"This brief classic of streetwise politics was published in 1905 after first appearing as a series of newspaper stories. George Washington Plunkitt was a sort of middle manager of one of the greatest political machines in U.S. history, Tammany Hall, which held power in New York City for much of the period between the Civil War and the 1930s. Most of its men died rich; a few spent their last years in jail. Plunkitt was one of the smarter and luckier ones. And he's remembered today by historians because he was the only one who talked, openly and on the record, to a reporter from the "New York Evening Post" named Riordan, about how to get and keep power. Riordan published Plunkitt's musings from his "office" (a shoeshine stand in the New York County Courthouse) straight, without comment or gloss, and preserving Plunkitt's speech rhythms and slang. The result is a little like hanging out with a Dickens character for an hour or so; the guy is colorful, unabashed when distinguishing between "honest graft and dishonest graft," and at times remarkably prescient: "The Democratic party of the nation ain't dead, though it's been givin' a lifelike imitation of a corpse for several years. . . . The trouble is that the party's been chasin' after theories and stayin' up nights readin' books instead of studyin' human nature and actin' accordin' . . . .""
David Loftus, Resident Scholar
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Review Analysis of Plunkitt of Tammany Hall
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
job/profession:
- politician
Job/profession/poverty story
Yes
Politician story?
- Politician trying to avoid reform
Period of greatest activity?
- 1900+
Subject of Biography
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- small businessman
Age:
- 40's-50's
Eccentric/Mental
Yes
Eccentric:
- eccentric
Ethnicity
- White
Nationality
- American (!)
How sensitive is this person?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings?
- 2 (a little)
United States
Yes
The US:
- Northeast
City?
Yes
City:
- New York
- dirty, grimy (like New York)
Century:
- 1900-1920's
Style
Person
- mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death?
- no torture/death
Book makes you feel?
- thoughtful
Is book humorous?
Yes
If humorous, kind of humor
- eccentric personalities
- Dry-cynical
Commentary on society?
Yes
Commentary on
- selfishness
- capitalism
- justice system
- wicked rich people
Writer's slant towards subject:
- neutral
Story of entire life, or part?
- story of nearly entire life
Autobiography?
Yes
Pictures/Illustrations?
- A few 1-5 B&W
How much dialogue in bio?
- mostly dialog
How much of bio focuses on most famous period of life?
- 0-25% of book
How much is philosophy rather than life story?
- 26-50% of book
