Rudy Giuliani

Average customer rating:

The Emperor's Nakedness Finally Exposed
Mafia Transvestite Mayor Sir Rudy Knight of the British Empire
Well documented, fast read, distressing but not surprising
Running out to buy it
Paperback needed

Grand Illusion: The Untold Story of Rudy Giuliani and 9/11
Wayne Barrett , and Dan Collins
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Rudy!: An Investigative Biography of Rudolph Guiliani
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The Full Rudy: The Man, the Myth, the Mania (Nation Books)

ASIN: 0060536608
Release Date: 2006-08-22

Book Description

Rudy Giuliani emerged from the smoke of 9/11 as the unquestioned hero of the day: America's Mayor, the father figure we could all rely on to be tough, to be wise, to do the right thing. In that uncertain time, it was a comfort to know that he was on the scene and in control, making the best of a dire situation.

But was he really?

Grand Illusion is the definitive report on Rudy Giuliani's role in 9/11—the true story of what happened that day and the first clear-eyed evaluation of Giuliani's role before, during, and after the disaster.

While the pictures of a soot-covered Giuliani making his way through the streets became very much a part of his personal mythology, they were also a symbol of one of his greatest failures. The mayor's performance, though marked by personal courage and grace under fire, followed two terms in office pursuing an utterly wrongheaded approach to the city's security against terrorism. Turning the mythology on its head, Grand Illusion reveals how Giuliani has revised his own history, casting himself as prescient terror hawk when in fact he ran his administration as if terrorist threats simply did not exist, too distracted by pet projects and turf wars to attend to vital precautions.

Authors Wayne Barrett and Dan Collins also provide the first authoritative view of the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, recounting the triumphs and missteps of the city's efforts to heal itself. With surprising new reporting about the victims, the villains, and the heroes, this is an eye-opening reassessment of one of the pivotal events—and politicians—of our time.

Customer Reviews:

The Emperor's Nakedness Finally Exposed.......2007-05-06

This book does an excellent job of examining how Giuliani, now running as the President of 9/11, and an expert on Homeland Security, dealt with the challenge of preparing New York City to cope with another terrorist attack, after the bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993. The authors' conclusion, heavily sourced and thoroughly argued, is that Giuliani failed to do much of anything to make the city safer. Despite all that was learned about the city's inadequate response in '93, Giuliani failed to get the firefighters new walkie-talkies, so they could communicate with the police, failed to establish a chain of command in the event of an emergency, and, most inexplicably, built, at great expense, his Emergency Command Post at the Trade Center itself, across the street from the '93 attack, rendering it useless on 9/11. These and a host of other mistakes almost certainly led to significant loss of life on 9/11, and seriously undermine Giuliani's claim to be the man we should trust with the nation's security. This is surely a must-read for journalists, and for anyone who wants to understand the events of that horrible day, and the character of this man who is running for President.

Mafia Transvestite Mayor Sir Rudy Knight of the British Empire.......2007-03-17

Good book. Gets some of the basic facts out to the public, which is essential to writing history. Buy this book for your library. Sandbagged more than a little on the 9/11scam, but that's okay, since others have done that job very well.

The radio repeaters at WTC were intentionally switched off, which was no accident. The 9/11 911 tapes were not censored for anyone's "privacy", but to conceal evidence of pre-planted bombs, especially WTC 7, and to reduce the chance of lynching Queen Rudy and Queen Bush. Destroying the evidence of Thermate by shipping the steel to Communist China, and burying the bodyparts in Fresh Kills Landfill, can only be explained by the fact that Giuliani, Silverstein and Bush are the terrorist bombers. Giuliani was not a bumbling opportunist on 9/11, but a willing perpetraitor, who has been rewarded by knighthood with Bush's trillionaire 19th cousin, the German Queen of England and Babylon.

Rudy is a stalking horse Manchurian candidate, to distract the media mafia from reporting on Congressman Dr Ron Paul MD.

Collins of course is one of the top 13 Illuminati crime families, so perhaps there's a little controlled opposition going on with publication and co-writing of this book. Judging his bio, he should know all about Rudy's mob ties and 9/11 Truth, since his corporations let the Truth slip out.

I'm glad this book wasn't printed upside down and backwards, like Professor Barrett's previous book, which was still excellent, if you can find a copy. That book is what permanently removed Mob Queen Rudia from the political process, resulting in his potential choice as Bush Jr's top spook at CIA secret police in charge of kidnapping, torture, planting WMDs (as Barrett points on in his latest book, since Rudy now works for Saddam's WMD law firm), and of course terror bombings:

"The father he celebrated so often was a pathological predator. His extended family harbored a junkie, a crooked cop and a murky mob wing. He dissolved his first marriage with a lie so he could appear Catholic when he remarried. The very personal jewelry his first wife found in her bedroom wasn't hers...."
-Wayne Barrett, "Rudy!: An Investigative Biography of Rudolph Guiliani", chapter: "All in the Family: Crooks, Cops and a Junkie"

And in related news:

"Mayor Giuliani -- a former federal prosecutor who won notice for 'pursuing' the Mafia -- had relatives linked to organized crime, including a mobbed-up cousin who was gunned down by FBI agents in 1977, a new book says. Lewis D'Avanzo, a son of the mayor's uncle and a guest at Giuliani's first wedding in 1968, was a 'ruthless and widely feared mob associate' who headed a massive stolen car ring, according to FBI documents and interviews detailed in Rudy! An Investigative Biography of Rudolph Giuliani, by Village Voice senior editor Wayne Barrett. Due in stores next week, the book sketches a largely unflattering portrait of the clan, depicting his father, Harold, as a hothead and the 'muscle' behind a brother-in-law's loansharking operation, run out of a Brooklyn bar. Along with cracking heads, it says the mayor's father served time in state prison for a stickup, rarely held an on-the-books job and once was a gunman in a mob shootout in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn. According to the book, Giuliani's cousin Lewis D'Avanzo was known as "Steve the Blond" and listed as armed and dangerous in FBI bulletins. His criminal record included a 10-year federal sentence for the armed hijacking of a truck loaded with $240,000 worth of mercury. The book alleges that he was suspected of taking part in several murders. D'Avanzo was gunned down by the FBI in October 1977, when he tried to run down an agent after being stopped on a warrant that accused him and two associates of transporting 100 stolen luxury cars. Quoting an unnamed friend of D'Avanzo, the book describes a 1962 shootout pitting a local mobster against the mayor's father and Leo D'Avanzo, Lewis D'Avanzo's father. The book says Leo was later sanctioned by mob bosses for shooting at a Mafia member. Leo D'Avanzo, who was known in family circles as a black sheep, ran loansharking and gambling operations out of a Brooklyn bar where Giuliani's father worked as a bartender. In his role as debt collector, his father 'broke legs, smashed kneecaps, crunched noses.' Joan Ellen D'Avanzo, a cousin who at one time lived with Giuliani when he was a youngster, became a drug addict who was beaten to death in 1973 at age 34. Her cause of death was listed as undetermined, but several family members said she was murdered."
-Michael R. Blood, New York Daily News, "Rudy's Kin Tied to Mob", July 06, 2000

"America's Mayor' Rudy Giuliani will lead the day with his presentation 'Leadership in Difficult Times', followed by the amazing story of Captain Dennis Fitch and the crew of United Airlines Flight 232. Mike Zafirovski of Motorola, Inc. speaks about Personal Security & Public Safety Technology.' John Fulton's 25 years in the intelligence community has contributed to his recognition as an expert in risk & threat response analysis, scenario gaming, and strategic planning. He is on staff for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), currently serving as Chief of the Strategic War Gaming Division of the National Reconnaissance Office, and as a member of U.S. Joint Forces Command's Project Alpha - a prestigious "think tank" for advanced concepts related to such issues as homeland security. He formerly served as the mission director for our nation's satellite imagery program as well as replacing Army Astronaut Same Gemar as the Director of the National Security Space Master Plan for the U.S. Department of Defense and Intelligence Space Communities under the auspices of the Deputy UnderSecretary of Defense (Space). His counter-terrorism and homeland security responsibilities include advising the Director Central Intelligence Staff for Homeland Security, the U.S. Marshall's Office, and collaboration with the National Security Council."
-National Law Enforcement and Security Institute, Homeland Security: America's Leadership Challenge, September 2002

Well documented, fast read, distressing but not surprising.......2007-03-11

There are so many lessons to be drawn from the events of September 11th. This book does a good job of outlining some of them. The "heckuva job Brownie" school of leadership was not limited to FEMA. Hacks, political supporters and hangers-on were rewarded with appointments to positions of power in emergency services. This might have gone unnoticed except for a disaster which called for competence at the time and begged scrutiny after the fact. The failure to play by the rules throughout the history of the WTC, intersecting with greed and politics as usual - in skirting safety regulations and rewarding hapless coat-holders - is the story here. Rudy is a pedestrian leader and a consumate huckster. Shame on us for being fooled.

The authors do a good job of presenting technical info regarding radio communications snafus that were avoidable and centered in sweetheart deals. They also do a good job of capturing the essence of many of the players in this tragedy who were just not up to the tasks thrust upon them. Little in their histories suggest that they would have been.

Now that Rudy wants to be president, partisans will cry that this is an ad hominem attack...but the truth is an absolute defense and Rudy simply can't mount it. Read this for the facts. The ample footnotes give the reader an opportunity to test skepticism.

Running out to buy it.......2007-02-08

Why do we non-Republic Party members have to be so fair and balance when even today Murdoch, their Soros, maybe richer, has promoted a virtual Citizen Kane style run to one of the biggest disasters in Amurikan history, in the chaos Bush created the stealing can continue with YOUR MONEY...I love the way the Republic Party makes it THEIR money when their in the White House, and YOUR money when they campaign for their phony "tax cuts" political mega-phone, Rudy is just a tool in the myth of 9=11, I'm a native New York currently living in CA. He's just another pimp and the southern/midwestern radicals will NEVER accept his brand of NE Republic politics...it works in NYC not AL, TX, GA, LA, boyh!!!! Have a great "election" with McCain and Ms Triangler Clinton....this country has problems

Paperback needed.......2007-02-08

As I write this, the early polls in New Hampshire show that state's Republicans (and Independents) at abou 28% for McCain and 27% for Giuliani--which probably is more indicative of a certain falloff of McCain's support than a surge for New York's lamest mayor. I'm really hoping that the coming paperback edition of Grand Illusion will spread the real story of Giuliani, "America's Mayor" over the pastel stains of a fawning TV media horde. And then, perhaps some other pair of journalists--if they're as good as Barrett and Collins--can give us a bit of reality check relating to McCain, as well. Giuliani was not a good mayor--not even close--if being "good" in an enormously complex and diverse city means holding it together, not taking sides, and uniting rather than dividing. No one could challenge LaGuardia as the best mayor, and a fair
accounting--and Grand Illusion IS a fair accounting--of Giuliani as leader
will show that any further government service on his part would be an unmitigated disaster. Why can't we judge our "presidentiables" in terms of their real world achievements or lack of them, rather than be besotted
by media hype. Thanks to Barrett and Collins for fairly evaluating rather than adding the incense, and here's hoping that the paperback brings home
reality to more uncertain Americans. Good book, fair and balanced.

Average customer rating:

Best book I've read in YEARS
Excellent summary
"Leadership" by Rudy Giuliani
Very good
Excellent Book

Leadership
Rudolph Giuliani , and Ken Kurson
Manufacturer: Miramax
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 1401398235

Book Description

Rudolph W. Giuliani's management and decision-making skills have proven to be outstanding through his years as U.S. district attorney and his two terms as mayor of New York City. And on September 11th, 2001, Giuliani emerged as America's steady hand. In this program, Rudolph Giuliani shares with listeners the principles of leadership that guided him then, and throughout his career. He talks about how he was able to take control, show leadership, and make it clear to New Yorkers and the world that under his stewardship, they were in safe hands.

Customer Reviews:

Best book I've read in YEARS.......2007-03-30

After I read this book I reordered three more. One for every one of my adult children. I have recommended it to all my friends. It is such a great success story. I visited NYC 20 years ago and it was scarry. I have been there several times recently and it is delightful. He really did transform the city like no other leader before him. In addition he led the nation through 9/11 with strength and dignity (while fighting cancer!)

A great book I can not recommend highly enough.

Excellent summary.......2007-03-22

An excellent summary of how NY was "ungovernable" and what the specific steps were to make a dramatic turnaround.
A good book on leadership.
A good book on Giuliani.

"Leadership" by Rudy Giuliani.......2007-01-19

Great book with some very useful as well as interesting ideas. Amazon got this book to us in 2 days at the height of the Christmas season and at a great price! Kudos to Amazon!

Very good.......2006-11-07

I got this book out of the library. I liked it so much I bought 2 copies. One is for me, the other for my daughter.

Excellent Book.......2006-09-14

A complete course in leadership and management! Rudy, run for president! You have my vote.

Rudy!: An Investigative Biography of Rudolph Guiliani

Average customer rating:

angry
The book that inspired the James Woods TV movie
Biased But Well Reserched Political Biography
A tremendous waste of time...
Rubbish

Rudy!: An Investigative Biography of Rudolph Guiliani
Wayne Barrett
Manufacturer: Basic Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Full Rudy: The Man, the Myth, the Mania (Nation Books)
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Grand Illusion: The Untold Story of Rudy Giuliani and 9/11
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The Prince of the City: Giuliani, New York and the Genius of American Life

ASIN: 0465005241

Amazon.com

"The book clearly has a point of view," Wayne Barrett admits in the preface to his biography of the famously prickly New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani. A point of view, or a very sharp hatchet--readers might well get the two confused. For a representative sample, simply turn to the book's final pages: "The father he celebrated so often was a pathological predator. His extended family harbored a junkie, a crooked cop and a murky mob wing. He dissolved his first marriage with a lie so he could appear Catholic when he remarried. The very personal jewelry his first wife found in her bedroom wasn't hers...." And so on and so on, for a full eight paragraphs.

What precedes this litany are some startling revelations about Harold Giuliani's unsavory past, as well as gritty new details about his son's mayoral love life. (We get chapters entitled, respectively, "All in the Family: Crooks, Cops and a Junkie," "Sex in the City," and "More Sex in the City"). But Barrett--a senior editor at the Village Voice--has equally devastating things to say about matters of policy. Though he concedes that the city has become a better place to live under Giuliani, he convincingly argues that the mayor takes credit where credit isn't due. Barrett also points to the price Gotham has paid for its kinder, gentler makeover: deteriorating race relations, escalating tension between New Yorkers and police, and an increasingly difficult life for the city's underclass.

As depicted in Rudy! Giuliani is the kind of politician who doctors statistics, backpedals on key issues, and caves to political cronies even while maintaining a façade of scrupulous honesty. As a person--well, it won't surprise anyone to learn that Giuliani is egomaniacal, callous, and obsessed with control. (On a visit to a Haitian baseball factory, for instance, he's far more interested in how the balls are put together than how the workers are treated.) And if the attack sometimes seems a little personal (the mayor's arrogance "is like body odor to Rudy, repellent to others but undetectable to him"), that's because it is. One of Giuliani's defenders during his years as U.S. attorney, Barrett used to be known as a "Rudy man," and his more vituperative descriptions smack not just of disillusionment but of actual betrayal. Hell may have no fury like a journalist scorned, but at least on the basis of the behavior depicted here, Giuliani deserves most of what he's getting. Sharp, withering, and improbably up-to-date--one pictures Barrett scribbling like mad right up to the bitter end--Rudy! is a political biography in the finest muckraking tradition. --Mary Park

Customer Reviews:

angry.......2007-03-23

THIS BOOK IS FAR TOO BIASED TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY. THROUGHOUT THE BOOK IT APPEARS THAT THE AUTHOR HAS AN AXE TO GRIND AND MAKES IT ABUNDANTLY CLEAR THAT RUDY IS NOT ONE OF HIS FAVIORITE PEOPLE. SAVE YOUR MONEY AND BUY A BOOK ABOUT MAYOR GUILIANI THAT IS WRITEN BY SOMEONE WHO PRESENTS MORE BALANCE-

The book that inspired the James Woods TV movie.......2004-03-20

Being a pro-Giuliani guy, I ignored the book initally, knowing the tone of it was anti-Rudy. I had then picked this book from the library after I read that it was the inspiration for the Woods TV film. I was disappointed in the TV movie and hoped this book would be better.

Whether the TV film used any of this material or not is questionable, since whatever similarities Barrett's book and the film share are very minor and could be found from other sources besides this book.

But enough of the film, what about this book? It turned out not to be quite as Anti-Rudy as I thought. I don't think Barrett intended to write a full smear on Rudy. In fact, for one who knew very little of Rudy before he became mayor, the book was quite revealing. Barrett was friends with Rudy during this time and his insider knowledge shows at this point. I learned a lot about Rudy as a prosecutor in his early days and how the one time Bobby Kennedy-Democrat became a republican. Considering how pro-cop Rudy is, I was also surprised to learn he was involved in the Serpico cases and the other whistle blower case that led to the movie"Prince of The City." Also, we find out that Rudy had relatives involved in organized crime, which might explain his toughness to stand up to the mob.

Barrett and Giuilani stop being friends about the time he became Mayor. And it is there, the book falters. Not so much because it is anti-Rudy but more because of what Barrett reveals during his mayor days. We find out Rudy is like most politicans: flip-flops on issues, takes more credit that he deserves for certain things, and because he joined the Republican party became more Republican-like than he was before he became mayor. Rudy's typical politican actions seem to surprise and dissapoint Barrett. A journalist with Barrett's insight and knowledge has no excuse not to realize this makes him look exteremely naive. He, of all people, should know that those who are purists as Ralph Nader and Pat Buchanan don't survive in politics mainly because of their inability to compromise.

A lot is spend on Rudy's infidelities. Barrett treats this as that makes Rudy a bad mayor the same way those Republicans who think Clinton is a bad president because he is a philanderer. His attempts to discredit Rudy's successes as mayor are the same way Republicans would discredit Clinton's booming economy days. His precedessor(Bush I/Dinkins) already made the steps necessary to get on the right track and that he (Clinton/Giuilani) was lucky to be at the right place at the right time. Now I don't credit Clinton or Giulani 100% for everything, but to say that he had nothing to do with it and their precedessor did, sorry I ain't buying that.

Strangely, on what might be valid criticism on Giuliani is either briefly mentioned(the NYPD police brutality flap) or ignored(the Brooklyn Art Museum flap).

So, the book(although better than the TV movie) ends up being a disappoinment. It's even more disappointing because the first half is very strong. A great bio on Rudy has yet to be written. Barrett's book isn't it.

Biased But Well Reserched Political Biography.......2004-02-19

As a lifelong resident of New York City who came of age during the Giuliani years, i found this book very interesting. I was particularly impressed with Barrett's research into Giuliani's family history and his pre-mayoral career. The chapters on his '89 and '93 races for mayor were also interesting. a chapter dedicated to crime statistics seemed mundane but i guess was part of Barretts quest to give as much data to support his claims against Giuliani's success in bringing down crime. Most biographies have a level of bias, this one does have a high level of bias against Giuliani. it was still great reading and a good account on a portion of new york city history.

A tremendous waste of time..........2002-12-03

It amazes me that Barrett even got this thing published. He admits, early on, that he's "anti-Rudy". He not only insults Rudy, but the entire country of Italy.

Go have a root canal instead of reading this, you'll be glad you did.

Rubbish.......2002-11-15

After reading this book I have decided that a rule of mine should be never to read a book with an exclamation mark in the title. I picked this book up to learn more about the man that has been every where over the last year, what I got was a book filled with innuendo, conjecture and slanted comments meant to dirty the reputation of the subject. I would think that if this author dug into anyone's background and used his form of slash and burn reporting, the person - any person - would come off bad. Some of the barbs do have some truth, but given that Guiliani is a hard charging politician, they come with the territory. Sure he has stepped on some toes, changed or flip flopped on a few campaign statements, and maybe like all of us, taken a little too much credit for positive accomplishments, but that is not the view this author wants you to come away with. Lets face it, the author has a great deal of animosity toward Guiliani and he used this book to vent.

I also was bothered by the book setup, I like a biography to follow chronologically - I want to learn about the person through their life. This book takes subjects or topics and details his life via the subject so each part of the book covers the mans whole life. I also felt the writing was somewhat choppy and just not very smooth. To tell the truth I kept reading to find errors in what the author was saying. If you are looking for an unbiased look at Guiliani then keep looking, this book is nothing more then a political hack job.

The Full Rudy: The Man, the Myth, the Mania (Nation Books)
Average customer rating:

The truth about Guliani

A terrific brief journey through recent history

The Truth about Rudy

The Full Rudy: The Man, the Myth, the Mania (Nation Books)
Jack Newfield
Manufacturer: Nation Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1560254823

Book Description

Newfield reminds us that in April 1999 Giuliani had only a 40 percent approval rating. A year later his divorce lawyer was savagely attacking his wife, Donna Hanover, while the mayor was flaunting his mistress in public. As a result, Giuliani's popularity plummeted again in the spring of 2000. He was almost a laughingstock when he withdrew from his Senate campaign against Hillary Clinton. He looked like a control freak who had lost control of himself. Then came 9/11, and Giuliani re-emerged as an international celebrity. He took charge when the towers fell, and he displayed leadership when others were dumbstruck. He was named Time magazine's "Person of the Year," the avatar of the stricken city. He did a victory lap around the country, raising money for Republican candidates and giving speeches for $100,000 a pop; he may rake in $10 million over the next year. Yet even as he became a part of pop iconography, celebrated as "America's Mayor," Giuliani was still loathed in some black neighborhoods in the city. People in Brownsville, Texas, might have thought of him as their mayor, but blacks in Brownsville, Brooklyn, did not. In The Full Rudy Newfield gives the devil his due, conceding that New York City did become a better place to live during Giuliani's two terms. He was skilled at solving problems that lent themselves to the application of a military-style strategy but he was a mayor of excess, a mayor of missed opportunities, political opportunism, and stunning harshness. Photographs and cartoons add to this Emmy award-winning journalist's myth-busting portrait.

Customer Reviews:

The truth about Guliani.......2003-04-21

It's a relief that a book like this has been released. Newfield paints the truth about Guliani and is quite fair. Everything discussed in the book is based on fact and shows that Guliani, in reality, was nothing but a sub-par mayor who screwed New York City in numerous ways. Newfield admits that there is no denying that Guliani did a great job after the attacks on Sept. 11 - but that does not necessarily mean that all should be forgotten for his poor work as a mayor from the years before. Want to know the real Guliani? Read this book. You'll be amazed by the truth, whether Guliani wants you to hear it or not.

A terrific brief journey through recent history.......2003-03-05

Jack Newfield, who wrote for the Village Voice for many many years, is one of the last of the great muckraking journaLists. They have been replaces by tabloid tv journalism,which is another story.This book takes on one of the recent myths of the new century,that of "americas mayor" Rudolph Guliani. Newfield straight away calls him a"c+ mayor",which is actually rather objective.Chapter by chapter,he brings up the screwy foibles of the Guliani years{his refusal to meet with any minority politicains,to gather votes for a compromise, outside of herman Badillo cost him control of the Board of Ed and led to cuts in education and no contract for the teachers for over 2 years}His bullying of anyone who didnt agree with him is well documented.Newfield acknowledges the great job that Guliani did for theose terribel two weeks in september of 2001,but states, convincingly that the work of his adminstartion must be judged from "september 10 and before" also. Mr Guliani has presedential aspirations, but his hubris and temper will be his undoing. this book shows how.And why. First rate!

The Truth about Rudy.......2003-01-16

For everyone who thinks Rudolph Giuliani is a hero and the savior of New York City, they should read Newfield's book. It objectively tells the ugly truth about this deeply flawed man.

Average customer rating:

Balanced Portrait of America's Mayor : Ugly and Beauty
Solid and Condensed Biography
read in one sitting
america's mayor? hero-mayor? hardly
if only rudy was as easy a read as this book is...It's great

Rudy Giuliani: Emperor of the City
Andrew Kirtzman
Manufacturer: Harper Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Rudy!: An Investigative Biography of Rudolph Guiliani
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America's Mayor, America's President?: The Strange Career of Rudy Giuliani

ASIN: 0060093897

Book Description

During his reign as the mayor of New York, the controversial Giuliani has been called many names. But after September 11, 2001, New York had new words to descibe him.

In this riveting and updating edition, political reporter Andrew Kirtzman tells the story of Giuliani's tireless mission to cleanup, control, shape, and -- most recently -- heal New York City.

Customer Reviews:

Balanced Portrait of America's Mayor : Ugly and Beauty.......2004-03-14

This is not a traditional biography, which was what I expected when I picked up the book. If you wish to know about Rudy's life before 1989, his first marriage, childhood, days as U.S. attorney, this is not the right book for you. The first 100 pages or so this book are a bit slow--too much campaign stuff and not enough on governing. However, the narrative picks up quickly over the last 200 pages. We learn about Rudy's mistakes and triumphs--of which there are many. You learn a ton about Rudy's controversial policies. The personal scandals are discussed, but not in a malicious way. We never learn about the details of his mysterious marriage to Donna Hanover--or anything much about Hanover. So, yes, things are left out. However, Al Sharpton is a fascinating character here. You learn about Rudy's day on Sept. 11, when the author was actually running around the city with the Mayor. The narrative ends in 2001. I would have loved to hear more about Bloomberg, but who can change the publication date now? It isn't perfect, but Rudy remains one of the fascinating--and successful--Mayors of our time.

Solid and Condensed Biography.......2004-02-19

This biography was excellently written in a mostly unbiased way. Kirtzman has an excellent understanding of NYC politics and this served to his advantage in chronicling Giulianis life. For a more comprehensive biography pick up "Rudy" by Wayne Barrett.

read in one sitting.......2003-02-21

I picked this book up to read on a flight from Providence to Phoenix. I never put it down and read the whole book by arrival. It is an incredibly readable book. As far as I understand it was oringinally published before sept 11th so most of the book is unbiased by the great acts the mayor performed on that day and afterword. This being siad the author is great at detailing the intricacies of New York politics. A worthwhile read for anyone who didnt experience the Guliani era first hand(in NY). As another reviewer siad it does lack detail and certainly is in no way a biography of the man. The book is a political biography the starts in 1988 and ends in 2001.

america's mayor? hero-mayor? hardly.......2002-09-30

Consider that even before Sept 11, this "hero" was publically questioning whether there should be mayoral elections at all, (term limits meant he had to go) and after the tragic events he wanted them cancelled so that he could stay on, since in his words he was already "experienced and doing a good job". His contempt for democracy is matched by his endless conceit.
His public order record is bound to be reviewed considering the positions he took over repeated police shootings/savagery of civilians/bystanders (Dialo and Louima being only two of the most publicized).
As for the "hero" part, a hero is one who risks his life to save or help others. It is not clear what risk Mr Juliani undertook either as mayor or as soon-to-be-ex-mayor during the aftermath of Sept 11, other than attempt to monopolize the publicity of a profound tragedy for personal aggrandizement. There is clearly an effort by the Royalist (former Republican) party to place him in the front running for high national office. Don't go for it.

if only rudy was as easy a read as this book is...It's great.......2002-02-05

Having lived through those turbulent years and having to begrudginly give my approval to many of the things that he did,I find that the balance in this superbly written and easy to read study make me more comfortable with my feelings. Kirtzman doesn't take sides as much as he presents both sides allowing the reader to get a better feel for this complex and often forbidding and not forgiving mayor without sacrificing your basic reactions to the man. A must read.

The Campaign: Rudy Giuliani, Ruth Messinger, Al Sharpton, and the Race to Be Mayor of New York City

Average customer rating:

It's Oscar-riffic!
Witty, insightful and eye-opening
A riveting and witty firsthand account of modern politics.
A must read for the informed citizen

The Campaign: Rudy Giuliani, Ruth Messinger, Al Sharpton, and the Race to Be Mayor of New York City
Evan J. Mandery
Manufacturer: Westview Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0813366984

Amazon.com

Evan J. Mandery proves that it's possible to write an interesting book about a losing political campaign. And Mandery--who served as research director to Ruth Messinger's failed bid to unseat New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani in 1997--isn't even describing a close race. This one was a blowout, with the Republican Giuliani using his crime-fighting success to flatten a liberal opponent. The book is presented as a diary, covering roughly 10 months, through Messinger's early announcements, the Democratic primary, and finally the general election. Mandery is a political neophyte--he quit his job as a lawyer to work for Messinger on his first (and probably last) campaign. His newcomer status makes him occasionally naive (he's not sure what to do his first day at work), but also allows him to offer a fresh and wry look at the life of political professionals. The Campaign has plenty of humor, with off-the-wall observations on nearly every page, such as Mandery's anecdote about Giuliani drinking a celery-flavored soda. (A handful of illustrations by R.J. Matson, one of America's best political cartoonists, are also a treat.) The book's greatest strength, however, is the way it uncovers the gritty dynamics of a political campaign, or at least one waged in the strange world of New York City. --John J. Miller

Book Description

A behind-the-scenes look at a modern political campaign, examining how candidates go about the difficult and important business of defining themselves in the television era.

Evan Mandery, research director on Ruth Messinger's doomed challenge to Mayor Rudy Giuliani, offers a behind-the-scenes look at political campaigns in the television era. A day-to-day account of the 1997 New York City mayoral race, it takes us to the real battlegrounds of modern politics: polls, focus groups, and television editing studios. With Mandery as our guide, we watch first-hand as political consultants conceive of the ideal candidate and then attempt to fit their client into that ideal, no matter how uncomfortably. The stars of the story are memorable: Rudy Giuliani, popping his eyes and tweaking the truth; Al Sharpton, the colorful preacher and rising political force; and Ruth Messinger herself, torn between her populist political upbringing and the modern political world where money dominates over all other concerns. Sometimes cynical, often mirthful, and always honest, The Campaign will forever change your view of political campaigns.

Customer Reviews:

It's Oscar-riffic!.......2000-01-06

I loved the cover. How did Mandery draw all of those characters onto the book jacket? Very impressive!

Witty, insightful and eye-opening.......1999-11-30

This is not only an interesting, easy to read book, it shows a side of politcal campaigning from an interesting point of view. Mandery is an objective observer with an inside seat. He was part of the campaign, but not part of the culture. That, in my opinion, is to his credit.

The book he has written is rife with funny anecdotes, touching scenes and aggravating politics as usual. Mandery keeps his perspective through the whole mess.

A riveting and witty firsthand account of modern politics........1999-10-29

In his literary debut Mandery delivers a unique and thoughtful rumination on the machinations of a modern political campaign. With the fresh perspective of a campaign neophyte and his considerable skills of lawyerly analysis, Mandery offers a refreshingly honest chronicling of the 1997 New York mayoral race. Mandery's razor-sharp wit adds zip and readability to a topic lesser authors have consistently made bland.

Mandery asserts that the book is about modern political campaigns in general, and only "incidentally about the 1997 mayoral campaign." Indeed, his position as research director for the Messinger campaign affords the reader a fascinating insider's view of the nuts and bolts of a political campaign at the end of the twentieth century. We are privy to all of the key players, the sometimes-stilted decision-making process, strategy sessions, various private letters between campaigns, focus group sessions, and the research operations. We are even told how much the famous political consultants are paid (it will make you consider a career change!).

At each step of the way Mandery offers his insightful analysis of campaign maneuvers and press coverage. He asks the commonsense questions that any thoughtful outsider might ask. His logic is consistently solid, systematically and lucidly cutting through the muck of political "spin" to reveal the truth of the matter at hand. Though he often wonders aloud whether he can possibly be objective given his position, Mandery scores points for his even-handed critique of both sides.

Perhaps more importantly, and most interestingly, Mandery brings into high relief the cast of characters involved -- the men and women who eat, drink and sleep politics, whose lives move from one campaign to the next. From his boorish campaign manager Jim to colorful rival Sharpton and hilarious longshot Menendez, Mandery describes real characters to rival any of fiction's most entertaining. As Mandery himself might agree, 'you can't make this stuff up.'

A must read for the informed citizen.......1999-10-05

This book is the most insightful book about the nature of the modern campaign I have ever read. As a professional campaigner I know this from first hand experience. Here is a chance for the citizen to peel back the veil and view the inner workings of the campaigns that, in so many ways, choose our officials and shape our nation.

The great thing about the book is that much of it is universally true and important. The issues that Mandery writes about from fundraising, to polling, to the dangers of ethnic politics, to the motivations of the press are as true in the high-flying campaigns of Bill Clinton as they are the failed campaign of Ruth Messinger. The mayoral campaign is, in many ways, simply an entertaining backdrop to a thoughtful guide of the ins and outs of American politics.

That said, the book offers particular insights into the mind of the Mayor who would be Senator. New Yorkers in general and reporters in particular would do well to sit up and take notice before the coming election.

Mandery has a superb lucid writing style. The text brings to bear Mandery's unique perspective combines the laser like analysis of a Harvard lawyer with the ironic sense of humor of one of New York City's hottest amateur stand up comedians.

Book Description

Rudy Giuliani's admirably flinty response to the horrifying events of 9/11 has made him a national hero, positioning him for big things to come in the nation's political life, as governor of New York, in Hillary Rodham Clinton's coveted US Senate seat or, his ultimate quest, the White House. But the outpouring of praise for his performance after September 11, 2001 has obscured many uncomfortable facts about Giuliani, one of the most polarizing figures in the history of a great and frenetic city.

This book collects the original essays and reporting of some of New York's most perceptive authors and reporters on Giuliani's two terms as mayor. The writers have few illusions about Rudy's turbulent reign, offering an informative and entertaining corrective to today's simplistic celebration of "America's Mayor."

Customer Reviews:

Take it from a New Yorker.......2006-04-28

This book is a group of essays by New Yorkers who have lived through or dealt with a mayor who is popular everywhere except where he governed, New York City. These authors catalogue Rudy Giulianni's vindictiveness, pettiness, totalitarian approach to governing, and his tight control of information and the press.

Claiming to change government, remove patronage, and bring honesty and openness, Rudy Giulianni did the opposite. He hired incompetent patrons, made slanderous accusations, and dealt with anyone who challenged him with unusual cruelty and ruthlessness. When a judge ruled that he could not deny a parade permit to those whose theme he did not approve of, he moved in with helicopters and police in riot gear to end the gathering at the precise time limit of the parade--4:30 p.m. This was a measure of a man who had to get his way.

The authors faithfully record his double standard of morality with his open affair while he was still married. He made sure that the reporters said hello to his "friend" Judy. At the same token, he bristled at the "anti-Catholic," immorality of a reverent display of the madonna because it was sculpted in part with elephant dung. When the museum refused to remove the display, he threatened to cut off its funding. His wife, an actor and broadcaster eventually got even though. When he refused to accept blame for the divorce, she was all set to take him through the divorce court cleaners. He reneged, and she took him through the divorce agreement cleaners.

Purporting to have been a mob-busting district attorney who was the first to use the RICO statutes to put mobsters away, he built his myth on this lie and others. Some of his convictions were overturned because he withheld evidence. His legal skill was again challenged as mayor when he was sued left, right and center for abrogating the constitutional rights of others. He even broke the law by denying federally-mandated food stamps to the poor. He lost almost all of the lawsuits filed against him as mayor.

His temporary redemption came in the form of 9/11 where he displayed a brief, shining moment of steadiness. But New Yorkers found him intolerable when he asked the mayoral candidates to suspend taking office because he felt he needed an additional three months to get things right. The lord mayor felt that he was even bigger than the democratic process.

The writers have scribed these revelations because they believe that Rudolph Giulliani still has political aspirations for governor or president, where he can be in complete control. This would not include being a mere congressional back-bencher. Their essays are a siren song, a warning, that Rudy is not worthy of the public trust.

There are too many accounts of Giulianni's indiscretions, invective and authoritarianism to mention here. If you think Bush is imperial, this one is downright dictatorial. Remember, this is the man who told an enthralled Republican Convention in New York City "I turned to my police commissioner, Bernard Kerik and said, 'Thank God, George Bush is our president'." He supposedly made that comment after the twin towers came down. Can anyone really believe something like that without getting the chills?

This book should not be passed up by anyone concerned with our political future.

Take it from a New Yorker.

Rudy, Rudy, Rudy: The Real and the Rational

Average customer rating:

Pure New York!

Rudy, Rudy, Rudy: The Real and the Rational

Manufacturer: Holmes & Meier Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Customer Reviews:

Pure New York!.......2001-10-31

As a New Yorker who not always agrees with the mayor's views, I loved this book! It neither glorifies the mayor nor degrates him. It is just a book of things he has said... and you gotta love it. I was laughing out loud in the bookstore at some of the frank things Rudy has said.
In my opinion, the best comments made by Giuliani are found in the section on the greatest team in history (the Yankees, who else?) and the section on Hillary Clinton.
Giuliani, as portrayed in this book, is a true New Yorker.

A Day in the Life of a Mayor: Featuring New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (The Kids' Career Library)

Average customer rating:

A Day in the Life of a Mayor: Featuring New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (The Kids' Career Library)
Liza N. Burby
Manufacturer: PowerKids Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0823953033

Average customer rating:

Brotherhood
Fallen Heroes
From a Firefighter Widow...
Up lifting and moving.
Brotherhood

Brotherhood
Frank McCourt , Rudy Giuliani , and Thomas Von Essen
Manufacturer: Main Street
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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New York's Bravest: Eight Decades of Photographs from the Daily News
The Fire Inside: Firefighters Talk About Their Lives
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In the Line of Duty: A Tribute to New York's Finest and Bravest
Firehouse

ASIN: 0916103943

Book Description

This New York Times bestseller is a stirring photographic tribute to the New York City firefighters who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.

“Adorned with votive candles, flowers and handwritten prayers, many of New York City’s firehouses seem like red brick chapels since Sept. 11. Brotherhood gives a glimpse into the firefighters’ lives after the tragedy.... A lively introduction by Frank McCourt reflects on the civil connection we feel with firefighters....The personalized spaces within the firehouses resonate as powerfully as the portraits of the firefighters themselves.”—The New York Times

On September 11, 2001, more than 300 three New York City firefighters perished in the inferno and rubble of the World Trade Center. Brotherhood offers a moving photographic testament to those brave and honorable men, highlighting every engine, ladder and battalion that lost a brother on that fateful, terrible day. Poignant and stirring images, by Albert Watson, Mary Ellen Mark, Mark Seliger, Christian Wittkin, Mark Borthwick, and more than 50 other New York photographers, depict the places where those firefighters worked, the grieving survivors, and the outpouring of gratitude and love from all over the world. Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, Fire Chief Thomas Von Essen, and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Frank McCourt contribute their deeply felt reflections.

Customer Reviews:

Brotherhood.......2006-03-17

Outstanding It shows the amazing grief and resolve of New York and its firefighters. It is is visual history of the Sept.11 attacks and their aftermath

Fallen Heroes.......2003-07-04

As you are reading though the tribute to the fallen, you see thenamesof each of the lost Firefighters scrolled across the bottom of the pages. Each page left me more and more with a sense of loss. I did not lose anyone that fateful day, yet, we all lost. The words you read are quite moving, the pictures mean more than the words and poems. Yet i am most moved by the names of those precious and brave firefighters name across the pages from the front cover to the back cover.

From a Firefighter Widow..........2003-05-10

I was moved to tears reading this, not only having witnessed the 9-11 atrocities firsthand but as a widow I know the pain suffered by the widows of those brave firemen that perished that day. This book is a must-read along with the others that are listed. I cannot say enough about it, God Bless Those Brave men.

Up lifting and moving........2002-06-24

I was very moved by this book on the events of 9-11. It has wonderful illustrations and deserves a place on your book shelf

Brotherhood.......2002-06-18

Brotherhood is a moving pictorial of the FDNY. The pictures are moving and haunting at the same time. I would highly recomend this book.

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