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Man of the House: The Life & Political Memoirs of Speaker Tip O'Neill
Think of Tip O'Neill and you think American politics. Here is a man who has seen it all--from Roosevelt to Reagan--and knows how to serve it up with the right amounts of Irish wit and wisdom (and minces no words in the process). "A long, salty anecdotal conversation with the author."--The New York Times. Random House. (Nonfiction)
400 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1987
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July 24, 2024
Tip O’Neill’s time as Speaker of the USA’s House of Representatives came to an end when he retired at the close of the 99th Congress. His career in the House began in 1953 and his first vote was for the legendary Speaker, Sam Rayburn. Rayburn lost that vote but what he said to Tip lasted a lifetime. “We’re in the minority, now….But we’re still going to be helpful and constructive. Remember, any jackass can kick over the barn door. It takes a carpenter to build one.”
O’Neill always believed that “all politics is local.” He was a “New Deal liberal” who “believed that the government has a moral responsibility to help people who can’t take care of themselves.”
As he recounts, many of the issues “of the day” and the people he worked with, O’Neill notes that other countries to which he traveled were amazed that there were friendships between Republicans and Democrats. My have times changes (and it hasn’t been just in the last decade). When Newt Gingrich became Speaker, he made sure that there was not going to be any bipartisan cooperation. Fear, anger, and grievance became the themes.
O’Neill has things to say about Gingrich before the Republican became Speaker, but I was drawn to O’Neill’s recollections of the Kennedy-Johnson era (mostly the 1960s). He talks about the Warren Commission Report. He mentions that Kennedy’s “Irish Mafia froze him out of the White House.” I thought this quote captured what O’Neill has to offer.
“One reason Jack Kennedy was so successful as a politician was that he was one of the first to treat politics as a science. Lyndon Johnson was successful in a more traditional way – as a master of the Art of politics. Kenndy was cool and rational operator who could always tell you exactly what he was doing and why he was doing it. Johnson worked instinctively. If Kennedy’s political style was in his head, Johnson’s was in his blood.”
I appreciated his insights into Johnson’s dedication to getting hallmark legislation through Congress. “…including the Economic Opportunity Act, the heart of Johnson’s “War on Poverty” Medicare for people over sixty-five; Medicaid for the poor; the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Voting Rights Act; aid for schools and colleges; aid for mass transit; highway beautification; increased social security; an higher minimum wage; and much more.”
O’Neill had a long tenure as Speaker starting in 1977. This book was published shortly after his retirement.
O’Neill always believed that “all politics is local.” He was a “New Deal liberal” who “believed that the government has a moral responsibility to help people who can’t take care of themselves.”
As he recounts, many of the issues “of the day” and the people he worked with, O’Neill notes that other countries to which he traveled were amazed that there were friendships between Republicans and Democrats. My have times changes (and it hasn’t been just in the last decade). When Newt Gingrich became Speaker, he made sure that there was not going to be any bipartisan cooperation. Fear, anger, and grievance became the themes.
O’Neill has things to say about Gingrich before the Republican became Speaker, but I was drawn to O’Neill’s recollections of the Kennedy-Johnson era (mostly the 1960s). He talks about the Warren Commission Report. He mentions that Kennedy’s “Irish Mafia froze him out of the White House.” I thought this quote captured what O’Neill has to offer.
“One reason Jack Kennedy was so successful as a politician was that he was one of the first to treat politics as a science. Lyndon Johnson was successful in a more traditional way – as a master of the Art of politics. Kenndy was cool and rational operator who could always tell you exactly what he was doing and why he was doing it. Johnson worked instinctively. If Kennedy’s political style was in his head, Johnson’s was in his blood.”
I appreciated his insights into Johnson’s dedication to getting hallmark legislation through Congress. “…including the Economic Opportunity Act, the heart of Johnson’s “War on Poverty” Medicare for people over sixty-five; Medicaid for the poor; the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Voting Rights Act; aid for schools and colleges; aid for mass transit; highway beautification; increased social security; an higher minimum wage; and much more.”
O’Neill had a long tenure as Speaker starting in 1977. This book was published shortly after his retirement.
July 24, 2017
Tip O'Neill (1912-1994) retired from public life 30 years ago, but his shadow looms large over the bygone era when the American political system was still functional. The gradual degradation of government institutions and the outlawing of bipartisanship that accelerated under Newt Gingrich's 1994 "Contract with America"—a deal so lopsidedly negative that only the Yanks have a signed worse one since when they squandered $317 million on A-Rod—has, in 2017, reduced American government to a rotting, debilitated state. By comparison, the bribery, cronyism, and kickbacks of the 1930s, 40s, and 50s that O'Neill candidly recounts in Man of the House seem quaint. American politics was almost comically corrupt in the first half of the twentieth century, but for all its graft, the street corner nepotism that characterized machine politics of the Progressive Era also kindled the fires of labor-friendly, growth-enhancing programs that finally smashed the Gilded Age. While O'Neill's political instincts were forged in these early battles, we remember him most during those years just after the elites staged their comeback with the so-called "Reagan Revolution," when he rose to the occasion and embraced his role as the nation's greatest defender of its beleaguered social welfare system.
Even with the aid of ghost writer William Novak, Man of the House is not particularly well written. But it does succeed in capturing the gregarious demeanor and avuncular style for which O'Neill was renowned. Nicknames accumulate rapidly in the early Boston chapters: John "Up-Up" Kelly, "Beef Stew" McDonough, Jimmy "the Whore" Horihan—to name just a few. O'Neill also seizes the opportunity to plumb his tome of outrageous anecdotes. Most entertaining of all are his various run-ins with Boston's infamous Mayor James Michael Curley. Relations with Curley came to a head in 1948 when the mayor, fresh out of jail and back in city hall, chose to include only two members from the state house in the 1948 delegation to the DNC. O'Neill was then minority leader of the house democrats, and he and his colleagues ran their own slate of delegates against Curley's, thus provoking the Mayor's ire:
There's a candidness about the former Speaker that's contrary to the television age, and which I suspect we'll never see again in politics. O'Neill doesn't bat an eye at stories involving judicial appointments in exchange for campaign contributions, "repeater" voting, hiring candidates to challenge opponents, phone tapping, or even threats of violence (when a fellow democrat in the Massachusetts House sided with lobbyists in a vote on mattress materials, O'Neill called him to the rostrum: "You see this gavel? If you ever louse up this house again while I'm Speaker, I'm going to break this thing right over your head.") Early 20th century politics was outrageously unethical but effective, and O'Neill always enthusiastically embraced his image as a working class, street corner pol.
There's a lull in the middle part of the book, as O'Neill recounts his experiences with the Kennedys, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, and Carter. Not even his version of the Watergate events is all that intriguing (aside from his assertion that he knew Nixon was taping conversations in the White House when, during a dinner, the president addressed grandiloquent remarks in the direction of a chandelier overhead). It's in his final chapter on Reagan that O'Neill gets fired up again. He lambasts Reagan's supply-side economic agenda, and lays into the "real weirdos" of the Republican Party who were swept into Congress in 1981—including the man who would serve as the next GOP Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich. During the early 80s the GOP turned O'Neill into a caricatured villain (later the same model they would use to rev up their base's vitriol against Nancy Pelosi), and he recalls a surge in hate mail, death threats, verbal harassment, and even physical confrontations during this period. In May 1981, Time Magazine wrote an early obit after the House passed the disastrous Gramm-Latta budget: "At that moment, it was clear that the nation's most powerful Democrat had been badly, perhaps even fatally wounded."
But O'Neill fought like the cagey Irish bastard he was for another six years, and even managed to extend his majorities in the House. In the end, no leader of the opposition, no matter how skilled, could have done a better job of blunting the cruelty of Reagan's war on the poor. O'Neill sums it up nicely when it writes that, despite all of his Hollywood charm, "it was sinful that Ronald Reagan ever became president."
In an epilogue, O'Neill doubles down on his conviction that "every family deserves the opportunity to earn an income, own a home, educate their children, and afford medical care." These words take on an almost grandfatherly quality in this second age of plundering corporate overlords. With any hope, the Democratic Party might rediscover this missive and finally stop acting like Republicans-Lite. They have a perfect role model, as in hindsight we can see Tip O'Neill for what he was: the last great "bread-and-butter liberal" pol.
Even with the aid of ghost writer William Novak, Man of the House is not particularly well written. But it does succeed in capturing the gregarious demeanor and avuncular style for which O'Neill was renowned. Nicknames accumulate rapidly in the early Boston chapters: John "Up-Up" Kelly, "Beef Stew" McDonough, Jimmy "the Whore" Horihan—to name just a few. O'Neill also seizes the opportunity to plumb his tome of outrageous anecdotes. Most entertaining of all are his various run-ins with Boston's infamous Mayor James Michael Curley. Relations with Curley came to a head in 1948 when the mayor, fresh out of jail and back in city hall, chose to include only two members from the state house in the 1948 delegation to the DNC. O'Neill was then minority leader of the house democrats, and he and his colleagues ran their own slate of delegates against Curley's, thus provoking the Mayor's ire:
Then Curley himself called me. "Get out of the fight," he said.
"I'm sorry, Governor," I replied, "but there's no way I can do that."
"All right, you fat bastard," he said. "I'm taking you and Crowley off my slate. I'm going to put on a nigger and a Chinaman, and we're going to beat your ass off." The next day, Crowley and O'Neill were replaced with Shag Taylor, a black, and Frank Goon from Chinatown.
There's a candidness about the former Speaker that's contrary to the television age, and which I suspect we'll never see again in politics. O'Neill doesn't bat an eye at stories involving judicial appointments in exchange for campaign contributions, "repeater" voting, hiring candidates to challenge opponents, phone tapping, or even threats of violence (when a fellow democrat in the Massachusetts House sided with lobbyists in a vote on mattress materials, O'Neill called him to the rostrum: "You see this gavel? If you ever louse up this house again while I'm Speaker, I'm going to break this thing right over your head.") Early 20th century politics was outrageously unethical but effective, and O'Neill always enthusiastically embraced his image as a working class, street corner pol.
There's a lull in the middle part of the book, as O'Neill recounts his experiences with the Kennedys, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, and Carter. Not even his version of the Watergate events is all that intriguing (aside from his assertion that he knew Nixon was taping conversations in the White House when, during a dinner, the president addressed grandiloquent remarks in the direction of a chandelier overhead). It's in his final chapter on Reagan that O'Neill gets fired up again. He lambasts Reagan's supply-side economic agenda, and lays into the "real weirdos" of the Republican Party who were swept into Congress in 1981—including the man who would serve as the next GOP Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich. During the early 80s the GOP turned O'Neill into a caricatured villain (later the same model they would use to rev up their base's vitriol against Nancy Pelosi), and he recalls a surge in hate mail, death threats, verbal harassment, and even physical confrontations during this period. In May 1981, Time Magazine wrote an early obit after the House passed the disastrous Gramm-Latta budget: "At that moment, it was clear that the nation's most powerful Democrat had been badly, perhaps even fatally wounded."
But O'Neill fought like the cagey Irish bastard he was for another six years, and even managed to extend his majorities in the House. In the end, no leader of the opposition, no matter how skilled, could have done a better job of blunting the cruelty of Reagan's war on the poor. O'Neill sums it up nicely when it writes that, despite all of his Hollywood charm, "it was sinful that Ronald Reagan ever became president."
In an epilogue, O'Neill doubles down on his conviction that "every family deserves the opportunity to earn an income, own a home, educate their children, and afford medical care." These words take on an almost grandfatherly quality in this second age of plundering corporate overlords. With any hope, the Democratic Party might rediscover this missive and finally stop acting like Republicans-Lite. They have a perfect role model, as in hindsight we can see Tip O'Neill for what he was: the last great "bread-and-butter liberal" pol.
November 3, 2011
From the Epilogue to the book:
"I'm still a bread-and-butter liberal who believes that every family deserves the opportunity to earn an income, own a home, educate their children, and afford medical care.
That is the American dream, and it's still worth fighting for.In my view, the federal government has an obligation to help you along the line until you achieve that dream. And when you do, you have an obligation to help out the next group that comes along."
I believe it too. If you want to understand the sausage making process that brought the United States from the fifty percent poverty rate and horrible working conditions of 1936, when O'neill started in politics, to a ten percent poverty rate where it stood just before the "Reagan Revolution", read this memoir.
Read what he says about Reagan. That's what I remember, not this pap fed to us by Rupert Murdoch and his hired hands.
Then go out and elect people who think like Tip.
"I'm still a bread-and-butter liberal who believes that every family deserves the opportunity to earn an income, own a home, educate their children, and afford medical care.
That is the American dream, and it's still worth fighting for.In my view, the federal government has an obligation to help you along the line until you achieve that dream. And when you do, you have an obligation to help out the next group that comes along."
I believe it too. If you want to understand the sausage making process that brought the United States from the fifty percent poverty rate and horrible working conditions of 1936, when O'neill started in politics, to a ten percent poverty rate where it stood just before the "Reagan Revolution", read this memoir.
Read what he says about Reagan. That's what I remember, not this pap fed to us by Rupert Murdoch and his hired hands.
Then go out and elect people who think like Tip.
June 17, 2021
These are the memoirs in 1987 of Tip O’Neill, who served as Speaker of the House through the Carter and Reagan administrations, and whose life traced all through the Great Depression and WWII.
Tip was absolutely a partisan Democrat. These are his memoirs, and that frame of reference obviously colors his stories and versions of events. He’s also a magnificent storyteller, which was said about him in his life and comes through here. There are so many asides and rabbit trail stories that even with the slanted version of history, you get a really fun ride along the way.
Tip tells multiple stories early on about a politician named Curley, who he describes as obviously corrupt, but with a heart of gold. Tip tries to describe how he’s different from Curley, and in many respects he was. But he had the same basic instincts: if he’s doing the right thing via shady tactics, it’s just political hardball (things like stuffing ballot boxes in the 1960 presidential election, or working with politicians who paid people off, etc). But when Tip’s political enemies, usually Republicans, do the same thing, then it’s a mockery of the entire political system and a stain on America.
There’s very much a double standard throughout. And it’s impossible to look past that. He puts as much shine on Truman, Kennedy, Johnson, and Carter that he can, while attacking Eisenhower, Nixon, Ford, and (especially) Reagan with all he’s got. His best political insights are probably from Kennedy — Carter, while with Reagan he’s so sidetracked by defending recent history and his legacy, that he’s Incapable of seeing the changes around him.
In all his praise of the Kennedy’s, he probably does more than anyone to paint JFK as a creation of his father. It’s interesting to watch him praise a family he ultimately believes got to where it was politically with little merit. He tries to shift blame away from Carter, but can’t help pointing out all the ways Carter failed.
It’s a fun read. It’s biased, but you’ll have a good time going along for his ride through politics.
Tip was absolutely a partisan Democrat. These are his memoirs, and that frame of reference obviously colors his stories and versions of events. He’s also a magnificent storyteller, which was said about him in his life and comes through here. There are so many asides and rabbit trail stories that even with the slanted version of history, you get a really fun ride along the way.
Tip tells multiple stories early on about a politician named Curley, who he describes as obviously corrupt, but with a heart of gold. Tip tries to describe how he’s different from Curley, and in many respects he was. But he had the same basic instincts: if he’s doing the right thing via shady tactics, it’s just political hardball (things like stuffing ballot boxes in the 1960 presidential election, or working with politicians who paid people off, etc). But when Tip’s political enemies, usually Republicans, do the same thing, then it’s a mockery of the entire political system and a stain on America.
There’s very much a double standard throughout. And it’s impossible to look past that. He puts as much shine on Truman, Kennedy, Johnson, and Carter that he can, while attacking Eisenhower, Nixon, Ford, and (especially) Reagan with all he’s got. His best political insights are probably from Kennedy — Carter, while with Reagan he’s so sidetracked by defending recent history and his legacy, that he’s Incapable of seeing the changes around him.
In all his praise of the Kennedy’s, he probably does more than anyone to paint JFK as a creation of his father. It’s interesting to watch him praise a family he ultimately believes got to where it was politically with little merit. He tries to shift blame away from Carter, but can’t help pointing out all the ways Carter failed.
It’s a fun read. It’s biased, but you’ll have a good time going along for his ride through politics.
Read
July 2, 2014I picked this up again after setting it down years ago, and read with pleasure the remaining third--Watergate through the Reagan years. This book is a good read. Tip gives an insider account, doesn't hold back, and shows why he was such a force in the House. It seems very honest too.
August 30, 2008
Read this many years ago - I was surprised that I liked it even though I am not a democrat!
September 1, 2014
Man of the House
Author: Tip O’Neill and William Novak
Publisher: Random House
Published In: New York City, NY
Date: 1987
Pgs: 387
REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
Summary:
50 years of American history from inside the Capitol Dome. From freshman Senator from Massachusetts to Speaker of the House, from Truman to Reagan. Tip O’Neill’s political career mirrored and followed the history of the middle 1900s.
Genre:
Autobiography and memoir
Behind the Scenes
Biography
Government
History
Non-fiction
Politics
Why this book:
Talking politics with Nancy and this was the second book that she pulled off her bookshelf for me to read. We don’t always agree on politics, but we agree more than we disagree.
Favorite Character:
Tip O’Neill comes across well in his own story, of course he should, though. He is such a political animal.
Least Favorite Character:
Nixon comes across as Nixon. He’s a poor loser at poker. And a controlling ass when his political world begins to fall apart.
The Feel:
This is a good anecdotal personal history of the House of Representatives in the twentieth century.
Favorite Scene:
JFK trying to get Tip to back him, but respecting him because he wouldn’t throw over a friend who he had known forever for political expediency.
When Jerry Ford called Tip to tell him that Nixon was going to resign, officially, and asked Tip for some advice and Tip gave it to him because they were friends. And at the end of the conversation, Tip tells Ford. “Jerry, isn’t this a wonderful country. Here we can talk like this and we can be friends, and eighteen months from now I’ll be going around the country kicking your ass in.”
And I bet afterward they went back to being friends or, more likely, never stopped even when they were battling on the election trails. Politics have become so personal on the national scale over the years since the end of the Clinton Presidency. Ridiculously. Everyone has their panties in a twist. Everyone wants to have a measuring contest, but won’t put it on the table.
Pacing:
The story is well paced without over focusing on any one aspect of O’Neill’s political history.
Hmm Moments:
“...no rancor or hatred...the energetic clash of conflicting ideas. Your views may be different from mine, but we can still respect each other and work together, which is what the Congress is all about”
Tip would be horrified by what Congress is today.
You can tell reading this that Tip wouldn’t have fit in with today’s backbiting “me first, me again, and then me some more” modern Washington political sensibility. Forging a consensus in his day meant working across party lines and trust in the good intentions of your opponent, whereas today it means agreeing with people who have the exact same opinions that you do and vilifying the opposition as evil bastards out to destroy the country.
In one chapter, he mentions Fishbait Miller’s book telling stories out of school and being disrespectful of the secrets that he was party to. But, ten pages later, he tells stories out of school too.
The stories about poker between the Congressmen. The comment about Nixon.
“You’re one of the worst poker players I’ve ever seen.”
...and in response to Nixon’s comment that he was pretty good back in the Navy.
“Those were kids you were playing with. What did they know about poker?”
There’s a telling quote in the book where O’Neill was at dinner with Kenny O’Donnell, JFK’s special assistant and appointments secretary, who was there that day in Dallas when Kennedy was shot. O’Donnell said he was sure that he had heard two shots from behind the fence. O’Neill challenged him saying that “that’s not what you told the Warren Commission.” O’Donnell’s response was that the FBI said that it couldn’t have happened that way and that he must have been imagining things. So, he testified the way they wanted him to rather than stir up any more pain and trouble for the family. Dave Powers, JFK’s special assistant and assistant appointments secretary, was at the dinner that night and in Dallas and he agreed with O’Donnell’s telling of events, but apparently his testimony reflected O’Donnell’s. Both men were riding in the follow-up car behind the President. How did they get these two to perjure themselves in a case where a President had been shot? And how much more was there to the conspiracy? This is why conspiracy theorists can’t let it go. This is why they can’t let it go and let the wounds on the American psyche heal. At the nadir of this chapter of the book, O’Neill commented that when ‘...Kennedy was president, people had trust in their government. I look forward to the day when that will once again be true.”
O’Neill having a conversation with the Senate Majority Leader, Mike Mansfield, about whether they should be concerned about Nixon’s finger being on the button as his political world fell apart around him.
Ford’s pardoning of Nixon as he explained it to O’Neill just prior to its announcement seemed to be more in line with a man trying to save another from committing suicide. He described Nixon in those days as seedy and unkempt. He also says that Nixon was sick. Reading this recollection of O’Neill’s casts the Nixon pardon by Ford in a new light for me. Can you imagine the scar that Nixon would have left on the American psyche if he would have committed suicide in the immediate aftermath of his leaving office?
O’Neill’s description of supply side/trickle down economics strikes home with me. O’Neill’s portraiture of the Reagan economic theory aka the Herbert Hoover economic theory aka whatever the Republicans are dressing it up as now as soaking the poor to subsidize the rich reflects my views closely.
Why isn’t there a screenplay?
If they can make a movie about the “You lie!” man, this wouldn’t be that much of a reach within reason, of course. Done ala Forest Gump, this could be cool.
Casting call:
George Wendt could totally play Tip O’Neill in a movie.
Last Page Sound:
Interesting.
Author Assessment:
Very anecdotal, told as if you were sitting with O’Neill having a beer in a drawing room as he told you the story of his life and times, reminiscing.
Editorial Assessment:
The book is well put together. At first, I wasn’t happy with the anecdotal style, but it grew on. I believe in large part what we are hearing/reading here is Tip O’Neill’s voice.
Knee Jerk Reaction:
glad I read it
Disposition of Book:
Nancy’s bookshelf
Would recommend to:
friends, colleagues, genre fans
Author: Tip O’Neill and William Novak
Publisher: Random House
Published In: New York City, NY
Date: 1987
Pgs: 387
REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
Summary:
50 years of American history from inside the Capitol Dome. From freshman Senator from Massachusetts to Speaker of the House, from Truman to Reagan. Tip O’Neill’s political career mirrored and followed the history of the middle 1900s.
Genre:
Autobiography and memoir
Behind the Scenes
Biography
Government
History
Non-fiction
Politics
Why this book:
Talking politics with Nancy and this was the second book that she pulled off her bookshelf for me to read. We don’t always agree on politics, but we agree more than we disagree.
Favorite Character:
Tip O’Neill comes across well in his own story, of course he should, though. He is such a political animal.
Least Favorite Character:
Nixon comes across as Nixon. He’s a poor loser at poker. And a controlling ass when his political world begins to fall apart.
The Feel:
This is a good anecdotal personal history of the House of Representatives in the twentieth century.
Favorite Scene:
JFK trying to get Tip to back him, but respecting him because he wouldn’t throw over a friend who he had known forever for political expediency.
When Jerry Ford called Tip to tell him that Nixon was going to resign, officially, and asked Tip for some advice and Tip gave it to him because they were friends. And at the end of the conversation, Tip tells Ford. “Jerry, isn’t this a wonderful country. Here we can talk like this and we can be friends, and eighteen months from now I’ll be going around the country kicking your ass in.”
And I bet afterward they went back to being friends or, more likely, never stopped even when they were battling on the election trails. Politics have become so personal on the national scale over the years since the end of the Clinton Presidency. Ridiculously. Everyone has their panties in a twist. Everyone wants to have a measuring contest, but won’t put it on the table.
Pacing:
The story is well paced without over focusing on any one aspect of O’Neill’s political history.
Hmm Moments:
“...no rancor or hatred...the energetic clash of conflicting ideas. Your views may be different from mine, but we can still respect each other and work together, which is what the Congress is all about”
Tip would be horrified by what Congress is today.
You can tell reading this that Tip wouldn’t have fit in with today’s backbiting “me first, me again, and then me some more” modern Washington political sensibility. Forging a consensus in his day meant working across party lines and trust in the good intentions of your opponent, whereas today it means agreeing with people who have the exact same opinions that you do and vilifying the opposition as evil bastards out to destroy the country.
In one chapter, he mentions Fishbait Miller’s book telling stories out of school and being disrespectful of the secrets that he was party to. But, ten pages later, he tells stories out of school too.
The stories about poker between the Congressmen. The comment about Nixon.
“You’re one of the worst poker players I’ve ever seen.”
...and in response to Nixon’s comment that he was pretty good back in the Navy.
“Those were kids you were playing with. What did they know about poker?”
There’s a telling quote in the book where O’Neill was at dinner with Kenny O’Donnell, JFK’s special assistant and appointments secretary, who was there that day in Dallas when Kennedy was shot. O’Donnell said he was sure that he had heard two shots from behind the fence. O’Neill challenged him saying that “that’s not what you told the Warren Commission.” O’Donnell’s response was that the FBI said that it couldn’t have happened that way and that he must have been imagining things. So, he testified the way they wanted him to rather than stir up any more pain and trouble for the family. Dave Powers, JFK’s special assistant and assistant appointments secretary, was at the dinner that night and in Dallas and he agreed with O’Donnell’s telling of events, but apparently his testimony reflected O’Donnell’s. Both men were riding in the follow-up car behind the President. How did they get these two to perjure themselves in a case where a President had been shot? And how much more was there to the conspiracy? This is why conspiracy theorists can’t let it go. This is why they can’t let it go and let the wounds on the American psyche heal. At the nadir of this chapter of the book, O’Neill commented that when ‘...Kennedy was president, people had trust in their government. I look forward to the day when that will once again be true.”
O’Neill having a conversation with the Senate Majority Leader, Mike Mansfield, about whether they should be concerned about Nixon’s finger being on the button as his political world fell apart around him.
Ford’s pardoning of Nixon as he explained it to O’Neill just prior to its announcement seemed to be more in line with a man trying to save another from committing suicide. He described Nixon in those days as seedy and unkempt. He also says that Nixon was sick. Reading this recollection of O’Neill’s casts the Nixon pardon by Ford in a new light for me. Can you imagine the scar that Nixon would have left on the American psyche if he would have committed suicide in the immediate aftermath of his leaving office?
O’Neill’s description of supply side/trickle down economics strikes home with me. O’Neill’s portraiture of the Reagan economic theory aka the Herbert Hoover economic theory aka whatever the Republicans are dressing it up as now as soaking the poor to subsidize the rich reflects my views closely.
Why isn’t there a screenplay?
If they can make a movie about the “You lie!” man, this wouldn’t be that much of a reach within reason, of course. Done ala Forest Gump, this could be cool.
Casting call:
George Wendt could totally play Tip O’Neill in a movie.
Last Page Sound:
Interesting.
Author Assessment:
Very anecdotal, told as if you were sitting with O’Neill having a beer in a drawing room as he told you the story of his life and times, reminiscing.
Editorial Assessment:
The book is well put together. At first, I wasn’t happy with the anecdotal style, but it grew on. I believe in large part what we are hearing/reading here is Tip O’Neill’s voice.
Knee Jerk Reaction:
glad I read it
Disposition of Book:
Nancy’s bookshelf
Would recommend to:
friends, colleagues, genre fans
September 12, 2017
The Grand Old Man of the House of Representatives, Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill's time in politics and Congress spanned the era of James Michael Curley to Ronald Reagan. This book is a genuinely fascinating, and wonderfully written, account of the life and life decisions of a consummate politician, and in allowing the reader such an intimate look at the workings behind the scenes, Speaker O'Neill invites the layman into a the world of legislators and legislation. Man of the House left me with a great wistfulness for the era when progressives were both progressive and pragmatic, and our politicians recognized the value and necessity of political compromise. O'Neill was imbued with a quotidian erudition and a warmth in his ability to communicate that is sorely missed in our fractured politics today.
November 28, 2024
When you look at the yawning gulf from the presidencies in the mid to latter 20th century to the chaos of the Trump administration and his circus rolling into town in 2025, this book, the memoir of Tip O'Neill, reminds us, once America had checks & balances.
This is both a personal memoir and the insight to Truman, JFK, Lyndon B Johnston, Nixon and Carter, is a compelling read,
Funny, poignant and wonderful for anyone who wants to understand Congress and the path to the White House.
A wee gem of a book
This is both a personal memoir and the insight to Truman, JFK, Lyndon B Johnston, Nixon and Carter, is a compelling read,
Funny, poignant and wonderful for anyone who wants to understand Congress and the path to the White House.
A wee gem of a book
February 7, 2020
Just a delightful read. His style is simple and straightforward, and the casualness with which he describes run of the mill situations that would now be cause for public outcry is fascinating. Reading this book written over 30 years ago offers some eerily prescient moments along with reassurances that things have been bad before in American politics, and maybe, just maybe, they can improve again.
Want to read
May 15, 2024O'Neill, Tip; with William Novak - Man of the House - The Life
Schrijver: O'Neill, Tip; with William Novak
Titel: Man of the House - The Life and Political Memoirs of Speaker Tip O'Neill
ISBN: 9780394552019
Taal: Engels
Uitgever: Random House New York
Bijzonderheden: Hardcover and dustjacket
Prijs: € 10,00 (Excl. verzendkosten)
De Boekenvos uit Dordrecht
Schrijver: O'Neill, Tip; with William Novak
Titel: Man of the House - The Life and Political Memoirs of Speaker Tip O'Neill
ISBN: 9780394552019
Taal: Engels
Uitgever: Random House New York
Bijzonderheden: Hardcover and dustjacket
Prijs: € 10,00 (Excl. verzendkosten)
De Boekenvos uit Dordrecht
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 21, 2020
The first political book I've read. I was asked to sell the book in my English class and got the highest grade. This book introduced me to the quote, "It is nice to br important but it is important to be nice". So much memories.
August 4, 2019
One of my favorite political memoirs. I see so much of Russ Pry in Tip O'Neil. It made me miss him now more than ever.
June 26, 2024
An easy, but fascinating read. The king of story telling!
October 10, 2024
A great review of the world of politics and the US from the 1930s through most of the 1980s. Most of it is still relevant. He saw it all and he tells good stories about it all.
September 30, 2025
BOOK REVIEW - Man of the House, The Life and Political Memoirs of Speaker Tip O’Neill, by Tip O’Neill with William Novak (1989)
This book is a warm, folksy, and candid political memoir that reads like a long conversation with an old friend. Born into a proud, working-class Irish Catholic family in North Cambridge, Massachusetts, O’Neill never forgot the neighborhood where he came from or the values it instilled—fairness, loyalty, and the conviction that government can and should help ordinary people. His early political career began at the street level, literally; first as a local campaigner and later as a Massachusetts state legislator, he learned the retail politics of listening, showing up, and keeping promises. That groundedness propelled him to Congress in 1952 and ultimately to the speakership in 1977, where he became one of the most consequential and colorful House leaders of the twentieth century.
The reads almost like a conversation with an old friend. O’Neill’s storytelling is done with humor and without pretense, but also with a sharp political instinct. His tenure as Speaker (1977–1987) was marked by the rough-and-tumble of divided government: he was the Democratic counterweight to Ronald Reagan’s charismatic conservatism. O’Neill makes clear that he and Reagan fought fiercely over policy—especially on social safety nets and tax policy—yet maintained a grudging personal respect and even warmth. Their “love-hate” relationship became almost theatrical at times, but also kept the government functioning in an era of deep ideological division. O’Neill’s skill lay in understanding power inside the House and forging coalitions; he expanded committee expertise, protected Social Security, and used his influence to preserve long-standing Democratic priorities.
The memoir succeeds not just as political history but as a deeply human story. O’Neill lets the reader see the private man who adored his family, cherished friendships, and believed politics was about service. It is refreshing to read a leader who can admit mistakes, tell a good story at his own expense, and still take pride in accomplishment. This book should be a must read for budding politicians ore anyone interested in congressional history, legislative craft, or the lost art of political deal-making, Man of the House remains both instructive and charming.
Perhaps the best political advice in the book is the story of an elderly woman in O’Neill’s neighborhood. Knowing her since childhood he felt he could count on her vote. He later learned that she did not vote for him. He asked her why and the response was, “You never asked me for my vote.” I’ve worked on a lot of campaigns and served as general counsel to our county democratic committee. I always repeat this story to new candidates.
Quotes:
“All politics is local. You can’t forget where you came from or who sent you. The big speeches and the big causes might get the headlines, but if you don’t answer the phone for the folks back home, if you don’t show up when they need you, you won’t be around long enough to do anything big at all.”
“Ronald Reagan and I fought like hell on the issues. We saw the country through two very different lenses. But I never doubted his good humor or his love of America, and I think, in his way, he respected me too. We could leave the fight on the floor and share a drink afterward. That’s the way the system is supposed to work.”
This book is a warm, folksy, and candid political memoir that reads like a long conversation with an old friend. Born into a proud, working-class Irish Catholic family in North Cambridge, Massachusetts, O’Neill never forgot the neighborhood where he came from or the values it instilled—fairness, loyalty, and the conviction that government can and should help ordinary people. His early political career began at the street level, literally; first as a local campaigner and later as a Massachusetts state legislator, he learned the retail politics of listening, showing up, and keeping promises. That groundedness propelled him to Congress in 1952 and ultimately to the speakership in 1977, where he became one of the most consequential and colorful House leaders of the twentieth century.
The reads almost like a conversation with an old friend. O’Neill’s storytelling is done with humor and without pretense, but also with a sharp political instinct. His tenure as Speaker (1977–1987) was marked by the rough-and-tumble of divided government: he was the Democratic counterweight to Ronald Reagan’s charismatic conservatism. O’Neill makes clear that he and Reagan fought fiercely over policy—especially on social safety nets and tax policy—yet maintained a grudging personal respect and even warmth. Their “love-hate” relationship became almost theatrical at times, but also kept the government functioning in an era of deep ideological division. O’Neill’s skill lay in understanding power inside the House and forging coalitions; he expanded committee expertise, protected Social Security, and used his influence to preserve long-standing Democratic priorities.
The memoir succeeds not just as political history but as a deeply human story. O’Neill lets the reader see the private man who adored his family, cherished friendships, and believed politics was about service. It is refreshing to read a leader who can admit mistakes, tell a good story at his own expense, and still take pride in accomplishment. This book should be a must read for budding politicians ore anyone interested in congressional history, legislative craft, or the lost art of political deal-making, Man of the House remains both instructive and charming.
Perhaps the best political advice in the book is the story of an elderly woman in O’Neill’s neighborhood. Knowing her since childhood he felt he could count on her vote. He later learned that she did not vote for him. He asked her why and the response was, “You never asked me for my vote.” I’ve worked on a lot of campaigns and served as general counsel to our county democratic committee. I always repeat this story to new candidates.
Quotes:
“All politics is local. You can’t forget where you came from or who sent you. The big speeches and the big causes might get the headlines, but if you don’t answer the phone for the folks back home, if you don’t show up when they need you, you won’t be around long enough to do anything big at all.”
“Ronald Reagan and I fought like hell on the issues. We saw the country through two very different lenses. But I never doubted his good humor or his love of America, and I think, in his way, he respected me too. We could leave the fight on the floor and share a drink afterward. That’s the way the system is supposed to work.”
February 22, 2013
This book was helpful in learning more about the U.S. House of Representatives.
It was very instructive to learn about the Speaker's frustrations in dealing with various white houses. It sounds like Carter's staff was extremely aloof and hard to work with, while Reagan's staff was very diligent.
The book is strong on stories and light on analysis. Tip looks back on the highlights of his career but doesn't get very deep. There are a lot of insightful observations and funny anecdotes. The conversational tone makes his garrulous Irish uncle voice come through.
In spite of the breezy tone, this book is able to bring across the essences of political characters and events. Tip's own experiences help colorize well-known historical events and people (Michael Curly, ABSCAM, Watergate, Iran Hostage crisis). There are some passages, though, that are third hand stories presented as fact. For instance, he talks about a meeting between Einstein and Roosevelt about the atom bomb. None of Einstein's biographers think that such a meeting ever took place.
It was interesting to read about the early days of C-Span in doing so learn that Gingrich has always been a rat:
It was very instructive to learn about the Speaker's frustrations in dealing with various white houses. It sounds like Carter's staff was extremely aloof and hard to work with, while Reagan's staff was very diligent.
The book is strong on stories and light on analysis. Tip looks back on the highlights of his career but doesn't get very deep. There are a lot of insightful observations and funny anecdotes. The conversational tone makes his garrulous Irish uncle voice come through.
In spite of the breezy tone, this book is able to bring across the essences of political characters and events. Tip's own experiences help colorize well-known historical events and people (Michael Curly, ABSCAM, Watergate, Iran Hostage crisis). There are some passages, though, that are third hand stories presented as fact. For instance, he talks about a meeting between Einstein and Roosevelt about the atom bomb. None of Einstein's biographers think that such a meeting ever took place.
It was interesting to read about the early days of C-Span in doing so learn that Gingrich has always been a rat:
I happened to be watching in my office one afternoon as Newt Gingrich was taking advantage of special orders to attack Eddie Boland's voting record and to cast aspersions on his patriotism. The camera focused on Gingrich, and anybody watching at home would have thought that Eddie was sitting there, listening to all of this. Periodically, Gingrich would challenge Boland on some point, and then would step back, as if waiting for Eddie to answer. But Boland had left hours ago, along with everybody else in the place.
The next day, when Robert Walker of Pennsylvania tried something similar, I called Charlie Rose, the member in charge of television in the House, and told him I thought the cameras should pan the entire chamber. Charlie informed the camera crew, and when they showed the empty hall, Walker looked like a fool.
February 5, 2015
I am not an American. Despite this, I remain a firm supporter of conservative politics anywhere in the world. I deeply felt that this book was biased against the Republicans. When narrating about his interactions with President Reagan Mr. O'Neill purposed to justify that his presidency was shambolic and filled with a lack of commitment for the job. His statement that President Reagan barely won the election more than President Jimmy Carter lost it is profoundly untrue. President Reagans political reputation as a true statesman and protector of the American realm remains vivid and will stand firm in the days to come as an emblem of the intricacies of political science and God's divine intervention to promote his servants. Leaders have been known to be imperfect and Mr. Reagan is none to spare in this regard. However, leaders are expected to rise above their physical limitations and addictions to offer the best to their followers. This however proves difficult most of the time. Providence has bestowed a thorn in the flesh of every human being to incline him to him at the event he attributes his achievements to himself. I will not dispute that Mr. O'Neill was a diligent politician with a passion for the job. However, his deliberate trashing of any Republican achievements is sufficient enough to poison me against the democrats. Good Read
July 28, 2008
THE DEFINITIVE PRIMER ON POLITICS IN AMERICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So what that I am a political conservative and disagreed with almost everything O'Neill endorsed. The bottom line is that he was one of the last of the "Old School" politicians who understood the art of politics.
The man who made famous the saying "All politics is local" had a grasp on and understanding of the American political process that we seem to have lost in the morass of partisan sabotage, sound byting and finger pointing that politics has become today.
We all would do well to step out of the vitriolic crossfire from both the left and the right and take a lesson from the old master. There's something to be said for a Massachusetts Irish Democrat who was the favorite drinking buddy of Ronald Reagan. We need again people who can differ and yet work together like they did.
So what that I am a political conservative and disagreed with almost everything O'Neill endorsed. The bottom line is that he was one of the last of the "Old School" politicians who understood the art of politics.
The man who made famous the saying "All politics is local" had a grasp on and understanding of the American political process that we seem to have lost in the morass of partisan sabotage, sound byting and finger pointing that politics has become today.
We all would do well to step out of the vitriolic crossfire from both the left and the right and take a lesson from the old master. There's something to be said for a Massachusetts Irish Democrat who was the favorite drinking buddy of Ronald Reagan. We need again people who can differ and yet work together like they did.
August 11, 2015
It seems as though it took forever to read this book, although I enjoyed it tremendously. The truth is, sometimes I just wasn't in the mood for political science.
Having said that, however, I must admit that I found Tip O'Neill's memoir quite entertaining. His narrative voice here is charming and folksy; I felt as though he was sitting next to me telling stories about some of the most famous politicians of the 20th Century.
I learned a great deal about the machinations of government that quite obviously led to today's conservative "purity test" types (i.e., the Tea Party) and why they were able to come to power so easily -- despite it being a matter of nearly 20 years after this book ends before they started to ease their way into power.
Those who truly want to understand how our government works behind the scenes would do well to read this book.
Having said that, however, I must admit that I found Tip O'Neill's memoir quite entertaining. His narrative voice here is charming and folksy; I felt as though he was sitting next to me telling stories about some of the most famous politicians of the 20th Century.
I learned a great deal about the machinations of government that quite obviously led to today's conservative "purity test" types (i.e., the Tea Party) and why they were able to come to power so easily -- despite it being a matter of nearly 20 years after this book ends before they started to ease their way into power.
Those who truly want to understand how our government works behind the scenes would do well to read this book.
August 16, 2013
Hello fellow Tip O'Neill fans - I wanted to let you know about a recent Kickstarter campaign that I think would interest you - the Tip O'Neill documentary called "Mr. Speaker." This documentary will tell the story of O'Neill's live, starting from his growing up as a child of a working class family during the Great Depression to his brief career as a truck driver to becoming The Speaker of the House for five complete consecutive Congresses.
However, in order for the creators of "Mr. Speaker" to create the documentary, they need your help in crowdfunding the project. Head to the "Mr. Speaker" Kickstarter page - http://bit.ly/TipONeillKS - to learn more and to show your support in honoring the legacy of political icon, Tip O'Neill.
Best,
Ali
However, in order for the creators of "Mr. Speaker" to create the documentary, they need your help in crowdfunding the project. Head to the "Mr. Speaker" Kickstarter page - http://bit.ly/TipONeillKS - to learn more and to show your support in honoring the legacy of political icon, Tip O'Neill.
Best,
Ali
February 7, 2008
Tip O'Neill's career in politics spanned four decades, and placed him in the middle of some of the most controversial and important historical events of the late 20th Century--not to mention some of the most bitter political fights of the 1980's when, as Speaker of the House, he found himself in almost constant opposition to the Reagan Administration. Known during his lifetime as one of the great raconteurs on the American scene, his storytelling reputation is fully confirmed in this engaging autobiography.
November 20, 2011
I really enjoyed reading Tip O'Neill's memior of his political life. The last couple of chapters described the Reagan presidential years. In reading Tip's take on the Reagan economic polices I am struck by how far back the Republicans have been chanting no taxes (meaning no programs that help the common man). Specifically, no taxes for the rich. How stupid is this?? The rich can certainly afford to pay taxes, but choose not to do their fair share. And there are people who defend this misguided policy today. Nuts. The book was fun to read and a political junkie's dream.
May 8, 2014
This was an assigned book for my polisci class- I was one of the few who actually read it- and I was surprised to have liked it. I don't agree with O'Neill on some issues, but I respect the guy. He has a conversational tone and it makes the book easy to read. He also brings up some good points that, while I don't necessarily agree, got me to really think about the other side of the coin. I was going to get rid of the book after the class was over, but I decided to keep it, which says something about how much I liked it.
May 12, 2014
A little lackluster at the beginning, this book turned out fascinating. The discussion that the author provides of the the years from Kennedy through Nixon were captivating. The only problem with the Ford/Carter/Reagan years was that the author seems to have assumed a greater familiarity on the part of the reader, and therefore does not explain events as much as he could have. Overall, a great primer on the political climate from the 1930's to the 1980s.
September 21, 2016
Suffice it to say that Tip O'Neill is my new political role model. The chapters on Watergate, Kennedy, and the Vietnam War are some of the most riveting passages you will ever read in an autobiography. O'Neill has a candid and hilarious insider view on almost every major event of the 20th Century that even the most naive of millennials can appreciate. Highly recommend to anyone who wants to know more about how things do (and don't) get done in Washington.
June 8, 2013
A totally enjoyable book that I never would have read without my grandfather recommending it to me. O'Neill give it to you straight and fills his canvas with wonderful side stories and personal moments throughout. Anyone interested in politics should read this book.
January 27, 2015
Could not make it through this one. I really wanted to since I'm rather weak on political history.
The author's personality just came through too strongly and he was just a tad too full of himself. I wish this had been a biography instead of a memoir.
The author's personality just came through too strongly and he was just a tad too full of himself. I wish this had been a biography instead of a memoir.
January 12, 2009
Not very well-written and certainly VERY biased, but entertaining stories inside.
February 8, 2009
Another insider's story of Washington DC. I appreciate his quote, "All politics is local." Certainly a good primer for any lobbyist or activist. Those not interested in politics may not like it.
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