Mike Royko’s “Boss” is a great explainer of Chicago (and Illinois) politics up thru the first Mayor Daley. Royko was absolutely the best, and the story he tells is a great read, even for a Downstater like myself.
Some good choices already. But for state government nothing from my perspective can beat ‘Mostly Good and Honorable Men’, a tome reviewing the state’s governors. While it doesn’t have Royko’s style, it is still a good read.
Bob Cooley’s book “When Corruption Was King” is a great book dealing with the corruption of Judges and politicans in the 70’s and 80’s. http://whencorruptionwasking.com/
“Lincoln’s Preparation for Greatness” by Paul Simon, a history of Lincoln’s years in the General Assembly. The more things change, the more they stay the same…
I agree with RodReport. Ex-mob attorney Robert Cooley’s book “How I Helped the Mob Rule Chicago, Then Brought Down the Outfied When Corruption Was King” clearly points out how the syndicate, political class, police and labor unions rule our biggest city.
There are new names in the yesterday’s indictment of Outfit folks, but Cooley lays out how things work in Chicago.
‘American Pharaoh’ by Adam Cohen and Elizabeth Taylor. Tells the story of the first Mayor Daley and the controll of Chicago over all of Illinos politics. A good read for anyone north or south of I-80. A little unsettling but an important book to read for those of us who believe that there is more to Illinois than just Chicago.
Cooley’s book has so many inaccuracies in it, it should be in the fiction section. If you want a great and fast read about how the Daley machine and HDO runs elections, track down Peter Zelchenko’s book, It Happened Four Years Ago (or something like that). It was based on countless documents that were inexplicably left behind by Daley campaign workers and provides one of the best insights ever published about City races. If the book has any flaws, it’s that the aouthor didn’t have the experience to fully piece together some of the things that he found and some of the people who were implicated, which include a number of present public officials.
Sort of off-topic, but a great primer on Chicago is Nelson Algren’s “prose poem” Chicago: City on the Make. In the 2001 edition, the footnotes alone could be their own history book.
I’d second the nomination for Pharoah. I read it several years ago and it was fascinating.
I’m going to check out some of these other recommendations that I have missed, too. This is a good list.
- the Other Anonymous - Tuesday, Apr 26, 05 @ 2:36 pm:
Overall, the best practical (textbook) description of Illinois politics is Jim Nowlan’s book in the state series published by the University of Nebraska. It was published in the late 1990s, I believe, so it doesn’t capture more recent events (i.e., the shift from swing state to blue state), but it does a great job describing the other forces at work in Illinois.
David Fremon’s Chicago Politics Ward by Ward is fun to read in short spurts, mixing neighborhood history and some of the more lively developments after Washington’s death. A fine book for showing how diverse Chicago is…or at least how diverse it was when it was published seventeen years ago.
“Mostly Good and Competent Men” is good for quick vignettes. It’s also fun to learn about people like Edward Coles, Thomas Ford and Richard Oglesby that you see around the Capitol but rarely hear people talk about.
But it’s hard to top “Boss.” I just wish I had time to read half of the books mentioned here…
Does anyone have a tip on “Peter Zelchenko’s book, It Happened Four Years Ago”? I can’t find anything under the author’s so-called name or the alleged title.
“It’s My Party Now! The Transformation of the Chicago and Illinois Republican Parties” by Ronald Krol, Candidate for 8th Congressional District (coming out June 2005 by Zondervan PresS)
For a good read on Richard J. Daley — add Dick Ciccone’s bio - it is friendlier than Boss and Pharaoh — adding some balance — RJD was an important and successful mayor, in spite of the current fashion for bashing him.
I’ll throw in a plug for Claude Walker’s “Currents of Power.” IL isn’t named - but it is rather obviously our great state depicted in this novel.
Have to agree with ArchPundit — gonna spend a lot of dough on many of these great suggestions.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Apr 26, 05 @ 3:27 am:
‘Altgeld’s America’ by Ray Ginger. It’s about the Lincoln tradition in Illinois politics.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Apr 26, 05 @ 3:36 am:
Anyone remember the novel about Chicago politics by ‘Ward Healer’?
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Apr 26, 05 @ 6:02 am:
Mike Royko’s “Boss” is a great explainer of Chicago (and Illinois) politics up thru the first Mayor Daley. Royko was absolutely the best, and the story he tells is a great read, even for a Downstater like myself.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Apr 26, 05 @ 8:17 am:
Some good choices already. But for state government nothing from my perspective can beat ‘Mostly Good and Honorable Men’, a tome reviewing the state’s governors. While it doesn’t have Royko’s style, it is still a good read.
- Pat Collins - Tuesday, Apr 26, 05 @ 8:19 am:
A HISTORY OF ILLINOIS
From Its Commencement as a State in 1818 to 1847 Thomas Ford.
Shows you just how nasty politics was back then, and that some things, really don’t change.
And, frankly, a fun read.
- RodReport - Tuesday, Apr 26, 05 @ 8:40 am:
Bob Cooley’s book “When Corruption Was King” is a great book dealing with the corruption of Judges and politicans in the 70’s and 80’s. http://whencorruptionwasking.com/
- Ralph - Tuesday, Apr 26, 05 @ 9:12 am:
“Cash Clout” Kent Redfield.
No shoes, no shirt, no service.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Apr 26, 05 @ 9:28 am:
“Lincoln’s Preparation for Greatness” by Paul Simon, a history of Lincoln’s years in the General Assembly. The more things change, the more they stay the same…
- Cal Skinner - Tuesday, Apr 26, 05 @ 9:38 am:
I agree with RodReport. Ex-mob attorney Robert Cooley’s book “How I Helped the Mob Rule Chicago, Then Brought Down the Outfied When Corruption Was King” clearly points out how the syndicate, political class, police and labor unions rule our biggest city.
There are new names in the yesterday’s indictment of Outfit folks, but Cooley lays out how things work in Chicago.
- Bo - Tuesday, Apr 26, 05 @ 9:40 am:
Rich, how about a good read today?
“Audit scolds CMS over contracts, questionable cost-cutting”
I posted the link at my site.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Apr 26, 05 @ 9:57 am:
“American Pharoah” There are interesting sections covering Richard J.’s days in Springfield.
- DownStateBoyInChicago - Tuesday, Apr 26, 05 @ 10:03 am:
‘American Pharaoh’ by Adam Cohen and Elizabeth Taylor. Tells the story of the first Mayor Daley and the controll of Chicago over all of Illinos politics. A good read for anyone north or south of I-80. A little unsettling but an important book to read for those of us who believe that there is more to Illinois than just Chicago.
- PrairieStateDem - Tuesday, Apr 26, 05 @ 10:24 am:
Have to agree Royko’s Boss is required reading for Illinois politics.
It does an excellent job of explaining the hows and whys of the RJD era and the imapact on Illinois today is made clear.
A fun read and even relevant to us downstaters!
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Apr 26, 05 @ 10:36 am:
the title says it all—rakov’s great “don’t make no waves, don’t back no losers”
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Apr 26, 05 @ 10:50 am:
Let’s not forget Rakove’s other classic:
We Don’t Want Nobodoy Nobody Sent
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Apr 26, 05 @ 11:23 am:
Cooley’s book has so many inaccuracies in it, it should be in the fiction section. If you want a great and fast read about how the Daley machine and HDO runs elections, track down Peter Zelchenko’s book, It Happened Four Years Ago (or something like that). It was based on countless documents that were inexplicably left behind by Daley campaign workers and provides one of the best insights ever published about City races. If the book has any flaws, it’s that the aouthor didn’t have the experience to fully piece together some of the things that he found and some of the people who were implicated, which include a number of present public officials.
- Rich O. - Tuesday, Apr 26, 05 @ 11:29 am:
I’ve been meaning to get around to “Mostly Good and Honorable Men”
One I’d throw in for the sake Lincoln-philes would be “Lincoln’s Virtues” by William Lee Miller
Its a good read and humanizes Lincoln and his times well. It also does a good job portraying Lincoln the politician.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Apr 26, 05 @ 11:38 am:
American Pharoah is good, but another one is
The Wicked City: Chicago From Kenna to Capone.
This has a great section on the great confluence of organized crime and politics. It’s a great lead-in to American Pharoah.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Apr 26, 05 @ 12:18 pm:
Upton Sinclairs “The Jungle”
Ramifications still felt today…
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Apr 26, 05 @ 1:18 pm:
Sort of off-topic, but a great primer on Chicago is Nelson Algren’s “prose poem” Chicago: City on the Make. In the 2001 edition, the footnotes alone could be their own history book.
- ISU College Democrats - Tuesday, Apr 26, 05 @ 1:58 pm:
Don’t Make no Waves, Don’t Back No Losers. Great read about the old ward politics.
- Tom DeLay's Mom - Tuesday, Apr 26, 05 @ 2:22 pm:
Boss as the primer to American Pharoah - both are fantastic!
- IlliniPundit - Tuesday, Apr 26, 05 @ 2:25 pm:
I’d second the nomination for Pharoah. I read it several years ago and it was fascinating.
I’m going to check out some of these other recommendations that I have missed, too. This is a good list.
- the Other Anonymous - Tuesday, Apr 26, 05 @ 2:36 pm:
Overall, the best practical (textbook) description of Illinois politics is Jim Nowlan’s book in the state series published by the University of Nebraska. It was published in the late 1990s, I believe, so it doesn’t capture more recent events (i.e., the shift from swing state to blue state), but it does a great job describing the other forces at work in Illinois.
- Nuisance Industry - Tuesday, Apr 26, 05 @ 7:29 pm:
David Fremon’s Chicago Politics Ward by Ward is fun to read in short spurts, mixing neighborhood history and some of the more lively developments after Washington’s death. A fine book for showing how diverse Chicago is…or at least how diverse it was when it was published seventeen years ago.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Apr 26, 05 @ 8:51 pm:
“Mostly Good and Competent Men” is good for quick vignettes. It’s also fun to learn about people like Edward Coles, Thomas Ford and Richard Oglesby that you see around the Capitol but rarely hear people talk about.
But it’s hard to top “Boss.” I just wish I had time to read half of the books mentioned here…
- So-Called Austin Mayor - Tuesday, Apr 26, 05 @ 9:18 pm:
My wife is going to kill me for the amount of money I am going to spend on all of your great suggestions.
By the way, the Jim Nolan book is “Illinois Politics and Government: The Expanding Metropolitan Frontier”
http://tinyurl.com/9dh27
“Mostly Good and Competent Men” is available used here: http://tinyurl.com/abh46
Does anyone have a tip on “Peter Zelchenko’s book, It Happened Four Years Ago”? I can’t find anything under the author’s so-called name or the alleged title.
- So-Called Austin Mayor - Tuesday, Apr 26, 05 @ 9:25 pm:
One more thing — anyone looking to purchase one of these books this weekend should visit here first:
http://tinyurl.com/d56vp
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Apr 26, 05 @ 10:52 pm:
“RYP R.I.P.” an autobiography by Doug Ibendahl
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Apr 26, 05 @ 10:58 pm:
“It’s My Party Now! The Transformation of the Chicago and Illinois Republican Parties” by Ronald Krol, Candidate for 8th Congressional District (coming out June 2005 by Zondervan PresS)
- BuckTurgidson - Wednesday, Apr 27, 05 @ 10:16 am:
For a good read on Richard J. Daley — add Dick Ciccone’s bio - it is friendlier than Boss and Pharaoh — adding some balance — RJD was an important and successful mayor, in spite of the current fashion for bashing him.
I’ll throw in a plug for Claude Walker’s “Currents of Power.” IL isn’t named - but it is rather obviously our great state depicted in this novel.
Have to agree with ArchPundit — gonna spend a lot of dough on many of these great suggestions.
- Peter Zelchenko - Wednesday, Jul 5, 06 @ 10:57 pm:
Here’s a URL with information about my book. Sorry I didn’t get this to you sooner. Incidentally, I’m running for 43rd Ward alderman.