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Dirty Waters
Confessions of Chicago's Last Harbor Boss
Series: Chicago Visions and Revisions
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Check link for latest rating. ( 48 ratings, 12 reviews)
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Dirty Waters
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
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Description
A wry, no-holds-barred memoir of Nelson’s time controlling some of Chicago's most beautiful spots while facing some of its ugliest traditions.
In 1987, the city of Chicago hired a former radical college chaplain to clean up rampant corruption on the waterfront. R. J. Nelson thought he was used to the darker side of the law—he had been followed by federal agents and wiretapped due to his antiwar stances in the sixties—but nothing could prepare him for the wretched bog that constituted the world of a Harbour Boss.
Dirty Waters is the wry, no-holds-barred memoir of Nelson’s time controlling some of the city’s most beautiful spots while facing some of its ugliest traditions. Nelson takes us through Chicago's beloved “blue spaces” and deep into the city’s political morass, revealing the different moralities underlining three mayoral administrations and navigating the gritty mechanisms of the city’s political machine.
Ultimately, Dirty Waters is a tale of morality, of what it takes to be a force for good in the world and what struggles come from trying to stay ethically afloat in a sea of corruption.
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Dirty Waters
A wry, no-holds-barred memoir of Nelson’s time controlling some of Chicago's most beautiful spots while facing some of its ugliest traditions. In 1987, the city of Chicago hired a former radical college chaplain to clean up rampant corruption on the waterfront. R. J. Nelson thought he was used to the darker side of the law—he had been followed by federal...Paperback$4199Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 3-4 weeks -
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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Dirty Waters by R. J. Nelson has been praised for its entertaining storytelling, with a tone that captures the spirit of Chicago's unique political landscape. This insightful work provides a fascinating insider's view of the city's political machine and offers anecdotes from a reformer's perspective in the Harold Washington era. Readers find it both an enjoyable and revealing exploration of the complexities of governance and corruption in Chicago.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780226826929
Publisher: The University of Chicago Press
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 19 February 2023
Country: United States
Imprint: University of Chicago Press
Illustration: 16 halftones, 6 maps
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 23.0mm
Width: 152.0mm
Height: 229.0mm
Weight: 426g
Pages: 304
About the Author
R. J. Nelson is a former Superintendent of Special Services and Director of Harbors and Marine Services for the Chicago Park District, positions he held from 1987 to 1994. He is also the retired CEO of the Hammond Indiana Port Authority. His other positions included vice president of Grebe Shipyard in Chicago, administrator at the University of Chicago, and chaplain at Cornell University. He lives in the South Shore neighborhood of Chicago.
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