I never did like politics How Fiorello La Guardia became America's mayor, and why he still matters

As 1933 arrived, the U.S. was mired in the Great Depression and New York City neared fiscal insolvency. The presidency of Franklin Roosevelt would bring rejuvenation to the country, while the election of Fiorello La Guardia as New York's mayor would galvanize the city. The son of immigrants himself, La Guardia had an affinity for the recently immigrated, possessed a pure love for his country, and believed that patriotism shouldn't be forced. La Guardia served his country in WWI, deployed to Italy with the Army Air Service. A maverick in the Republican Party, he advocated for what was right as opposed to what suited the GOP, and voters elected him to three terms as mayor. Golway (Frank and Al, 2018) takes the reader on a gripping voyage to the turbulent 1930s and 1940s. The book's organization around the admirable qualities that distinguished La Guardia's character and leadership works brilliantly, making this a first-rate biography of a unique and transfixing figure.

Fiorello Henry La Guardia (1882-1947) was "one of those rare political figures whose reputation and legacy have stood the test of time," according to this admiring biography from historian Golway (Machine Made). Born to Italian immigrants in New York City's Greenwich Village, La Guardia found early work as a clerk at the U.S. consulate in Budapest assisting thousands of Eastern European immigrants leaving for America. After returning to New York, he became a translator on Ellis Island and graduated from law school. Elected the first Italian American representative to Congress in 1918, La Guardia interrupted his first term to enlist as a pilot in WWI. Following the war, he jumped back into New York City politics and eventually won the 1933 mayoral election. Inheriting a "mismanaged city on the verge of bankruptcy," La Guardia utilized federal New Deal funds to get the city back on its feet with public works project such as the New York Housing Authority, which built more than a dozen public housing developments. Throughout, Golway presents La Guardia as a model for today, highlighting his cross-aisle politicking (he was a Republican who supported the New Deal) and his willingness to dissent from prevailing wisdom (he was pro-immigration at a time when it was unpopular). This will intrigue readers concerned with America's current political polarization and government gridlock. (Feb.)

A biography of one of America's greatest mayors. Fiorello La Guardia (1882-1947) governed New York from 1934 to 1945. As Golway, author of Frank and Al, relates, perhaps the most intriguing fact about his career--during which he opposed immigration restriction, denounced racism, and supported measures to create a social safety net for the poor--is that he was a Republican. Son of an immigrant Army musician and warrant officer, La Guardia tried unsuccessfully to enlist during the Spanish-American War, served in two European U.S. consulates from 1901 to 1906, and then worked as an Ellis Island interpreter from 1907 to 1910. He hated corrupt Tammany Hall, and his charisma and appeal to minorities won him elections in formerly Democratic districts. From 1923 to 1933, he became a national figure in the House of Representatives, where he sided with reformers and progressives. During the 1933 mayoral race, Franklin Roosevelt viewed La Guardia as "a potential across-the-aisle ally." Golway emphasizes that La Guardia had a more difficult job than FDR when he took office. New York was nearly bankrupt, and it lacked the financial flexibility of the federal government. "He would have to cut jobs, at a time of mass unemployment," writes the author. "He would have to reduce services at a time when people needed them as never before." In the final 100 pages, Golway reveals La Guardia's secrets to success. Contemporaries extolled his energy and sympathy for the poor, but historians often emphasize his relations with FDR, a calculating politician who was especially generous to supporters. New Deal aid paid for much of the housing, parks, infrastructure, and relief that the mayor wanted. When he died, "he left behind eight thousand dollars' worth of war bonds and a mortgaged home in the Bronx"--and a great legacy. A suitably admiring biography of an admirable politician. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.