Fred Siegel - The Prince of the City: Giuliani, New York and the Genius of American Life

The Prince of the City is at once a fascinating character study of one of America's most charismatic public figures, a history of New York over the last forty years, and a classic inquiry into the issue of how cities thrive or die. Siegel's story culminates with a dramatic account of September 11, 2001, revealing how Giuliani's s eight years in office had prepared him and the city to rise to this tragic occasion and how in the aftermath of the attack he became America's Mayor. Siegel concludes with a look at how Guiliani's successor, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, has handled his legacy and at what lies in Guiliani's political future.

In this first comprehensive account of the career of "America's Mayor," Fred Siegel shows how Rudolph Giuliani's successes in New York-restoring law and order, cutting taxes and radically reducing the welfare rolls-demonstrated that cities might again become vibrant and dynamic places to live after thirty years of middle-class flight. The Prince of the City is at once a fascinating character study, a history of New York over the last forty years, and an insight on how cities function. The story that Siegel tells culminates with an account of September 11, 2001, showing how Giuliani's eight years in office had prepared him and the city to rise to the occasion.