munro, who patiently and cheerfully transcribed and typed what began as a thousand-page manuscript, more than a dozen times over a period of almost three years. Sidney Sheldon