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RingsidePolitics
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The Political Bookstore
Biographies
The Political Bookstore presents the biographies of some of the
most intriguing lives from the present day and from history. You'll find books about
U.S. and world leaders. Those holding power and those that held power. And
those in the thick of modern politics and those on the outside looking in.
Click on the book cover for reviews, pricing, and to order!
| With its gripping tale of a
privileged ugly duckling turned socially conscious swan with the help of strong female
friends -- many of whom were lesbians and one of whom was probably her lover -- the first
volume of Blanche Wiesen Cook's biography of Eleanor Roosevelt won awards and made
headlines. That book followed its subject from her birth in 1884 through her husband
Franklin's election to the presidency in 1933. Volume 2, which chronicles Roosevelt's
first six years as America's most controversial first lady (Hillary Clinton doesn't even
come close), maps her contributions to the New Deal, which Cook convincingly argues was
primarily the fulfillment of a political agenda promoted by female reformers as early as
1912. Eleanor's turbulent relationship with journalist Lorena Hickok gets more space here
than it probably deserves, and the story isn't as inherently exciting as the first
volume's drama of a woman's coming of age. Nonetheless, Cook's subtle analyses of
everything from Roosevelt's exceedingly complex marriage to her role as warm-up act for
the New Deal's most radical programs are bracingly intelligent, her evocation of a
remarkable personality rivetingly vivid. Eleanor emerges as neither the liberals' saint
nor the conservatives' Satan, but an entirely human bundle of contradictions:
warm-hearted, yet ice-cold when hurt; happiest in the public arena, yet needing the
comfort of private relationships. --Wendy Smith Also by
Cook: |
 Eleanor Roosevelt 1933-38 (Vol 2) List Price: $34.95
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 The First Partner Hillary Rodham Clinton: A Biography by Joyce Milton List Price: $27.00
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In 1998, Hillary Rodham Clinton became the most
admired woman in America while also becoming the most visibly wronged wife in the world.
Standing by her husband, President Bill Clinton, as she and the nation learned the truth
behind the Monica Lewinsky scandal, the First Lady assumed two roles--dutiful spouse and
passionate defense attorney--which she had played on numerous occasions during the course
of their tumultuous yet politically unified relationship. Now esteemed biographer and journalist Joyce Milton examines this formidable, fascinating woman, giving probing insight into the First Lady's character, her values and her career. In The First Partner, Milton goes behind the scenes at the Clinton White House and explores the First Lady's involvement in Travelgate, Filegate, the Health Care Task Force fiasco and fund-raising for the 1996 presidential campaign, showing how these controversies grew out of the tensions in political partnership with Bill Clinton. Milton also describes how Mrs. Clinton's defensive reactions to her husband's chronic infidelities have often misfired and have sometimes enabled his bad behavior. She examines the differing psychologies of the President and First Lady, yet shows that when faced with political accusations, they take a similar approach of telling only as much of the truth as is necessary--a reaction that has increasingly gotten them into trouble. |
 Bill
and Hillary: The Marriage |
 Dutch, A Memoir of Ronald Reagan by Edmund Morris List Price: $35.00 Our Price: $24.50 You Save: $10.50 (30%)  |
 Churchill by Martin Gilbert |
 Worth Fighting For by Dan Quayle |
| In this enlightening new look
at one of our most successful, most popular, and least understood presidents, bestselling
author and former Reagan aide Dinesh D'Souza shows how this "ordinary" man was
able to transform the political landscape in a way that made a permanent impact on America
and the world. Ronald Reagan is a thoughtful and honest assessment of how this under-
estimated president became a truly extraordinary leader. List
Price: $13.00 |
 Ronald
Reagan: How an Ordinary Man Became an Extraordinary Leader
Also by D'Souza: |
 The
Roosevelt Women
|
First Ladies Eleanor and Edith are both subjects of
full biographies, and Theodore's daughter Alice Roosevelt Long- worth is legendary for her
caustic wit. In this book, historian Betty Boyd Caroli looks at seven additional Roosevelt
women and notes some intriguing similarities despite the political differences that
divided "Theodores" (Republicans like Corinne Roosevelt Robinson) and
"Franklins" (Democrats such as Sara Delano Roosevelt). List Price: $30.00 |
 The Autobiography of Joseph Stalin: A Novel |
 Betty Friedan: Her Life |
| A sympathetic oral history of the Republican president
who revitalized American conservatism, follows a pair of similar books by the Strobers on JFK and Nixon. For this volume, the authors interviewed 108 political insiders and others who knew their subject well, with everybody's insider perspective - from George Bush and Jordan's King Hussein down to the family astrologer, Joan Quigley--taken at face value. While the book does offer important insights on the 40th president's character and management style, and juicy first-person accounts such as Gerald Ford's take on the failed negotiations to have him join Reagan's ticket as a virtual "co-president," it is by no means a comprehensive history of the Reagan administration. |
 Reagan: The Man and His Presidency
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 Harp Song for a Radical: The Life and Times of Eugene Victor
Debs |
The epic life and times of the great labor leader, Eugene
Victor Debs, is lyrically profiled by the author of "Miss Macintosh, My
Darling". List Price: $35.00 |
| It's possible William Knowland, an introvert seemingly unsuited for the glad-handing necessary of a politician, had a greater impact on the nation than any other Californian with the notable exception of Ronald Reagan. As the Senate Majority Leader in the 1950's, Knowland helped steer the nation through the early days of the Cold War. He was the key figure in having Earl Warren appointed to the Supreme Court. And his defeat in the 1958 Gubernatorial race, hoping to use it as a stepping stone to the White House, cleared the path for his party rival, Richard Nixon. Yet this book is about more than a political life. It is about the triumphs and failures of a prominent publishing family and the eventual demise of its most prominent member. |  One Step from the White House: The Rise and Fall of Senator
William F. List Price: $29.95
|
 The Unfinished Presidency: Jimmy Carter's Journey Beyond the
White House List Price: $29.95
|
Many Americans admire Carter for his work building homes in the United States with the group Habitat for Humanity, but the 39th president is known and respected throughout the world for attempting to negotiate peace in trouble spots such as Haiti, North Korea, and the Middle East. "Carter," writes Douglas Brinkley, "has become a true citizen of the world." Noteworthy sections of this unauthorized biography include the story of how Carter worked relentlessly to undermine President Bush in the days leading up to the Persian Gulf War, as well as Carter's difficult relations with President Clinton. Also, Brinkley appreciates, and treats seriously, Carter's religious faith in a way many previous analysts have not. An excellent portrait of a complicated man. --John J. Miller |
| The Washington Post Book World, James G. Blight-
Bird has written a balanced, highly original extended essay in which he shows
considerable empathy with the Bundy brothers, whom he admits he passionately despised as a
college student during the war. One senses that this book began as an indictment. But
having gotten deeply inside the brothers' milieu -- wealthy, Anglophile, Boston Brahmin,
Groton, Yale, public service--in the end, Bird depicts them with nuance and sympathy. List Price: $27.50
|
 The Color of Truth: McGeorge & William Bundy
See by William Bundy: |
 Seasons of Her Life: A Biography of Madeline Albright
|
Through a peripatetic childhood, marriage and divorce,
and the increasing demands of her work as a Ph.D. candidate, professor, and United States
ambassador to the United Nations, Albright is revealed to be driven and demanding, a savvy
diplomat who has forged relationships with world leaders and with a small, sustaining
group of powerful American women. Extensively researched and enlivened by anecdote, it is
a fascinating study of a very unusual and dynamic woman's rise to power. --Maria Dolan List Price: $27.00 |
| Conservatives in the United States frequently celebrate the Reagan revolution in the 1980s. Yet, as Lee Edwards shows in this definitive biography, Reagan might never have made it to the White House if Barry Goldwater had not won the Republican nomination for president in 1964. Goldwater lost to President Johnson by a wide margin that year, but he fundamentally reshaped the GOP in the process. The scrappy Arizona senator is best known for his raw, Western-style conservatism that featured strong libertarian leanings and a devil - may - care wit. When he retired after serving six terms, Washington, D.C., suddenly became a less interesting place. Edwards writes as a sympathizer, but also offers a nuanced understanding of the man who famously declared, "Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice.... Moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue!" |  Goldwater: The Man Who Made a Revolution
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 A Righteous Cause: The Life of William Jennings Bryan
|
William Jennings Bryan is one of the most influential
"failures" of American politics: a three-time Democratic nominee for president who, although he never won the office, transformed his party into an institution "pledged," in biographer Robert W. Cherny's words, "to use the power of government on behalf of those displaced and disadvantaged by the advance of industrialization and the emergence of corporate behemoths." Although he is best remembered for two events--his electrifying "cross of gold" speech at the 1896 Democratic convention and his work for the prosecution in the Scopes trial of 1925--his career was extremely rich in incident. Cherny draws amply upon Bryan's own writings and correspondence to produce a portrait of the lifelong political crusader that, while comparatively short in length, offers a substantial evaluation of his legacy. |
| Pat Schroeder's memoir of 24 years in politics is so
enthusiastic it is easy to forget how difficult her work must have been. She was
Colorado's first congresswoman and one of only 14 female representatives to the House when
she was elected in 1972. "The women in Congress had to wage virtually every battle
alone," she remembers of those early years, "whether we were fighting for female
pages (there were none) or a place where we could pee." List Price: $24.95 |
 24 Years of House Work...and the Place is Still a Mess
|
 Ol' Strom: The Unauthorized Biography of Strom Thurmond
|
The name Strom Thurmond conjures up strong feelings in
every American soul with an interest in politics. A larger - than - life, bold and
colorful rogue, Strom Thurmond at 95 is the nation's oldest and longest serving senator.
Expert biographers spin the always fascinating, and sometimes shocking, role that
Thurmond has played in shaping the politics of this time. List
Price: $24.00 |
| The Philadelphia Inquirer, Steve Suitts -
"...a simple, fascinating chronicle of the South's modern freedom movement and its
aftermath--a wise, moving, and personal account that stirs with unusual honesty and
directness.... Through the pages of Walking With the Wind, John Lewis passes before
contemporary America not as a living saint, but even better, as living proof that the
noble ideals of nonviolence and interracial democracy are within the human power of most
of us to realize." List Price: $26.00 |
 Walking With
|
 Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography
|
Begun during Mandela's 27 years behind
bars, this acclaimed autobiography reveals the dramatic human story of a great moral
leader. From Mandela's traditional tribal childhood to his triumphant release from prison
and rise to power, this book takes readers inside "one of the most remarkable lives
of the twentieth century" List Price: $15.00 |
| The long-awaited second volume of the best Churchill
biography reveals the true portrait of this ambitious world leader. Discussion centers on
the alarm he sounded about the terrible plot being hatched inside Hitler's deranged mind. List Price: $45.00 |
 The Last Lion
Also by Manchester:
|
 Winston and
|
"WINSTON AND CLEMENTINE is a fascinating view
into the public and private life of one of this century's defining figures. It is also a
deeply moving love story that spanned more than a half century. Churchill's beloved
"Clemmie" deserves a place in history next to his own." -- Dr. Henry Kissinger List Price: $35.00 |
| World Policy Journal editor James Chace has produced a
balanced, intricate portrait of Secretary of State Dean Acheson, one of the chief
architects of America's foreign policy in the mid - 20th century. Harry Truman
rewarded Acheson with the offer of secretary of state, a position he took with some
initial reluc- tance, protesting that he was not adequate to the requirements of the job
at such a critical junc- ture in history. He proved himself wrong with his decisive role
in the shaping of the Tru- man Doctrine and the NATO alliance, averting war with the
Soviet bloc on the European front. List Price: $30.00 |
 Acheson
|
 Make Gentle the Life of This World: The Vision of Robert F.
Kennedy
|
From the private journals of Robert F. Kennedy come
words that spark the imagination and touch the heart, accompanied by photos, some
previously unpublished, of both the public and private Kennedy. The late senator's son,
Maxwell Taylor Kennedy, opens his father's journals to offer readers the quintessence of
his thought. List Price: $20.00 |