About the Author

Charles B. Rangel served 23 terms as a Democratic congressman (1971-2017) who represented New York's Fightin' 15th District (including Harlem and the Upper West Side). He was the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus. Rangel is the principal author of the $5 billion Federal Empowerment Zone demonstration project to revitalize urban neighborhoods across the U.S., and in the 1980s anti-apartheid movement he led the fight in Congress to pressure U.S. corporations to divest from South Africa. He served in the U.S. Army from 1948 to 1952, and was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star for service in Korea.

Reviews

"Brims with brio. . . . [A] remarkable life story, irresistibly told. . . . The congressman's character portraits, of the famous and not-so-famous, are sympathetically drawn and in many cases wonderfully constructed. . . . Oh, the stories . . . there are plenty from which to choose. . . . As a politician/raconteur with a hell of a tale to tell, he sure has my vote." --Eric Alterman, The New York Times Book Review "Charlie's memoir recounts his extraordinary life as only he could, with sparkling wit, outspoken candor, and remarkable insight. . . . While his heart and his voice are from Harlem, his story will inspire all Americans who believe hard work and conviction make dreams come true." --President Bill Clinton "[Charlie Rangel] possesses many qualities that have made him the able legislator and national leader he is today, but the most important of these are the qualities most in evidence in this fine memoir--his compassion, confidence and patriotism, the qualities of a first-rate American." --Senator John McCain