Citizen Koch: An Autobiography [Hardcover]

Ed Koch (Author), Daniel Paisner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1992

The former mayor of New York City describes his rise from the depths of the Depression, his World War II experiences, and his tenure as mayor, and offers candid insights into politics, the problems facing New York, and personalities he has known. 100,000 first printing. $100,000 ad/promo. Tour.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Patriots will be heartened to learn that the former mayor of New York City, who reaffirms here that he "rarely forgives, and never forgets," hasn't lost his edge, even though he protests that "as mayor, I didn't think I could spare the time to be as nice as I really am." About New York governor Mario Cuomo, he opines: "Listening to him is a lot like listening to a Japanese haiku"; David Dinkins, Koch's successor, "is neither lucky nor able . . . only during his administration could New York City suffer a drought in the winter"; columnist Jimmy Breslin is "one of the most intellectually dishonest reporters in the country." Koch-bashers, for their part, will be dumbfounded to discover that His Honor was indeed of woman born, as he recalls with nostalgia and affection his Polish-Jewish immigrant parents, especially his mother--which perhaps explains why he didn't leave home until age 32. Writing with Paisner (coauthor, with Geraldo Rivera, of Exposing Myself ), the 67-year old Koch, who has been a private citizen since 1990 after a political career that began in 1963, talks pridefully about his life after the mayoralty as an attorney, radio and TV host, movie reviewer, lecturer, etc. So how's he doin'? "My belly is flat . . . I feel terrific." Photos not seen by PW .
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

In Citizen Koch , the ebullient former three-term mayor of New York City recycles material on his public career from four earlier books and fills in with the story of his private life to complete his self-portrait. The early chapters about his formative years--his family background, his coming of age in the 1930s Depression, his World War II army service, his struggles as a young lawyer, and his battles with the Democratic political bosses in Greenwich Village--are pungent and zestful. Koch's account of his service as a city councilman, U.S. congressman, and 12 years as mayor of New York City, however, falls flat, being mostly episodic, superficial, and weighted down with relentless name-dropping. The tone ranges from self-serving to self-congratulatory, and the writing style is vapid. Suitable for libraries with large New York City collections. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 5/15/92.
- Harry Frumerman, formerly with Hunter Coll., CUNY
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 281 pages
• Publisher: St Martins Pr; 1st edition (September 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312081618
• ISBN-13: 978-0312081614
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,056,308 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Daniel Paisner is one of the busiest collaborators in publishing. He's written over fifty books, on topics ranging from business and sports, to politics and popular culture, including eleven New York Times best-sellers.

He is co-author of best-selling books with tennis champion Serena Williams; MSNBC News personality Mika Brzezinski; real estate developer and co-star of "Celebrity Apprentice" Ivanka Trump; Ohio governor John Kasich; former New York City mayor Ed Koch; and, Academy Award-winning actors Denzel Washington, Whoopi Goldberg and Anthony Quinn, among others. He is currently completing projects with former world champion longboard surfer Izzy Paskowitz and legendary high school basketball coach Bob Hurley.

Over the years, Paisner has worked with dozens of "ordinary" individuals with extraordinary stories to tell, including Krystyna Chiger, whose chronicle of her family's horrific ordeal in a Polish sewer during the German occupation, "The Girl in the Green Sweater," makes an important contribution to the literature of the Holocaust. The story is the basis for the forthcoming film, "In Darkness," from Academy Award-nominated director Agnieszka Holland.

Perhaps his most notable collaboration has been the best-selling account of a New York City firefighter's epic tour of duty at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, "Last Man Down," written with FDNY Battalion Commander Richard Picciotto. The book was #1 on the London Times best-seller list, and remained a top ten seller in the U.K. for over six months; it reached the #1 spot on the Amazon.com.uk "Hot 100" list.

Paisner has also written several books of his own, including "The Ball: Mark McGwire's 70th Home Run Ball and the Marketing of the American Dream," which was hailed by Amazon editors as one of the best sports books of the year. If you want to really make him happy, consider reading one of his novels, "Obit" and "Mourning Wood."