Crazy Town
The Rob Ford Story
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5.0 • 4 Ratings
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
His drug and alcohol-fuelled antics made world headlines and engulfed a city in unprecedented controversy. Toronto Mayor Rob Ford’s personal and political troubles have occupied centre stage in North America’s fourth largest city since news broke that men involved in the drug trade were selling a videotape of Ford appearing to smoke crack cocaine.
Toronto Star reporter Robyn Doolittle was one of three journalists to view the video and report on its contents in May 2013. Her dogged pursuit of the story has uncovered disturbing details about the mayor’s past and embroiled the Toronto police, city councilors, and ordinary citizens in a raucous debate about the future of the city.
Even before those explosive events, Ford was a divisive figure. A populist and successful city councillor, he was an underdog to become mayor in 2010. His politics and mercurial nature have split the amalgamated city in two. But there is far more to the story. The Fords have a long, unhappy history of substance abuse and criminal behavior. Despite their troubles, they are also one of the most ambitious families in Canada. Those close to the Fords say they often compare themselves to the Kennedys and believe they were born to lead. Regardless of whether the mayor survives the scandal, the Ford name is on the ballot in the mayoralty election of 2014.
Fast-paced and insightful, Crazy Town is a page-turning portrait of a troubled man, a formidable family and a city caught in an jaw-dropping scandal.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Those expecting more salacious details about Rob Ford, Toronto's train-wreck of a mayor, will be disappointed with this book from Toronto Star reporter Doolittle. It's no shock to learn that in his early days as mayor, his hapless wife, Renata, seeks help for Ford, who "still thinks he's going to party." Even what passes for skullduggery in City Hall politics is tame. But the book delivers in decidedly crucial matters. It answers the question that has flummoxed many: How did an enfant terrible like Ford become mayor in the first place? It addresses the lack of transparency in Canada that has made it "extraordinarily difficult" for journalists to dig up even the most basic facts about public figures. And Doolittle dares to venture on the shudder-inducing prospect of "Ford more years." With only three months to whip up a book, Doolittle has, however, regrettably cut corners. We learn that despite all their dysfunctions and addictions, "by all accounts, the Ford kids had a happy childhood," with no one to support or dispute that. She also relies on other journalists' reportage to illuminate her analysis, including reiterating the largely held but highly contestable assumption that immigrants (a.k.a. "the strivers") are propping up Ford Nation.
Customer Reviews
One of the best books I've ever read.
I could not put "Crazy Town" down. It's a complex and engaging story, written incredibly well. I only regret not reading it years ago.