To read this biography of Thomas Philip Tip O'Neill is to take a walk through the greatest moments of post-World War II American politics; its most colourful characters, its grandest triumphs, its most bitter ideological wars crises. Tip saw everything from the Melting Pot to Vietnam to Reaganomics, and was no mere bystander to the turmoil of his times. For 50 years, the late Speaker of the House epitomized the Democratic Party and its historic role in 20th-century politics in a career which tracked his party's triumphs and failures. In this book, John Farrell paints a portrait of this unique politician - and of an entire era.