O Albany! [Paperback]

Subtract a star if you're not terribly interested in learning about Albany, NY.

William Kennedy has not achieved his stated aim with "O Albany!": I do not think that people in Kansas City, with no particular interest in learning about Albany, will enjoy "O Albany!" more than Mr. Kennedy's fiction works sited in that city. However, for passionate Kennedy fans interested in learning about his novels' settings, and for anyone with an interest in learning about Albany (more likely a broader audience), "O Albany!" is recommended, with some minor hesitations.

"O Albany!" is a quirky history. To its credit, it most definitely is not a dispassionate, straightforward, chronological history (that would be too dry, and would waste Kennedy's storytelling talents). Instead, "O Albany!" is the author's own anecdotal, personal, episodic slice of Albany's history. Kennedy covers many salient aspects, but plumbs certain subjects too deeply (such as the neighborhoods, and his tendency to cite too many names of people and businesses - this makes for some tedious reading) while only touching upon certain episodes of the lives of more interesting subjects (e.g. Legs Diamond, and the Barnes Republican machine, which preceded the O'Connell Democratic machine with which Kennedy is naturally more acquainted).

The best parts of "O Albany!" are Kennedy's freeform reminiscences about his boyhood neighborhood, and the profiles of the Albany Democratic machine and the shady, corrupt dealings (at all levels, from the governor on down) that were done in order to, slowly and expensively, erect the South Mall. These are far from the only shady dealings described, however. The Albany Democratic party comes across as a cross between the Communists (because of their absolute single-party dominance, and the power of the unelected party chief) and the Mafia. Kennedy offers some reasons why Albany has tolerated this situation, but since he does not lament what Albany would otherwise be (perhaps, a city of more wealth and energy, especially in the private and creative sectors), a critic might call him an apologist. But, although Kennedy has chosen Albany for his home, he does point out the many warts, so he accepts Albany for what it is without being blind to its faults.

Albany has a much more interesting history than I was expecting. It has an image as a drab city dominated by government and its minions of risk-avoiding job-for-life 9-to-5 bureaucrats. The past, and how it came to be the city that it is now, however, is much livelier, and Kennedy captures this in his book.

p.s. Kennedy includes some funny stories, but the funniest joke is perhaps an unintentional one: in the index, the entry for "vote fraud" reads "See Democratic Party".

`O Albany!' is a vivid and wonderfully written history of the city of Albany, New York. Part memoir, part history, author William Kennedy fluently intertwines his personal memories and anecdotes with an official history of this significant but largely unknown city. Kennedy is a lifelong native of the city, and his genuine devotion to it-warts and all-is made apparent throughout. Even when describing some of the uglier aspects of the city, he writes with a sort of warm-hearted sentiment similar to a mother's defense of a beloved but wayward child. Kennedy is an Irish-Catholic Democrat and the book is faithfully written from this perspective. His observations are often humorous, and his writing style is smooth and enjoyable.

Founded by the Dutch in 1624, the area was originally a fur trading post named Fort Orange. Forty years later, Fort Orange was acquired by the English and renamed Albany. It was a major political center during colonial and revolutionary times and is one of the oldest chartered cities in North America. This era is only briefly discussed. The 18th and 19th centuries are covered a little more in-depth with such aspects as the massive arrival of Irish immigrants being major contributions to the city's destiny. Where Kennedy really shines is his descriptions of 20th century Albany, complete with gangsters, political bosses, cops, prostitutes, and a lively nightlife. He fluidly surveys the many neighborhoods that make up Albany and the ethnicities that inhabit them. As a lifelong native of Albany's outskirts, there were a few things in the book that I already knew, but the majority of it was new and enlightening to me. I was pleasantly surprised by the complexity and significance of Albany's history and I suspect that `O Albany!' is one of the best sources available to learn about it. Excellent.

Make no mistake - Kennedy loves the City of Albany and it shows throughout this book. I enjoyed this book, probably more than others might, because I went to college in Albany in the early 1980's when the book was published. Strangely I never read it back then and haven't been back to Albany in 14 years. Good for me but maybe bad for others the book stops in 1982 so it matches with my memory. But I love history combined with folklore and the stuff that makes a city or region unique. When most of America is becoming Americ-urbia all an area has left is its history. Albany is rich. It's a great read.

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