Rudy Giuliani: Emperor of the City download epub

This most informative and well-written book provides detail in an impartial way of events prior to, during, and post 911 and its cataclysmic impact on the public, as well as on the mayor, who acted courageously throughout the ordeal. The reader is provided a platform from which to view the multi-dimensions of Mr. Giulani, both in the private and public sectors. We often do not understand what something is like until we are in the job and experience it for ourselves. The book arrived quickly and in excellent condition.

I first set foot in New York City in late 1993, right before Giuliani entered the City Hall. NYC was a mess. I was scared riding in a car in Queens when the first time a 'spongee' came along to offer windshield wiping service. Or when riding in the subway we would not dare taking out a map or a camera,anything that could hint that we're tourists. Between 1996 and 1997 I went back and lived there for 9 months, which I enjoyed very much. During this time NYC was so absorbed into the new found prosperity and success of the financial markets/industry that I rarely heard people talking about the state of the city a mere 4 years ago. To say it's as safe as Tokyo is an exaggeration of course, but for such a high density big city, it was a hugely successful clean-up from 4 years ago. Homeless and graffitti is substantially less seen in the subway system. My friends and I would now have the guts to walk on the street at 3am...
Then as time went on I heard the major had a lot to do with this change. And then I started hearing how local NYers describe Giuliani as such a fighter, never backed down from oppositions such as strike threat and stuff like that...
After 911 WTC incident, I was very concerned about anything NY, having lived there for a little bit before. From the high-profile media appearance of Giuliani, I saw him maintaining the composure well enough to offer a symbol of calmness and toughness representing NY in the wake of the disaster towards the rest of the country and the world.
Based on this and my past experience with NYC, reading this book is a joy. It's not just a story-book about how Giuliani came to power, how he succeeded and where he faltered, and from which an evaluation of his characteristics, philosophy and other inner traits. It's also an honest reflection of the social transformation of NYC during his 2 terms of mayorship. It's not easy for an average American to appreciate the unique nature of this society, whether it be racial, economic, crime or just social problems, because NY is so different from the American heartland. However, the book was particularly great for someone like me, who mostly knows the places and the background environment in which these incidents develop, but does not actually know the events described in the book much, if at all, because I'm not a local NYer.
I thought the author has produced an honest account of both Giuliani's campaigns to the mayorship and also his major tasks and difficulties faced during the 2 terms. Being a journalist, the author has written the book in such a way that it reads very practical and fast. There's a lot of substance and facts in it, with quotes from many people around the major, which I think is a very direct and insightful way of peeping into the thinking/culture of the 'inner circle'. I think the author has done a great job connecting all these together to produce a seemless flow and smooth taste throughout the chapters of the book.
For me who didn't know much about politics, this is also an eye-opener as it described the political power struggle and way of thinking so transparently by reflecting it on the daily events surrounding the major's agenda, and in general, the social happenings of a multi-racial, complex society.
The only thing I would have liked to see more in this book is a little more words on how Giuliani reacted or what he has done, if any, that's related to the great boom of the American economy and hence the Wall Street during his 2nd term. But maybe that's not quite relevant to the grand schema of things for this book anyway. So even without that part which I'd be intersted to know more about, this is still a very engaging read!

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.

If you're from New York City and you track city politics, then you're certainly familiar with Andrew Kirtzman. Kirtzman, who is a political reporter for New York 1 News, demonstrates an impressive grasp of both urban politics and personal drama with his first book, "Rudy Giuliani: Emperor of the City." The book commences with Giuliani's unsuccessful race for mayor in 1989 and concludes with his stunning decision to withdraw from the U.S. Senate race just months ago. In that ten-year span, Kirtzman takes us through a roller-coaster ride of New York history. On November 7, 1989 New Yorkers elected David Dinkins as its 106th mayor over Rudy Giuliani. Two days later the Berlin Wall fell. Half a world a way, East Germans were awakening to the failure and misery of socialism. New Yorkers, it seemed, still didn't get it. The Dinkins era confirmed what most New Yorkers already feared: the City was an unmanageable wasteland. Tax-and-spend budgets. Racial demagoguery. Criminals ruling the streets. Mass incivility. In 1993, however, after four years of misrule, the City had a chance to reverse its mistake. The mayoral election pitted Dinkins and Giuliani against each other once again. This time, the former federal prosecutor triumphed. On that same day, New Jersey voters sent tax-and-spend Governor Jim Florio packing as well. Quietly, Northeast voters were heralding the Republican Revolution of 1994. The late 1990s would see the whole nation turn its back on liberalism. Rudy Giuliani was the first and most able practitioner of this New Politics. His first city budget combined spending cuts with tax cuts. For the first time in recent memory, New York would spend less money the next year than it did the previous year. The message to the business community was equally clear: Stay! We want you here and we'll create an environment where you can thrive. Giuliani challenged the bureaucracies and their union chiefs and rolled past them. He broke up the Mob and tightened the requirements for welfare. Most importantly, he teamed with Police Chief Bill Bratton in a new, tougher approach to crime-fighting. The results after just four years were staggering: crime in the city had been cut in half, hundreds of thousands of people had moved from the welfare rolls to the private sector, school test scores went up, annual budget surpluses became surpluses. In 1997, New York voters overwhelming re-elected "Hizzonor." Since then, however, Rudy hasn't led such a charmed life. The city's "quality of life" statistics are still incredibly impressive. But his reputation has been tarnished by both his broken marriage and some police misconduct cases. The 1999 police shooting of Amadou Diallo and the later killing of Patrick Dorismond were highly unfortunate but they were also accidents. Giuliani's critics conveniently forget that under Rudy, police murder has fallen in half from the "compassionate" days of the Dinkins administration. When the ball dropped in Times Square on New Years Day 2000, New York was once again the capital of the world. The man who deserves most of the credit is Rudy Giuliani. No question about it. He may not win a personality contest. But he doesn't have to. He is simply the most successful mayor in New York City history and one of the most impressive politicians in the nation today. What must disturb New York residents is: Who will replace Rudy? He is required by law to step down as mayor in 2001. Will New Yorkers elect a man, who in his rush to show "compassion," dismantle Rudy Giuliani's legacy? Will the crime laws be relaxed? Will the welfare requirements be eased? Will the unions return to their glory? The answer, sadly, is "Most likely." Rudy Giuliani is an awesome mayor but every great leader must groom a successor who will ensure his legacy. In this one crucial category, Giuliani has proved to be mortal. But make no mistake: The Big Apple is Back -- thanks to Rudy Giuliani.