The Cop Who Would Be King : The Honorable Frank Rizzo

Once in a generation a unique character comes on the political scene. And all hell breaks loose. This book tells the story of that character.

Philadelphia cops call him "The General."

His campaign promise to his enemies: "I'm gonna make Attila the Hun look like a faggot after this election's over."

He's the only big-city mayor in America to publicly take a lie detector test to prove his innocence of a controversial charge - and flunk it.

He's Frank Rizzo, profane, brawling mayor of Philadelphia and now the subject of the boldest, most irreverent profile of an urban power broker since Mike Royko's Boss.

The Cop Who Would Be King charts Rizzo's incredible rise from the tough streets of South Philadelphia through his wild, raiding days as the "Cisco Kid" of the police department, from his hard-lining and headlining as police commissioner during the explosive late 1960's through his sweep into City Hall in 1971, "The Year of the Cop."

At the same time, the authors mount an incisive, often shocking investigation of Rizzo's power: why voters have entrusted it to him, how he wields it, how he keeps it despite the damning revelations that continually surface.

Daughen and Binzen, two first-rate veteran reports, have covered Philadelphia and Frank Rizzo's career for years. As a result of their legwork and skill, The Cop Who Would Be Kind has a presence and excitement that sets it apart from every other book of its kind.