Inside the Combat Zone: The Stripped Down Story of Boston’s Most Notorious Neighborhood

Inside the Combat Zone: The Stripped Down Story of Boston’s Most Notorious Neighborhood. Book presentation given by author and reporter Stephanie Schorow. Hosted by the Friends of the Charlestown Branch of the Boston Public Library. Free and open to all, including a book signing and reception.

In her provocative new book, Inside the Combat Zone: The Stripped Down Story of Boston’s Most Notorious Neighborhood, veteran reporter Stephanie Schorow recounts the stories that made the Zone infamous. Meet the dancers who stripped to rock ‘n’ roll, the cops who tried to keep order on the streets, and the hookers turned tricks and slipped wallets from gullible men. Go beyond the enticing marquees promoting all-nude revues to discover how the Zone — in an era dogged by miserable economics — made millions from the dark side of desire.

Stephanie Schorow is the author of six books on Boston history, including Drinking Boston: A History of the City and Its Spirits, The Cocoanut Grove Fire, and The Crime of the Century: How the Brink’s Robbers Stole Millions and the Hearts of Boston. She has worked as an editor and reporter for the Boston Herald, the Associated Press, and numerous other publications.