Giuliani: Flawed or Flawless?: The Oral Biography - Paperback

by Deborah Hart Strober (Author), Gerald S. Strober (Author)

In the fall of 2001, a lame-duck mayor became the most admired man in America, and perhaps the world. Displaying enormous personal courage, boundless energy, and utter confidence in his ability to lead, Rudolph Giuliani took charge of his city's response to the 9/11 attacks while state and federal authorities were still paralyzed by shock. But who is Rudy Giuliani? What insights would his friends, associates, allies, and enemies offer to explain what makes him tick; how he responded--or contributed--to other crises during his term as mayor; and, should he choose to seek higher office, how he might perform as president?

Giuliani presents a living portrait of one of the most prominent and controversial politicians of our era in the words of those who know him best. Featuring more than forty interviews with longtime political associates, teachers, protégées, and friends, as well as his opponents, critics, and other astute political observers, it offers deep and revealing insights into the political and personal evolution of America's most famous ex-mayor.

Complete with an in-depth exploration of Rudy's response to the September 11^th terrorist attacks, Giuliani is must reading for devotees of politics and anyone interested in Rudolph Giuliani as a possible presidential contender.

Front Jacket

In the fall of 2001, a lame-duck mayor became the most admired man in America, and perhaps the world. Displaying enormous personal courage, boundless energy, and utter confidence in his ability to lead, Rudolph Giuliani took charge of his city's response to the 9/11 attacks while state and federal authorities were still paralyzed by shock. But who is Rudy Giuliani? What insights would his friends, associates, allies, and enemies offer to explain what makes him tick; how he responded--or contributed--to other crises during his term as mayor; and, should he choose to seek higher office, how he might perform as president?

Giuliani presents a living portrait of one of the most prominent and controversial politicians of our era in the words of those who know him best. Featuring more than forty interviews with longtime political associates, teachers, protegees, and friends, as well as his opponents, critics, and other astute political observers, it offers deep and revealing insights into the political and personal evolution of America's most famous ex-mayor.

Former Pennsylvania governor Dick Thornburgh recalls Giuliani's days as the number-three man at the Justice Department and explains why Rudy may have wanted to be "demoted" to U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY).

Was Giuliani a hard-nosed prosecutor, a shameless self-promoter, or both? Did his political ambition influence his prosecutorial decisions? Assistant U.S. attorneys who worked under Giuliani discuss his most controversial cases, along with a number of defendants, their attorneys, and key witnesses.

Former New York mayors David Dinkins and Edward Koch join a host of prominent city politicians, attorneys, and community activists to analyze and comment on Giuliani's eight years as mayor. They examine his stern and innovative approaches to crime prevention; tough policies on welfare reform; contentious relationships with minorities and city employees; and his handling of the police-brutality case involving the abuse of Abner Louima and the shootings of Amadou Diallo and Patrick Dorismond.

From divorce lawyer Raoul Felder to former mayoral candidate Ruth Messinger, everyone in New York seems to have an opinion about Rudolph Giuliani's personal life. As a Roman Catholic who had his first marriage (to his second cousin) annulled and whose second marriage ended in a divorce punctuated with tawdry tabloid headlines, could Giuliani gain the support of religious conservatives for a national campaign?

Complete with an in-depth exploration of Rudy's response to the September 11th terrorist attacks, Giuliani is must reading for devotees of politics and anyone interested in Rudolph Giuliani as a possible presidential contender.

Back Jacket

The right man in the right place at the worst possible time

"Let's give Rudy credit: he knew that not just the people of the City of New York were going to watch his every move and listen to his every word, but that the entire world was going to be looking to him for guidance, for updates, for information, and Rudy rose to the occasion. Rudy is a seasoned politician with thirty years of law enforcement training to fall back on; he had all of his connections with the Justice Department, with the Police Department, with the law enforcement community, so he was a good mayor to have in place at the time. You were not dealing with just an act of trauma or a terrible act of natural devastation; this was an intentional act of criminal conduct, and he understood not only about preserving the crime scene but doing the rescue operation. He understood that more than other mayors would have, even if they were more popular. Rudy had command of that naturally, based on his experience, and that gave comfort to the world--that the person in charge of New York was someone who had brought the Mafia to its knees; who had taken on big business; who was not going to be intimidated. He rose to the occasion and a lot of people who hated him before 9/11 are among his biggest fans now."
--Benjamin Brafman, partner, Brafman Associates, PC, from Giuliani

Author Biography

Deborah Hart Strober and Gerald S. Strober are the authors of "His Holiness the Dalai Lama: The Oral Biography" and "Billy Graham: An Oral and Narrative Biography," both available from Wiley, and four previous oral histories, including "Let Us Begin Anew: An Oral History of the Kennedy Presidency" and "Reagan: The Man and His Presidency." They are longtime residents of New York City.