"The City and County: A Novel of San Francisco Newsmakers" is Joe Strupp's first book and is published by Dry Bones Press of Roseville, California.
Synopsis
The twisting, turning story follows Billy Dale, San Francisco's most cunning, dirtiest, and most successful political consultant. A hard-bitten, gay ex-New Yorker, he reaches his sweetest victory on Election Night 1991 when former police chief Jack Callahan wins an underdog race for Mayor after Dale and local weekly newspaper publisher Jimmy Min convince him to run against longtime incumbent William Carlson. The race includes plenty of mud-slinging, accusations, and corruption.
Once Callahan wins, he sets about to take charge. But the city's two daily newspapers, The San Francisco Bulletin and The San Francisco Journal, are not about to let him off the hook. Both newspapers endorsed and supported Carlson, and lost plenty of political clout when he was forced out.
As the newspapers battle for control of the new mayor, and Dale fights to keep his City Hall power in tact, other forces, from rival newspaper publishers to wanna-be political powerbrokers, manage to tangle things up with bribery, deceit, and hardball tactics.
Written through the eyes of a San Francisco news veteran, The City and County weaves a two-year tale of political power-grabbing and journalistic abuse that includes backroom deals, shady operatives, and even murder.
Synopsis
The twisting, turning story follows Billy Dale, San Francisco's most cunning, dirtiest, and most successful political consultant. A hard-bitten, gay ex-New Yorker, he reaches his sweetest victory on Election Night 1991 when former police chief Jack Callahan wins an underdog race for Mayor after Dale and local weekly newspaper publisher Jimmy Min convince him to run against longtime incumbent William Carlson. The race includes plenty of mud-slinging, accusations, and corruption.
Once Callahan wins, he sets about to take charge. But the city's two daily newspapers, The San Francisco Bulletin and The San Francisco Journal, are not about to let him off the hook. Both newspapers endorsed and supported Carlson, and lost plenty of political clout when he was forced out.
As the newspapers battle for control of the new mayor, and Dale fights to keep his City Hall power in tact, other forces, from rival newspaper publishers to wanna-be political powerbrokers, manage to tangle things up with bribery, deceit, and hardball tactics.
Written through the eyes of a San Francisco news veteran, The City and County weaves a two-year tale of political power-grabbing and journalistic abuse that includes backroom deals, shady operatives, and even murder.