Book Description
Plunkitt of Tammany Hall is a series of very plain talks on very practical politics, delivered by Ex-senator George Washington Plunkitt, the Tammany Philosopher, from his rostrum-the New York County Court House Bootblack Stand. This is an important work for those interested in his stories, history of the American political system and for political historians and scholars. ... Read more

Book Description
Plunkitt of Tammany Hall is a series of very plain talks on very practical politics, delivered by Ex-Senator George Washington Plunkitt, the Tammany Philosopher, from his rostrum-the New York County Court House Bootblack Stand. This is an important work for those interested in his stories, history of the American political system and for political historians and scholars. ... Read more

Book Description
G.W. Plunkitt, the millionaire ward boss of New York's 15th district, gave this series of talks on the secrets of political success as practiced by him and fellow Tammany Hall titans.Download Description
EVERYBODY is talkin' these days about Tammany men growin' rich on graft, but nobody thinks of drawin' the distinction between honest graft and dishonest graft. There's all the difference in the world between the two. Yes, many of our men have grown rich in politics. I have myself. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

Good Book, Bad Edition.
I read this for my Political Parties Class. I found the book very interesting, however there were more typos in this book, than in any book I have ever read. I would buy a different edition of this book. This is a reprint from a company that only does reprints of rare books. Find another one to go with, you have to decipher this one. For example, some "I" are replaced with "!", and so on. Very annoying.

great, quick delivery
delivery was fast and very efficient. i would buy from this seller again. thanks!!

An Entertaining Ride through A Bygone Era in Politics
This hundred-year-old book is not a traditional non-fiction book.It is actually a series of elocutions on the politics of the day as practiced by a big city "machine," Tammany Hall.This was in the time when parties had direct control over who was allowed to run for office and how spoils would be distributed.This system has been dead in America for nearly fifty years, or at least since national reforms were carried out tin the early 1970s that devolved power down and created lots of mini-campaign, instead of one campaign that was directed from the party.

Plunkitt gives a frank description of what he sees as Tammany's benefits to society and how undoing this situation would be disastrous.To Plunkitt, Tammany is more akin to a social organization than what people today think of political parties.Plunkitt helps out when his constituents are in trouble, go to jail, have money problems or problems at work.He also uses the spoils system of awarding political allies by handing out plum job assignments.His sometimes odd rants against civil service reform, designed to break the back of political machines and the spoils systems, sometimes verge on the comical.

This is a short, entertaining look at how politics was conducted a hundred years ago.It was a joy to read.

I saw my opportunities and I took them.
Well, at least you can say that George Washington Plunkitt was a 'honest' politician (not a liar).He didn't mince words and tell the voters what they wanted to hear, and then didn't deliver.He delivered a service that the voters of his district could count on.He provided them with a sense of security which the politicians of this day don't provide.In a difficult and ever changing world, I am not sure more voters would cherish the ideal of what the machine can give them.
Plunkitt rips the civil service ideal in much of this book, while extolling the fruits of rewarded service.He takes a slash at the education system by constantly making the comparison between book learning and common sense.As some of the previous reviewers have already stated-his arguments on honest and dishonest graft are almost unbelievable.The reader will find themselves chuckling at some of his arguments.This is what machine politicians believed in during their time.
This is an OK book.Ultimately, Plunkitts ideas are out of time, and a more fair system is now in place.

What you need is votes...
Anyone who thinks politics are boring should read this book and know they don't have to be.Tammany Hall Politician George Washington Plunkitt describes what he does in less than a hundred pages, with short essays by William L. Riordan.Plunkitt describes the difference between an "honest" and "dishonest" graft, argues that New York City should be its own state (an argument still considered today), rages about how civil service makes people unpatriotic, and how to be successful in politics - you don't need a plan, you need VOTES.

Plunkitt engaged in unfair (although not illegal) practices, but this book is nevertheless fascinating if one wants to know why.It's a great look into the political machines of the past, as well as a great explanation of why they worked for so long and how. ... Read more