Court records and more than four hundred interviews with family, friends, and foes show how this controversial legislator rose to political importance. By the author of The Impeachment of Richard Nixon. 30,000 first printing. $30,000 ad/promo.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Nicknamed "Senator Pothole" for his devotion to local minutiae, New York Republican Alfonse D'Amato, first elected in 1980, is one of the most scandal-tinged members of Congress. Since many of the revelations against D'Amato have been raised in court cases and news articles, the biographer's task is not investigation but synthesis and polemic. And while Lurie ( The Kingmakers ) has done diligent research, his book is unwieldy and uneven, for example devoting one-fourth of the narrative to a blow-by-blow description of a 1985 court case--the "1% case"--involving kickbacks by civic workers to the Nassau County Republican Party and bribes extorted from contractors. Lurie shows how D'Amato manages to manipulate the media, act hypocritically, "suction up campaign contributions" and use his influence to benefit his friends and family. However, since this book focuses mainly on D'Amato in his home zone of Nassau County, Lurie's final charges implicating D'Amato in national scandals like the savings and loan bankruptcies and Defense Department procurement swindles are inadequate. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Most "unauthorized" biographies do not paint a flattering portrait of their subjects, and Lurie's examination of Sen. Alfonse D'Amato's political career is no exception. Political writer Lurie (The Running of Richard Nixon, LJ 9/1/72) portrays the New York senator as a manipulative, opportunistic politician who has little regard for principles of fairness, honesty, or responsible representation. He covers in detail the many legal and ethical troubles that have swirled around D'Amato throughout his career in Long Island and U.S. politics. Lurie interviewed friends and enemies of D'Amato to bring his portrait into focus, and he occasionally attempts to balance the account by revealing positive aspects of the senator's character. Though D'Amato's involvement in such issues as the Wedtech and Savings and Loan scandals invoke national interests, and he serves on several powerful Senate committees, this book is probably of limited interest outside New York State.
Jill Ortner, Sch. of Information & Lib. Studies, SUNY at Buffalo
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Jill Ortner, Sch. of Information & Lib. Studies, SUNY at Buffalo
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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