The Mayor Who Made Milwaukee Famous [Hardcover]

Henry W. Maier (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 15, 1993

Henry W. Maier is "Mr. American Mayor." The controversial mayor of Milwaukee for 28 years, Maier's career is the stuff of legends. Elected mayor in 1960 Maier immediently began his career-long fight for urban America that gained him the reputation as the quintessential lobbyist. Disgusted with the federal government's lack of spending on behalf of the nation's cities, Maier launched a major campaign demanding "reordering of our national priorities' in order to give city problems equal footing with military, farm, space and international problems. Henry Maier loved "mayoring" and this book is written with the heart and soul that have made him legendary. Providing lively characterizations of his opponents, he gives blow-by-blow accounts of the major controversies that shaped his career as mayor.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Sponsored by the Association for Education and Urban Issues, this is less an autobiography than it is a cry for attention to the plight of urban areas. Mayor of Milwaukee for 28 years and past president of the National League of cities, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and the U.S. Conference of Democratic Mayors, Maier uses the urban policies of the Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Carter administrations and the lack of policy during the Reagan and Bush administrations, as context for his experiences. He examines conflicts over the Milwaukee Industrial Land Bank Program, Wisconsin's shared tax system, race riots, open housing policies, garbage contracts, prison sitting, and the Milwaukee Bucks, as well as his own electoral battles. The detail and national perspective will be particularly appealing to urban scholars; the personal views on the media and local politics will appeal to a wider audience of informed readers.
- William Waugh Jr., Georgia State Univ., Atlanta
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 286 pages
• Publisher: Madison Books; 1St Edition edition (January 15, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 081918621X
• ISBN-13: 978-0819186218
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,772,688 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars good look at some turning points of Mlwke in recent years, June 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Mayor Who Made Milwaukee Famous (Hardcover)

More than a history of Milwaukee, Mayor Maier discusses several major issues that confronted him and the city of Milwaukee during his terms in office (1960-1988). He talks about his reactions to the race riots in 1967, battles against the Milwaukee press, and other local issues. It was interesting to see how this mayor handled himself in the local political arena. He spends alot of time making a pitch for urban issues to the reader. This book is interesting for anyone that enjoys the nitty gritty of local politics, or is curious about how certain things came to be in Milwaukee.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great historical information, June 17, 2007

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Mayor Who Made Milwaukee Famous (Hardcover)

Henry Maier was the mayor of Milwaukee for 28 years. In this book he gives a very interesting description of the major and minor events during his term. It is very fascinating for anyone who wants to learn more about Milwaukee's recent history. Some of the chapters are about Summerfest, the 1967 riots, Milwaukee's waste management company, a proposed prison in the Menomonee River Valley, the Bucks' arena, and his reelection campaigns.



I am giving this book five stars because of its information on almost all of the different topics in Milwaukee's recent history. This is a great book to read because it gives you accurate information on topics that are very important to know about. I also enjoy this book very much because it is interesting to find out different people's points of view. You should order this book if you want to find out information about a modern American city from 1960 until 1988. I hope you buy this book, and if you do, I hope you find the information interesting. Thank you for taking the time to read my review.