Lords of the Levee: The Story of Bathhouse John and Hinky Dink

I had to read this book in college years ago and actually enjoyed it. I was glad to see it was still in print. The book details the corruption in Chicago politics in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Especially in the First Ward. I would recommend it for anyone interested in city politics.

EVERYTHING I HAVE EVER LEARNED ABOUT REAL-LIFE POLITICSWAS IN THIS BOOK. CHICAGO POLITICS HASN'T CHANGED ONE IOTA SINCE 'HINKY DINK' KENNA AND 'BATHOUSE' JOHN COUGHLIN ROAMED THE FIRST WARD. POLITICIANS ARE STILL SCAMING THE ELECTORATE IN THOSE SAME WAYS.TERRIFIC DEPICTION OF THE TURN OF THE CENTURY ESCAPADESBY SCHRWED IRISH KNUCKLEHEADS.

Great book about Chicago...

Who knew what evil lurked in early Chicago? Easy reading the ugly past.

Wonderful book on early Chicago politics. To understand the corruption of Chicago it's important to know how it started. Big Bill Thompson and Governor Len Small learned how be be thieves from Hinkey Dink & Bathhouse. A great read.

Item just as described. Carefully wrapped for shipping. Highly recommend

This book, published in 1943 was reissued a few years ago. It's a fascinating political history of two early Chicago "Community Organizers," Democrat First Ward Aldermen John Coughlin and Mike Kenna, in the late 19th and early 20th century. If you want to understand how Chicago Way politics became as they are today, this is a great place to start--and excellent entertainment as well. Vote fraud (50 cents per vote was the going price to pay "floaters" to come into the ward and vote multiple times), corruption and legislative vote selling (called "boodling" by the press), protection payoffs from gambling and bawdy houses to fund the Democrat machine--it's all here. In those days, it was out in the open. Now they try to keep it hidden from feds and the press, which still does weekly stories that would turn our stomachs, except those of us who live in Cook County have become inured to corruption stories. We read them, complain, and forget. And one-party rule goes on. This was the age of "reform" Governor John Peter Altgelt (the "Eagle that is Forgotten" of Vachel Lindsay's poem), William Jennings Bryan (Coughlin and Kenna were "free silver" men), Big Bill Thompson, TR and at end of the story, Al Capone. If you have an interest in politics, history and/or Chicago, you'll want to read this book.Robert A. HallMassachusetts Senate, 1973-83Author: [...]