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American Pharaoh: Mayor Richard J. Daley - His Battle for Chicago and the Nation

Adam Cohen (Goodreads Author),

Elizabeth Taylor

4.11 · Rating details · 784 ratings · 82 reviews

"This is Chicago, this is America." With those words, Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley famously defended his brutal crackdown on protesters at the 1968 Democratic convention. Profoundly divided racially, economically and socially, Chicago was indeed a microcosm of America, and for more than two decades Daley ruled it with an iron fist. The last of the big city bosses, Daley "This is Chicago, this is America." With those words, Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley famously defended his brutal crackdown on protesters at the 1968 Democratic convention. Profoundly divided racially, economically and socially, Chicago was indeed a microcosm of America, and for more than two decades Daley ruled it with an iron fist. The last of the big city bosses, Daley ran an unbeatable political machine that controlled over one million votes. From 1955 until his death in 1976, every decision of any importance -- from distributing patronage jobs to picking Congressional candidates -- went through his office. He was a major player in national politics as well: Kennedy and Johnson owed their presidencies to his control of the Illinois vote, and he made sure they never forgot it. In a city legendary for its corruption and backroom politics, Daley's power was unrivaled.

Daley transformed Chicago -- then a dying city -- into a modern metropolis of skyscrapers, freeways and a thriving downtown. But he also made Chicago America's most segregated city. A man of profound prejudices and a deep authoritarian streak , he constructed the nation's largest and worst ghettos, sidestepped national civil rights laws, and successfully thwarted Martin Luther King's campaign to desegregate Northern cities.

A quarter-century after his death, Daley's outsize presence continues to influence American urban life, and a reassessment of his career is long overdue. Now, veteran journalists Adam Cohen and Elizabeth Taylor present the definitive biography of Richard J. Daley, drawn from newly uncovered material and dozens of interviews with his contemporaries. In today's era of poll-tested, polished politicians, Daley's rough-and-tumble story is remarkable. From the working-class Irish neighborhood of his childhood, to his steady rise through Chicago's corrupt political hierarchy, to his role as national power broker, American Pharaoh is a riveting account of the life and times of one of the most important figures in twentieth-century domestic politics. In the tradition of Robert Caro's classic The Power Broker, this is a compelling life story of a towering individual whose complex legacy is still with us today. ...more

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Paperback, 640 pages

Published May 1st 2001 by Back Bay Books (first published May 2000)

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May 13, 2019 Aaron Million rated it liked it

Shelves: biography

Until his son Richard M. outlasted him, Richard J. Daley was Mayor of Chicago longer than anyone else in the city's history, ruling the city with an iron fist from 1955 until his death in 1976. The portrait of him painted by Adam Cohen and Elizabeth Taylor is not a pretty one. Daley dominated Chicago, and Illinois politics generally, by turning on people who helped him and crushing people who dared to speak out against something that he did or one of his policies.

While Daley today is best remem Until his son Richard M. outlasted him, Richard J. Daley was Mayor of Chicago longer than anyone else in the city's history, ruling the city with an iron fist from 1955 until his death in 1976. The portrait of him painted by Adam Cohen and Elizabeth Taylor is not a pretty one. Daley dominated Chicago, and Illinois politics generally, by turning on people who helped him and crushing people who dared to speak out against something that he did or one of his policies.

While Daley today is best remembered for his stewardship of the disastrous and violence-riddling 1968 Democratic Convention, his presence still looms large for Chicagoans. Daley was a man completely of the city, growing up and living his entire life in the Bridgeport neighborhood on the South Side. Daley's early life is covered fairly rapidly, more because there was not that much of interest in these years than when he became Mayor. Also, some of his early years is murky, such as his possible participation (possibly leadership?) in local clubs, which almost seemed more to resemble a type of neighborhood gang. While I understand why the authors did not dwell on this part of Daley's life, I do think that his family life gets short shrift. This continues throughout the book. Very little of Daley's private life is discussed. We see very little – indeed, almost nothing – of his wife, his seven children (until the final chapter), or his parents. I find this a weakness in an otherwise well-written book.

The other aspect of the book that I did not particularly care for is the extent to which the authors delve into race relations and segregation in Chicago in the first half of the 20th century. While this is certainly relevant given that Daley came of age during this time period, and it is quite helpful in establishing the atmosphere and situations that he found himself dealing with as Mayor, the detail is so extensive that Daley gets lost in the arc of the story. The book takes on a Robert Caro-esque quality in that the focus on the segregation in Chicago is examined in minute detail. Honestly, it is was too in-depth for my liking. I was interested in the book because I wanted to read about Daley's life, not about the racial history of Chicago. The two are certainly not mutually exclusive, and you cannot address one without the other, at least to a point, but this is not what I was looking for. Reading about details of personnel moves at the Chicago Housing Authority, and meeting after meeting after meeting, has a tendency to make one's eyes start to glaze over. Had 50 pages been cut out of this part of the book, I do not think that the reader would have lost any appreciable knowledge concerning Daley.

Where the authors succeed is in explaining the story of segregation in Chicago, particularly as it relates to housing. An examination of the differences between the black ghettos on the South Side vs the ones on the West Side was helpful. Much attention was paid to the Civil Right movement, Daley's mostly quiet attempts to derail it and enforce working-class white neighborhood prejudices, and his somewhat surprising hold over many of the city's black voters. How did he do this? Two fairly simple answers: jobs and the threat of them being taken away. Daley would give lip service to Civil Rights crusaders such as Martin Luther King Jr, offering meaningless platitudes in attempts to put the Reverend and others off. Eventually, this process failed, but it took a long time to do so, in part because Daley – by wielding the massive power of the Democratic machine – could dole out jobs to his selected henchmen, who in turn would disperse them to the black residents of their wards (Daley did this with white wards as well; power is power no matter where). This kept blacks voting for his hand-picked candidates, and more importantly, not voting against him when he was on the ballot.

The coverage of the 1968 Democratic National Convention was adequate but not great. Daley's role in it is covered sufficiently. Despite the brutal crackdown on protestors, the press, and even innocent bystanders by the out-of-control Chicago Police, Daley's local support remained steady. He took a big hit nationally, but the authors do not delve into that very deeply. That was pretty much the nadir of Daley's long tenure as Mayor. After that, his health began to decline, the machine – while still possessing power – was not as strong as before, and Daley was not as dynamic in his role as Mayor. His decline is covered fairly well, although much more quickly than most of the earlier chapters concerning public housing. There is only the briefest discussion of his legacy at the end. I think the authors could easily have expanded that. Having lived in Chicago for several years, I can attest that the spirit of Daley and his image still hover mightily over that city, and some of the problems that were going on while he was in office are sadly still going on all these decades later, and partially as a result of the policies that he implemented. In addition, there was not a single mention of his oldest son, Richard M., being elected Mayor in 1989. How could the authors not mention that?

This is a very good history book about Chicago's race relations in the 20th century, and Democratic politics in Cook County. This is a so-so biography of a legendary figure. Daley does not come out looking well here, but that is his fault, not that of the authors. He was an autocrat in a heavily Democratic city. Daley's professional life is covered in detail, yet many aspects of his personal life are not discussed. This, to me, left Daley as someone fairly two-dimensional in aspect, and I have a strong suspicion that the many was definitely not that way. Also, it helped that I have a good familiarity with Chicago, many of its neighborhoods, landmarks, and a few of the various ethnic communities that live there. Without that knowledge (and I am not an expert on any of that), I probably would have liked the book less than I did. Recommended for those who are interested in Chicago, Daley, the Civil Rights era, or housing and urban development. Those seeking an entertaining biography may wish to look elsewhere.

Grade: C+ ...more

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Aug 19, 2013 Sara rated it it was amazing

Shelves: history, autobiographybiography, political-science

Sure, I'll give it 5 stars because "it was amazing." Amazing that a bigoted thug like this could run a city for decades. My family is from Chicago, I now live in the 'burbs, and every weekend, you can see this man's legacy play out with the body counts reported on the west and south sides of the city. His racist housing policies destroyed families and lives. The political/patronage machine ensured corruption in every level of government, from street sweeper all the way up to presidential electio ...more

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Dec 15, 2017 Karin rated it it was amazing

I've read this a few times now. It's one of the best Chicago books you'll get your hands on. ...more

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Jun 27, 2017 Bookish added it

Shelves: nonfiction

Never has one family ruled a modern major American city for so long, and it all began with Richard J. Daley. His family’s rise, recounted through the prism of Chicago, is as much the story of a meat-packing town, the ward politics that kept Daley in power, and how much clout one can build off of broad shoulders and chits. —John R. Bohrer (https://www.bookish.com/articles/book...) ...more

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Mar 21, 2009 Scott Smith rated it it was amazing

Everything you need to know about why Chicago is the city it is, exists within these pages. Not just because the younger Daley is in office now, but because his father's legacy, good and bad, is around every corner. ...more

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Mar 14, 2009 Kirsti rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: Janet, Michelle, Jen

Shelves: anger, nonfiction, chicago, history, politics, mayhem

Richard Daley was an only child, a rarity in his Irish Catholic neighborhood in the early 1900s. Apparently he was the only kid in the neighborhood who owned pajamas. One neighbor described the Daleys as the kind of people who had fruit in the house even if nobody was sick.

This book taught me about four-legged voting, which happens when a ward heeler [political worker:] accompanies a voter into the booth to supervise. If a voter took more than a few seconds in there, the ward heeler knew that th Richard Daley was an only child, a rarity in his Irish Catholic neighborhood in the early 1900s. Apparently he was the only kid in the neighborhood who owned pajamas. One neighbor described the Daleys as the kind of people who had fruit in the house even if nobody was sick.

This book taught me about four-legged voting, which happens when a ward heeler [political worker:] accompanies a voter into the booth to supervise. If a voter took more than a few seconds in there, the ward heeler knew that the voter was not voting the straight Democratic ticket because doing that took only one lever pull. I guess that's why straight-ticket voting is no longer allowed.

I also met Tubbo, tagged "The World's Richest Cop" by the newspapers, and a vote-fixer known as Short Pencil.

Reading about the Airport Homes riots just about broke my heart. That's a part of Chicago history that most people don't talk about.

Cohen and Taylor are also clear-eyed about Chicago politics: "Daley's success in the black wards was at least in part a quiet rebuke to the Chicago Freedom Movement and a reminder of the power of a political spoils system to deliver the votes of the poor. The goals of the Freedom Movement did not always speak to the immediate needs of poor blacks. Many did not aspire to move into hostile all-white neighborhoods or to put their children onto buses to attend schools in white neighborhoods. Daley's precinct captains, in contrast, offered things that did make a difference in their daily lives: getting welfare and public housing; assistance in navigating a confusing government bureaucracy; and, most of all, patronage jobs. Daley had relied on machine politics to overcome idealism among black voters, and the election returns showed that, at least this time, his strategy had worked."

The authors aren't afraid to allow their opinions to show through: "Many cities had been torn by rioting in the wake of King's assassination, but Daley was alone in advocating that his citizens be fatally shot."

The day after Daley's shoot-to-kill comments, Daley's press secretary commented, "They [the press:] should have printed what he meant not what he said." This would be funny except that Daley's comments occurred shortly before the police riot at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. I'm sad that Chicago was the place where the term "police riot" was coined.

And as for Daley the Younger? "If I can't help my sons then they can kiss my ass," Daley the Elder said.

In short, an excellent read for anyone interested in Chicago and/or power. I only wish the authors had found a better copyeditor--the first edition I have has loads of misplaced commas and some glaring typos. ...more

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Jul 31, 2013 Howard rated it liked it

This is a solid, balanced biography. It emphasizes Daley's use of race to rise to power and rule. I spoke to two Chicago-connected friends, one of whom thinks the authors overemphasized race because it's academically fashionable to analyze through that prism. The other thinks this is wrong but because he knew some of the local players, he thought the authors were too hard on the way the Chicago-based black leadership dealt with Martin Luther King, Jr. when he went there. I don't have an outside ...more

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Sep 29, 2016 Erik Graff rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Chicagoans

Recommended to Erik by: no one

Shelves: biography

There's long been a discrepancy between the numbers of books read and those reviewed. I endeavor to review everything read and have just discovered the means on Goodreads to track down those which somehow I failed to discuss.

This is an excellent biography. Unlike Mike Royko's amusing 'Boss', this one attempts to be scholarly and thorough. Its outstanding feature, so far as I was concerned, was its treatment of the growth of Chicago during his terms of office, a growth based on racist policies de ...more

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Oct 09, 2016 Brian Hamacher rated it did not like it

The title is very misleading. As a native Chicagoan I was hoping for some insight into the man who ruled the city for two decades. Although there are some details about his personal life, the book is less about Daley and more about the racial issues that plagued the city in the 1960s and how Daley's corrupt political machine was involved. The bulk of the book, which is more than 550 pages in the edition I read, deals in detail with all the various housing issues, which can be a bit dry, unless y ...more

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Nov 21, 2007 Megan Ensign rated it liked it

Recommends it for: History buffs

This is a pretty comprehensive history of Mayor J. Daley. At times, I felt like the authors overstepped their boundaries--there was quite a bit of background history on Chicago that I suppose worked into the overall thesis they developed, but at times, it gets tedious. There are many other books on the history of Chicago that are far more interesting. They should have just stuck to Daley.

On that note, when is a comprehensive history going to be written on Harold Washington? In the loop, there ar ...more

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Aug 12, 2013 Karen rated it it was amazing

More than a biography, this book gives an in depth history of Chicago, including the politics, social policies and social movements that shaped it. The in depth history of machine politics gives me a greater appreciation for the people who have worked to have an independent government.

I would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about how Chicago became the city it is today. I wish I'd read it as soon as I moved here. ...more

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Jan 31, 2017 Maggie Needham rated it it was amazing

Shelves: non-fiction

Not only did I learn a huge amount about Chicago history, but I am now motivated to learn more about Chicago history. Definitely recommend to anyone who lives in Chicago or is from Chicago. This provided to much perspective on how the city has been run and how it's been structured, both in terms of government and layout/geography. If anyone has any recommendations of Chicago history books, hmu. ...more

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Dec 31, 2020 KennyO rated it really liked it

Shelves: non-fiction, biography-memoir, history, politics

When I was not yet five years old Richard J. Daley was elected Mayor of Chicago. We lived in a suburb that was not in his sway but, as with all big city mayors, his shadow fell over us as well. For this reason, several decades on, I wanted to read American Pharaoh because I believe that enough time has passed that it needn’t be written as a long editorial. Bullseye!

Mayor Daley led and sustained the last of the great political machines in the U.S. but held office through its dismantling. Cohen a ...more

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Nov 09, 2017 Steven Passmore rated it it was amazing

Jesus I don't have a review of this book in particular but I read it during a strange time in my life without a doubt. First off I took it to Florida with my mother, who is sick with cancer, and because of certain realities involving the situation of my family we had to drive back from Florida all the way to Chicago. This, of course, after flying to Florida. My first day back in Chicago was an employee party for the holidays and I am just going to bluntly say I found strangers doing cocaine off ...more

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Sep 05, 2020 Paul Downs rated it it was amazing

Just finished this. 500+ pages of Chicago politics may not be interesting to many, but this is a story in which my family figures prominently. My grandfather, father, and uncle are repeatedly mentioned. I heard a lot about what is depicted in this book when I was a child, so it's interesting to see how a pair of reporters retold the same stories. Summary: Chicago was corrupt and racist, and ruled with an iron fist by Daley. That system had good points and bad points. Chicago survived white fligh ...more

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Oct 03, 2017 Rebecca rated it liked it

A very comprehensive biography of Daley, and at times too comprehensive. I found the intricacies of the various politicians to be a bit boring, but the chapters on MLK's campaign in Chicago and the '68 Democratic Convention were really interesting. The authors spent a lot of time building up the setting before Daley's reign but didn't remark on what happened in Chicago after his death; I would've liked a chapter on the after-effects, as it ends rather bluntly after his death. ...more

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Nov 21, 2019 Vincent Solomeno rated it liked it

Shelves: politics, american-history

"American Pharaoh" is a comprehensive account of the life and career of Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley. The biography, like its subject, is as complex as it is thick. Running several hundred pages, this is an essential read for those interested in urban studies and mid-twentieth century American politics. Mr. Cohen's study of this towering figure is on par with Robert Caro's "The Power Broker." ...more

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Dec 25, 2018 Magnus rated it really liked it

To read about neighborhoods, wards, precincts and other politicians in the book was nothing short of eye opening. As a Chicago native you can observe communities to this day and see the handprints of a political mastermind. The first few chapters are a little slow. When it gets to the civil rights movement with Dr. King goes quite in depth how ole man Daley neutralized the threat.

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May 28, 2019 Jenn of The Bookish Society rated it really liked it · review of another edition

If you've ever wondered how Chicago got where it is today, this is the book for you. An almost essential read to understand how the Daley's got and kept their power.

This book focuses on how Daley's power as Chairman of the Cook County Democratic party was like being the king of two countries. The Cook County job opened just as many doors as being Mayor of Chicago.
Going with the King analogy, he was not one to forgive and forget. The book goes into extreme detail about the logistics of how he bot ...more

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Oct 19, 2017 Julia rated it it was amazing

A must-read for anyone who is interested in politics, not just Chicago politics.

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Oct 25, 2015 Will rated it liked it · review of another edition

"With the national press streaming in, Daley tried to project an image of a busy city executive calmly leading a world-class metropolis. John Swearingen, chairman of Standard Oil of Indiana, came to City Hall to announce plans to build a $100 million office building downtown. Daley also found time on August 20 to appear in person at the dedication of the first eight low-cost prefabricated homes being built for Chicago's poor. The new homes were, he said, 'symbolic of the spirit of Chicago.' He u "With the national press streaming in, Daley tried to project an image of a busy city executive calmly leading a world-class metropolis. John Swearingen, chairman of Standard Oil of Indiana, came to City Hall to announce plans to build a $100 million office building downtown. Daley also found time on August 20 to appear in person at the dedication of the first eight low-cost prefabricated homes being built for Chicago's poor. The new homes were, he said, 'symbolic of the spirit of Chicago.' He urged his audience to 'build, not burn,' and to 'construct, not riot.' But the first violence of the convention came from the Chicago police. One August 22, just four days before the convention opened, Dean Johnson of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, one of the young people who had thronged to Chicago for the excitement, was shot to death by the police. They said they shot him after he fired a .32 caliber revolver at them. Of more concern to Daley, several Blackstone Rangers were arrested after appearing as witnesses in an investigation of an alleged plot to disrupt the convention. Their plan, according to a jailed gang member, was to assassinate Vice President Humphrey and Senator McCarthy, the leading contenders for the nomination. Thomas Foran, the U.S. attorney for Chicago installed by Daley, launched a secret probe of the charges. Evidence of the 'plot' was extremely thin. Initially, Foran called the story 'completely unjustified,' but a few days later he ordered a grand jury investigation, citing 'new information.' Nothing ever came of the inquiries, which seemed designed to justify oppressive levels of convention security. In the days leading up to the convention, Warsaw Pact troops were marching into Czechoslovakia to crush the liberal reforms that had been ushered in by Prague Spring. Daley denounced the invasion as a 'dastardly act of suppression of freedom and liberty.' To Daley, it was a Cold War lesson in the evils of communism. He failed to see any parallels between how the Soviets had used force to crush liberal young Czechs, and how he was planning to unleash the Chicago police and Daley dozers on liberal young Americans. Asked by a reporter what effects the events in Prague would have on the convention, Daley said, 'I think it will affect a lot of doves that are flying around here.'" ...more

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Feb 08, 2015 Bill Manzi rated it it was amazing

A masterpiece that not only serves as a biography of Richard Daley, but shows us how the City of Chicago came to be what it is today. There have been some serious power brokers that have served as Mayors in America, but Richard Daley, in terms of acquiring and holding power, must rank at the top of that group. The book is detailed, but for those looking to see how municipal government works this might not be the book for you. In Chicago if Daley wanted it done it was done. Not a lot of grass roo A masterpiece that not only serves as a biography of Richard Daley, but shows us how the City of Chicago came to be what it is today. There have been some serious power brokers that have served as Mayors in America, but Richard Daley, in terms of acquiring and holding power, must rank at the top of that group. The book is detailed, but for those looking to see how municipal government works this might not be the book for you. In Chicago if Daley wanted it done it was done. Not a lot of grass roots organizing involved in getting decisions made and executed. The book properly focuses on how Daley's perch as Chair of the Cook County Democratic machine was just as valuable to him, in many respects, as the Mayors job, allowing him to exert control not only in Chicago, but across the entire State of Illinois. The Democratic Convention of 1968 is covered very well, and is a history that many of us are familiar with. What I learned beyond my prior understanding was how official and conscious government acts by Daley contributed to the segregated housing landscape that existed in Chicago at that time. He molded the City, and his vision did not include integration of housing. Daley, due to these policies, had to try to face down Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who came to Chicago to bring the civil rights movement to the urban north. Daley did not choose to overtly resist, but chose tactics that obfuscated his goals, promised progress, but delivered little.

A fascinating book that should be read by all those interested in the acquiring and holding of power. Daley, from that perspective and on a smaller scale, rivaled LBJ as a power politician. The book honestly depicts some of the awful things he did, but does its best to give Daley some credit where it might have been due. Having just read the Tom Menino book I think it could be fairly said that Daley predated Menino in putting forward malapropisms. A couple of great ones: "Gentlemen, get this thing straight once and for all. The policeman isn't there to create disorder. The policeman is there to preserve disorder."
"Today the real problem is the future."

This book is highly recommended. ...more

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Dec 20, 2016 Philip Girvan rated it really liked it

Mayor Daley was the last of the big machine bosses and the book does an excellent explaining what the Chicago machine was and how it worked. In a nutshell, bosses handed out patronage and those that benefited were expected to deliver cash and votes to the machine. Traditionally, the machine boss was not a politician. Part of Daley's particular genius was combining the roles of machine and political boss, and, once he secured the two, he controlled the city unlike any other boss before or since.

W ...more

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May 15, 2019 Liam rated it it was amazing

"'You would not expect Willie Mays to drop the ball just because Jackie Robinson hit it.'" (quoting Bill Dawson, 95)

"A joke was making the rounds in Washington that had President Kennedy, Dean Rusk, and Daley in a lifeboat that had only enough food for one. The three men had to decide which two would jump overboard. Kennedy said that he was too important. Rusk said that he was too important. And Daley said that the only democratic thing was to vote. Daley won the vote, 8-2." (278)

"In a matter of ...more

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Aug 15, 2008 Kate rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Chicagoans, readers interested in the civil rights movement, political machines, urban issues

Recommended to Kate by: A book store in Ann Arbor

This book explains how Richard Daley rose to become mayor and head of the powerful Cook County political machine. Daley and the machine used patronage jobs to ensure an army of workers who would help keep him and other machine politicians in office. His political power was stunning- there is no equivalent to it today. Daley controlled city councilmen, judges, and many Congressmen, which made it easy to get money from Washington for his city projects. (The book also explains how suburbanization, ...more

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Nov 16, 2013 Eric rated it it was amazing

Rarely has an individual as complicated--and controversial--as Daley strode the political stage (and, that's saying quite a bit, given the number of political personalities who have emerged from Chicago alone, not to mention the state of Illinois). It is difficult to determine the true motivations of such a figure, especially when that individual was, to some extent, merely a cog in a big-city machine, even as mayor. The authors manage to pull this off, however, by capturing not just Daley's per ...more

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Feb 06, 2014 Mary Slowik rated it it was amazing

Shelves: politics, non-fiction, biography, history, chicago, multiple-authors

I rarely say this for non-fiction books, but American Pharaoh is riveting. A surprise page-turner. From the first page of the prologue, you get an excellent sense of why Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley was important, and why the narrative of his life is worth the read. It's comprehensive, and exhaustive. As one blurb puts it, the authors don't merely "check under the hood" of Chicago's Democratic machine, but take out the engine and examine every rusty nut and bolt. I mean, really-- this book is ...more

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Mar 02, 2014 Aaron rated it really liked it

I decided to read this book because I was interested in the formation of the Chicago political machine, and its hold on Chicago. Boy, was I surprised at just how angering politics can be. The machine functions like (and nevertheless deals with) the mob. I like that all that Daley did to strengthen the greatness of Chicago, but there’s got to be a better way. He spent his whole career as a Democrat that kept african-americans in their place, but didn’t ever say anything publicly that would lessen ...more

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Dec 27, 2011 Amanda rated it really liked it

Shelves: history, biography-memoir

Daley was a fascinating, bigoted, devoted, charismatic, powerful, awful man - much of that in equal parts. He had a hold on Chicago that was unparalleled and knew how to both cater to constituents and get things done in the machine of his owm creation. While his acfions were abhorrent and somewhat tough to swallow, the story itself is a page turner. It makes me wonder how we ever got through 1968 and how defeating it musg have been to be on the Republican side of the street for much of Daley's m ...more

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May 15, 2008 Tom rated it really liked it

Shelves: history, chicago, biography, politics

This is an excellent history of Chicago in the middle decades of the 20th century. From public housing, to the 1968 convention, to the growth of the Machine in Chicago politics, this covers the basics. It's less of a biography of Daley and more of a biography of Chicago, and unfortunately in the process flattens Daley's complicated life into a near cartoon-like racist, scheming, maniacal control freak. Don't get me wrong, he's a complete SOB - I just think the book portrayed him as the devil whi ...more

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