City of Ambition is a brilliant history of the New Deal and its
role in the making of modern New York City. The story of a
remarkable collaboration between Franklin Roosevelt and Fiorello La
Guardia, this is a case study in creative political leadership in
the midst of a devastating depression. Roosevelt and La Guardia
were an odd couple: patrician president and immigrant mayor,
fireside chat and tabloid cartoon, pragmatic Democrat and reform
Republican. But together, as leaders of America s two largest
governments in the depths of the Great Depression, they fashioned a
route to recovery for the nation and the master plan for a great
city.
Roosevelt and his Brain Trust shrewd, energetic advisors such as
Harold Ickes and Harry Hopkins sought to fight the Depression by
channeling federal resources through America s cities and counties.
La Guardia had replaced Tammany Hall cronies with policy experts,
such as the imperious Robert Moses, who were committed to a strong
public sector. The two leaders worked closely together. La Guardia
had a direct line of communication with FDR and his staff, often
visiting Washington carrying piles of blueprints. Roosevelt relied
on the mayor as his link to the nation s cities and their needs.
The combination was potent. La Guardia s Gotham became a laboratory
for New Deal reform. Roosevelt s New Deal transformed city
initiatives into major programs such as the Works Progress
Administration, which changed the physical face of the United
States. Together they built parks, bridges, and schools; put the
unemployed to work; and strengthened the Progressive vision of
government as serving the public purpose.
Today everyone knows the FDR Drive as a main route to La Guardia
Airport. The intersection of steel and concrete speaks to a pair of
dynamic leaders whose collaboration lifted a city and a nation.
Here is their story."
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
