Mike Royko, 1971
Mike Royko gives a no holds barred detailed profile of possibly the most powerful political boss of all time and his reign over the city of Chicago. It’s an eye opening look into the way things used to get done and a serves as a history of 20th century Chicago.
The book is universally praised and sold millions of copies so it was surprise I liked it. My enjoyment was mostly attributed to the history lessons on each of the Chicago neighborhoods and how significant ethnic differences were to the culture of the city.
It’s striking to me how similar the presentation of the book was to The Wire some 35 years ahead. Like David Simon, Royko clearly has a view of city institutions as corrupt and driving society’s problems and rolls each chapter out the same way the tv show does each of its seasons. Each chapter uses a real life narrative to take a swipe at a big institutional problem: race, city hall, police, politics, etc…
The other conclusion I drew was that in Daley, I found many of the same character qualities as I see in President Trump. Daley’s morals were unquestionably superior to Trump’s and he obviously really did love the city of Chicago, but the similarities are remarkable. He was prone to rambling, incoherent speeches, blaming fake news for stories he didn’t like (see 1968 riots), consolidated decision making to just himself and surrounded himself with sycophants.
My only objection to the book was that it seemed too obvious that Royko had a strong agenda (however worthy it may be) and got a little repetitive in driving it home.
If you’re someone who calls Chicago home, the book is a must read.
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