b ReviewCentral: Tom Johnson: The Life and Times of Cleveland's Greatest Mayor

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Monday, December 12, 2005

Tom Johnson: The Life and Times of Cleveland's Greatest Mayor

Impressive Historical Biography

Tom Johnson: The Life and Times of Cleveland's Greatest Mayor
by Kevin O'Connell, 111 pages
Publisher: Green Road Press (December, 2001)

Tom Johnson: The Life and Times of Cleveland's Greatest Mayor provides a rare look at the life of Thomas Loftin Johnson, who served as Mayor of Cleveland, Ohio from 1901-1909.

Often referred to as Cleveland's Greatest Mayor, Johnson has rarely been the subject of biographers-- Two books on his life were published within a year of his 1911 death, another in the early 1990's that is now out of print-- and now O'Connell's work.

In this volume O'Connell does a good job of painting the picture of Johnson, and his evolution from successful capitalist businessman to unabashed socialist politician.

Johnson's success in turning the City of Cleveland from a backward industrial city with a poor quality of life into a modern turn of the century metropolis is covered, as well as his quixotic campaign for Ohio Governor; where his progressive views were soundly rejected by Ohio voters, are covered throughly.

It is clear from this work that O'Connell, the biographer, is a fan of Johnson. The book is clearly pro-Johnson, rather than a neutral work. However I found this to be a great read. It really painted a picture of 1900's Cleveland and has given me a great amount of respect for Mayor Johnson and his accomplishments.

review by Ron Lisy,
councilmanlisy@hotmail.com

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