James A. Reed was a colorful force in Missouri politics for more than 40 years. He aligned with Jim and Tom Pendergast and rose to mayor of Kansas City in 1900. Then came two terms in the U.S. Senate—where Reed locked horns with presidents Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Roosevelt—and two runs at the Democratic presidential nomination.

A renowned attorney, Reed served as prosecutor in the Thomas H. Swope murder trial of 1910 and later defended Myrtle Bennett in the notorious Bridge Game Murder case. He became involved in the 1931 case involving the kidnapping of clothing manufacturer Nell Donnelly, eventually marrying her.

Retired Kansas City attorney Michael Cronan recounts Reed’s life and career in a discussion of his book James A. Reed: Legendary Lawyer; Marplot in the United State Senate.