Book excerpt: During the 1960s, city politics changed dramatically in Canada. The comfortable world of old-guard municipal politics was challenged by citizen groups and reform-minded candidates. In this book, John Sewell provides a frank, informal account of his involvement in the key issues in Toronto city politics during this period of change. The result is a valuable look at how city government really functions and how citizens and reform-minded politicians can have an impact on city hall. First published in 1972, Up Against City Hall is an inside look at a period of remarkable change in Canadian municipal politics penned by one of the nation's most effective reformers.