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Tip O'Neill and the Democratic Century by John A. Farrell
The definitive biography of Thomas Philip "Tip" O'Neill, the greatest post-War Speaker of the House, and the rise and decline of Democratic politics from an award-winning political reporter.To read John A. Farrell's account of Tip O'Neill is to take a walk through the greatest moments of post-World War II American politics. O'Neill's career began with the start of the New Deal, and his final foe was Newt Gingrich. From the Melting Pot to Watergate, Tip saw it all, and was no mere bystander to the turmoil of his times. No governor, member of congress, president, or any Democratic leader witnessed so many of his party's historic triumphs and failures.
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First published January 1, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
July 25, 2018
I read this book because I really enjoyed Farrell's biography of Nixon (2017) and I admire his craft.
I found the narrative well balanced and also very enlightening when it comes to the relationship between lawmakers in the House among themselves and with the executive branch.
Tip O'Neill had a fascinating yet complicated life. Farrell does a great job at analyzing his New Deal philosophy coupled with his Boston smoked filled back room dealing style in the 40's up to the 80's.
The best part of the biography for me was the chapters relating his battles against Reagan:
''O'Neill's Democrats were united again when work on the budget began the following spring. His final budget battle did not go by without one last confrontation between the Speaker and the President. On January 28, 1986, Reagan spoke up at a briefing and complained about able-bodied welfare recipients. ''Don't give me that crap,'' an angry O'Neill responded. ''The guy in Youngstown, Ohio, who's been laid off at the steel mill and has to make his mortgage payments- don't tell me he doesn't want to work. Those stories may work on your rich friends, but they don't work on the rest of us. I'm sick and tired of your attitude, Mr. President. I thought you would have grown in the five years you've been in office, but you're still repeating those same simplistic explanations. '' ''
I found the narrative well balanced and also very enlightening when it comes to the relationship between lawmakers in the House among themselves and with the executive branch.
Tip O'Neill had a fascinating yet complicated life. Farrell does a great job at analyzing his New Deal philosophy coupled with his Boston smoked filled back room dealing style in the 40's up to the 80's.
The best part of the biography for me was the chapters relating his battles against Reagan:
''O'Neill's Democrats were united again when work on the budget began the following spring. His final budget battle did not go by without one last confrontation between the Speaker and the President. On January 28, 1986, Reagan spoke up at a briefing and complained about able-bodied welfare recipients. ''Don't give me that crap,'' an angry O'Neill responded. ''The guy in Youngstown, Ohio, who's been laid off at the steel mill and has to make his mortgage payments- don't tell me he doesn't want to work. Those stories may work on your rich friends, but they don't work on the rest of us. I'm sick and tired of your attitude, Mr. President. I thought you would have grown in the five years you've been in office, but you're still repeating those same simplistic explanations. '' ''
June 30, 2022
https://thebestbiographies.com/2022/0...
Tip O’Neill (1912-1994) is a colorful, larger-than-life political figure and anyone interested in his brash, back room style of politics will find much to enjoy in this biography. During O’Neill’s five-decade political career, he served in the Massachusetts House as well as the U.S. House of Representatives (where he ended his career with ten years of service as Speaker).
Farrell invested five years researching his subject’s life and his knowledge of O’Neill often seems encyclopedic. From O’Neill’s ancestry to the last moments of his service as the 47th Speaker of the House of Representatives, every nuance of his public life seems to have been captured and memorialized.
Particularly fascinating is Farrell’s examination of O’Neill’s Irish heritage and his decision to join Boston’s turbulent political scene. Other notable moments include O’Neill’s decision to turn against the Vietnam War and observations relating to Tip’s famously fractious relationships with individuals working in the Carter administration. Also admirable is Farrell’s ability to objectively evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of his passionately partisan biographical subject.
But it is Farrell’s review of O’Neill’s relationship with Ronald Reagan – and the successes and failures of Tip’s efforts to protect the progressive agenda – that may be the most valuable portion of the book.
Readers lacking a serious interest in politics, however, are likely to find the narrative too “inside baseball” to serve as an ideal biography. Rather than focusing on the major themes of his career, this book dives deeply into moments both large and small, following the ebb and flow of various pieces of legislation as well as back room discussions that will not always appeal to a broad audience.
More disappointing for me, however, is the lack of focus on O’Neill’s personal life. The context of his childhood is excellent, but the book offers relatively little concerning his family life. This includes his wife (about whom we learn virtually nothing prior to their wedding – and relatively little thereafter) and his five children (who probably saw less of O’Neill than does the reader).
Finally, there is no meaningful review of O’Neill’s legacy, no sweeping assessment of his life or impact on American politics. No one, it seems, would be in a better position to place O’Neill’s lengthy career into context than Farrell; it’s disappointing he didn’t take advantage of the opportunity.
Overall, John Farrell’s biography of Tip O’Neill will delight fans of the mid-to-late 20th century political scene as well as anyone interested in Democratic politics during O’Neill’s era. But this biography is likely to frustrate readers seeking a more personal, and less politically-focused, review of Tip O’Neill’s life.
Overall rating: 3¾ stars
Tip O’Neill (1912-1994) is a colorful, larger-than-life political figure and anyone interested in his brash, back room style of politics will find much to enjoy in this biography. During O’Neill’s five-decade political career, he served in the Massachusetts House as well as the U.S. House of Representatives (where he ended his career with ten years of service as Speaker).
Farrell invested five years researching his subject’s life and his knowledge of O’Neill often seems encyclopedic. From O’Neill’s ancestry to the last moments of his service as the 47th Speaker of the House of Representatives, every nuance of his public life seems to have been captured and memorialized.
Particularly fascinating is Farrell’s examination of O’Neill’s Irish heritage and his decision to join Boston’s turbulent political scene. Other notable moments include O’Neill’s decision to turn against the Vietnam War and observations relating to Tip’s famously fractious relationships with individuals working in the Carter administration. Also admirable is Farrell’s ability to objectively evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of his passionately partisan biographical subject.
But it is Farrell’s review of O’Neill’s relationship with Ronald Reagan – and the successes and failures of Tip’s efforts to protect the progressive agenda – that may be the most valuable portion of the book.
Readers lacking a serious interest in politics, however, are likely to find the narrative too “inside baseball” to serve as an ideal biography. Rather than focusing on the major themes of his career, this book dives deeply into moments both large and small, following the ebb and flow of various pieces of legislation as well as back room discussions that will not always appeal to a broad audience.
More disappointing for me, however, is the lack of focus on O’Neill’s personal life. The context of his childhood is excellent, but the book offers relatively little concerning his family life. This includes his wife (about whom we learn virtually nothing prior to their wedding – and relatively little thereafter) and his five children (who probably saw less of O’Neill than does the reader).
Finally, there is no meaningful review of O’Neill’s legacy, no sweeping assessment of his life or impact on American politics. No one, it seems, would be in a better position to place O’Neill’s lengthy career into context than Farrell; it’s disappointing he didn’t take advantage of the opportunity.
Overall, John Farrell’s biography of Tip O’Neill will delight fans of the mid-to-late 20th century political scene as well as anyone interested in Democratic politics during O’Neill’s era. But this biography is likely to frustrate readers seeking a more personal, and less politically-focused, review of Tip O’Neill’s life.
Overall rating: 3¾ stars
July 21, 2017
John Farrell has written a solid biography of Thomas “Tip” O'Neill, Jr., the stalwart Democratic Speaker of the House during most of the Carter and Reagan years. But those years only come after decades of service, first in the Massachusetts House of Representatives (where he also was Speaker), and then as he moved slowly up the ranks of the U.S. House of Representatives, fighting with various Presidents along the way. Farrell makes exclusive use of interviews with many people who were close to O'Neill, as well as O'Neill's own papers and memoirs.
One thing that does seem a bit odd is that, when O'Neill becomes Majority Leader (1973), Farrell references O'Neill's diary for the first time. There are many subsequent references to it as well. But when did O'Neill start keeping it? Was it in the early 70s? If not, why didn't Farrell use it as a source earlier?
Farrell chronicles O'Neill's boyhood in Cambridge, MA and his entry into politics. Sadly, O'Neill's mother died when he was not yet one year old, so he never knew her. The impact that this must have had on him can only be guessed at as each person, of course, is going to be affected by such a thing differently. Interestingly, Farrell does not make O'Neill's children a focal point, or even a major part of, O'Neill's life. In fact, a few of them are first mentioned only after they are several years old. This seems odd for a full biography, as the birth of children are major events in almost any parent's life, and one would think perhaps even more so given O'Neill's unfortunate childhood loss. Even later on, the children take a backseat in the narrative as it is primarily about O'Neill's professional life.
Even though that specific area might have been reviewed a bit closer, it does not detract from this excellent book. The reader comes away with a real sense of what O'Neill's personality was like: alternately affectionate yet cut-throat; lazy at times on policy matters/bill drafting, yet devoted to taking care of his friends and allies, not caving in on certain core beliefs yet being willing to publicly reverse course on Vietnam. Here is where the interviews help – Farrell hears directly from people that O'Neill worked with (or against), and people who worked for him. All of their recollections bring a clearer picture of the man into mind.
This is a really even-handed picture of O'Neill, and Farrell excels here at telling the story of O'Neill's life with its many twists and turns. From a historical perspective, O'Neill's career spans from the Great Depression to within a few years of the end of the Cold War. O'Neill knew so many people over the years, traveled to many countries, and was involved in quite a few momentous events (Congressional opposition to the Vietnam War, Watergate and the subsequent impeachment inquiry, Jimmy Carter's energy program, and the budget and Social Security battles with Ronald Reagan in the 1980s). Farrell keeps the narrative moving at a swift pace. Only late in the book does it almost bog down, when he delves into the intricacies of O'Neill's fights with the Reagan White House. Those chapters are a bit heavy on the budget process, bur fortunately Farrell does not linger over them.
By the end of his career in 1986, O'Neill himself realized that his brand of politics no longer fit the times, and that – while he certainly had his successes as Speaker, and had a long Congressional career – time had caught up with him. Anyone interested in Boston political history, Massachusetts politics, or the U.S. House of Representatives would probably find this book to be a worthy read.
One thing that does seem a bit odd is that, when O'Neill becomes Majority Leader (1973), Farrell references O'Neill's diary for the first time. There are many subsequent references to it as well. But when did O'Neill start keeping it? Was it in the early 70s? If not, why didn't Farrell use it as a source earlier?
Farrell chronicles O'Neill's boyhood in Cambridge, MA and his entry into politics. Sadly, O'Neill's mother died when he was not yet one year old, so he never knew her. The impact that this must have had on him can only be guessed at as each person, of course, is going to be affected by such a thing differently. Interestingly, Farrell does not make O'Neill's children a focal point, or even a major part of, O'Neill's life. In fact, a few of them are first mentioned only after they are several years old. This seems odd for a full biography, as the birth of children are major events in almost any parent's life, and one would think perhaps even more so given O'Neill's unfortunate childhood loss. Even later on, the children take a backseat in the narrative as it is primarily about O'Neill's professional life.
Even though that specific area might have been reviewed a bit closer, it does not detract from this excellent book. The reader comes away with a real sense of what O'Neill's personality was like: alternately affectionate yet cut-throat; lazy at times on policy matters/bill drafting, yet devoted to taking care of his friends and allies, not caving in on certain core beliefs yet being willing to publicly reverse course on Vietnam. Here is where the interviews help – Farrell hears directly from people that O'Neill worked with (or against), and people who worked for him. All of their recollections bring a clearer picture of the man into mind.
This is a really even-handed picture of O'Neill, and Farrell excels here at telling the story of O'Neill's life with its many twists and turns. From a historical perspective, O'Neill's career spans from the Great Depression to within a few years of the end of the Cold War. O'Neill knew so many people over the years, traveled to many countries, and was involved in quite a few momentous events (Congressional opposition to the Vietnam War, Watergate and the subsequent impeachment inquiry, Jimmy Carter's energy program, and the budget and Social Security battles with Ronald Reagan in the 1980s). Farrell keeps the narrative moving at a swift pace. Only late in the book does it almost bog down, when he delves into the intricacies of O'Neill's fights with the Reagan White House. Those chapters are a bit heavy on the budget process, bur fortunately Farrell does not linger over them.
By the end of his career in 1986, O'Neill himself realized that his brand of politics no longer fit the times, and that – while he certainly had his successes as Speaker, and had a long Congressional career – time had caught up with him. Anyone interested in Boston political history, Massachusetts politics, or the U.S. House of Representatives would probably find this book to be a worthy read.
April 9, 2008
Well written, and a balanced look into a truly interesting character. This is also a great overview of Massachusetts politics from the end of World War II through 1980s.
October 7, 2014
Okay, so truthfully the only time I usually think about Tip O'Neill is when Chris Matthews name-drops him during political coverage on MSNBC (which he does — frequently). But it turns out he is arguably the one person who bridges the way politics were and the way politics are.
Born in the Irish Catholic part of Boston suburbs, he ascended to public office in the way we often think of retail politics. He rose through the ranks of the Massachusetts legislature to become Speaker there. Then, coming to Congress by way of JFK Jr.'s congressional seat, who had just gone on to the U.S. Senate. He was in Congress for 40 years and saw America through eight presidents. He saved social security from Reagan's attacks and saw the advent of C-SPAN. There are few people who were on the forefront of American change than O'Neill.
This account is obviously glowing, but does so without veering too far into extreme flattery (until the very end, when it quotes endless platitudes after his funeral, which, fair enough). It doesn't shy away from the good ol' boys club and his gambling or the Korea scandal. It also talks about how, though Catholic and pro-life, he at first thought the matter was settled after the Supreme Court ruled on Roe v. Wade, but was eventually convinced otherwise by the rabid pro-life activists and priests who shamed him.
Still, O'Neill harkens back to an earlier brand of politics, which becomes extremely clear when John Farrell gets to the chapter on Newt Gingrich. By today's standards, Gingrich seems almost even-handed, but back in O'Neill's day, he used partisanship in a way that was previously unheard of. He was the tea party before the tea party was dreamed of. That's how much partisanship has shifted over the last few decades. O'Neill crafted bipartisan deals — he refused to impeach Nixon until some Republicans were on — that we could only imagine today.
Born in the Irish Catholic part of Boston suburbs, he ascended to public office in the way we often think of retail politics. He rose through the ranks of the Massachusetts legislature to become Speaker there. Then, coming to Congress by way of JFK Jr.'s congressional seat, who had just gone on to the U.S. Senate. He was in Congress for 40 years and saw America through eight presidents. He saved social security from Reagan's attacks and saw the advent of C-SPAN. There are few people who were on the forefront of American change than O'Neill.
This account is obviously glowing, but does so without veering too far into extreme flattery (until the very end, when it quotes endless platitudes after his funeral, which, fair enough). It doesn't shy away from the good ol' boys club and his gambling or the Korea scandal. It also talks about how, though Catholic and pro-life, he at first thought the matter was settled after the Supreme Court ruled on Roe v. Wade, but was eventually convinced otherwise by the rabid pro-life activists and priests who shamed him.
Still, O'Neill harkens back to an earlier brand of politics, which becomes extremely clear when John Farrell gets to the chapter on Newt Gingrich. By today's standards, Gingrich seems almost even-handed, but back in O'Neill's day, he used partisanship in a way that was previously unheard of. He was the tea party before the tea party was dreamed of. That's how much partisanship has shifted over the last few decades. O'Neill crafted bipartisan deals — he refused to impeach Nixon until some Republicans were on — that we could only imagine today.
May 12, 2019
Bumped into this book in my library, so I read it the old fashioned way, and I am very happy I did. Thomas P. (Tip) O’Neil is a name that many recognize, especially in Massachusetts. For me Speaker O’Neil most certainly was a giant of Massachusetts politics, but I really was not versed in his career, and how he managed to achieve such political success. This book does, in my estimation, a great job of giving us a good look at that career, from start to finish. While the book is about Speaker O’Neil it is fully titled “Tip O’Neil and the Democratic Century,” and it provides us with a history touching some of the giants of the national Democratic Party, along with the interactions with some of the greats of the national GOP.
Speaker O’Neil represented a Congressional District in Cambridge that has a storied history, with John F. Kennedy beginning his political career by representing the district. James Michael Curley also represented that district. Farrell takes us through how a young Tip O’Neil ended up winning that seat, but before we get there we see Tip O’Neil winning a Massachusetts House race in Cambridge, and building a political organization that would serve him for the rest of his career. Just that part of the story makes the book worthwhile, as we get a pretty good look at Massachusetts politics, with State Representative O’Neil rising to become Speaker of the Massachusetts House. We get a pretty good look at some of the give and take with the Kennedy family, including the massive resources that Ambassador Joseph Kennedy was willing to bring to the table to support the political aspirations of his son Jack.
Tip O’Neil’s move to Washington as a Congressman was not easily achieved, as he had to twice defeat Michael Lopresti of East Boston, a very formidable opponent. (The Lopresti family remains politically prominent in Boston) We get to see some of the interactions with political giants like Sam Rayburn, John McCormack, and Lyndon Johnson. McCormack was a political patron, with Representative O’Neil benefitting from McCormack’s political acumen and influence. The story on the O’Neil influence on the Boston Herald loss of the Boston Channel 5 broadcast license (and how they got it) is a remarkable piece of Massachusetts history which reverberates to this very day. Watching the O’Neil climb in Washington, in addition to showing us some of the outsized personalities of the era, brings us some understanding of the importance of how the House works. (The Rules Committee) O’Neil’s fundamental ability to read people, to partially camouflage his ambition behind humor, his dedication to doing the hard work of networking with the members, understanding their needs and districts, allowed him to rise through the ranks. At a pivotal moment O’Neil was in the right place at the right time when Rep. Hale Boggs was lost in a tragic air accident.
O’Neil’s turn away from LBJ and the Vietnam war, and how that change mirrored the changes occurring in his Cambridge district, is covered. He took that stand in spite of the tension it created with John McCormack, a steadfast ally of LBJ on the Vietnam war. We get a look at how Tip O’Neil was an important player in the eventual impeachment hearings on Richard Nixon, managing the floor for Speaker Carl Albert and trying to manage Peter Rodino. O’Neils role in the selection of his pal Jerry Ford as Nixon’s Vice President is covered, and brought one of my favorite quotes from the book. As his friend Jerry Ford was about to assume the Presidency he had a conversation with O’Neil.
“‘Christ, Jerry isn’t this a wonderful country?’ O’Neil said. ‘Here we can talk like this and you and I can be friends, and eighteen months from now I’ll be going around the country kicking your ass in.’”
Farell, John “Tip O’Neill and the Democratic Century” (pg 380) Little Brown
Speaker O’Neil interactions with the Carter Administration are also a very important, in my view, part of the book. O’Neil was a New Dealer, and the Carter Administration desire to approach things differently, and often times clumsily, led to some less than harmonious relations between a Democratic President and Speaker. His relationship as Speaker, and his famous battles and accommodations, with President Reagan, are covered. Really great stuff. The O’Neill interaction with a rising Georgia firebrand named Newt Gingrich is also covered, and that period began the change in the GOP that started the hyper-partisan atmosphere that exists today.
The author, in writing this book, covered Speaker O’Neil fairly. He did not gloss over some of the things that might today be considered deficiencies, but despite that Tip O’Neil comes through this book as an honest man who reached great heights, and was involved in some of the monumental issues of the day. He was underestimated by many, and considered by the GOP to be the perfect foil for President Reagan. But Tip O’Neil knew how to play the game, and President Reagan understood that O’Neil was a formidable opponent. Times may have been a changing but Thomas P. Tip O’Neil never forget his roots in the New Deal, and how government could help the less fortunate. He should be considered in the upper echelon on the Massachusetts list of political giants, and that is a quite a testament to him. This book, even today, is a great read. I am glad I looked through my library.
Speaker O’Neil represented a Congressional District in Cambridge that has a storied history, with John F. Kennedy beginning his political career by representing the district. James Michael Curley also represented that district. Farrell takes us through how a young Tip O’Neil ended up winning that seat, but before we get there we see Tip O’Neil winning a Massachusetts House race in Cambridge, and building a political organization that would serve him for the rest of his career. Just that part of the story makes the book worthwhile, as we get a pretty good look at Massachusetts politics, with State Representative O’Neil rising to become Speaker of the Massachusetts House. We get a pretty good look at some of the give and take with the Kennedy family, including the massive resources that Ambassador Joseph Kennedy was willing to bring to the table to support the political aspirations of his son Jack.
Tip O’Neil’s move to Washington as a Congressman was not easily achieved, as he had to twice defeat Michael Lopresti of East Boston, a very formidable opponent. (The Lopresti family remains politically prominent in Boston) We get to see some of the interactions with political giants like Sam Rayburn, John McCormack, and Lyndon Johnson. McCormack was a political patron, with Representative O’Neil benefitting from McCormack’s political acumen and influence. The story on the O’Neil influence on the Boston Herald loss of the Boston Channel 5 broadcast license (and how they got it) is a remarkable piece of Massachusetts history which reverberates to this very day. Watching the O’Neil climb in Washington, in addition to showing us some of the outsized personalities of the era, brings us some understanding of the importance of how the House works. (The Rules Committee) O’Neil’s fundamental ability to read people, to partially camouflage his ambition behind humor, his dedication to doing the hard work of networking with the members, understanding their needs and districts, allowed him to rise through the ranks. At a pivotal moment O’Neil was in the right place at the right time when Rep. Hale Boggs was lost in a tragic air accident.
O’Neil’s turn away from LBJ and the Vietnam war, and how that change mirrored the changes occurring in his Cambridge district, is covered. He took that stand in spite of the tension it created with John McCormack, a steadfast ally of LBJ on the Vietnam war. We get a look at how Tip O’Neil was an important player in the eventual impeachment hearings on Richard Nixon, managing the floor for Speaker Carl Albert and trying to manage Peter Rodino. O’Neils role in the selection of his pal Jerry Ford as Nixon’s Vice President is covered, and brought one of my favorite quotes from the book. As his friend Jerry Ford was about to assume the Presidency he had a conversation with O’Neil.
“‘Christ, Jerry isn’t this a wonderful country?’ O’Neil said. ‘Here we can talk like this and you and I can be friends, and eighteen months from now I’ll be going around the country kicking your ass in.’”
Farell, John “Tip O’Neill and the Democratic Century” (pg 380) Little Brown
Speaker O’Neil interactions with the Carter Administration are also a very important, in my view, part of the book. O’Neil was a New Dealer, and the Carter Administration desire to approach things differently, and often times clumsily, led to some less than harmonious relations between a Democratic President and Speaker. His relationship as Speaker, and his famous battles and accommodations, with President Reagan, are covered. Really great stuff. The O’Neill interaction with a rising Georgia firebrand named Newt Gingrich is also covered, and that period began the change in the GOP that started the hyper-partisan atmosphere that exists today.
The author, in writing this book, covered Speaker O’Neil fairly. He did not gloss over some of the things that might today be considered deficiencies, but despite that Tip O’Neil comes through this book as an honest man who reached great heights, and was involved in some of the monumental issues of the day. He was underestimated by many, and considered by the GOP to be the perfect foil for President Reagan. But Tip O’Neil knew how to play the game, and President Reagan understood that O’Neil was a formidable opponent. Times may have been a changing but Thomas P. Tip O’Neil never forget his roots in the New Deal, and how government could help the less fortunate. He should be considered in the upper echelon on the Massachusetts list of political giants, and that is a quite a testament to him. This book, even today, is a great read. I am glad I looked through my library.
May 16, 2017
Great overview on Tip O'Neill's career that touches especially on the inner workings of the House, the debate over Vietnam, and the personalities that surrounded O'Neill in his early and late career. Thought there would be more on O'Neill as Speaker during the Reagan era, but the focus on his rise through the ranks of the House in the 70's more than makes up for it.
July 9, 2011
This was one of the books that made me wish I was in DC in the 80's. Politics seemed much more interesting then and everytime I hear someone's personal Tip O'Neill story, I get more jealous than I was before. All politics really is local.
June 3, 2013
Sometimes so detailed that it was difficult to see the big picture, this was none-the-less an incredibly well-researched and well-written portrait
January 20, 2020
Thomas P. O'Neill known to one and all as 'Tip' had a political career that spanned from the New Deal
until the era of Ronald Reagan. This biography written by Boston political reporter John A. Farrell
makes the colorful O'Neill come alive once again.
This was a man who was a survivor. He advanced by being in the right place at the right time, but also by making the right friends when he needed them. He was born to a lower middle class Irish
family and got blessed with a face that looked like the map of Ireland and a gift of blarney. Two
things indispensable for politics Boston style in those days. He was elected to the Massachusetts
lower house in 1936 and became the first Democratic speaker there in 1949.
Tip was a protege of John McCormack who represented another part of Boston and was House Majority Leader at the time. In 1952 O'Neill ran for the other Boston House seat being vacated by
John F. Kennedy when he ran for the Senate and won. He was never seriously challenged for his
own Congressional seat for the rest of his career.
Tip O'Neill was a dyed in the wool Democrat and he came from the rough and tumble school of
Boston politics. With McCormack's help who became Speaker in 1961 he moved up the ladder of House leadership with favorable committee assignments.
O'Neill was not just run of the mill Boston pol. He had vision and during the Vietnam War he
broke with the Johnson administration over the war. In doing so he went against his mentor McCormack as well. But Johnson did not run for re-election in 1968 and neither did McCormack
two years later. O'Neill was gold in the suburb of Cambridge which he represented that included
Harvard and a lot of student voters.
I did love reading Farrell's accounts of all the maneuverings and rivalries in the House of Representatives. And this just among the Democrats. One death, that of Majority Leader T. Hale
Boggs moved O'Neill up to Majority Leader behind McCormack's successor Carl Albert as Speaker.
I'm sure a certain amount of Irish fatalism helped O'Neill get through the fact during his time as
Speaker he served with presidents not truly congenial. With Jimmy Carter he found him incredibly
inept dealing with Congress. And Ronald Reagan he was opposed to ideologically, but found him
personally charming. As Speaker of the House, he truly was the voice of opposition standing for
a government that was supposed to help and not seeing it as an enemy.
The book is a wonderful read on a guy you can't help but liking.
until the era of Ronald Reagan. This biography written by Boston political reporter John A. Farrell
makes the colorful O'Neill come alive once again.
This was a man who was a survivor. He advanced by being in the right place at the right time, but also by making the right friends when he needed them. He was born to a lower middle class Irish
family and got blessed with a face that looked like the map of Ireland and a gift of blarney. Two
things indispensable for politics Boston style in those days. He was elected to the Massachusetts
lower house in 1936 and became the first Democratic speaker there in 1949.
Tip was a protege of John McCormack who represented another part of Boston and was House Majority Leader at the time. In 1952 O'Neill ran for the other Boston House seat being vacated by
John F. Kennedy when he ran for the Senate and won. He was never seriously challenged for his
own Congressional seat for the rest of his career.
Tip O'Neill was a dyed in the wool Democrat and he came from the rough and tumble school of
Boston politics. With McCormack's help who became Speaker in 1961 he moved up the ladder of House leadership with favorable committee assignments.
O'Neill was not just run of the mill Boston pol. He had vision and during the Vietnam War he
broke with the Johnson administration over the war. In doing so he went against his mentor McCormack as well. But Johnson did not run for re-election in 1968 and neither did McCormack
two years later. O'Neill was gold in the suburb of Cambridge which he represented that included
Harvard and a lot of student voters.
I did love reading Farrell's accounts of all the maneuverings and rivalries in the House of Representatives. And this just among the Democrats. One death, that of Majority Leader T. Hale
Boggs moved O'Neill up to Majority Leader behind McCormack's successor Carl Albert as Speaker.
I'm sure a certain amount of Irish fatalism helped O'Neill get through the fact during his time as
Speaker he served with presidents not truly congenial. With Jimmy Carter he found him incredibly
inept dealing with Congress. And Ronald Reagan he was opposed to ideologically, but found him
personally charming. As Speaker of the House, he truly was the voice of opposition standing for
a government that was supposed to help and not seeing it as an enemy.
The book is a wonderful read on a guy you can't help but liking.
December 15, 2019
I really enjoyed this evenly reported biography, especially the earlier parts that portrayed life and people early-century Cambridge, as well as the later parts that are a frank look at congressional wheeling and dealing. It drags a bit in the middle - when O’Neill is still in the early ranks of House leadership. In these sections, such as the parts about Watergate, it feels more like we are reading an abbreviated history with O’Neill’s occasionally minor roles or insights highlighted. But I’m not sure I could ask for more. To enhance his role there would be to overstate, but it would also be derelict to skip the period all together. Plus, it was interesting to read about impeachment at the moment.
The author is honest about his subject’s flaws and never paints him as heroic, which I appreciated. There are lots of great anecdotes and sayings and we are more or less always told to take them with a grain of salt.
We’re about at the point where we’re out of chances to get the full picture of the Greatest Generation from those who were part of it, so I’m grateful for this book (it was published in 2001) because it gives me a base with which to approach mid-century American politics.
Also, it is crazy to remember a time when a party line vote in Congress wasn’t a given.
Also, Nixon called O’Neill an “all-out dove and a vicious bastard.” So that makes him (O’Neill) a legend.
The author is honest about his subject’s flaws and never paints him as heroic, which I appreciated. There are lots of great anecdotes and sayings and we are more or less always told to take them with a grain of salt.
We’re about at the point where we’re out of chances to get the full picture of the Greatest Generation from those who were part of it, so I’m grateful for this book (it was published in 2001) because it gives me a base with which to approach mid-century American politics.
Also, it is crazy to remember a time when a party line vote in Congress wasn’t a given.
Also, Nixon called O’Neill an “all-out dove and a vicious bastard.” So that makes him (O’Neill) a legend.
March 4, 2020
Phenomenal.
July 6, 2021
Speaker Tip O'Neill is one of my favorite figures in recent history. Thoroughly enjoyed this read
January 8, 2023
Written in 2001 so a bit of a different perspective on the death of the New Deal liberal. Great look into Massachusetts politics.
March 26, 2025
John A. Farrell's biography of Tip O'Neill is a very good book that perhaps oversells the "Democratic Century" part of its tagline. O'Neill was the Speaker of the House during the entire Carter administration as well as the significant majority of Ronald Reagan's presidency. As such, he was the leading face of the Democratic Party during the Reagan Revolution. Despite being a similar age to ol' Ronnie, O'Neill was a creature of the pre-television generation of politics, a man of the machine era when the connection between person and party was much deeper than just who you voted for, and yet O'Neill was able to succeed as Reagan's foil because of, not in spite of, the political skills he learned cutting his teeth in Massachusetts. Farrell is sympathetic to O'Neill but not fawningly so, and he writes in some instances like he sees Tip as a relic of the pre-Clinton Democratic Party, to which Farrell seems partial (partly a result of the 2001 publication date one would imagine). This is to me the extent of his engagement with the "Democratic Century" theme; it is too personally invested in O'Neill for the tagline except as a depiction of him as the embodiment of what seemed at the time to be a dying breed of "jobs and programs" Democrats. As a bonus, this book is loaded with colorful insight into not only O'Neill but Washington and Boston from the 40s to the 80s.
August 16, 2013
Hey everyone - I recently heard about a Kickstarter project for a Tip O’Neill documentary, called “Mr. Speaker.” The creators are basing the documentary around Farrell’s book, “Tip O'Neill and the Democratic Century,” so it is sure to honor O’Neill’s legacy. His story from rising from a child of the working class to being two heartbeats away from the Presidency (along with his outspoken candor of course) really resonated with me and made me realize what is lacking in today's political world.
However, in order to make it happen, they need our help in crowdfunding the project. Head to http://bit.ly/TipONeillKS to learn more about “Mr. Speaker” and to show your support by backing the documentary.
Cheers,
Ali
However, in order to make it happen, they need our help in crowdfunding the project. Head to http://bit.ly/TipONeillKS to learn more about “Mr. Speaker” and to show your support by backing the documentary.
Cheers,
Ali
February 26, 2008
a full year after michaelson suggested i read this book, i finally did...to his credit, farrell doesn't cheerlead (much) or cherry-pick only endearing anecdotes while chronicling o'neill's political career, which i would imagine was a little challenging as a globe reporter. to be sure, o'neill had plenty of faults, many things i was disgusted learn, but i think that's the beauty of the book. it supplemented eilperin's "fight club politics" with a more thorough (and historical), less partisan look at the deterioration of civility in house of representatives, although i still hold a great deal of respect for o'neill as a masterful politician and strategist.
January 9, 2008
They don't make 'em like this anymore. Stereotype though he may have been, remember that he advocated universal health care during the Carter Administration, and called Reagan a "cheerleader for selfishness". Though one suspects he was made up of more pork than idealism (cf. his catchphrase: "All politics is local"), he still looms large among the New Deal dinosaurs. This book nails him.
September 7, 2013
Now, for the first time, available as an e-book. Download for Kindle at Amazon for $7.99. Hope you like it. It was my first book, and has a certain warm spot in my heart. Tip was a fascinating, funny, bold and brave character.
October 6, 2009
I feel like this book might have sugar-coated the past a bit, but I liked it anyway.
January 7, 2013
i promised to give this book to someone i wanted to become like o'neill, a female version of him
October 25, 2018
Phenomenal. A friend of a friend maintains that books find you at the right moment in life, and that's exactly the case here. I started this book as I was wrapping up my time working in Congress and I finished it upon completing my move to Boston. It was the perfect bookend on either side.
The author's writing style is such that it is easy to get absorbed in the small nuggets of information seemingly tucked into the larger issues he recounts. It offers a taste of Boston in the early 20th Century, and proceeds to serve as something of a U.S. History refresher course for the '50s-'80s.
I got so involved in the story of Tip O'Neill's life, I found myself tearing up at the end when his death was described, even though he has been gone for almost two decades.
Cannot recommend this book enough. Now I just wish Farrell had something else on a public figure I cared to learn more about!
The author's writing style is such that it is easy to get absorbed in the small nuggets of information seemingly tucked into the larger issues he recounts. It offers a taste of Boston in the early 20th Century, and proceeds to serve as something of a U.S. History refresher course for the '50s-'80s.
I got so involved in the story of Tip O'Neill's life, I found myself tearing up at the end when his death was described, even though he has been gone for almost two decades.
Cannot recommend this book enough. Now I just wish Farrell had something else on a public figure I cared to learn more about!
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