Boss Tweed's New York (New Dimensions in History: Historical Cities) (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

A rewarding description of New York City in the days of Tweed. -- Annals

Product Description

At the height of his power in New York City around 1870, William Marcy (Boss) Tweed's hands were everywhere in the city government and party politics.

Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: Ivan R. Dee, Publisher (July 25, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0929587200
• ISBN-13: 978-0929587202
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #955,608 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Terrific Read and a Terrific Resource, December 22, 2003

By	Rocco Dormarunno (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Most people's concept of William Meagher "Boss" Tweed, if any, is that of a manipulative mastermind who understood how to best bilk New Yorkers out of tens of millions of dollars, only to be brought down by a resentful member of his "ring" and the brilliant political cartoons of Thomas Nast. Seymour Mandelbaum's study, BOSS TWEED'S NEW YORK, reveals that this is a gross minimalization of the facts.

As the title suggests, it was New York's political and economic machinery of the times that made it easy for anyone to loot the public's coffers. Other politicians before Tweed took advantage of this vulnerability. In fact, many New Yorkers bitterly accepted that graft was a way of life. Mandelbaum goes to great pains to explain, however, that it was the degree to which Tweed took advantage of these weaknesses that set him apart from other thieves. But the more interesting aspect of BOSS TWEED'S NEW YORK is the discussion of Tweed's downfall. There was much more to it than Nast's wonderful cartoons or the informant's testimony. Again, as the title explains, it was New York itself--it's changing immigrant make-up, the proliferation of the press, and the compression of communication between political wards--that accelerated his decline.

The point is that the real subject of this book is New York City during and just after the Civil War years. It is a provocative and surprising account of the metropolis under unprecedented changes and pressures. Changes and pressures that came so quickly that the mighty Tweed could not keep up with them.

And this has been a gross minimalization of Mr. Mandelbaum's thesis. Read it for yourself. You will find it an invaluable addition to your collection of books on political or New York history.

Rocco Dormarunno, author of The Five Points

11 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Most exellent book, October 16, 2000

By	Zak (Hummelstown, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This is a most exellent book. I had a report due and it saved me from certain failure. *~Peace~*