For three surreal weeks in the spring of 2000, Rudy Giuliani held the nation in suspense as he agonized over whether to continue in the race for the U.S. Senate against Hillary Clinton. He'd been diagnosed with cancer; his marriage was crumbling amid reports of an extramarital affair; his wife tearfully lashed out at him in public. It was an excruciating private crisis played out before a national audience, and by the time Giuliani finally announced his decision in an extraordinary public performance, the world was again captivated by the drama centering around this unusual man.

This is the story of Rudy Giuliani's rise to power, from the moment he and a small squad of ex-prosecutors set out to capture New York City's mayoralty in 1989 to the dramatic turning point in his race against the First Lady of the United States.

When Giuliani took over as mayor in 1994, New York was slowly sinking into an abyss of deteriorating living conditions: It was the crime capital of the country, described by Time magazine as "The Rotting Apple"; it was filthy and dangerous, its streets and terminals overtaken by armies of homeless people. The city was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy again. Polls showed most New Yorkers wanted out.

The public would soon get a taste of Giuliani's style. Each week brought a new brawl, with the new mayor egging his adversaries on. He threw Yasir Arafat out of Lincoln Center and sparked an international incident; he tried to evict the Brooklyn Museum after its directors staged an exhibition he deemed sacrilegious; he battled the Mafia, liberals, and leaders of his own party. The mayor snarled at the very mention of his critics -- and their numbers seemed to grow by the hour.

Some viewed him as a savior; others called him a tyrant. But by the force of his will and little more, this man with no experience in municipal government ended up changing the face of his city.

In this riveting portrait of his mayoralty, Andrew Kirtzman tells the story of Giuliani's zealous crusade to clean up, control, and shape New York City. Based on interviews with more than two hundred of the mayor's closest aides and fiercest adversaries -- and the author's own experience covering him for eight years -- Rudy Giuliani: Emperor of the City tells the behind-the-scenes story of his reign.

Is Rudy Giuliani a hero, a danger, or both? What's it worth to be led by a strong man? How much power are we willing to give one person? Rudy Giuliani: Emperor of the City offers some answers as it tells the tale of one man's historic rise -- in all its dramatic, outrageous, and ultimately poignant detail.