Read complete books and articles on: Fiorello H. LaGuardia

Laguardia, Fiorello Henry - fēərĕlˈō, ləgwärˈdēə, 1882–1947, U.S. public official, congressman, and mayor of New York City (1934–45), b. New York City. He spent his early years in Arizona with his father, an army bandmaster who had come from Italy to the United States. LaGuardia went to Europe while still a youth, and was employed by the U.S. consulates in Hungary, Trieste, and Fiume. Returning to New York City, he studied law while working (1907–10) in the U.S. immigration service, and was admitted (1910) to the bar. He ran for Congress on the Republican ticket unsuccessfully in 1914, but won in 1916 after a vigorous campaign against the Tammany machine. In Congress he joined in the successful fight for the liberalization of the House rules. He commanded (1917) U.S. air forces on the Italian-Austrian front in World War I. LaGuardia was president (1920–21) of the New York City board of aldermen and returned (1923–33) to the House of Representatives, where he fought for numerous labor reforms and sponsored the Norris-LaGuardia Act, which prohibited injunctions in labor disputes.

With the backing of Samuel Seabury, LaGuardia successfully ran (1933) for mayor of New York City on the Fusion ticket. As mayor he executed a vast program of reform. He reduced political corruption, forwarded the modernization and beautification of the city, brought about the adoption (1938) of a new city charter, introduced slum clearance projects, and improved health and sanitary conditions. "The Little Flower" (from his first name), a shrewd, nonpartisan, and uncorruptable spokesman for urban America, was reelected mayor of New York City for three consecutive four-year terms, but chose not to run again in 1945. LaGuardia served (1946) as director of the UN Relief and Rehabilitation Administration. His courage, enthusiasm, and energy made him a nationally known figure.

See his autobiography (ed. by M. L. Werner, 1948, repr. 1961); biography by A. Mann (2 vol., 1959–65, repr. 1969); E. Cuneo, Life with Fiorello (1955); H. Zinn, LaGuardia in Congress (1959, repr. 1969); T. Kessner, Fiorello H. LaGuardia and the Making of Modern New York (1989); A. Brodsky, The Great Mayor (2003).

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8 of the Best Books and Articles on: Fiorello H. LaGuardia

as selected by Questia librarians

1.

The Napoleon of New York: Mayor Fiorello La Guardia » Read Now
by H. Paul Jeffers. 392 pgs.

Collections: History, Entire Library

Praise for H. Paul Jeffers Diamond Jim Brady: Prince of the Gilded Age "One of the most entertaining historical business narratives in recent memory. The story of this symbol of America's Gilded Age is filled with such gusto and vigor that even hardcore business readers will be swept away."...
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Praise for H. Paul Jeffers Diamond Jim Brady: Prince of the Gilded Age "One of the most entertaining historical business narratives in recent memory. The story of this symbol of America's Gilded Age is filled with such gusto and vigor that even hardcore business readers will be swept away." -Publishers Weekly "Superb historical biography of one of the more colorful characters in American history . . . spirited. . . . Jeffers deftly weaves together intriguing stage-setting explanations of the age of robber barons, the crash of 1893, and that unforgettable era of unbridled wealth for the few in 1890s New York. As this marvelous story reveals, Brady's lavish lifestyle embodies America's Gilded Age. Highly recommended for all libraries." -Library Journal An Honest President: The Life and Presidencies of Grover Cleveland "A well-written and timely book that reminds us of Grover Cleveland's courage, commitment, and honesty at a time when these qualities are so lacking in so much of American politics." -James MacGregor Burns, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award Colonel Roosevelt: Theodore Roosevelt Goes to War, 1897-1898 "A handsome narrative of a crucial period in the career of one of our country's most colorful politicians." -Publishers Weekly
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2.

Laguardia in Congress » Read Now
by Howard Zinn. 290 pgs.

Collections: History, Entire Library
3.

Pete: The Story of Peter V. Cacchione, New York's First Communist Councilman (Chap. 11 "The Fiorello Phenomenon") » Read Now
by Simon W. Gerson. 216 pgs.

Collections: Entire Library
4.

Or Does It Explode?: Black Harlem in the Great Depression (Discussion of Fiorello H. LaGuardia begins on p. 85) » Read Now
by Cheryl Lynn Greenberg. 317 pgs.

Collections: History, Entire Library

The Great Depression was a time of hardship for many Americans, but for the citizens of Harlem it was made worse by past and present discrimination. Or Does It Explode? examines Black Harlem from the 1920s through the Depression and New Deal to the outbreak of World War II. It describes the changing...
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The Great Depression was a time of hardship for many Americans, but for the citizens of Harlem it was made worse by past and present discrimination. Or Does It Explode? examines Black Harlem from the 1920s through the Depression and New Deal to the outbreak of World War II. It describes the changing economic and social lives of Harlemites, and the complex responses of a resilient community to racism and poverty. Greenberg demonstrates that far from remaining passive in the face of hard times, Harlemites mobilized to better their opportunities and living conditions through numerous organizations and grass-roots political activism. Their successes led to changed employment practices and new government programs. This progress was not always enough, however, and the resulting anger of the community twice exploded in riot, in 1935 and 1943. The book traces the history of these protests, both organized and spontaneous. It places them within their political and economic contexts by exploring the diversity of Harlem's family and community life, its experiences with work and relief, and its interaction with the administrations of New York City and New Deal agencies.
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5.

New York: The World's Capital City Its Development and Contributions to Progress (Chap. Fourteen "LaGuardia and a New Deal for the City") » Read Now
by Rebecca B. Rankin, Cleveland Rodgers. 399 pgs.

Collections: History, Entire Library
6.

Wartime Problems of State and Local Finance (Chap. XII "Postwar Fiscal Planning in New York City") » Read Now
by Frederick L. Bird, Russell Van Nest Black, A. E. Buck, Alvin A. Burger, Kenneth Dayton, Robert S. Ford, Arnold Frye, Fiorfllo H. La Guardia, Ernest Minor Patterson, Harvey S. Perloff, Chester B. Pond, Charles S. Rhyne, Lewis B. Sims, Wade S. Smith, Edwin H. Spengler, Paul Studenski. 272 pgs.

Collections: Entire Library
7.

New York Advancing (1939) » Read Now
by Rebecca B. Rankin. 272 pgs.

Collections: Entire Library
8.

The Man Who Rode the Tiger: The Life and Times of Judge Samuel Seabury (Chap. 17 "La Guardia for Mayor, or Else--") » Read Now
by Herbert Mitgang. 382 pgs.

Collections: History, Entire Library