Synopses & Reviews
Learn everything Chris Matthews
can’t say on TV in this entertaining and illuminating look at the world politicians never let us see by the
New York Times bestselling author of
Hardball, “a must-read…about modern-day American politics and how it’s played” (
The Wall Street Journal).
In 1988, Chris Matthews revolutionized how we think about politics with Hardball, the essential primer on the rules that govern the game of power. Now, with Politicians, Matthews shines a light on the inner workings of the game that’s always been obscured by the media and the key players themselves.
Politicians pulls back the curtain on a world our leaders insist on keeping secret because it would destroy the necessary illusion: that they personally answer every letter, that they never left home when they went to Washington, that they somehow remain just another friendly neighbor through all those years climbing their way up the Capitol ladder… Chris Matthews introduces the shadowy characters, including operatives and hatchet men, speechwriters and caseworkers. He ventures into the hidden places, from the control room where junketing politicians meet at midnight to drink government liquor, to the room where their minions knock out quickie, pre-fab responses to passionate letters from back home, to the Capitol plaza where senators sit in parked cars between votes to dial for dollars.
A necessary, timely follow up to his bestselling Hardball, Politicians is Chris Matthews’s insider tell-all, destined to become an instant classic.
Synopsis
A revealing new portrait of Robert F. Kennedy that gets closer to the man than any book before, by bestselling author Chris Matthews, an esteemed Kennedy expert and anchor of MSNBC's
Hardball.
With his bestselling biography Jack Kennedy, Chris Matthews shared a new look of one of America's most beloved Presidents and the patriotic spirit that defined him. Now, with Bobby, Matthews returns with a gripping, in-depth, behind-the-scenes portrait of one of the great figures of the American twentieth century.
Overlooked by his father, and overshadowed by his war-hero brother, Bobby Kennedy was the perpetual underdog. When he had the chance to become a naval officer like Jack, Bobby turned it down, choosing instead to join the Navy as a common sailor. It was a life changing experience that led him to connect with voters from all walks of life: young or old, black or white, rich or poor. They were the people who turned out for him in his 1968 campaign. RFK would prove himself to be the rarest of politicians--both a pragmatist who knew how to get the job done and an unwavering idealist who could inspire millions.
Drawing on extensive research and interviews, Matthews pulls back the curtain on the public and private worlds of Robert Francis Kennedy. He shines a light on all the important moments of his life, from his early years and his start in politics to his crucial role as attorney general in his brother's administration and his tragic run for president. This definitive book brings Bobby Kennedy to life like never before and is destined to become a political classic.
About the Author
Chris Matthews is anchor of MSNBC’s Hardball. He is author of Tip and the Gipper; Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero; Kennedy and Nixon; Now, Let Me Tell You What I Really Think; American: Beyond Our Grandest Notions; Hardball: How Politics Is Played by One Who Knows The Game; and Politicians: The Backroom World They Never Show Us.