No political scandal in American history has had a greater
impact on America's political consciousness than the rise and fall
of the "Tweed Ring" in New York City between 1866 and 1871. In an
age ripe with scandal both public and private, the spectacular
corruption charged to "Boss" Tweed and his associates-estimates of
their extortion range from $20 million to $200 million-became an
enduring symbol of the dark side of democratic politics.
The Tweed Ring contributed much more than cartoonist
impressions; it helped to shape a powerful theory of political
reform. It was in truth one of the formative events of
progressivism, that multifaceted doctrine that has evolved into the
modern American creed. In this sense, the Tweed Ring was to produce
not only deep misgivings about the existing regime, but an insight
into how it should be reformed.
Denis Tilden Lynch's biography of "Boss" Tweed was first
published in 1927, in a time filled, like Tweed's, with sudden
prosperity, daunting problems, and spectacular scandals. It is a
straight-forward, workmanlike study, untroubled by the conceits of
modern historical scholarship, and close enough to its subject's
generation to have some of the immediacy of journalism. Of all the
books published about the Tweed affair, Lynch's study is the only
one that is a genuine biography, in which the man himself is the
focus. For this reason it conveys something of the texture of daily
life in New York in the nineteenth century, while bringing Tweed
out from behind the shadows of Thomas Nast's leering cartoons, and
presenting him, as much as is possible, as a man and not an icon.
An interesting example of Americana, this volume will be of
interest to historians of the period as well as those interested in
American urban and political life.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
