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Tom's Town: Kansas City and the Pendergast Legend
The Pendergast machine rose to power riding the industrial and business boom of the 1920s, strengthened its grip during the chaos of the depression years, and grew fat and arrogant during the spending spree that followed. It fell apart in a fantastic series of crimes, including voting fraud and tax evasion, that shocked the nation and resulted in the incarceration of Tom Pendergast in a federal prison in 1939. Now available in paperback with a foreword by Charles Glaab, William M. Reddig's political and social history of Kansas City from the mid-1800s to 1945, focusing on the lives of Alderman Jim Pendergast and especially his younger sibling, Big Tom Pendergast, chronicles both the influence of the brothers on the growing metropolitan area and the national phenomenon of bossism.
"The story of the Pendergasts has been told ... in many places and in many ways. It has hardly been told anywhere, however, with more fascinating detail and healthy irony than in this volume of William M. Reddig." --New York Times
"Reddig has written his history of the Pendergast machine in a reportorial style which manages to combine plain city desk prose with a great deal of humor, irony, and insight. He has dwelt with obvious delight on the local characters, the factions, and feuds, and has given several brilliant personality sketches." --Saturday Review of Literature
"The story of the Pendergasts has been told ... in many places and in many ways. It has hardly been told anywhere, however, with more fascinating detail and healthy irony than in this volume of William M. Reddig." --New York Times
"Reddig has written his history of the Pendergast machine in a reportorial style which manages to combine plain city desk prose with a great deal of humor, irony, and insight. He has dwelt with obvious delight on the local characters, the factions, and feuds, and has given several brilliant personality sketches." --Saturday Review of Literature
400 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1986
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 20, 2021
Tom’s Town is just as much about the urban history of Kansas City as it is about Tom Pendergast and the infamous Pendergast political machine. While it is an ideal book for someone interested in getting a detailed look at the inner workings of the political machine, I wouldn’t recommend it to someone who is looking for a true crime book.
The book indicates Tom’s Town was published in 1986, but more than a few passages suggest it was written in the mid-40’s, during the first Truman administration and not long after Big Tom's fall. Tom’s Town benefits from being written shortly after many of the events it chronicles took place. It is painstakingly researched, contributing to the rich narrative of how Kansas City and the Pendergast machine matured, in many ways together, over the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Kansas Citians may especially enjoy the book, as many of the neighborhoods and some of the buildings mentioned are still in existence today.
On the other hand, it is much more so a complex political history than a glimpse into Kansas City's pre-war underworld. People looking to read primarily about crime may be disappointed. The crime that is recounted often comes off as a little mundane. It can be slow at times. But overall, great book.
The book indicates Tom’s Town was published in 1986, but more than a few passages suggest it was written in the mid-40’s, during the first Truman administration and not long after Big Tom's fall. Tom’s Town benefits from being written shortly after many of the events it chronicles took place. It is painstakingly researched, contributing to the rich narrative of how Kansas City and the Pendergast machine matured, in many ways together, over the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Kansas Citians may especially enjoy the book, as many of the neighborhoods and some of the buildings mentioned are still in existence today.
On the other hand, it is much more so a complex political history than a glimpse into Kansas City's pre-war underworld. People looking to read primarily about crime may be disappointed. The crime that is recounted often comes off as a little mundane. It can be slow at times. But overall, great book.
November 12, 2018
This is a great look at the inner workings of the Pendergast machine in Kansas City. There are many fascinating stories and anecdotes and it helps to give a more complete picture of Kansas City's history. However, I would not recommend it as an introduction to Kansas City's history or even for those who have not read widely. The book was written shortly after the Pendergast era and the author assumes that the readers know many of the people discussed in the book. Therefore there are many people who enter the store without little introduction and this might be a little confusing for those who don't have a little background knowledge. Overall I would recommend it to fans of KC history and students of machine politics in general.
December 21, 2024
I found this book hard to get into at first because it is so packed with information and written in a more informal style than I'm used to with historical non-fiction books.
When I got into it, I really began to appreciate the vast knowledge shared by the author (replete with anecdotes, quotes from many quarters and mention of the gossip of the day to provide some speculation for unknowns) as well as his dry humour throughout. The politics of the time were intricate and fascinating, and thankfully there are eventually some anti-machine political heroes you can cheer for. I was happy the book included photos of key figures discussed, and cartoons by S.J. Ray of the Kansas City Star to visualize the political goings-on.
When I got into it, I really began to appreciate the vast knowledge shared by the author (replete with anecdotes, quotes from many quarters and mention of the gossip of the day to provide some speculation for unknowns) as well as his dry humour throughout. The politics of the time were intricate and fascinating, and thankfully there are eventually some anti-machine political heroes you can cheer for. I was happy the book included photos of key figures discussed, and cartoons by S.J. Ray of the Kansas City Star to visualize the political goings-on.
June 20, 2020
Interesting historical account of KC machine politics but definitely not a page turner. To my disappointment, it focused more on governmental affairs and less on organized crime.
August 29, 2023
I've heard about Tom Pendergast all my life and finally had a chance to read this gem. It is well written by a former editor for the KC Star paper that covered the politics in the city.
February 2, 2008
I read this book a while back but recently picked it up again to look something up for an article I was writing and remembered how great it was, so decided to read the whole thing again. It might just be my strong Midwest bias, but I think that if this book were about the Tammany Hall machine in New York instead of the Pendergast machine in Kansas City, Missouri, it would be considered a classic nationwide instead of just regionally. At any rate this book has it all--bad guys with names like "Solly Cutcher-Head-Off," good guys with appropriately boring names, kidnappings, walkathons, I could go on and on--and it's all written in kind of a lost, hard-boiled reportorial style of the 1930's and 40's. 125 thumbs up.
July 3, 2008
This is a very thorough history of Kansas City in the first half of the 20th century. It's packed with a ton of great anecdotes, but is a very dense and cumbersome read. Strictly for history buffs and KC aficionados.
January 21, 2009
I was hoping the book would have more to do with the underworld; but, alas, it focused almost entirely on politics. However, if machine politics is your interest, this is one of the better books available about Tom Pendergast.
July 21, 2010
Reddig comes close to suggesting that Pendergast wasn't your typical political boss because he had KCs best interest at heart and really never had any national aspirations. I whole hardedly agree!! Pendergast loved KC and knew what was best for it!
February 21, 2014
A more modern history of Kansas City's political and crime boss Tom Pendergast is long overdue. This is an imperfect work, and the writing is dated, yet the history of this toddlin' town remains a compelling story.
October 1, 2008
well sort of read it...it was a tough one to get through. Actually I didn't make it, the library wanted it back and I wanted to move on.
December 25, 2015
An academic account of the rise and "fall" of American Big Boss politics in the midewest
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews