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"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.
Book Description
With the building of the railroad and the settlement of the plains, the North West was opening up. The Klondike stampede was a wild interlude in the epic story of western development, and here are its dramatic tales of hardship, heroism, and villainy. We meet Soapy Smith, dictator of Skagway; Swiftwater Bill Gates, who bathed in champagne; Silent Sam Bonnifield, who lost and won back a hotel in a poker game; and Roddy Connors, who danced away a fortune at a dollar a dance. We meet dance-hall queens, paupers turned millionaires, missionaries and entrepreneurs, and legendary Mounties such as Sam Steele, the Lion of the Yukon.
Pierre Berton's riveting account reveals to us the spectacle of the Chilkoot Pass, and the terrors of lesser-known trails through the swamps of British Columbia, across the glaciers of souther Alaska, and up the icy streams of the Mackenzie Mountains. It contrasts the lawless frontier life on the American side of the border to the relative safety of Dawson City. Winner of the Governor General's award for non-fiction, Klondike is authentic history and grand entertainment, and a must-read for anyone interested in the Canadian frontier.
Customer Reviews:
Vintage Berton!.......2005-11-01
As a Canadian living away from home, I never miss an opportunity to read a book by Pierre Berton. Berton had a talent for making History come alive in a way that is rare not only among Canadian authors, but indeed is rarely equaled and certainly not surpassed by any other author I have encountered abroad.
Klondike is one of those books that is so well constructed and written that you forget you are reading History and instead are absorbed into the story-line as if you were reading a first-rate novel. Burton develops the story-line and characters so that you are drawn into the history and come to appreciate the facts of the era and location. The people become real. You leave having experienced history instead of just having been served warmed over facts with a few theories as to how they tie together.
Despite the difference in genre, reading Burton's account of the Gold Rush in the North is every bit as entertaining as reading Farley Mowat or Jack London.
I recommend this book highly. It is a good introduction to Berton, to the Canadian North, the history of the Yukon, and a good primer before you launch into the other great books of Berton if you have never read him before!
"The Northern Lights have seen queer sights . . .".......2005-09-28
THE book on the Klondike Gold Rush of 1896-99. Berton tells the story in chronological order, beginning with the pre-Gold Rush period when individual prospectors roamed the Yukon River territory looking for El Dorado. A million dollars worth of gold was hauled out of Circle City, an early camp, in 1896; a year later they would do the same in a matter of weeks in Dawson City, a few hundred miles up the Yukon from Circle City. Of course, after the big strike was made on Rabbit Creek in August 1896, Circle City was emptied of its population by the spring. Gold camp communities that had lived and thrived under a well-understood frontier code lost their cohesiveness; the thousands of outsiders rushing into the Klondike could never abide by such a code.
Berton relates the human interest stories, too. The infamous Soapy Smith, the dictator of Skagway, is here, as are the thousands of crazies who came north to the Arctic Circle underclothed, unprepared, unprovisioned, full of the gold fever. Things got so bad by the winter of '97 that the government had to appropriate $200,000 for those in the Yukon to prevent mass starvation. And still they came, heading up the Chilkoot Pass like ants. It was called a stampede, but progress was so slow it seemed anything but. Only the outbreak of the Spanish-American War put an end to it, along with the discovery of gold in Nome.
It's an exciting story, the last gold rush anyone will ever see. Factual, without unnecessary hype, Berton's book is an excellent account of this period in history. Highly recommended.
Back in the days when Yukon Gold wasn't a potato .......2005-06-15
For those of us whose knowledge of the Klondike Gold Rush comes mostly from the 1950s radio drama, "Sergeant Preston of the Yukon" this is a fine book to read. (Trivia question: What was the name of Sergeant Preston's preternaturally intelligent huskie?) This is a revised and updated version of the book "Klondike Fever" published in 1958. Read "Klondike" if possible, although the earlier "Klondike Fever" is still perfectly readable. The maps are much better in this edition.
This Gold Rush, named after the Klondike River in the Yukon territory of Canada, was the last great scramble for gold in the old West. One hundred thousand persons, mostly from the U.S., set out for the Klondike in 1897, 30,000 or 40,000 got there, after an arduous journey through killing winter snows, and a few hundred found gold. The stories of the long, hard journey into this Arctic wilderness are often horrific. In one party of 19 men, 15 died or were killed along the route and the other four had eyes damaged by snow blindness. The gold seekers included author Jack London, Wyatt Earp, and poet Joaquin Miller. By late-summer 1899, "one of the weirdest and most useless mass movements in history" was over. Most of the gold seekers went home to live normal lives, although a few moved on to the beaches of Nome, Alaska where gold could be picked up among the grains of sand.
The author tells a compelling tale of the men and women who participated in the Klondike Gold Rush. It was indeed a fever. The characters in this book include crusty old miners who suddenly became rich beyond their wildest dreams, stalwart, incorruptible Canadian Mounties, conmen like Soapy Smith -- who in the dramatic tradition of the West receives his just deserts -- prostitutes, madams, gamblers, angels of mercy, last-chance losers, rich adventurers, Indians, and missionaries. It's a fascinating read, based on research that included interviews with many of the oldtimers who lived to talk to the author in the 1950s. The author's standard of truth telling is high; he identifies a tall tale or an unlikely exaggeration when he finds them.
The text would be enhanced if there were photographs, but I doubt you'll find a better book about the Klondike Gold Rush. Oh, yes, Sergeant Preston's dog was named "Yukon King."
Smallchief
A Classic.......2004-12-02
I consider this the definitive book on the Klondike Gold Rush. Interesting, informative, highly entertaining and hugely enjoyable, the book covers all the drama from the first discovery to the last days of the Klondike Kings. You don't have to be a Klondike enthusiast to enjoy this book, because Berton is first and foremost a storyteller, and the historical facts come alive in his writing.
I've read this book at least 9 times, and it inspired me to backpack the Chilkoot Trail. It's not just one of the best history books I've ever read - it's one of the best books, period, that I've ever read. Enjoy!
Wild-West scholarship from a man who was (almost) there!.......2004-05-11
This is the best-written, most entertaining history book I've read in ages. What an amazing story! In January 1897, a message went out from Dawson City in the isolated Yukon Territory of Canada: gold had been discovered! It took until July for anyone to notice, but then it seemed like the whole world stampeded toward the Klondike. Most did not make it over the mountains before winter, but were stuck in lawless Skagway, Alaska, enduring frostbite, graft, and privation, until arriving in Dawson in June of 1898. Suddenly, Dawson went from a few tents to as many as 10,000 people; then, in August of 1899, a rumor of gold in Nome, Alaska emptied the town as quickly as a fire: 8,000 people left in the course of a week.
Berton spins a mighty good yarn: careless prospectors paying for drinks with gold dust; dance-hall girls; wiley villains like the infamous Soapy Smith, boss of Skagway's underworld; heroic Mounties keeping order over treacherous mountain passes. All of this is the result of an enormous amount of primary research: in the 1950's Berton personally interviewed a large number of the last survivors of the stampede, and appears to have memorized every printed word, published and unpublished, ever written on the subject.
Berton caps off his expert handling of the narrative with a wonderful chapter reflecting on the meaning of the Klondike rush for the American and Canadian national characters. I was charmed to discover, at the very end, that Berton's parents were prospectors and that he himself grew up in Dawson, almost a ghost town, playing among the abandoned gold dredges and cast-off dance slippers.
This 2001 version of "Klondike" is significantly updated from the 1958 original; it's considerably longer and reflects many new primary sources. "Klondike Fever" still available via Amazon (ISBN 0786713178), is the older and less up-to-date book. This 2001 edition is the one you want!
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Gold Klondike Advent
Delia Ray
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Rivers of Gold: A True Yukon Story
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Don Lee
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Consumers, Crimes and the Law
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PROVIDES ALL RELEVANT MATERIALS REGARDING LEADING CASES WITH LANDMARK DECISIONS, IMPORTANT STATEMENTS, SURVEYS, REPORTS AND LEGAL PROVISIONS TO ITS READERS.
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Food Safety And Product Liability (Palladian Law)
Raymond O'Rourke
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Products Liability and the Food Consumer:
Reed Dickerson
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ASIN: 0837157463 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Trial, published by Association of Trial Lawyers of America on November 1, 1994. The length of the article is 3008 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
From the supplier: Government records can be important source materials on product safety. The ability to discover this information can be crucial to success in a products liability case. Discovery of government reports can take place informally and formally. Sources of informal discovery include WESTLAW and LEXIS searches and nongovernmental organizations such as The Attorneys Information Exchange Group. Requests for formal discovery would go to a defendant or government agency. Occasionally this may mean discovery of foreign government records.
Citation Details
Title: Government reports: secret weapon for success. (includes list of federal agencies which might have evidence on product safety regulation) (Products Liability)
Author: Joel D. Fogel
Publication:
Trial (Magazine/Journal)
Date: November 1, 1994
Publisher: Association of Trial Lawyers of America
Volume: 30
Issue: n11
Page: 54(5)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Food Trade Review, published by Food Trade Press Ltd. on April 1, 1990. The length of the article is 1579 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Product guarantee and recall - planning for the unthinkable.
Author: Roger Jenkinson
Publication:
Food Trade Review (Magazine/Journal)
Date: April 1, 1990
Publisher: Food Trade Press Ltd.
Volume: v60
Issue: n4
Page: p188(2)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Nutraceuticals World, published by Thomson Gale on December 1, 2006. The length of the article is 420 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Survey shows consumers misinformed about weight loss strategies.(Survey)
Author: Gale Reference Team
Publication:
Nutraceuticals World (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 9
Issue: 11
Page: 8(1)
Article Type: Survey
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
The Tenth Edition of Auditing continues to provide students a balanced presentation of auditing concepts and procedures. The text reflects the challenges inherent in accounting and auditing practice, particularly in public accounting firms. The text is designed to provide flexibility for instructors; the thirteen chapters focus on the Auditing Process while the eight modules provide additional topics. There are three main approaches to teaching auditing, which you need to understand to match customer needs with our texts: 1. The Balance Sheet Approach-smallest market segment and more traditional, which teaches the audit procedures by using the individual balance sheet (and related income statement) accounts. Our Whittington/ Pany text is the only one left in this segment. 2. The Audit Risk Model. This is an emerging area in auditing that considers audit risk, which is the probability that an auditor will give an inappropriate opinion on financial statements. 3. The Cycles Approach, which was first introduced by the market-leading textbook written by Arens/Loebbecke (Prentice Hall). Cycles are sets of accounts and business activities that go together in an accounting system. This is where Robertson fits in the market.
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