Big Daddy: Jesse Unruh and the Art of Power Politics (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: little oil, school finance bill, assembly staff, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Democratic Party (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Filled with the kind of insights that only a seasoned observer of the ways of Sacramento could provide."--San Francisco Chronicle

"For those who revere the era of California politics when personalities were bigger than political offices in a state where the future seemed brighter every day, this book is a 'must read.'"--California History

"Sheds light on California's less-than-sedate politics after World War II . . . a telling perspective on the present state of our political affairs."--Los Angeles Times Book Review

"For insight into California's government, history and politics, or simply an account of a fascinating personality, this is a book well worth reading."--Daily Journal

"A veteran political reporter provides much detail and insight into both his [Unruh's] alcohol-saturated, woman-chasing personal life and political career."--Sacramento Bee

Product Description

Revealing and frank, this highly engaging biography tells the story of an American original, California's Big Daddy, Jesse Unruh (1922-1987), a charismatic man whose power reached far beyond the offices he held. Unruh, who was born into Texas sharecropper poverty, became a larger-than-life figure and a principal architect and builder of modern California--first as an assemblyman, then as assembly speaker, and finally, as state treasurer. He was also a great character: a combination of intelligence, wit, idealism, cynicism, woman-chasing vulgarity, charm, drunken excess, and political skill all wrapped up in one big package. He dominated the California capitol and extended his influence to Washington and Wall Street. He was close to Lyndon Johnson and the Kennedys, but closest to Robert Kennedy, and was in the Ambassador Hotel kitchen when Kennedy was shot. Bill Boyarsky gives a close-up look at this extraordinary political leader, a man who believed that politics was the art of the possible, and his era.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 278 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press; 1 edition (November 13, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520219678
• ISBN-13: 978-0520219670
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #349,560 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Political Biography Worth Reading, January 7, 2008

By	Robin Anne Smith (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

At last! A political biography that's also a page-turner! Bill Boyarsky's "Big Daddy, Jesse Unruh and the Art of Power Politics" is a great political biography that has everything; sex, war and larger than life personalities. Follow Jess Unruh from his roots in Depression era Texas though the turbulent sixties and seventies to the prosperous 1980s. Unruh revolutionized civil rights legislation and was instrumental in making California the great & prosperous state it is today.

Bill Boyarsky has written an incredibly colorful book about the hard-drinking California politics of the 20th century, when politicians weren't expected to live like clergymen. Boyarsky brings this era to life with oral history from the principal players throughout Unruh's life. This book is great reading, and a fascinating inside look into the personalities that once ran California.

Fully referenced and indexed, with lots of photographs, this book will be a welcome addition to any library and should become required reading for any student of California history or political science.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Revealing Portrait of an Important Figure, May 7, 2008

By	Peter Richardson (San Francisco Bay Area) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A man of huge appetites--for power, food, drink, and women--Unruh shaped a political culture that was rough around the edges but got a lot of work done for the people of California. As an AP and LA Times reporter, Boyarsky covered Unruh in Sacramento and brings a valuable, first-person perspective to this story. He resisted the temptation to produce a tome; this nifty little book (265 pages) can be read in a few sittings. As a significant political figure in a fascinating era, Unruh could support a longer work, but I like Boyarsky's decision to keep it relatively brief and moving quickly.

Boyarsky's portrait jibes well with a growing list of books on California politicians of that period. These include John Jacobs's bio of Phil Burton, Lou Cannon on Ronald Reagan, James Richardson on Willie Brown, and Ethan Rarick on Pat Brown. *Big Daddy* is a solid contribution to an impressive collective portrait of mid-century California politics.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Big Daddy, January 7, 2008

By	Grace Cameron (Long Beach, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I found the book extremely interesting as I either knew or knew of most of the people mentioned. I wish there had been more about the numerous bills Jess sponsored and/or was instrumental in their passage. Also more about his ability to get along well with the Republicans and with Ronald Reagan when he was governor of California....and perhaps less about his "womanizing".