Boss: Richard J. Daley of Chicago
by Mike Royko
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Book Summary Information
Author: Mike RoykoEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1988-10-01
ISBN: 0452261678
Number of pages: 224
Publisher: Plume
Book Reviews of Boss: Richard J. Daley of Chicago
Book Review: Remarkable if flawed
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a superbly readable look at the Chicago political machine and its powerful mayor from 1955-1976. Author Mike Royko captures the essence of Chicago, its culture and political history. Readers get an up-front look at how the Chicago political machine operated, thrived, and corrupted. Royko correctly faults Daley as vain, devious, and racially insensitive, as if epitomizing the staid establishment. The author also sympathetically describes reformers, civil rights actvists, and the aspirations of oft-downtrodden blacks. But Royko misses that despite his flaws, Daley was a capable leader (re-elected by five landslides) that helped Chicago avoid the drastic decline of cities like Detroit, Cleveland, and St. Louis. In his mostly-accurate look at Daley's mishandling of street protests, Royko didn't know that Daley (who had draft-age sons) was secretly anti-Vietnam. Nor does the author sympathize with those whites who feared integration less from bigotry than from fear of higher crime.
Newsman Mike Royko (1932-1997) was a superb columnist with the Chicago Daily News (and later Sun-Times & Tribune). Despite some bias, his book remains a superb read about our city even several decades later. Ironically, Royko later backed Daley's more-progressive son for mayor; the son serving longer (1989-2011) than the father.
Note: Political machines have faults, but it can be nice to have a neighborhood precinct captain to (lawfully) help you with permits, licenses, and other city matters.
Summary of Boss: Richard J. Daley of Chicago
Mike Royko's scathing expose of Chicago's iron-fisted mayor Richard Daley was a national bestseller in its original hardcover and Signet editions. Now published in trade paperback, Boss continues to stand as a classic in American investigative reporting.Historical Books
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