Wayne Barrett

Grand Illusion is the true story of what happened on 9/11 and the first clear-eyed evaluation of Giuliani's role before, during, and after the disaster. Turning the mythology on its head, authors Wayne Barrett and Dan Collins reveal how Giuliani has revised his own history, casting himself as a prescient terror hawk when in fact he ran his administration as if terrorist threats simply did not exist, too distracted by pet projects and turf wars to attend to vital precautions. Barrett and Collins also provide the first authoritative view of the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, recounting the triumphs and missteps of the city's efforts to heal itself. With surprising new reporting about the victims, the villains, and the heroes, this is an important reassessment of one of the pivotal events—and politicians—of our time.

Traces the life and career of successful New York real estate developer, Donald Trump, explains how he began his business, and analyzes the reasons for its success

Challenges beliefs about Giuliani's leadership during the events of September 11, arguing that the attacks enabled the mayor to reinvent his public image and followed two terms during which Giuliani failed to promote security interests.

"This investigative biography starts with the college kid who confided his presidential dream to his girlfriend and practiced future campaign speeches in front of her at home. It analyzes his substantial impact as U.S. Attorney, badly wounding the Mafia, storming the white collared halls of Wall Street and forever changing the face of New York politics. It looks at his celebrated crime reduction and other achievements through a new lens, highlighting the single-mindedness that has made Giuliani one of America's most important and controversial figures."--BOOK JACKET.