While the Music Lasts: My Life in Politics [Hardcover]

William M Bulger (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 19, 1996

This memoir, by turns passionate and hilarious, recounts the colorful life of the man who has dominated Massachusetts state politics for more than a generation. William Bulger describes his childhood in a poor but lively and devoted family in heavily Irish South Boston - where he still lives - and his struggle for an education. He tells of his leadership when Boston was America's focal point in a fierce school busing crisis. He recounts power-brokering in one of the most independent and feisty state governments in the nation and writes about the inside game of politics in a way that invites comparison to Edwin O'Connor's The Last Hurrah . He affectingly makes the case for the right of neighborhoods to preserve ancestral culture from efforts to stifle diverse traditions in a rootless age. This is a book for political aficionados everywhere.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

William M. Bulger has been a formidable force in the Massachusetts Democratic party since the 1960s. He's not quite an authentic South Boston Irish (his family, it must be admitted, moved from neighboring Dorchester when he was 4), but he's become nationally recognized for representing that community, first as a state representative and later as the president of the state Senate. While the Music Lasts is a passionate memoir, alternately hilarious and saddening, about a lifetime spent standing up for the little guy. South Boston is one of the most politically active communities in the state and, as Bulger tells the tale, one of the most misunderstood. He is particularly compelling when addressing the Boston busing crisis of the 1970s, arguing that his district's opposition to forced desegregation was not primarily racially motivated, but rooted instead in the intense desire to raise their children as they saw fit without government interference (even when well intentioned). Political junkies from far outside Boston's city limits will enjoy Bulger's firsthand account of life in the political trenches. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Bulger was born in South Boston in 1934, the son of Irish-Catholic working-class parents. While working his way through law school, he was elected to the state House of Representatives in 1960. He found the leadership of the house inadequate and fought it so he could get his bills, most prominently his child-abuse legislation, passed. He tells wonderful stories about the famous 1962 U.S. senate race between Ted Kennedy and Eddie McCormack (he was for McCormack); his brother's prison record for bank robbery; and the legendary (at least in Massachusetts) stinginess of JFK. Bulger goes on to explain his role in the Boston busing controversies "over alleged segregation in our schools"; his election to the state senate in 1970; and his selection as senate president of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He recently was appointed to the Presidency of the University of Massachusetts. Bulger's superb storytelling ability makes this memoir not only entertaining but a primer on how local politics works. Photos not seen by PW. Author tour.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 328 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin (February 19, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395720419
• ISBN-13: 978-0395720417
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,628,115 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An important review of an era, December 3, 1999

By 

Larry Flynn (Canberra Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: While the Music Lasts: My Life in Politics (Paperback)

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and felt the most important aspect of it was the succinct way in which Mr Bulger argued the case for the aversion that the various neighborhoods of Boston (particularly South Boston) had for forced busing. I have not lived in Boston for 7 years now but did whilst most of the problems with busing and its aftermath existed, and I found the book to be an important reminder of just how intimidating that period was for the average citizen. It was in the midst of a particularly oppressive recession, the end of the Vietnam war, Watergate.....generally a time in which trust in the government and America's place in the world, all appeared to be under threat. The imposition of forced busing brought this very feeling of society's unravelling right to our doorsteps. I think Mr Bulger's book served as a very important personal reminder to me of that time in our lives. I am proud of the fact that he was able to set the record straight, in favour of the good citizens of Boston who were unfairly treated by the courts and the media of the time. The anecdotes were great and were tied together favourably in a chronological order that made it easy to follow. It was a great book to read leisurely ( I read it while traveling over the course of two weeks)

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An almost unique political book, January 5, 2001

By 

John B. Maggiore (Buffalo, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: While the Music Lasts: My Life in Politics (Hardcover)

The Bulger book was also very good, but somehow less profound. If books by governors are rare, books by state legislators are all but unknown. This is too bad. Bulger has some great stories. He's at his best when he's telling them about some of the characters of South Boston with names like "Knocko McCormack" and "The Good Robb," as well as less interestingly named Massachusetts politicians. Bulger's stories about campaigns and legislative battles are great, as are his accounts of a few vacations he took and clients he took on as a lawyer. The book has added punch because Bulger holds nothing back in describing various political opponents from four decades in politics. He seems to go to great length to name as many names as possible, and explain in as much detail about the shortcomings of the people with those names. If I knew who some of these characters were, the book would be more interesting still, but Bulger is descriptive enough to make his characters come to life.

He's at his worst when describing a few longer accounts about incidents towards which he is still very bitter including his fight against bussing in Boston and his defense against allegations of corruption. Here Bulger indulges in a level of thoroughness that seems more designed to construct an irrefutable argument than an interesting story. His sense humor, which is the book's strength elsewhere, is often absent here.

Another weakness is that Bulger basically only tells the story of one battle to pass a bill. While his stories about campaigns and scandals are interesting, they are not especially unique - but this is one of the only memoirs ever written by a state legislator, I would have liked to have read more about legislating.

I read the book very swiftly. I liked Bulger, though I get the sense that I would have frequently been at odds with him if I was active in Massachusetts politics during his time. On the whole, the book was very enjoyable and instructive on state politics.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Politics as played by a master, February 9, 1998

By 

Wayne A. Smith (Newark, DE) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: While the Music Lasts: My Life in Politics (Hardcover)

As a Delaware state representative, I read this book originally as a fellow practioner hoping to glean some lessons of political leadership. Bulger offers many valuable insights into the art of advancing issues and working with people in a political environment. Aside from my collegial interest, the book is extremely well written, eloquently styled and full of anecdotes which serve to illustrate the author's points. However, like almost all politicians I have become familiar with, I assume there are two or three really good chapters about his art that he was tempted to write but decided not to allowing for his current public position and desired legacy. That being said, the book is insightful, honest and presents a good picture of inside politics by one who knew where he stood on most issues and understands the use of power.