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Chris Matthews on Politics E-book Box Set: Hardball, Now, Let Me Tell You What I Really Think, and American
by Chris MatthewsChris Matthew's trenchant political analysis and unique perspective on politics come to the fore in this boxed set of three of his classic works: American: Beyond Our Grandest Notions; Now, Let Me Tell You What I Really Think; and Hardball.American: People have often wondered what makes America truly great. With a citizenry of vastly different races, religions, cultures, and ethnic backgrounds, what intangible bond unites and defines us as "Americans"? In American, Matthews explores the best America stands for and portrays our country as a beacon for the modern world--unafraid of challenges, moving ever forward, and ready and willing to prevail.Now, Let Me Tell You What I Really Think: In this memoir spanning the Cold War to the Clinton years, Matthews gives the straight-up account of his "God and Country" Catholic school education in Philadelphia, complete with air-raid drills and his early enthusiasm for politics. He shares with us his life's adventures--two years in Africa with the Peace Corps, the challenge of running for Congress in his twenties, and his three decades deep in the "belly of the beast" of American politics--using his own experiences to give us an irreverent look at who we are and whom we trust to lead us.Hardball: Chris Matthews has spent a quarter century on the playing field of American politics--from right-hand man of Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill to host of NBC's highest rated cable talk show Hardball. In this revised and updated edition of his political classic, he offers fascinating new stories of raw ambition, brutal rivalry, and exquisite seduction and reveals the inside rules that govern the game of power
Chris Matthews on Politics E-book Box Set
by Chris MatthewsChris Matthew's trenchant political analysis and unique perspective on politics come to the fore in this boxed set of three of his classic works: American: Beyond Our Grandest Notions; Now, Let Me Tell You What I Really Think; and Hardball. American: People have often wondered what makes America truly great. With a citizenry of vastly different races, religions, cultures, and ethnic backgrounds, what intangible bond unites and defines us as "Americans"? In American, Matthews explores the best America stands for and portrays our country as a beacon for the modern world--unafraid of challenges, moving ever forward, and ready and willing to prevail. Now, Let Me Tell You What I Really Think: In this memoir spanning the Cold War to the Clinton years, Matthews gives the straight-up account of his "God and Country" Catholic school education in Philadelphia, complete with air-raid drills and his early enthusiasm for politics. He shares with us his life's adventures--two years in Africa with the Peace Corps, the challenge of running for Congress in his twenties, and his three decades deep in the "belly of the beast" of American politics--using his own experiences to give us an irreverent look at who we are and whom we trust to lead us. Hardball: Chris Matthews has spent a quarter century on the playing field of American politics--from right-hand man of Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill to host of NBC's highest rated cable talk show Hardball. In this revised and updated edition of his political classic, he offers fascinating new stories of raw ambition, brutal rivalry, and exquisite seduction and reveals the inside rules that govern the game of power
The Cynic: The Political Education of Mitch McConnell
by Alec MacgillisFrom a dogged political reporter, an investigation into the political education of Mitch McConnell and an argument that this powerful Senator embodies much of this country's political dysfunction.Based on interviews with more than seventy-five people who have worked alongside Mitch McConnell or otherwise interacted with him over the course of his career, The Cynic, which will be published as an original ebook, is both a comprehensive biography of one of this country's most powerful politicians and a damning diagnosis of this country's eroding political will. Tracing his rise from a pragmatic local official in Kentucky to the leader of the Republican opposition in Washington, the book tracks McConnell's transformation from a moderate Republican who supported abortion rights and public employee unions to the embodiment of partisan obstructionism and conservative orthodoxy on Capitol Hill. Driven less by a shift in ideological conviction than by a desire to win elections and stay in power at all costs, McConnell's transformation exemplifies the "permanent campaign" mindset that has come to dominate American government. From his first race for local office in 1977--when the ad crew working on it nicknamed McConnell "love-me-love-me" for his insecurity and desire to please--to his fraught accommodation of the Tea Party, McConnell's political career is a story of ideological calcification and a vital mirror for understanding this country's own political development and what is wrought when politicians serve not at the behest of country, but at the behest of party and personal aggrandizement.
Up from Conservatism
by Michael LindFor nearly a decade, Michael Lind worked closely as a writer and editor with the intellectual leaders of American conservatism. Slowly, he came to believe that the many prominent intellectuals he worked with were not the leaders of the conservative movement but the followers and apologists for an increasingly divisive and reactionary political strategy orchestrated by the Republican party. Lind's disillusionment led to a very public break with his former colleagues on the right, as he attacked the Reverend Pat Robertson for using anti-Semitic sources in his writings. In Up From Conservatism, this former rising star of the right reveals what he believes to be the disturbing truth about the hidden economic agenda of the conservative elite. The Republican capture of the U. S. Congress in 1994 did not represent the conversion of the American public to conservative ideology. Rather, it marked the success of the thirty-year-old "southern strategy" begun by Barry Goldwater and Richard Nixon. From the Civil War to the civil rights revolution, the southern elite combined a low-wage, low-tax strategy for economic development with a politics of demagogy based on race-baiting and Bible-thumping. Now, Lind maintains, the economic elite that controls the Republican party is following a similar strategy on a national scale, using their power to shift the tax burden from the rich to the middle class while redistributing wealth upward. To divert attention from their favoritism toward the rich, conservatives play up the "culture war," channeling popular anger about falling real wages and living standards away from Wall Street and focusing it instead on the black poor and nonwhite immigrants. The United States, Lind concludes, could use a genuine "one-nation" conservatism that seeks to promote the interests of the middle class and the poor as well as the rich. But today's elitist conservatism poses a clear and present danger to the American middle class and the American republic.
Power Forward
by Reggie LoveEvery path to adulthood is strewn with missteps, epiphanies, and hard-earned lessons. Only Reggie Love's, however, went through the White House by way of Duke University's Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mentored by both Coach Krzyzewski and President Obama, Love shares universal insights learned in unique circumstances, an education in how sports, politics, and life can define who you are, what you believe in, and what it takes to make a difference.Power Forward tells the story of the five years Love worked as a personal assistant to Senator Obama as a candidate for president, and President Obama, and it is a professional coming of age story like no other. What the public knows was well put by Time magazine in 2008: "[Love's] official duties don't come close to capturing Reggie's close bond with Obama, who plays a role that is part boss and part big brother." What the public doesn't know are the innumerable private moments during which that bond was forged and the President mentored a malleable young man. Accountability and serving with pride and honor were learned during unsought moments: from co-coaching grade school girls basketball with the president; lending Obama his tie ahead of a presidential debate; managing a personal life when no hour is truly his own; being tasked with getting the candidate up in the morning on time for long days of campaigning. From his first interview with Senator Obama, to his near-decision not to follow the president-elect to the White House, to eventually bringing LeBron, Melo, D-Wade, and Kobe to play with the President on his forty-ninth birthday, Love drew on Coach K's teachings as he learned to navigate Washington. But it was while owning up to losing (briefly) the President's briefcase, figuring out how to compete effectively in pick-up games in New Hampshire during the primary to secure support and votes, babysitting the children of visiting heads of state, and keeping the President company at every major turning point of his historic first campaign and administration, that Love learned how persistence and passion can lead not only to success, but to a broader concept of responsibility.
True Believer: Stalin's Last American Spy
by Kati MartonThis astonishing real-life spy thriller, filled with danger, misplaced loyalties, betrayal, treachery, and pure evil, with a plot twist worthy of John le Carré, is relevant today as a tale of fanaticism and the lengths it takes us to.True Believer reveals the life of Noel Field, an American who betrayed his country and crushed his family. Field, once a well-meaning and privileged American, spied for Stalin during the 1930s and '40s. Then, a pawn in Stalin's sinister master strategy, Field was kidnapped and tortured by the KGB and forced to testify against his own Communist comrades. How does an Ivy League-educated, US State Department employee, deeply rooted in American culture and history, become a hardcore Stalinist? The 1930s, when Noel Field joined the secret underground of the International Communist Movement, were a time of national collapse: ten million Americans unemployed, rampant racism, retreat from the world just as fascism was gaining ground, and Washington--pre FDR--parched of fresh ideas. Communism promised the righting of social and political wrongs and many in Field's generation were seduced by its siren song. Few, however, went as far as Noel Field in betraying their own country. With a reporter's eye for detail, and a historian's grasp of the cataclysmic events of the twentieth century, Kati Marton captures Field's riveting quest for a life of meaning that went horribly wrong. True Believer is supported by unprecedented access to Field family correspondence, Soviet Secret Police records, and reporting on key players from Alger Hiss, CIA Director Allen Dulles, and World War II spy master, "Wild Bill" Donovan--to the most sinister of all: Josef Stalin. A story of another time, this is a tale relevant for all times.
Why the Right Went Wrong: Conservatism--From Goldwater to the Tea Party and Beyond
by E. J. Dionne Jr.<P>From one of our most engaging political reporters and the author of Why Americans Hate Politics; the story of conservatism from the Goldwater 1960s to the present day Tea Party that has resulted in broken promises and an ideological purity that drives moderate Republicans away. <P>Why the Right Went Wrong offers a historical view of the right since the 1960s. Its core contention is that American conservatism and the Republican Party took a wrong turn when they adopted Barry Goldwater's worldview during and after the 1964 campaign. The radicalism of today's conservatism is not the product of the Tea Party, Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne writes. The Tea Partiers are the true heirs to Goldwater ideology. The purity movement did more than drive moderates out of the Republican Party--it beat back alternative definitions of conservatism. <P>Since 1968, no conservative administration--not Nixon not Reagan not two Bushes--could live up to the rhetoric rooted in the Goldwater movement that began to reshape American politics fifty years ago. The collapse of the Nixon presidency led to the rise of Ronald Reagan, the defeat of George H.W. Bush, to Newt Gingrich's revolution. Bush initially undertook a partial modernization, preaching "compassionate conservatism" and a "Fourth Way" to Clinton's "Third Way." Conservatives quickly defined him as an advocate of "big government" and not conservative enough on spending, immigration, education, and Medicare. <P> A return to the true faith was the only prescription on order. The result was the Tea Party, which Dionne says, was as much a reaction to Bush as to Obama. The state of the Republican party, controlled by the strictest base, is diminished, Dionne writes. It has become white and older in a country that is no longer that. It needs to come back to life for its own health and that of the country's, and in Why the Right Went Wrong, he explains how. <P><b>A New York Times Bestseller</b>
Chris Matthews Complete Library E-book Box Set: Tip and the Gipper, Jack Kennedy, Hardball, Kennedy & Nixon, Now, Let Me Tell You What I Really Think, and American
by Chris MatthewsThe complete works of Chris Matthews, from his penetrating biographies--Jack Kennedy; Kennedy and Nixon; & Tip and the Gipper-- to the trenchant political analysis of American; Hardball; & Now, Let Me Tell You What I Really Think.Tip and the Gipper is a magnificent personal history of a time when two great political opponents served together for the benefit of the country. Chris Matthews was an eyewitness to this story as a top aide to Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill. Kennedy and Nixon: John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon each dreamed of becoming the great young leader of their age. First as friends, then as bitter enemies, they were linked by a historic rivalry that changed both them and their country. Jack Kennedy: What was he like, this man whose own wife called him "that elusive, unforgettable man"? In this New York Times bestselling biography, Chris Matthews answers that question with the verve of a novelist. American: People have often wondered what makes America truly great. In American, Matthews explores the best America stands for and portrays our country as a beacon for the modern world. Now, Let Me Tell You What I Really Think: In this memoir spanning the Cold War to the Clinton years, Matthews describes his "God and Country" Catholic school education in Philadelphia, complete with air-raid drills and his early enthusiasm for politics. He shares with us his life's adventures and his three decades deep in the "belly of the beast" of American politics. Hardball: Chris Matthews has spent a quarter century on the playing field of American politics--from right-hand man of Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill, to host of NBC's highest rated cable talk show Hardball. In this revised and updated edition of his political classic, he offers fascinating new stories and reveals the inside rules that govern the game of power.
Chris Matthews Complete Library E-book Box Set
by Chris MatthewsThe complete works of Chris Matthews, from his penetrating biographies--Jack Kennedy; Kennedy and Nixon; & Tip and the Gipper-- to the trenchant political analysis of American; Hardball; & Now, Let Me Tell You What I Really Think. Tip and the Gipper is a magnificent personal history of a time when two great political opponents served together for the benefit of the country. Chris Matthews was an eyewitness to this story as a top aide to Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill. Kennedy and Nixon: John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon each dreamed of becoming the great young leader of their age. First as friends, then as bitter enemies, they were linked by a historic rivalry that changed both them and their country. Jack Kennedy: What was he like, this man whose own wife called him "that elusive, unforgettable man"? In this New York Times bestselling biography, Chris Matthews answers that question with the verve of a novelist. American: People have often wondered what makes America truly great. In American, Matthews explores the best America stands for and portrays our country as a beacon for the modern world. Now, Let Me Tell You What I Really Think: In this memoir spanning the Cold War to the Clinton years, Matthews describes his "God and Country" Catholic school education in Philadelphia, complete with air-raid drills and his early enthusiasm for politics. He shares with us his life's adventures and his three decades deep in the "belly of the beast" of American politics. Hardball: Chris Matthews has spent a quarter century on the playing field of American politics--from right-hand man of Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill, to host of NBC's highest rated cable talk show Hardball. In this revised and updated edition of his political classic, he offers fascinating new stories and reveals the inside rules that govern the game of power.
American: Beyond Our Grandest Notions
by Chris MatthewsFrom Chris Matthews, host of MSNBC's Hardball and NBC's The Chris Matthews Show, and New York Times bestselling author of Now, Let Me Tell You What I Really Think, comes a definitive work on the lifeblood of America -- its enduring spirit. People have often wondered what makes America truly great. With a citizenry of vastly different races, religions, cultures, and ethnic backgrounds, what intangible bond unites and defines us as "Americans"? In his own inimitable style, Chris Matthews offers a portrait of a country born of contradictions. We are a people reluctant to fight, who become ferocious when threatened or attacked. We are a deeply practical nation, yet we stand as the world's great optimists. Inherently suspicious of governmental power, we still embrace our flag in times of danger. Fiercely independent, in love with freedom, and eager to face the future, we are like no other people on earth. Matthews asserts that our greatest strength is a set of distinct notions that comprise our national character. The self-made man. The reluctant warrior. The lone hero. We celebrate them in our popular culture and throughout our history, from 1776 to 9/11. In American, Matthews explores the best America stands for and portrays our country as a beacon for the modern world -- unafraid of challenges, moving ever forward, and ready and willing to prevail.
The United States vs. Santa Claus: The Untold Story of the Actual War on Christmas
by Brian Sack Jack HelmuthThe comedic minds behind TheBlaze TV's hit show The B.S. of A. with Brian Sack bring you a hilarious illustrated account about the government's never-ending war on Christmas.'Twas right before ChristmasAnd in the White HouseA dread plan was hatchedTo make Santa a louseJoe Biden assisted, and Mike Bloomberg tooAnd before we all knew it, old Saint Nick was through.The comedic minds behind TheBlaze TV's hit show, The B.S. of A. with Brian Sack bring you their hilarious vision of Christmas Future--or possibly sooner.What happens when the Scrooge-iest Washington politicians take on the jolliest soul of all time? Can a scandal-plagued administration distract the American public by bringing Santa to his knees? Can a bumbling bureaucracy destroy the reputation of the most popular man in the Northern Hemisphere? Spoiler alert: YES! And faster than you can say ho-ho-ho! This is the sad story of the real war on Christmas--and how the NSA, IRS, OSHA and every other acronym in Washington came gunning for the man in red with everything they've got: two-thousand page reports on the environmental impact of reindeer farts...unionized elves...suspicious audits...character assassination...and all the other cruel and unusual tactics of an out-of-control government. Yes Virginia, there was a Santa Claus. This is his story.
United States vs. Santa Claus
by Jack Helmuth Brian SackThe comedic minds behind TheBlaze TV's hit show The B. S. of A. with Brian Sack bring you their hilarious vision of Christmas Future-or possibly sooner. What happens when the Scrooge-iest Washington politicians take on the jolliest soul of all time? Can a scandal-plagued administration distract the American public by bringing Santa to his knees? Can a bumbling bureaucracy destroy the reputation of the most popular man in the Northern Hemisphere? Spoiler alert: YES! And faster than you can say ho-ho-ho! This is the sad story of the real war on Christmas-and how the NSA, IRS, OSHA, and every other acronym in Washington came gunning for the man in red with everything they've got: two-thousand page reports on the environmental impact of reindeer farts . . . unionized elves . . . suspicious audits . . . character assassination . . . and all the other cruel and unusual tactics of an out-of-control government. Yes, Virginia, there was a Santa Claus. This is his story.
The People Vs. Barack Obama: The Criminal Case Against the Obama Administration
by Ben ShapiroNew York Times bestselling author Ben Shapiro presents a comprehensive case against Barack Obama's abuses of power during his time in office.From the DOJ to the NSA, from the EPA to the Department of Health and Human Services, Barack Obama's administration has become a labyrinth of corruption and overreach touching every aspect of Americans' lives. The People vs. Barack Obama strips away the soft media picture of the Obama administration to reveal a regime motivated by pure, unbridled power and details how each scandal has led to dozens of instances of as-yet-unprosecuted counts of espionage, involuntary manslaughter, violation of internal revenue laws, bribery, and obstruction of justice. The story of the Obama administration is a story of abuse, corruption, and venality on the broadest scale ever to spring from the office of the presidency. President Obama may be the culmination of a century of government growth--but more important, he is the apotheosis of the imperial presidency. Obama chooses when to enforce immigration laws, delays his own Obamacare proposals when it is politically convenient to do so, micromanages the economy, attacks the Supreme Court, Congress, and the sovereign states. And he proclaims that he alone is the voice of the people while encroaching on their rights. In The People vs. Barack Obama, Ben Shapiro brings Obama into the people's court and addresses each of his abuses of power.
The Price of Power: Kissinger in the Nixon White House
by Seymour M. HershFrom the introduction: "This book is an account of the foreign policy of the United States, presided over by Henry Kissinger, during Richard Nixon's first term in the White House. It is also an account of the relationship between two men who collaborated on what seemed to be a remarkable series of diplomatic triumphs. These were the years when China was reclaimed by American diplomacy; when a much-praised agreement on strategic arms limitation (SALT) was negotiated with the soviet Union; when a complex dispute in West Berlin was settled; and when American participation in the war in Vietnam, the most crucial issue facing the American presidency, was brought to a dramatic end with the signing of the Paris peace accords in January 1973, three days after Nixon was inaugurated for a second term."
Dear Leader: My Escape from North Korea
by Jang Jin-sungA North Korean poet recounts life among the political elite and his daring escape to freedom in this “powerful, heart-rending” memoir (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).As North Korea’s State Poet Laureate, Jang Jin-sung led a charmed life. With food provisions (even as the country suffered through its great famine), a travel pass, access to strictly censored information, and audiences with Kim Jong-il himself, his life in Pyongyang seemed safe and secure. But this privileged existence was about to be shattered. When a strictly forbidden magazine he lent to a friend goes missing, Jang Jin-sung must flee for his life.Never before has a member of the elite described the inner workings of this totalitarian state and its propaganda machine. An astonishing exposé told through the heart-stopping story of Jang Jin-sung’s escape to South Korea, Dear Leader is an “impossibly dramatic story . . . one of the best depictions yet of North Korea’s nightmare” (Publishers Weekly).
Point of Balance: A Thriller (Atria Espanol Ser.)
by J. G. JuradoIn this superbly written, nail-biting thriller, a top neurosurgeon is forced to choose between ending the life of the most important person in America or guaranteeing his own daughter's horrifying death.I am no saint, no martyr, no terrorist, no madman, and no murderer...I am a father. That's my story. Dr. David Evans is a well-respected brain surgeon at a hospital in Washington, DC, and a devoted father. But soon he is faced with the ultimate dilemma: if his next patient, who must undergo brain surgery, leaves the operating table alive, Dr. Evans's kidnapped daughter will die at the hands of an implacable psychopath--and he will be forced to watch. Over the course of fifty-five frantic hours counting down to his choice in the surgery room, Dr. Evans races to hunt down his pursuer and find a way out of this nightmarish predicament. But just how far will he go to save his daughter's life? "A roller coaster ride of fear and excitement unparalleled in modern fiction" (New York Times bestselling author Katherine Neville), Point of Balance will keep you on the edge of your seat with fast-paced action and raw emotion, as one man faces an impossible moral dilemma that could change the course of history.
Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis
by Robert D. PutnamA groundbreaking examination of the growing inequality gap from the bestselling author of Bowling Alone: why fewer Americans today have the opportunity for upward mobility.It's the American dream: get a good education, work hard, buy a house, and achieve prosperity and success. This is the America we believe in--a nation of opportunity, constrained only by ability and effort. But during the last twenty-five years we have seen a disturbing "opportunity gap" emerge. Americans have always believed in equality of opportunity, the idea that all kids, regardless of their family background, should have a decent chance to improve their lot in life. Now, this central tenet of the American dream seems no longer true or at the least, much less true than it was. Robert Putnam--about whom The Economist said, "his scholarship is wide-ranging, his intelligence luminous, his tone modest, his prose unpretentious and frequently funny"--offers a personal but also authoritative look at this new American crisis. Putnam begins with his high school class of 1959 in Port Clinton, Ohio. By and large the vast majority of those students--"our kids"--went on to lives better than those of their parents. But their children and grandchildren have had harder lives amid diminishing prospects. Putnam tells the tale of lessening opportunity through poignant life stories of rich and poor kids from cities and suburbs across the country, drawing on a formidable body of research done especially for this book. Our Kids is a rare combination of individual testimony and rigorous evidence. Putnam provides a disturbing account of the American dream that should initiate a deep examination of the future of our country.
The Speechwriter
by Barton SwaimBarton Swaim was struggling to find an academic job--he'd recently received a PhD in English--when he sent his resume to Mark Sanford, the conservative and controversial governor of South Carolina. He thought he could improve the governor's writing and speeches. On the surface, this is the story of Sanford's rise and fall. But it's really an account of what happens when a band of believers attach themselves to an ambitious narcissist. Everyone knows this kind of politician--a charismatic maverick who goes up against the system and its ways, but thinks he doesn't have to live by the rules. Swaim describes what makes people invest in their leaders, how those leaders do provide moments of inspiration, and then how they let them down.The Speechwriter is a funny and candid introduction to the world of politics, where press statements are purposefully nonsensical, grammatical errors are intentional, and better copy means more words. Through his three years in the governor's office, Swaim paints a portrait of a man so principled he'd rather sweat than use state money to pay for air conditioning, so oblivious he'd wear the same stained shirt for two weeks, so egotistical he'd belittle his staffers to make himself feel better, and so self-absorbed he never once apologized for making his administration the laughing stock of the country. In the end, it's also an account of the very human staffers who risk a life in politics out of conviction and learn to survive a broken heart.
Dateline: Toronto
by Ernest HemingwayDateline: Toronto collects all 172 pieces that Hemingway published in the Star, including those under pseudonyms. Hemingway readers will discern his unique voice already present in many of these pieces, particularly his knack for dialogue. It is also fascinating to discover early reportorial accounts of events and subjects that figure in his later fiction. As William White points out in his introduction to this work, "Much of it, over sixty years later, can still be read both as a record of the early twenties and as evidence of how Ernest Hemingway learned the craft of writing." The enthusiasm, wit, and skill with which these pieces were written guarantee that Dateline: Toronto will be read for pleasure, as excellent journalism, and for the insights it gives to Hemingway's works.
By-Line Ernest Hemingway: Selected Articles and Dispatches of Four Decades
by Ernest HemingwaySpanning the years 1920 to 1956, this priceless collection shows Hemingway's work as a reporter, from correspondent for the Toronto Star to contributor to Esquire, Colliers, and Look. As fledgling reporter, war correspondent, and seasoned journalist, Hemingway provides access to a range of experiences, including vivid eyewitness accounts of the Spanish Civil War and World War II. By-Line: Ernest Hemingway offers a glimpse into the world behind the popular fiction of one of America's greatest writers.
Epilogue II: A Bonus Chapter to Hidden Order (The Scot Harvath Series)
by Brad ThorIf you read and loved the #1 New York Times bestseller Hidden Order, enjoy this free bonus chapter.Experience the suspense and thrills only Brad Thor can write in Epilogue II, a shocking alternate ending to Hidden Order.
Once Upon a Time in Russia: The Rise of the Oligarchs—A True Story of Ambition, Wealth, Betrayal, and Murder
by Ben MezrichThe bestselling author of Bringing Down the House (sixty-three weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and the basis for the hit movie 21) and The Accidental Billionaires (the basis for the Academy Award-winning film The Social Network) delivers an epic drama of wealth, rivalry, and betrayal among mega-wealthy Russian oligarchs--and its international repercussions.Once Upon a Time in Russia is the untold true story of the larger-than-life billionaire oligarchs who surfed the waves of privatization to reap riches after the fall of the Soviet regime: "Godfather of the Kremlin" Boris Berezovsky, a former mathematician whose first entrepreneurial venture was running an automobile reselling business, and Roman Abramovich, his dashing young protégé who built a multi-billion-dollar empire of oil and aluminum. Locked in a complex, uniquely Russian partnership, Berezovsky and Abramovich battled their way through the "Wild East" of Russia with Berezovsky acting as the younger man's krysha--literally, his roof, his protector. Written with the heart-stopping pacing of a thriller--but even more compelling because it is true--this story of amassing obscene wealth and power depicts a rarefied world seldom seen up close. Under Berezovsky's krysha, Abramovich built one of Russia's largest oil companies from the ground up and in exchange made cash deliveries--including 491 million dollars in just one year. But their relationship frayed when Berezovsky attacked President Vladimir Putin in the media--and had to flee to the UK. Abramovich continued to prosper. Dead bodies trailed Berezovsky's footsteps, and threats followed him to London, where an associate of his died painfully and famously of Polonium poisoning. Then Berezovsky himself was later found dead, declared a suicide. Exclusively sourced, capturing a momentous period in recent world history, Once Upon a Time in Russia is at once personal and political, offering an unprecedented look into the wealth, corruption, and power behind what Graydon Carter called "the story of our age."
The Many Lives of Michael Bloomberg: Innovation, Money, And Politics
by Eleanor RandolphWith unprecedented access, the veteran New York Times reporter and editorial writer who covered New York City and state politics offers a revealing portrait of one of the richest and famously private/public figures in the country. Business genius, inventor, innovator, publisher, philanthropist, activist, and sly wit Michael Bloomberg.Michael Bloomberg’s life sounds like an exaggerated version of The American Story, except his adventures are real. From modest Jewish middle class (and Eagle Scout) to Harvard MBA to Salomon Brothers hot shot (where he gets “sent upstairs” and later fired) to creator of the machine that would change Wall Street and the rest of the world and make him a billionaire (a description by the author makes the invention clear to non-engineers). Randolph’s account of Bloomberg’s life and time reads almost like a novel, a quintessentially American story. She explains the “machine” he invented that gave and continues to give instant access to an infinite amount of information to bankers and investors on how, what, and where to invest, and how it changed the financial universe. Randolph recounts one day not long ago when the Bloomberg machine briefly blipped and the whole world’s financial marketplace came to a halt. Randolph recounts Mayor Bloomberg’s vigorous approach to New York city’s care—including his attempts at education reform, contract control, anti-smoking and anti-obesity campaigns, green climate control, and his political adventures with both aides and opponents. After a surprising third term as Mayor, Bloomberg returned to his business and doubles its already tremendous worth. The chapter that describes this is one of the most revealing of his temperament and energy and vision as well as how he spends his “private” time—private but convivial. Bloomberg’s philanthropies are education, anti-NRA, and supporting a cleaner environment. He is a moderate liberal in a time when that quality holds the future of the Democratic Party and the country to account.
The Global War on Morris: A Novel
by Steve IsraelA witty political satire ripped from the headlines and written by Congressman Steve Israel, who's met the characters, heard the conversations, and seen the plot twists firsthand.Meet Morris Feldstein, a pharmaceutical salesman living and working in western Long Island who loves the Mets, loves his wife Rona, and loves things just the way they are. He doesn't enjoy the news; he doesn't like to argue. Rona may want to change the world; Morris wants the world to leave him alone. Morris does not make waves. But one day Morris is seduced by a lonely, lovesick receptionist at one of the doctors' offices along his sales route, and in a moment of weakness charges a non-business expense to his company credit card. No big deal, you might think. Easy mistake. But the government's top-secret surveillance program, anchored by a giant, complex supercomputer known as NICK, thinks differently. Eventually NICK begins to thread together the largely disparate and tenuously connected strands of Morris's life--his friends, family, friends' friends, his traffic violations, his daughter's political leanings, his wife's new patients, and even his failed romantic endeavors--and Morris becomes the US government's new public enemy number one. A hilarious, debut novel from a charismatic author, The Global War on Morris toes the line between recent breaking headlines and a future that is not that difficult to imagine.
The Means: A Novel
by Douglas BruntPart Primary Colors, part House of Cards, The Means takes you deep into high-stakes politics where everyone has something to hide.Tom Pauley is a conservative trial attorney in Durham, NC, who is tapped by GOP leaders to campaign for the Governor's mansion. His bold style makes him a favorite for a run at the White House. Mitchell Mason is the president-elect of the United States, pushed into politics by a father determined to create a political dynasty. Mason manages the White House with a personal touch that makes both friends and enemies. Samantha Davis is a child actor-turned-lawyer-turned-journalist, working her way up from the bottom in a competitive industry. She is determined and brilliant, and her dogged pursuit of a decade-old story could trigger a scandal that would upend the political landscape. New York Times bestselling author Douglas Brunt's "savage" (Publishers Weekly) prose creates an incisive portrait of ambition, power, and what it takes to win in the ruthless world of politics today.-old story could trigger a scandal that would explode the political minefield. Part Primary Colors, part House of Cards, The Means explores the characters and motivations behind high-stakes politics where everyone has something to hide, and they will do whatever it takes to achieve their ends.