The Prince of the City is at once a fascinating character study of one of America’s most charismatic public figures, a history of New York over the last forty years, and a classic inquiry into the issue of how cities thrive or die. Siegel’s story culminates with a dramatic account of September 11, 2001, revealing how Giuliani’s s eight years in office had prepared him and the city to rise to this tragic occasion and how in the aftermath of the attack he became America’s Mayor. Siegel concludes with a look at how Guiliani’s successor, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, has handled his legacy and at what lies in Guiliani’s political future.