The Full Rudy: The Man, the Myth, the Mania

By Jack Newfield

Book Overview

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.

"In a time when American journalism is getting its share of slings and arrows . . .Newfield stands out as a national treasure." -- Peter Maas "He writes with the sharp eye of the trained observer and the engaged heart of a humanist." -- Budd Schulberg

" He is the loudest liberal voice in a time of timid whispers. Newfield's hands ... pull out the truth." -- Jimmy Breslin "Newfield has made it his life's mission to uncover and share significant truths about important people and events." -- Mario Cuomo

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1560254823
• ISBN13: 9781560254829
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: Bold Type Books
• Length: 150 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.0" x 7.7"

Customer Reviews

A terrific brief journey through recent history

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

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.