Boss Tweed: The Rise and Fall of the Corrupt Pol Who Conceived the Soul of Modern New York

This is a wonderful look not only at Tweed himself, but a vivid account of the political machine controlling Manhattan in the late 1800s. We get a great look at Boss Tweed and his own life, as well as a vivid and colorful look at the many other personalities surrounding him. Governor Samuel Tilden,Mayor Oakey Hall, and Sheriff Jimmy O'Brien are a few of the cronies we are introduced to, as well as the infamous "boss" William M. Tweed. Myself a New Yorker, I found it interesting to see the events shaping NY City, and the ways in which New Yorkers were held hostage to the massively powerful grip of Tammany Hall.

Kenneth Ackerman's "Boss Tweed: The Rise and Fall of the Corrupt Pol Who Conceived the Soul of Modern New York" is a brilliant look back at one of New York's--and America's--most notorious figures. While William M. Tweed is portrayed in an occasional sympathetic light, Ackerman steers clear of moralizing for the most part. This isn't easy when you consider the scope of the Tweed Ring's criminal activity. In the long run, and perhaps intentionally, Tweed comes off a little better than his ring members, and certainly less devious than others who walked away from their years of crime (read: Jay Gould and Jim Fisk). The cast of the book reads like a Who's Who of 19th Century New York: Tilden, Nast, Greeley, Bryant, Gould, Fisk, etc. Peppered with a generous heaping of illustrations and photos, the book is well-paced, slowing down only to explain the intricacies of the deceptions and the "laundering" of the stolen funds. More important, the book gives us a rare glimpse of what life was like in mid-19th Century New York: that includes daily life, as well as political. If there is anything negative to say, it's about the subtitle. I'm not convinced that Tweed "conceived the soul of modern New York". A lot of other people can take that credit (or blame, depending on your point of view). But I'm nit-picking. Treat yourself to this history! Rocco Dormarunno Author of THE FIVE POINTS CONCLUDED

This is an enlightening, meticulous story of William "Boss" Tweed and, as past of the context, his three key cronies in the ring: Peter Sweeny, Richard Connolly and Oakley Hall. It is a story about how the New York Times elevated itself by getting the goods on corruption and bravely exposing it on the front page. Oh how the mighty have fallen! The time of power (terror?) for Tweed's edition of Tammany Hall was relatively short, but Tammany Hall power lingered well after Tweed's demise, another eithy-five years. The critical moment to the story is when Tweed engineers the proverbial license to steal by devising a new charter for New York City, putting the power in the hands of his incredibly greedy ring of thieves. The four took this opportunity to carve out a fortune for themselves, primarily by paying millions of dollars for a courthouse that should have cost a few hundred thousand to build. A disgruntled 'whistleblower' (the term had no meaning back then) copied over the records in enough detail to demonstrate the bold theft and fraud. There are several versions of how the blockbuster story of the padded expenses and outright theft came into the Times' hands, but the remarkable part of the story is just how brazen the "Ring" could be, how convinced they were of their own invincibility or ability to bribe, cheat and steal their way out of any legal investigation or hearings. People who today believe we live in an era of unbridled corporate greed and ethical lapses need to read this book to better understand how much the supposed watchdog and people's friend -- the government -- can be part of the problem and a barrier to the solution. The cast of characters, sinners, (few) saints, and masses of immigrants makes following the flow of the book sometimes a challenging task. Thomas Nast, a pivotal character if not the hero of the book, provides some vivid, visual signposts. Nast not only draws a compelling picture for often illiterate 'readers', he was one of the first to put a face on public figures who heretofore had not been subjected to portraits or paparazzi as are today's politicians. Nast's giving Tweed a face may have been one of the breakthrough aspects of this story. It certainly helped catch Tweed when he jumped bail. A few maps, perhaps some old drawings, and even a list of key characters could have perhaps clarified some of the story or reduced my thumbing back to previous pages or checking the index for the entry and bio of important members of the cast. There are some historic New York Times front page stories that help create atmosphere and context. Any reasonably educated American should have learned at least the sketchy details of Tweed's nefarious deeds and Nast's colorful cartoons. Ackerman does an excellent job of documenting and detailing, filling in the gaps, and bringing now faded, black-and-white characters back to life.

The illustrations prompted me to buy this book, political satire and cartoons fascinate me. Thomas Nast and Harpers Ferry produced some exceptional work on Boss Tweed. Even less balanced than journalism of today - editorial cartoons had superb artwork and were very vicious. The author provides a well written, lucid and balanced portrait of a politician who was very corrupt (by any standard) but achieved alot. The courthouse he was responsible for building (and was sentenced in)is a great monument for Tweed; most ironic. The author demonstares well the long term impact Tweed had on New York City. Great book - an empathetic account of a fascinating man.

"I recently got my hands on an advance copy of Ken Ackerman's new BOSS TWEED book and stayed up all night to finish it. It's that good! Ackerman blows to bits all the tired old stereotypes about Tweed and brings the old Boss into vivid focus, an awesome presence that jumps off the pages. It's a story of highs and lows, pride and tragedy, backroom deals, treachery, ambition, and politics played with raw abandon. Thomas Nast (his cartoons are everywhere in the book), the New-York Times, and Sam Tilden all figure prominently, but with unexpected twists. In the end, Ackerman makes no excuses for Tweed's crimes, but still finds a core of integrity in the man that carries the story. Politicians today, the sorry lot they are, could learn a few good tricks from old Boss Tweed."