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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Inside view of politics,
By Bob (Minnesota USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Last Hurrah (Hardcover)
A classic, political insider novel. Right up there with All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren. The novel is a well-written narrative that is compelling (notwithstanding that the corrupt mayor is portrayed as a caring and lovable guy who meant to do the right thing, the typical ends justify the means excuse still used today).
The premise of the novel also provides an interesting comparison to today. The big-city mayor with his ward bosses hands out pork and bribes to buy votes using party money. He also inflates government-project costs or trumps up building projects, all of which are built by his political supporters who in turn fill the party coffers. And he fills up government with his cronies, then exacts his tribute from those insiders. Outside of Chicago, and the attempt to do it on the federal level, this type of illegal corruption is much less prevalent today due to blind bidding, the civil service system, and the welfare safety net. But it's interesting how the funding moved to using taxes. The same party as the Mayor in this book now expands union government using public tax money at every possible opportunity, then it takes in political "donations" (i.e., laundered tax revenues) from the public unions to fund its machine. Or the same party massively increases handouts and lowers or eliminates income taxes for categories of its approved citizens, and thereby it buys those citizens' votes, again using general tax revenue. Instead of using illegal bribes or contracts, today the party uses your tax dollars, and it's entirely legal. O'Connor's book shows how a party funded itself and ran campaigns up to WWII, and we can see today how the funding had to shift in light of the New Deal.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hooray for The Last Hurrah,
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Last Hurrah (Atlantic Monthly Press Book) (Hardcover)
I first read The Last Hurrah back in 1961 with much enjoyment; and I re-read it in 2010 and liked it even more. A campaign for the mayor of a large city in the middle of the 20th century is chronicled from start to finish, with a view into each candidate's camp but with particular attention to the campaign for re-election by the old and engaging incumbent, Frank Skeffington. O'Connor's amazingly creative hand draws a large variety of characters, each given a distinctive voice. Politicians, supporters, businessmen, union men, and relatives --- they all come alive on the pages, making speeches, reminiscing, commenting, and talking to one another. The book is a great insider's view of the way big-city politics once was, filled with stories, humor, and an affection for most of the characters in it. The book reads easily -- you will like it.
FBTL
5.0 out of 5 stars
American Politics: A Primer,
By
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This review is from: The Last Hurrah
The Last Hurrah, a great novel written by Edwin O'Connor in 1955, is the best treatise on American state and local politics to this day. While it doesn't deal with the huge campaign contributions from lobbyists and special interest groups, it explains, in a great read, how our system works (or not). The story is about the Curley administration in Boston, MA. - the patronage, illicit conrtibutions, the workings of a city government trying to get re-elected by making everyone who counts happy. Local, but not small, government. No State interference - let the mayor govern his subjects. They voted for him afterall. Just enlarge the setting and you have Washinton D.C. and our Federal Governement. Having taught U.S History and now practicing law (30 years), I believe this is a MUST READ FOR ANYONE IN POLITICS OR WHO CARES ABOUT HOW WE ARE GOVERNED.The Last Hurrah by Edwin O'Connor
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