A somewhat bizarre book. It presents itself as an autobiography, but in many respects, it's more of a political memoir, as the author (the long time Secretary of the Interior and quondam enforcer for Franklin Roosevelt) largely focuses on his political activities from the time he moves to Chicago (after the death of his mother). There's one chapter at the end that talks about his second marriage, but his first wife is glimpsed only briefly, and his adopted and natural children not at all. There's a cutesy "censored" chapter which is deeply annoying to read, and the joke grew stale after the first few paragraphs. There is, in typical Ickes fashion, a lot of score settling, including some sophomoric shots at Bertie McCormick, the publisher of the Chicago Tribune and one of Ickes' biggest haters. The fact that McCormick does deserve ridicule doesn't take away from some of the shots Ickes takes, including a highly dubious and below-the-belt shot at McCormick regarding his World War I service. Much of the history of Chicago politics that he relates is of the "why I was right and my enemies were awful" variety. One of the few saving graces of the book is that he publishes a small selection of anti-Ickes cartoons; perhaps to demonstrate his open-mindedness or bigness, I don't know. A very highly subjective history, and one would be advised to take anything said in this book with a grain of salt, reputation for "Honest Harold" or not. ( )