Big Daddy: Jesse Unruh and the Art of Power Politics

by Bill Boyarsky

Revealing and frank, this highly engaging biography tells the story of an American original, California's Big Daddy, Jesse Unruh (1922-1987), a charismatic man whose power reached far beyond the offices he held. Unruh, who was born into Texas sharecropper poverty, became a larger-than-life figure and a principal architect and builder of modern California―first as an assemblyman, then as assembly speaker, and finally, as state treasurer. He was also a great a combination of intelligence, wit, idealism, cynicism, woman-chasing vulgarity, charm, drunken excess, and political skill all wrapped up in one big package. He dominated the California capitol and extended his influence to Washington and Wall Street. He was close to Lyndon Johnson and the Kennedys, but closest to Robert Kennedy, and was in the Ambassador Hotel kitchen when Kennedy was shot. Bill Boyarsky gives a close-up look at this extraordinary political leader, a man who believed that politics was the art of the possible, and his era.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Politics

278 pages, Hardcover

First published October 27, 2007

Reviews

[Nicholas Birtcil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent “cliff notes” version of the life of a master legislator. His shadow still looms large over the Capitol community in Sacramento and CA.

[Jeff Schauer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good and interesting read, one part traditional political biography of a major figure in California politics, and one part lament for the "good old days" when politics worked. The book is strongest in recounting the structural and cultural contexts that allowed Unruh to succeed. It breaks down a bit in its attempts to describe the virtue in the "moderate" wing of the Democratic Party, which was defined not so much by resisting the left, as Boyarsky repeatedly tries to claim as by what Unruh himself described as resisting identification with "minority problems". Still a worthwhile read, and of particular interest for Californians.

[Joann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh boy, does this take me back! I arrived in California from New York in 1963. I'd never been intensely interested in politics, but there was something about California. Politics somehow seemed more accessible to me, and indeed the times they were a changin'. It seems that I kept meeting and becoming friends with people that were close to him, and this led to my becoming somewhat of an activist.

This is a fascinating read for anyone interested in politics, as Jesse Unruh was the consummate politician, a colorful character with influence far beyond California.

[Lynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Non Fiction about Jesse Unruh. My dad was involved in CA politics at the local level around the time of Unruh. It was certainly a wheeling, dealing, hard drinking and parting time. Seems like little has changed when you read about many of today's politicians. It was written in 2004? Boyarsky used to write for the LA Times and lived in Sacramento.

[Jodi · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're interested in California politics, this is a must-read. It gives you a good understanding of one of the true "characters" of the California Assembly - Jesse Unruh - along with some outrageous stories of his behavior and the corruption of the part-timer legislature in the 1960s.

[Ankit Goyal · Rating 3 out of 5]

A behind the scenes peek into the mechanics of the American polity .