Jan Reid

Carl M. Cannon

Lou Dubose

George W. Bush calls Karl Rove "boy genius" and "the man with the plan." Insiders call him the man behind the Republican ascendancy. Who is this guy? And what is the plan?

Karl Rove, The Brain Behind The Remarkable Political Triumph Of George W. Bush

Boy Genius

The author charts how Americans' understanding of the pursuit of happiness has changed through the years as the nation itself has changed.

The Pursuit of Happiness in Times of War

The Founders wrote in 1776 that "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" are unalienable American rights. In The Pursuit of Happiness in Times of War, Carl M. Cannon shows how this single phrase is one of almost unbelievable historical power. It was this rich rhetorical vein that New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and President George W. Bush tapped into after 9/11 when they urged Americans to go to ballgames, to shop, to do things that made them happy even in the face of unrivaled horror. From the Revolutionary War to the current War on Terrorism, Americans have lived out this creed. They have been helped in this effort by their elected leaders, who in times of war inevitably hark back to Jefferson's soaring language. If the former Gotham mayor and the current president had perfect pitch in the days after September 11, so too have American presidents and other leaders throughout our nation's history. In this book, Mr. Cannon—a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist—traces the roots of Jefferson's powerful phrase and explores how it has been embraced by wartime presidents for two centuries. Mr. Cannon draws on original research at presidential libraries and interviews with Gerald R. Ford, Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush, and Bill Clinton, among others. He discussed with the presidents exactly what the phrase means to them. Mr. Cannon charts how Americans' understanding of the pursuit of happiness has changed through the years as the nation itself has changed. In the end, America's political leaders have all come to the same conclusion as its spiritual leaders: True happiness—either for a nation or an individual—does not come from conquest or fortune or even from the attainment of freedom itself. It comes in the pursuit of happiness for the benefit of others. This may be one truth that contemporary liberals and conservatives can agree on. John McCain and Jimmy Carter both envision happiness as a sacrifice to a higher calling, embodied in everything from McCain's time as a prisoner of war to the N

Tom Bevan

Real Clear Politics’ first in a series of in-depth looks at the 2012 campaign. With unsurpassed access to the White House, Republican candidates, and their respective staffs, Election 2012: The Battle Begins will give readers a riveting behind the scenes, real time look at the 2012 campaign, providing in-depth reporting and analysis of the candidacies of President Barack Obama, Rick Perry, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, and Michele Bachmann among others. With up-to-the-minute newsbreaking material, this first in a series of three e-originals will be written by veteran RCP journalists Tom Bevan and Carl Cannon, and is sure to make the Real Clear Politics Political Download the authoritative must-read account for understanding the 2012 campaign.

Election 2012: The Battle Begins (The RealClearPolitics Political Download)

Patrick Dillon

A pair of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists document the career and downfall of infamous class-action lawyer Bill Lerach, placing his story against the nation's economic boom while recounting his sensational boardroom and courtroom battles and the activities that led to his conviction.

The Spectacular Rise and Fall of the Lawyer who Brought Corporate America to Its Knees

Circle of Greed

Lou Cannon

George W. Bush ran for office promising to continue what conservative icon Ronald Reagan started, and two years into his first term, Bush was still being described as "Reagan's son." Today, with the Iraq War spinning out of control and the Democrats in charge of Congress, Republicans and the conservative movement have all but abandoned George W. Bush. What happened? Did Bush change, or did his party's perceptions? Has the war and Bush's performance on other issues derailed the larger goals of the Reagan Revolution -- and even undermined its foundations? Or does the nation remain on a conservative path despite Bush's low standing with his fellow Americans? In Reagan's Disciple, two widely respected reporter/ historians provide an authoritative and concise investigation into these issues. They describe the essence of the 40th and the 43rd presidencies, and compare them to shed new light on the history of the past three decades. They show both how extraordinary a leader Reagan was, and how preposterous the expectations for Bush were from the beginning. As Americans look toward choosing a new leader in 2008, Reagan's Disciple will serve as an instructive tale for Republicans, Democrats, and independents alike.

George W. Bush's Troubled Quest for a Presidential Legacy

Reagan's Disciple

Forget what you were taught in seventh grade-this riveting book takes readers down American history's back alleys and side streets. From the arrival of the Mayflower through the 2016 election, On This Date explores five hundred years of American history, revealing a compelling tale for each day in the calendar year. Drawing from Carl M. Cannon's popular RealClearPolitics' "Morning Note," On This Date is focused on fascinating -- and sometimes unknown -- stories behind specific dates in U.S. history: What inspired Abraham Lincoln to grow his famous beard, what Dwight Eisenhower really thought about playing football against the great Jim Thorpe, the legal grounds for the first American divorce, who wrote "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" -- and who profited from it. Colorful yet authoritative, On This Date debunks some popular myths and celebrates America's forgotten heroes.

From the Pilgrims to Today, Discovering America One Day at a Time

On This Date

The Washington Post Bestseller - Now Updated with Five New Chapters and a New Epilogue Unlike President George. W. Bush, Karl Rove, his chief political adviser, is rarely "misunderestimated." Many of the president's opponents see Rove's hand in everything the president does. His friends, and the president himself, are just thankful he's on their side, and always has been. From their earliest days in Texas, Rove saw and tapped the potential of George W. Bush. "Political hacks like me wait a lifetime for a guy like this to come along," Rove said of the future president. The authors of Boy Genius fill readers in on the man, his methods, and his plans for the Republican majority for a fascinating, entertaining look at the Man Who Would be Kingmaker, an investigation that debunks myths as it reveals facts, and the story of exactly how American politics works now. From allegations of bugging his own office back in Texas, to shadowy dealings with Swift Boat veterans in the last election, Rove has played politics all the way to the highest levels, and though it sometimes isn't pretty, it works.

Karl Rove, the Architect of George W. Bush's Remarkable Political Triumphs

Traces the rise of the man credited with engineering George W. Bush's victories, discussing his considerable political skill in the management of the Bush campaigns for governor of Texas and the president of the United States.

Carl M. Cannon

Books

Your next favorite book is out there