There is a cast of fascinating characters in The Grandest Madison Square Garden: Art, Scandal and Architecture in Gilded Age New York by art historian and museum director Suzanne Hinman. Her remarkable story centers on the most beautiful of the Gardens (1890) and the controversial 18-foot nude sculpture of Diana, Virgin Goddess of the Hunt that crowned it. The prominent players are pals; architect Stanford White and sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens.  Reservations are recommended.