Very good book. Easily kept my interest. I love true crime and especially detailing old history, easy to get caught up in all the crime in New York City! ( )

There's something fascinating about a Republican being a hard-core reformer. I could admire TR's tenacity and yet be amazed by his naivete. Here is a good example of a politician who simply doesn't understand the meaning of "compromise." In standing his moral ground he not only alienated Democrats, but he also turned off many in his own political party. It was a fascinating read, especially considering the current political climate. ( )

As a TR "Fan" this book is excellent -- largely because of the way that it doesn't treat its start subject with kid gloves, but shows him as a real person, warts and all. Reading it as I did in late 2014, it also became surprisingly relevant to this year's interest in police and community dynamics. Well worth a read from that perspective, as well as a prelude to prohibition.

(2015 Review #2) ( )

This book gives us a very good picture of what life was like in the late 1800's in Manhattan. We get the picture of the level of 'sin' in the city and the efforts of a Reverend Parkhurst to document it. He goes into the Tammany Hall politics of the day and gives us an idea of what Roosevelt was up against.

For Roosevelt to clean up vice he first needed to clean the police department. The NYPD would look the other way when vice laws were being broken, for a price. Many of the captains and commissioners and the chief of police got rich off the illegal gambling, brothels and liquor sales.

Roosevelt attempted to fire the corrupt police officers and hire men of high morals. He managed to ban liquor sales on Sunday (for a while), during the reform there were some claims of false arrests and imprisonments.

Theodore Roosevelt is portrayed as a know-it-all blowhard, this is supported by direct quotes from letters, speeches and newspaper articles. This is a very detailed account of Roosevelt's time as police commissioner of New York. It doesn't drag but it is also not an exciting or fast moving story.

I would recommend this book for people who enjoy biographies and history, also for people interested in true crime. ( )

I kept on seeing this book in my bookstore every time I pass the New U.S. History section. I was always intrigued by the cover but I was always afraid that'll be boring. Sometimes, historical non fiction is told in such a dry manner. I really picked up this book because there is a book club starting in March and Island of Vice was their first choice.

Island of Vice is the tale of 1890's New York. Boy, is it full of corruption, debauchary, and mayhem! Under Democratically run Tammany Hall, prostitution and vice are running rampant. High ranking police officers are taking bribes and payoffs. The citizens of New York are drinking their hearts away. Who can save New York from drowning and whoring into sin-soaked oblivion?

Republican Theodore Roosevelt, that's who!

Yes, Theodore Roosevelt is hired to clean up New York and that is exactly what he does: he cleans house in the police department which hinders the growth of prostitution. New Yorkers are absolutely loving Teddy! He then turns on the extreme alcohol use by prohibiting saloons, bars, and such from selling alcohol on Sundays.

New Yorkers are not loving that so much and use every loophole, nook, and cranny to get out of it. Soon, they are literally crying for the good ol' days chock full of corruption as long as they have their precious alcohol in Sundays! Amidst all of this is in-fighting between the police board, isolation, loneliness, and politics. If you can't play the game, you can never become president.

I am very surprised how much I loved this novel. Richard Zacks did such an incredible job painting a rich picture of 1890's New York. He had a ton of information but it was exciting and so interesting. It made me realized I knew nothing about 1890's New York and I knew even less with about Theodore Roosevelt. He was such an intriguing character that it is a shame that all that is known about him, at least to me, was that he became President after President McKinley was assassinated. Island of Vice is a must read! ( )