4915. Royko A Life in Print, by F. Richard Ciccone (read 16 Apr 2012) This is a 2001 biography of the Chicago columnist who was born 19 Sep 1932 and died 29 Apr 1997, He wrote a column five days a week for nearly 30 years for a succession of Chicago papers. He drank too much, could not stop smoking, and was often egotistical and overbearing. But he was very influential and often was on the right side of issues, e.g., race and liberalism. He was fiercely against Mayor Daley, but supportive of Mayor Daley's son when the son became Mayor. Anyone interested in Chicago would be wise to read this book, even if one cannot be very admiratory of Royko as a human being. ( )

Mike Royko was Chicago personified, a hard-working, hard-drinking, hard-living journalist whose newspaper column for 30 years spoke to the ordinary Joe. At least it did at first, and for a long time. But in his later years, he was a hater, not merely a curmudgeon. He turned sour. It was a shame.

I'd strongly recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand Royko, Chicago politics, Chicago journalism, or just wants a good biography to read. Ciccone does an excellent job not merely describing Royko's roots, but showing how that affected the person he became.

Despite his brilliant writing, incisive political insights, and empathy for the ordinary Joe, Royko was a deeply troubled man. He was a severe alcoholic (as was his father before him), a workaholic who loved his family but was hardly ever around, a famous and successful columnist who was jealous of others and could hold a grudge like you wouldn't believe. When he remarried and started a second family (by adoption) after his first beloved wife's death, he spent more time on family things and tried to stop his self-destructive behavior, with limited success.

Ciccone does not hide Royko's warts (and they were many), although he does become a bit of an apologist about his later, nastier side.

Filled with anecdotes about Chicago's newspaper wars, sports teams (such as they are), its famous, infamous and not-famous-at-all, this will go on the shelf with all my other Chicagoana.

One irritant, though. Ciccone is a newsman. He was managing editor for the Chicago Tribune and teaches journalism. Did he not read the proofs? Did his editor not read the proofs? Aside from such annoyances as the constant use of the word "anabuse" when he means "Antabuse", and calling Mike and his wife "the Royko's", Ciccone gets repetitious, telling stories more than once in a way that makes it clear that he thinks he's saying it for the first time.

But that's a minor quibble about an otherwise fine book.