Andrew Kirtzman

I can't explain why I thought I wanted to read this book. I usually prefer my political biography aged at least 50 years. I guess because I did wonder, along with a lot of other people, what happened to the so-called "hero" of 9/11, who showed a lot of promise and had been such an effective prosecutor in his day. Well, the answer is, if you want to get all Shakespearean about it, the flaw was always there, and a "tragic fall" was probably inevitable. Rudy was always power-mad, and as long show more has he had it, he was more or less in control of his vices (many, many vices). Once the bottom started to sag, though, he became the sorry hot mess we came to know in the last few years. I suppose New Yorkers were more informed about his earlier erratic, belligerent, super-entitled behavior, as they would have been watching him more closely as U. S. Attorney for the Southern District of NY, and as Mayor. His methods came out of the same bag DJT later drew from--the Big Lie, the "I'm the VIP, so I can do what I want" attitude, the objectification and reprehensible treatment of women, refusal to admit defeat, all that rot. Rudy even suggested, before DJT gave it a go, that he could unilaterally extend his own term in office. Turns out he is that most dangerous of political animals---a man who believes the stuff he spouts, and thinks the end justifies the means. A former assistant, who left his employ still believing in him and "the Big Guy", was quoted as saying "He believed what he was doing was right...That's all the motivation he needed." And he never once uttered a word of regret for the chaos and catastrophe he left in his wake.

Kirtzman is good at narrative, and his sources seem well documented. He concludes that without Rudy's manic machinations, Trump might have avoided those two pesky impeachment proceedings. If you feel like wading in muddy water, I recommend this work. show less

A brilliant retelling of the tragic (often pathetically so) fall of a key player in some of the worst incidents in recent U.S. history. Giuliani purportedly (mostly as told by him) is most concerned with "what is right," but unfortunately switches the script from "I do this because it is right" to "this is right because I am doing this," which makes him the perfect companion of a particular ex-president.

This book is an easy read and I finished it in two days. There is not much new information about the actual fraud; many of the events described in the book have already been discussed in various articles and newspapers. There is, however, a significant amount of information about the young Bernie Madoff - his childhood years, college experience and family background. All of this is interesting reading, but unfortunately gives little insight into the motivation behind the heinous crimes he show more committed later in life. The behind the scenes details, especially of the last twenty years, focused more on the outside relationships - how he connected with investors and how he built up his mystique - than on the inside workings of how the scheme was conducted. Highlights include the fascinating (and appalling) facts regarding the SEC investigation which in essence cleared Madoff just a few years before he was exposed, as well as the allegations (ignored by the government) that were raised for years by a few private citizens. All in all, it is a worthwhile read if you are keenly interested in one of the biggest frauds ever committed. show less

Easy to read. Goes through beginnings to actual event history. Fasinating!