Central / national / federal government Books

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Book SynopsisFrom the fall of the Soviet Union to the Gulf War, the presidency of George H. W. Bush dealt with foreign policy challenges that would cement the post-Cold War order for a generation. This book brings together a distinguished collection of foreign policy practitioners – career and political – who participated in the unfolding of international events as part the Bush administration to provide insider perspective by the people charged with carrying them out. They shed new light on and analyze President Bush’s role in world events during this historic period, his style of diplomacy, the organization and functioning of his foreign policy team, the consequences of his decisions, and his leadership skills. At a time when the old American-led post-World War II order is eroding or even collapsing, this book reminds readers of the difference American leadership in the world can make and how a president can manage a highly successful foreign policy.

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Book SynopsisAt a time when politics in Britain is experiencing unprecedented turmoil, this Very Short Introduction examines the past, present, and possible future of British politics. Tony Wright puts current events into a longer and larger perspective, ranging from political ideas to political institutions, and offering an overview of the British political tradition. Throughout, he identifies key characteristics and ideas of British politics, and investigates what makes it distinctive, while emphasizing how these characteristics are reflected in the way the political system functions.This new edition includes key material on Brexit, analysing the divisions revealed by the Brexit vote and the extent to which Britain now has a politics of identity, and considering whether the referendum itself has fundamentally altered the constitutional landscape.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Table of ContentsPreface List of illustrations 1: The Britishness of British politics 2: The constitution: old and new 3: Arguing: the politics of ideas 4: Governing: still the strong centre? 5: Representing: voters and parties 6: Accounting: parliament and politicians 7: Whither British politics Further reading Index

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Book SynopsisAs chairman of the Federal Reserve (1979-1987), Paul Volcker slayed the inflation dragon that was consuming the American economy and restored the world's faith in central bankers. That extraordinary feat was just one pivotal episode in a decades-long career serving six presidents.Told with wit, humour, and down-to-earth erudition, the narrative of Volcker's career illuminates the changes that have taken place in American life, government, and the economy since World War II. He vibrantly illustrates the crises he managed alongside the world's leading politicians, central bankers, and financiers. Yet he first found his model for competent and ethical governance in his father, the town manager of Teaneck, NJ, who instilled Volcker's dedication to absolute integrity and his "three verities" of stable prices, sound finance, and good government.

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Book SynopsisA longtime American foreign policy insider’s penetrating and definitive reckoning with this country’s involvement in the Middle East—and its bitter endThe culmination of almost forty years at the highest levels of policymaking and scholarship, Grand Delusion is Steven Simon’s tour de force, offering a comprehensive and deeply informed account of U.S. engagement in the Middle East. Simon begins with the Reagan administration, when American perception of the Middle East shifted from a cluster of faraway and frequently skirmishing nations to a shining, urgent opportunity for America to (in Reagan’s words) “serve the cause of world peace and the future of mankind.”Reagan fired the starting gun on decades of deepening American involvement, but as the global economy grew, bringing an increasing reliance on oil, U.S. diplomatic and military energies were ever more fatefully absorbed by the Middle East until the Obama admi

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Book SynopsisWhat does the future hold for the international order? In Chaos Reconsidered, leading scholars assess the domestic and global effects of the Trump and Biden presidencies.Trade ReviewChaos Reconsidered is a stellar collection of essays examining the Trump years from a dizzying array of angles. Collecting them together will give scholars, students, and policymakers much to chew on, just as Robert Jervis intended. -- Elizabeth N. Saunders, Georgetown School of Foreign ServiceWith the liberal world order under increasing strain, the highly readable, provocative, and original essays in this book offer a wealth of expertise and deep-seated knowledge on the impact of changes made by the Trump administration as well as their legacy. A must-read for policymakers and students. -- Deborah Welch Larson, University of California, Los AngelesThis collection of essays explores the longevity, durability, and contradictions of the institutions and practices put in place by the United States in the wake of World War II. Readers are in for a treat, ranging from a lucid analysis by the late Robert Jervis of the seriousness of the challenges to Michael N. Barnett’s damning analysis of the hypocrisies of the ‘liberal’ world order to Deborah Avant’s compelling argument about the need to consider the inherent tensions between the illiberal at home and the promotion of a liberal world order abroad. The collection makes an exceptionally strong theoretical contribution to understanding the multiple effects of race on the liberal world order. A must-read for anyone interested in the evolving global system. -- Janice Gross Stein, University of TorontoA fascinating window on how political scientists and historians who study international politics grappled with the implications of the Trump presidency for their subject. Rich with insights worthy of consideration in their own right, Chaos Reconsidered will stand as a primary source on how the field and reacted to a seminal event occurring at a crucial stage of intellectual development. -- William C. Wohlforth, Daniel Webster Professor, Dartmouth CollegeTable of ContentsIntroduction, by Robert Jervis, Diane N. Labrosse, Stacie E. Goddard, and Joshua RovnerPart I. Trump and International Relations Theory1. The Trump Experiment: An Assessment, by Robert Jervis2. Trump Huffed and Puffed, and Liberal International Relations Theory Blew Down, by Michael N. Barnett3. America First? The Erosion of American Status Under Trump, by Michelle Murray4. Has Trump Changed How We Think About American Security?, by Deborah Avant5. Trump’s Realism, by Randall SchwellerPart II. America First6. When Donald Met Washington: The Genesis of “Great-Power Competition”, by Emma Ashford7. What Trump’s Nationalism Ended Up Looking Like, by Thomas W. Zeiler8. Trump’s Presidency as History, by Ryan Irwin9. Globalism and U.S. Foreign Relations After Trump, by Frank Ninkovich10. The Derangements of Sovereignty: Trumpism and the Dilemmas of Interdependence, by Samuel Zipp11. The Trump Presidency in Historical Perspective, by John A. ThompsonPart III. American Institutions and Alliances After Trump12. Presidents, Precedents, and the Laws of War, by Matthew Evangelista13. Trump to the Intelligence Community: You’re Fired, by Richard Immerman14. The Trump Administration and Economic Sanctions, by Nicholas Mulder15. Donald Trump and the Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Deal, by Susan Colbourn16. Trump’s Transactional Follies: The Consequences of Treating the Arms Trade Like a Business, by Jennifer SpindelPart IV. Trump Abroad17. Trump and Russia: Less Than Meets the Eye, by Angela Stent18. Trump and U.S.-China Strategic Competition as the “New” Normal, by Jonathan DiCicco19. Engage? Trump and the Asia-Pacific, by Dayna Barnes20. Riding the Rollercoaster: India and the Trump Years, by Tanvi Madan21. Swaggering Home: Trump, Grenell, and Pompeo in Conflict with Germany, by William Gray22. Death-Grip Handshakes and Flattery Diplomacy: The Macron-Trump Connection and Its Larger Implications for Alliance Politics, by Kathryn Statler23. “Mr. Brexit”: Donald Trump and the United Kingdom’s Departure from the European Union, by Lindsay Aqui24. The Trump Administration and the Middle East: Not Much Change, Not Much Success, by F. Gregory Gause III25. Fences Make Bad Hombres: Trump and Latin America, by Christy ThorntonPart V. The Expanding Meaning of International Security: Human Rights, Racial Justice, and COVID-1926. “Shithole Countries”: Was Trump’s Foreign Policy Racist?, by William I. Hitchcock27. Rethinking Vulnerability: Structural Inequality as National Insecurity, by Jason Ludwig and Rebecca Slayton28. Lifting the Veil on Racial Capitalism: American Foreign Policy Before and After Trump, by Nivi Manchanda29. Racialized Threats and Security Rationales in U.S. Immigration Policies, by Audie Klotz30. The Trump Presidency, the Question of Palestine, and Biden’s Business as Usual, by A. Dirk Moses and Victor Kattan31. The Trump Administration’s Insidious Approach to Human Rights, by Sarah B. SnyderPart VI. Is Liberal Internationalism Still Alive?32. Trump’s Foreign Policy Legacy, by Joshua Busby and Jonathan Monten33. “America First” Meets Liberal Internationalism, by Stephen Chaudoin, Helen V. Milner, and Dustin Tingley34. Liberal Internationalism and Partisan Conflict in the Post-Trump United States, by George N. Georgarakis and Robert Y. ShapiroPart VII. Looking Forward: The Prospects for Joe Biden’s Presidency 35. The Biden Administration and Russia: Deeper Into a U.S.-Russia Cold War, by Robert Legvold36. Joe Biden, American Democracy, and the China Challenge, by James Goldgeier37. Transatlantic Relations After Trump: Mutual Perceptions and Strategy in Historical Perspective, by Alessandro Brogi38. One Eye on the Rearview Mirror: The Middle East from Trump to Biden, by James Stocker39. Reclaiming America and Its Place in the World, by Elizabeth EconomyPart VIII. Coda40. World History, the American President, and the Gibbon Paradox, by Jeremy Adelman41. Trump’s Limited Legacy, by Lawrence Freedman42. American Constraints: Trump’s “Legacy” or Inexorable History, by Charles S. Maier43. Making Trump History, by Martin ConwayList of ContributorsIndex

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Book SynopsisNATIONAL BESTSELLEROpen borders, record inflation, and skyrocketing crimeJoe Biden's first term is one of the most craptastic in American history. Though Biden may seem like a doddering idiot, stumbling from one mistake to the next, his blunders always hew closely to progressive dreams for American policy.

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Book SynopsisGrappling with centuries-old feuds, defeating a shrewd insurgency, and navigating the sometimes paralyzing bureaucracy of the U.S. military are issues that prompt sleepless nights for both policymakers in Washington, DC and soldiers at war, albeit for different reasons. Few, however, have dealt with these issues in the White House situation room and on the front line. Michael G. Waltz has done just that, working as a policy advisor to Vice President Richard B. Cheney and also serving in the mountains of Afghanistan as a Green Beret, directly implementing strategy in the field that he helped devise in Washington. In Warrior Diplomat: A Green Beret’s Battles from Washington to Afghanistan, Waltz shares his unique firsthand experiences, revealing the sights, sounds, emotions, and complexities involved in the war in Afghanistan. Waltz highlights the policy issues that plagued the war effort, from the drug trade to civilian casualties, to a lack of resources in comparison to Iraq, to the overall coalition strategy. He points out that stabilizing Afghanistan and the region remains crucial to national security and that a long-term commitment to Afghanistan is imperative if the United States is to remain secure.Trade Review"Waltz, a lieutenant colonel in the Army reserves, commanded a Special Forces company in Afghanistan and held high counterterrorism positions at the Pentagon and White House. Combining what he saw on the ground with what he gleaned in Washington, Waltz offers his thoughts on the U.S. military and government’s management of the fight against the Taliban in Afghanistan. . . . Waltz succeeds in his goal of explaining how the war in Afghanistan has been executed, making a case that the continuing chaos that nation endures is "directly connected" to the U.S. national interest."—Publishers Weekly"Warrior Diplomat [is] a memoir of unique insight into the hope and tragedy of America’s war in Afghanistan. . . . There is an almost surreal quality in the memoir of a man who briefed and wrote policy proposals for the powerful Vice-President one month, and in the next, shared meals with Afghan farmers or scrambled over walls in the dark of night to grab a Taliban commander, visiting relatives. . . . A must read book to understand how America’s war in Afghanistan was fought so hard, for so long to so few measurable results."—Mark Safranski, Pragati"Few people in Washington must execute the policies they help craft. Warrior Diplomat is a must-read, firsthand examination of the Afghan war through the experiences of a practitioner at both ends of the spear."—Robert M. Gates, former U.S. secretary of defense"Michael Waltz distills the hard-earned wisdom of more than a decade of deep involvement in America’s Afghan campaign. Unlike most other participants, however, Waltz served as a Special Forces officer on the ground and as a senior policy maker in Washington. One can only wish that more of our decision-makers possessed his breadth of vision and experience."—Nathaniel C. Fick, author of One Bullet Away"Using his singular set of experiences as a U.S. Army Special Forces operator and Washington policy insider, Mike Waltz captures the policy ambivalences, implementation challenges, and individual heroics that have made the U.S. effort in Afghanistan such a conundrum for presidents, generals, and the American people. But Waltz never loses sight of the human side of the equation and never gives in to defeatism or fatalism. His wise advice for the future should be heeded by U.S. leaders, now and in the future."—David Sedney, former deputy assistant secretary of defense for Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Central Asia"Warrior Diplomat is an important book that provides an unparalleled, firsthand account of America's role in Afghanistan. Michael Waltz brings us into the inner sanctums of the White House and the Pentagon, where the war was being planned and debated, and then leads us onto the battlefields of Afghanistan."—Seth G. Jones, author of In the Graveyard of Empires: America's War in Afghanistan"Mike Waltz's important new book deftly charts 'what might have been' over the course of a long, largely indecisive war. NATO's largely unseen failures in Afghanistan are perhaps better charted here than in any other recent account—and it is a story that needs to be told as we think about future coalition operations. Mike stitches together the long thirteen-year arc of this story as few others could, from front line to the conference tables of policy makers in Washington and Europe. This is a book that needs to be read to understand what really happened over the last decade-plus in Afghanistan—and why."—Lieutenant General (Ret.) Dave Barno, former commander, Combined Forces Command in Afghanistan"Sometimes the right book comes along at just the right time—such is the case with Michael G. Waltz's new book, Warrior Diplomat released this week. The title describes Waltz well—he served as a Green Beret in Afghanistan and returned to Washington to work for the National Security Council at the White House."—Dana Perino, former spokeswoman for President George W. Bush and co-host of "The Five" on Fox NewsTable of ContentsList of Illustrations List of Maps Foreword by Peter Bergen Preface Acknowledgments List of Abbreviations Introduction: A Little Girl in Ghazni 1. State of the War: Office of the Secretary of Defense 2. Arabs, Afghans, and Americans: The War of Ideas 3. The Tagab Valley: Patrolling to Ambush 4. The Clinic in Achin: Development Dilemmas 5. The Road to Musa Qala: The Taliban Are Back 6. The French in Maruf: A Pawn in a Diplomatic Game 7. Operation Perth: War by Consensus 8. Back to Washington: The Pentagon and the White House 9. The Mangal Tribe: Protecting People We Can’t Access 10. The Elder in Khost: Risk Aversion and the Cost of Inaction 11. Night Raid: The Catch-and-Release Detention System 12. Blackbeard Rising: The Afghan National Army Commandos 13. On the Border with Pakistan: The Rocket’s Red Glare 14. The Tribes of Chamkani: The Community Defense Initiative 15. Washington Again: Wishing the Problem Away Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisCity governments are going bankrupt. Even the ones that aren’t are often stuck in financial chaos. It is easy to blame pensions, poor leadership, or a bad economy. But the problems go much deeper. With decades of experience in local government, author Mark Moses showcases the inside world of the city decision-making process that has spawned these crises. It becomes clear: City governments are maxing out their budgets because they are trying to maximize services. This book, likely the most ambitious attempt by someone who has worked in government to radically examine the delivery of municipal services since 'Reinventing Government' was published more than 25 years ago, explores why city governments pursue an open-ended mission and why bailouts and trendy budgeting processes will be, at best, only temporary solutions. Of interest to current and future city council members, regional and state government officials, those covering city government, financial analysts, city management, and individuals and organizations interested in influencing city policy, this book argues that cities won’t thrive until city hall is disrupted.Table of ContentsChapter 1 : Train Wreck Spotting (The Municipal Financial Crisis Is Here).- Chapter 2: Inside City Budgeting.- Chapter 3: What City Government Does and What City Government Is.- Chapter 4: Why City Council Decisions Go Wrong.- Chapter 5: Failed Financial Analysis.- Chapter 6: Budget Non-Solutions (Why Conventional Budget Solutions Fail).- Chapter 7: More Non-Solutions (Further Misguided Attempts to Achieve Financial Stability).- Chapter 8: Zero based Activity Scoping (A New Solution).- Chapter 9: Whither City Government​.

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Book SynopsisAnyone who experienced the attacks on September 11 cannot forget the imagery: the smoking, falling towers, the Pentagon smoldering, the Shanksville crash site, the first responders.But there is an invisible story hidden in the wreckage, one that required years of patient investigation and the piecing together of a sequence from many scattered sources. By establishing the most definitive timeline of how that day unfolded, William M. Arkin shows how the US government failed in the face of the unprecedented attack. It is a story of laughable airport security, vulnerable airspace, blind intelligence, poor communications, muddled orders, Pentagon chaos, and presidential isolation. Everything about the emergency procedures of the governments-from White House security to continuity of government to military alerts-went wrong.On That Day is a stunning, nightmare journey through a government reeling in confusion while many civilians performed individual acts of heroism. It is a chilling exposé of government negligence and overreach, and a constitution in crisis.

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Book SynopsisReveals how the U.S. Supreme Court's presidentialism threatens our democracy and what to do about it. Donald Trump's presidency made many Americans wonder whether our system of checks and balances would prove robust enough to withstand an onslaught from a despotic chief executive. In The Specter of Dictatorship, David Driesen analyzes the chief executive's role in the democratic decline of Hungary, Poland, and Turkey and argues that an insufficiently constrained presidency is one of the most important systemic threats to democracy. Driesen urges the U.S. to learn from the mistakes of these failing democracies. Their experiences suggest, Driesen shows, that the Court must eschew its reliance on and expansion of the "unitary executive theory" recently endorsed by the Court and apply a less deferential approach to presidential authority, invoked to protect national security and combat emergencies, than it has in recent years. Ultimately, Driesen argues that concern about loss of democracy should play a major role in the Court's jurisprudence, because loss of democracy can prove irreversible. As autocracy spreads throughout the world, maintaining our democracy has become an urgent matter.Trade Review"David Driesen has written an eloquent and powerful account of the Framers' concern about 'tyranny' and their profound commitment to democracy. His careful historical scholarship and deft analysis of doctrine demonstrate clearly the ways that growing presidential power has imperiled this principle. An urgent and compelling read not just for today's crises, but for understanding the basic dynamics of American democracy and its antagonists." -- Aziz Z. Huq * University of Chicago Law School *"A book for our troubled times. Blending history, law, and politics, David Driesen situates the Trump presidency in the alarming global trend toward autocracy and diagnoses what currently ails democracy in America. Richly detailed, highly informative, and deeply contextual, this book is required reading to understand the forces threatening the liberal democratic values of modern constitutionalism." -- Richard Albert * The University of Texas at Austin *"Constitutional drafters often establish semi-autonomous executive institutions to serve as guardrails of democracy. Over the past several decades, conservative lawyers and judges in the U.S. have systematically targeted such bureaucratic independence as inconsistent with the constitutional theory of a 'unitary executive.' Driesen masterfully lays bare the previously underappreciated role played by unitary executive theory in ongoing processes of democratic erosion." -- Thomas M. Keck * Syracuse University *Table of ContentsContents and AbstractsIntroduction: chapter abstractThis chapter explains that this book will analyze excessive presidential power's potential to undermine democracy by exploring democratic decline primarily in Hungary, Turkey, and Poland. It outlines the book's major lesson: the head of state plays a key role in establishing autocracy by establishing unimpeded control over the executive branch in keeping with the American unitary executive theory, often accelerated through use of emergency powers. It outlines the book's argument that the U.S. Supreme Court has augmented executive power in dangerous ways and describes its principal recommendations for taking the potential for autocracy into account in adjudicating separation-of-powers cases. It summarizes each chapter's contribution to this argument. 1Avoiding Tyranny at the Founding chapter abstractThis chapter establishes that the Founders of this nation shared a goal of avoiding a future drive to autocracy and suggests that this intention should guide the Supreme Court's treatment of presidential power. It explains the controversy over whether the Founders embraced the unitary executive theory and shows that they did not expressly grant emergency powers to the President in the Constitution. It introduces the concept of original intent and explains that it increasingly influences judges and constitutional scholarship, making this chapter's treatment of the creation of the Constitution important to establishing room to take lessons from democracy loss abroad into account in adjudication of separation of powers disputes. 2The Rise of Presidential Power chapter abstractThis chapter provides an account of the rise of presidential power from the Founding through the late twentieth century. It explores the historical roots of the fear that presidential control over the executive branch of government and the growth of presidential emergency powers would undermine democracy and the rule of law. It canvasses the controversies (judicial and political) over presidential removal of federal officials from office (which the unitary executive theory insists must be free from restriction), from Andrew Jackson's effort to circumvent legislation creating the National Bank to Richard Nixon's attempt to thwart investigation of crimes undertaken to tilt the electoral playing field. It explains how congressional delegation of authority has enhanced the President's power over time. It also shows that the Supreme Court imposed constraints on emergency powers throughout this period, recognizing this presidential power as dangerous to democracy. 3Declining to Adjudicate Claims Against the President chapter abstractThis chapter explains that the courts have augmented presidential power by frequently refusing to adjudicate claims that the President has exceeded his constitutional authority. It explains the key justiciability doctrines that the courts have used to shield Presidents from allegations of misconduct—standing, ripeness, and the political question doctrine. It establishes that the courts have applied these doctrines quite strictly, and sometimes grossly distorted them, to shield allegations of presidential usurpation of power from judicial scrutiny. At the same time, it has been quite liberal in entertaining challenges to congressional efforts to check and balance the executive branch. It shows that the courts' refusal to entertain challenges to unilateral presidential wars has aided the transfer of the war power from Congress to the President. 4Implied Presidential and Congressional Power chapter abstractThis chapter explains that the modern Supreme Court has generously granted the President extensive implied powers at the expense of Congress, while declining to apply the implied-powers doctrine to sustain efforts by Congress to check the executive branch. It shows that the Court's implied-powers jurisprudence has not only expanded the President's foreign affairs power, but also eroded checks and balances domestically. It emphasizes the role of the unitary executive theory and the legislative veto in undermining checks on emergency powers and undermining of the rule of law. This chapter fills a gap in the literature by defining the concept of implied power. It shows that propresidential bias in the Court's treatment of constitutional custom, means/ends reasoning, and congressional intent helps explain the asymmetric results of the Court's implied-power jurisprudence. 5The Specter of Dictatorship: Poland, Hungary and Turkey chapter abstractThis chapter, the heart of the book, examines the role of executive power in undermining democracy in Poland, Hungary, and Turkey. In all three cases, creation of centralized control over the executive branch of government paved the way for autocracy, leading to politicized use of prosecution to undermine political opponents, shrinking of the media available to dissenters, and tilting the electoral playing field. This analysis focuses primarily on centralization of control over prosecution, media authorities, and electoral commissions. In Hungary and Turkey, abuse of emergency powers accelerated the establishment of autocracy. These countries' autocrats eroded democracy with the support of a political party enjoying the support of at least a substantial minority of voters. Party members in Parliament helped destroy democracy by voting in lockstep fashion to support "reforms" undermining independent agencies and prosecutorial independence. 6Parallels to America's Democratic Erosion chapter abstractThis chapter examines the extent to which America's democratic erosion mirrors that of Hungary, Turkey, and Poland. It explains that acceptance of the unitary executive theory has significantly undermined the rule of law, just as centralization of power has in the case studies. It analyzes the extent to which we have emulated the autocracies in tilting the electoral playing field and undermining independent media. It explains that partisan division has led to a breakdown of deliberative democracy very similar to that seen Chapter 5's case studies. It also analyzes our vulnerability to judicial capture and abuse of the war power. It argues that judges lack the capacity to predict the extent of democratic decline, given its complexity and the role of unpredictable shocks in stimulating autocracy, but that we have serious long-term vulnerabilities. 7Judicial Treatment of Presidential Power in an Age of Democratic Decline chapter abstractThis chapter discusses the factors that should influence the courts' separation-of-powers cases. Generally, it counsels judges to give more weight to the possibility of democratic decline than to potential policy mistakes, and to allow for the possibility of presidential bad faith. It shows that national security means protecting the American People's control over the government, not just preventing of physical attacks. It suggests rejecting or limiting the reach of the unitary executive theory, bolstering presidential legal accountability, and relying less on justiciability doctrines to shield presidential actions from judicial review. It also analyzes the role of judicial decision making in protecting and restoring democracy, showing that judicial decisions can aid political forces seeking to preserve or revive an ailing democracy. Conclusion: chapter abstractThis chapter briefly recapitulates the book's lessons. It affirms that the judiciary can and should contribute to democracy protection by considering the possibility of presidential bad faith in making decisions, since the presidency, not the judiciary, constitutes the principal threat to democracy. It calls for the judiciary to reject or at least limit the unitary executive theory, to think of national security in terms of preserving popular sovereignty, and to relax justiciability barriers to adjudicating challenges to excessive presidential power. It argues that the tendency to think of autocracy as a product of a coup, instead of as the product of gradual democratic decline, can blind us to the possibility of autocracy in America, but that signs of serious democratic decline abound. It suggests that judges need to take the possibility of losing a democracy as seriously as the founders of this country did.

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Book SynopsisSouth Africa marks the 20th anniversary of the TRC. 15 April 2016 marked 20 years since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) hearings began. The TRC was set up to give an opportunity for perpetrators of human rights transgressions to come clean about the atrocities that happened during those evil days of apartheid.

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Book SynopsisThis vibrant, illustrated guide to the ins and outs of United States politics provides a clearer understanding of the current events and regular processes that shape this nation and the world.Decipher the American political system with this clear, easy-to-understand guide to the basics of the United States political system, from the founding of the thirteen colonies, to the foundations of the constitution, to how elections work. You’ll also find information about the history and context of current issues, like how Supreme Court justices are appointed; the electoral college and the popular vote; and how to get involved in the political process. Perfect for anyone looking for information on basic political processes, The Infographic Guide to American Government includes graphics that help simplify a range of topics from the Revolutionary War to all about a free press.

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Book SynopsisLiz Truss's journey from schoolgirl revolutionary to Britain's shortest-serving Prime MinisterThe Sunday Times Politics Book of the YearA Guardian Politics Book of the Year 2023An insightful and at times riotously entertaining account of the lengthy rise and abrupt fall of Britain's 56th Prime Minister. What was intended as a prologue to her premiership is now a riveting political obituary in which every page drips with the seeds of both triumph and disaster. Cole and Heale have produced a meticulously reported account of Truss's drive, impulsiveness, eccentricity and ideological certainty which reads like a warning from history. It has elements of tragedy but is frequently very, very funny.' Tim Shipman''Make sure you put your seat belt on. Heale and Cole put you in the passenger seat of the fastest car crash in recent political history. It''s an unmissable romp through Liz Truss''s long journey to the top, fuelled by ambition and espresso. The clues that foretold the extraordinary catastrophe are all there, as the authors reveal in gory detail how Liz Truss nearly had the last laugh, before finally, as her government imploded, the joke was on her.'' Laura KuenssbergDespite being written off and mocked by even her closest colleagues, Liz Truss slowly but determinedly achieved her goal of taking over 10 Downing Street only to instantly plunge her administration into chaos and announce her resignation after a record-breaking 44 days. How did she do it? And what exactly went so wrong?With unrivalled access and insight, award-winning political journalists Harry Cole and James Heale provide the answers, drawing on interviews with Truss's friends and supporters, as well as her worst critics and rivals, from Kwasi Kwarteng to Michael Gove.Tracking Truss's transformation from geeky teenage Lib Dem to Tory PM, with the inside scoop on her first and only month in office, Out of the Blue is the unmissable behind-the-scenes account of Britain's shortest-serving Prime Minister.Trade Review‘Completely absorbing and, in places, astonishing. It is the story of a gigantic error, well told. And important lessons can be learnt.’ Daniel Finkelstein ‘Offers a masterful, behind-the-scenes perspective on a political farce that affected us all’ 4* Telegraph ‘An admirable, thorough and solid body of research’ Times ‘Its lively style and air of authority illuminates [Truss’s] failings … with some wit, insight and a well-informed ear for the telling detail’ Observer ‘An entertainingly written black comedy that reveals much about how we are governed’ The Critic

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Book SynopsisContains the essential facts about the discovery, settlement, growth and development of the American nation and its institutions. This book illustrates how former English subjects slowly transformed themselves into Americans, and shows how a collection of sovereign, independent colonies united to create a constantly evolving republican government.Trade Review"A masterful recounting of the Amercian experience from the discovery of the New World to the present... It is a perfect history for our times." -- Robert Dallek, author of Nixon and Kissinger "In 2008, Americans face war, terrorism, recession and the rising economies of China and India. Yet the author avers there is still reason to hope for good leadership. Astute assessments of an evolving nation and ideal reading for November voters." -- Kirkus Reviews "Provides everything a casual (or bewildered) reader needs to know about the United States from the first English colonists until the beginning of 2008... An objective narrative of this nation's history that readers of all political stripes will appreciate." -- Publishers Weekly "One of our great historians has now given us yet another great work... [It] may be brief, but it is wise, eloquent and authoritative. Readers in search of a sprightly tour of the nation's lives and times need look no farther than Remini's latest achievement." -- Jon Meacham, author of American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House

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Book SynopsisCollected by the Ronald Reagan Foundation, this book includes both Reagan's own original writing that honors a lifetime of work in the arts and politics, and includes his favorite quotations, proverbs, and excerpts from speeches, poetry, and literature. It encapsulates a lifetime of reflections on work, marriage, and family in classic one liners.Trade Review"The book offers a window into the mind of the nation's 40th president and displays the effort he made behind the scenes to hone his performance as a speechmaker and storyteller driving home a conservative political philosophy." -- USA Today "This volume provides an illuminating glimpse into Reagan's mind... The entries show the directness of Reagan's thought and his uncanny ability to make a point." -- The Daily "These notes are wonderful things... Although a few recent books have proclaimed to have finally uncovered the real Reagan, there's a chance we'll never get any closer than in these scribbles, which reveal so much." -- Christopher Buckley, Bloomberg News "Now with the discovery of his note cards, we can better appreciate just how hard Reagan himself labored to be clear and convincing-and, yes, sometimes funny-to his many audiences." -- The American Spectator "This is a book to return to often and sample the collected wisdom found there that buttressed a remarkable man's vision." -- The Washington Times

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Book SynopsisFifty years after John F. Kennedy’s assassination, presidential historian Robert Dallek, whom the New York Times calls “Kennedy’s leading biographer,” delivers a riveting portrait of this president and his inner circle of advisors—their rivalries, personality clashes, and political battles. In Camelot’s Court, Dallek analyzes the brain trust whose contributions to the successes and failures of Kennedy’s administration—including the Bay of Pigs, civil rights, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and Vietnam—were indelible.Kennedy purposefully put together a dynamic team of advisors noted for their brilliance and acumen, including Attorney General Robert Kennedy, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, Secretary of State Dean Rusk, National Security Advisor McGeorge Bundy, and trusted aides Ted Sorensen and Arthur Schlesinger. Yet the very traits these men shared also created sharp divisions. Far from being unified, this was an uneasy band of rivals whose ambitions and clashing beliefs ignited fiery internal debates.Robert Dallek illuminates a president deeply determined to surround himself with the best and the brightest, who often found himself disappointed with their recommendations. The result, Camelot''s Court: Inside the Kennedy White House, is a striking portrait of a leader whose wise resistance to pressure and adherence to principle offers a cautionary tale for our own time.Trade Review"Dallek's portraits of advisers including Arthur Schlesinger Jr. and Walt Rostow are lapidary, and it is difficult to quarrel with his judgments." -- The New York Times Book Review "Dallek is an assiduous digger into archives... The story of how a glamorous but green young president struggled with conflicting and often bad advice while trying to avoid nuclear Armageddon remains a gripping and cautionary tale of the loneliness of command." -- Evan Thomas, The Washington Post "Think The Best and the Brightest meets Team of Rivals... Dallek is one of the deans of presidential scholarship." -- Beverly Gage, The Nation "Dallek brings us closer to the complexity and the humanity of Kennedy's geopolitics, and helps us grasp the uncertainties he and his men faced in an abbreviated presidency." -- USA Today

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Chait's brilliant new book, Audacity, upends the conventional wisdom of the Washington commentariat -- and a surprising number of liberals -- that Barack Obama's presidency was little more than eight years of disappointment...setting out a compelling case that he was one of the most successful presidents of modern times." -- The Guardian "A timely, trenchant and relentlessly argued book presenting the 44th president in terms that he himself would approve. Not only did Obama change America for the better, Chait writes, he also cemented a new policy infrastructure that will resist Trump's efforts to tear it down." -- New York Times Sunday Book Review "Audacity, by Jonathan Chait of New York magazine, one of today's must-read political journalists...documents the scale of Obama's domestic policy, on health care, taxes, finance, climate, civil rights and education. Chait also explains why [Obama's successes] won't simply disappear... The book is a brave one." -- David Leonhardt, New York Times Op-Ed columnist "Chait offers a well-organized, clearly written case that will be valuable to future historians in their assessments." -- Kirkus Reviews "[Chait] lacerates wimpish liberals and the duplicitous cynics on the right. He points out, over and over again, that, ideologically speaking, Obama's policies were largely derived from a liberal Republican tradition." -- Brooklyn Rail "Chait's command of policy and politics, and his clarity of thought, guarantee that Audacity will remain an essential starting point for those assessing the Obama presidency." -- Washington Monthly "[Chait is] one of the most influential political journalists of our time...the verve with which he pursues his quarries has made him one of our great polemicists." -- New Republic "Audacity is a sturdy defense of the past eight years and an attack on left-wing Americans who moan about Obama's timidity. And in this endeavor it is a rip-roaring success. Chait tells the Obama story with enormous sympathy, but with enough detachment to make it credible." -- The Times (UK)

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Book SynopsisA biography of Washington's most famous apartment complex -- the buildings with a thousand stories of the notables who have lived thereTrade Review“Excellent. Captures... some of the Watergate’s most notorious residents.” — USA Today “Joseph Rodota has written an engaging biography of a building—the Watergate—whose name is forever linked with the politics, intrigue, and power of Washington.” — Karl Rove, former part-time resident of the Watergate “An informative, comprehensive account of one of America’s most famous building complexes.” — Wall Street Journal “The Watergate tells the story of this incredible ‘city within a city,’ where some of history’s most colorful personalities have lived. Rodota does what every historian aspires to do: he invites the reader to be a fly on the wall. Rodota brings this iconic building to life.” — KATE ANDERSEN BROWER, New York Times bestselling author of The Residence “A banquet of gossip and intrigue.” — The Week “Joseph Rodota gives us the definitive history of the Watergate complex. Crime sleuths, politicos, fans of the rich and powerful, architects, gossipers and renters everywhere will find The Watergate a fascinating and rewarding read.” — DONNA BRAZILE, former chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee and New York Time bestselling author of Hacks “A fascinating account, part history, part society page.” — Library Journal (starred review) “If walls could talk... Joseph Rodota reports what those in the world-famous Watergate complex have been discussing. Read for yourself—you won’t be disappointed.” — JOHN W. DEAN, former Nixon White House counsel and New York Times bestselling author of Blind Ambition “An entertaining, gossip-filled history. ... Richly detailed.” — Kirkus Reviews “A thorough and thoroughly engrossing account of this legendary Washington address.” — Booklist “Joseph Rodota recounts all the drama under the Watergate roof.” — Washington Post “Skillful. ... Does a good job of mixing historical facts with personal anecdotes to tell the story of what was both the most famous and most infamous hotel in Washington, DC.” — KITTY KELLEY, Washington Independent Review of Books “Rodota has a calling for the subject matter. ... Meticulous and intriguing details are many.” — Washington Times “The Watergate Hotel has a fascinating food history. ... Rodota unveils accounts of the often forgotten, quirky, fun, or even underhanded events that have transpired under its roof since 1965. ... Juicy.” — Food & Wine “Meticulously chronicles the buildings’ biography, including gossipy accounts of various residents (from socialite Anna Chennault to Monica Lewinsky) and, of course, details of the historic burglary.” — Washingtonian “Based on painstaking and remarkable research, Rodota... delves deeply and eloquently into the exciting and wild shenanigans. ... Give[s] life to this inanimate configuration of apartments, offices and a hotel complex.” — WARREN ADLER “Mixes history, finance, and high-level political gossip to evoke the Watergate complex’s mystique.” — Publishers Weekly “If the walls of the Watergate could talk, they’d transcribe a book we’d all want to read. Well, now they do, in Joseph Rodota’s paean to this iconic Washington hotel and residence. No other capital address, save maybe 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, has been more intertwined with critical figures in modern American history.” — MICHAEL SMERCONISH “Incredible research. ... Tells the entire tale of Watergate. ... The perfect book for anyone who loves the complexity of Washington history.” — The Hagstrom Report

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Brower is quickly becoming a brand-name Washington writer because of her ability to deliver juicy tidbits and insider information while steering her books toward a mainstream audience without sacrificing historical credibility.” — Christian Science Monitor “Illuminating and anecdote-laden . . . . Presidential history buffs will enjoy this respectful peek into one of America’s most exclusive clubs.” — Publishers Weekly “Brower does not deny partisan politics, but she finds an overarching spirit of camaraderie among those who’ve borne the office’s burdens. Based on what Brower has learned from the past, she guardedly and generously tries to anticipate how Donald Trump will fare when he eventually joins this tiny fraternity. Insights into presidential life beyond the rancor of everyday politics will make this a very popular read for the general public.” — Booklist (starred review) “Downton Abbey for the White House Staff.” — Today on The Residence “An intimate, compulsively readable account of the dynamics that have shaped—and sometimes destroyed—relations at the top of the American political hierarchy.... [and] a valuable addition to the literature of the modern presidency.” — Wall Street Journal on First in Line “Crisp, engrossing.... Brower delivers what she did in her previous books, a readable, insightful account of how the vice presidency has evolved and the men could end up in the Oval Office some day.” — USA Today on First in Line “Combining fascinating inside stories with astute political insights, First in Line fills a long-missing hole in American history. We learn here how men from Richard Nixon to Mike Pence have played their sometimes essential, sometimes useless roles in the prestigious but peculiar job of Vice President.” — Cokie Roberts, author of Ladies of Liberty, on First in Line “Kate Andersen Brower has a wonderful reporter’s eye for the telling detail that makes history engaging and real.” — Evan Thomas, author of Ike’s Bluff and Being Nixon, on First in Line “A highly readable . . . deep look at the women who help and sometimes overshadow their powerful husbands.” — USA Today on First Women “A revealing look at America’s first ladies, shining a spotlight on both their friendships and feuds.” — The Today Show on First Women “The tell-all The Residence, featuring intimate anecdotes collected from past and current White House staff members, is absolutely delicious.” — Washington Post on The Residence “Americans rarely get a glimpse of what life is really like in the fishbowl that is the White House. Kate Andersen Brower’s intimate portrait of what it’s like to take care of the first family is a compelling read. Whether you’re a political or history junkie or devoted Downton Abbey viewer, this book adds unique context to understanding our presidents as human beings, something that’s too often forgotten in our daily media grind.” — Chuck Todd, Meet the Press, on The Residence “Superbly reported. . . . A fascinating backstage account of the world’s most famous residence.” — Judy Woodruff, PBS NewsHour, and former White House Correspondent for NBC News, on The Residence

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Brower is quickly becoming a brand-name Washington writer because of her ability to deliver juicy tidbits and insider information while steering her books toward a mainstream audience without sacrificing historical credibility.” — Christian Science Monitor “Illuminating and anecdote-laden . . . . Presidential history buffs will enjoy this respectful peek into one of America’s most exclusive clubs.” — Publishers Weekly “Brower does not deny partisan politics, but she finds an overarching spirit of camaraderie among those who’ve borne the office’s burdens. Based on what Brower has learned from the past, she guardedly and generously tries to anticipate how Donald Trump will fare when he eventually joins this tiny fraternity. Insights into presidential life beyond the rancor of everyday politics will make this a very popular read for the general public.” — Booklist (starred review) “Downton Abbey for the White House Staff.” — Today on The Residence “An intimate, compulsively readable account of the dynamics that have shaped—and sometimes destroyed—relations at the top of the American political hierarchy.... [and] a valuable addition to the literature of the modern presidency.” — Wall Street Journal on First in Line “Crisp, engrossing.... Brower delivers what she did in her previous books, a readable, insightful account of how the vice presidency has evolved and the men could end up in the Oval Office some day.” — USA Today on First in Line “Combining fascinating inside stories with astute political insights, First in Line fills a long-missing hole in American history. We learn here how men from Richard Nixon to Mike Pence have played their sometimes essential, sometimes useless roles in the prestigious but peculiar job of Vice President.” — Cokie Roberts, author of Ladies of Liberty, on First in Line “Kate Andersen Brower has a wonderful reporter’s eye for the telling detail that makes history engaging and real.” — Evan Thomas, author of Ike’s Bluff and Being Nixon, on First in Line “A highly readable . . . deep look at the women who help and sometimes overshadow their powerful husbands.” — USA Today on First Women “A revealing look at America’s first ladies, shining a spotlight on both their friendships and feuds.” — The Today Show on First Women “The tell-all The Residence, featuring intimate anecdotes collected from past and current White House staff members, is absolutely delicious.” — Washington Post on The Residence “Americans rarely get a glimpse of what life is really like in the fishbowl that is the White House. Kate Andersen Brower’s intimate portrait of what it’s like to take care of the first family is a compelling read. Whether you’re a political or history junkie or devoted Downton Abbey viewer, this book adds unique context to understanding our presidents as human beings, something that’s too often forgotten in our daily media grind.” — Chuck Todd, Meet the Press, on The Residence “Superbly reported. . . . A fascinating backstage account of the world’s most famous residence.” — Judy Woodruff, PBS NewsHour, and former White House Correspondent for NBC News, on The Residence

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Book SynopsisNow updated with new information about efforts to interfere with the 2020 election and Donald Trump’s obstruction of justice.It has been called the political crime of the century: a foreign government, run by a brutal authoritarian leader, secretly interfering with the American presidential election to help elect the candidate of its choice. Now Greg Miller, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter at the Washington Post, drawing upon hundreds of exclusive interviews and confidential documents, uncovers the truth about the Kremlin’s covert attempt to help Trump win the presidency, the fate of the Mueller investigation, the Ukrainian “quid-pro-quo”, ongoing White House attempts to cover up evidence, and Trump’s continuing deference to Vladimir Putin’s wishes.  “A vital contribution to our understanding of how we got here.” —Charles Kaiser, Th

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Book SynopsisThe New York Time bestselling expose on the politicized federal bureaucracy that actively works to promote the Democrat agenda and undermine President Trump.The liberal media loves to characterize the Obama years as free of scandal. They pretend this is true because virtually every office in the executive branch worked to withhold evidence of wrongdoing, silence witness testimony, destroy federal records, classify embarrassing information, and retaliate against truth tellers. Yet these same tight-lipped lifers leaked like a sieve once President Trump was sworn in, freely promoting the illusion that everything he does is the new Watergate.Sometimes even conservatives portray the Deep State as nothing more than dumb inefficient bureaucracy. In fact, it’s the opposite; the Deep State is intentional, unconstitutional, and organized.In Deep State, Jason Chaffetz reveals an entrenched leadership within the civil

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Book SynopsisA deeply researched, narrative history recounting the little-known late-Reconstruction era mission of General Philip Sheridan, a Union Army hero dispatched to the South ten years after the Civil War to protect the rights of newly freed black citizens, who were under siege by violent paramilitary groups like the White League intent on erasing their postwar gains.In late 1874, nearly ten years after the Civil War, former slaves, or freedmen, found themselves under siege in the South by violent paramilitary groups like the White League, intent on erasing their newly won voting rights and other postwar gains and consigning them to a condition little better than slavery. President Ulysses S. Grant, vowing to enforce, “with rigor,” laws protecting the rights of former slaves, asked General Philip H. Sheridan to visit New Orleans and other Southern trouble spots to investigate the freedmen’s plight, all while pretending to be on vacation. Sheridan&

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Democrats and the media continue to just lie through their teeth. What we’ve lived through— are still living through—has been a coup from the get-go. It is a plot to overthrow President Trump. There are so few people telling the whole truth about this; Gregg Jarrett is.” — Rush Limbaugh “Gregg Jarrett has done it again by writing a superb follow-up book to his number one bestseller, The Russia Hoax. His stunning account of how unelected officials plotted in the shadows to influence an election, sabotage a duly elected president, and drive him from office should alarm all Americans.” — Sean Hannity “If for no other reason, one should read Gregg Jarrett’s new book, Witch Hunt, for its excellent and penetrating analysis of the Mueller Report. In-depth and comprehensive, Jarrett’s breakdown unmasks the false narrative still being peddled by Democrats and the media.” — Joseph DiGenova, Former Independent Counsel and U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia “Witch Hunt is both a riveting account of abuse of authority and a reminder of just how fragile our democracy can be. Jarrett thoroughly and convincingly paints a scary picture of officials at the highest levels of our federal government breaching the trust of the people in an attempt to undermine Trump’s presidency and remove him from office.” — Jon A. Sale, Criminal Defense Attorney and Former Assistant Watergate Prosecutor “Witch Hunt is a spectacular compendium….an encyclopedia of what went on in the biggest hoax and scandal in American history. I highly recommend it; it is an awesome book.” — Dan Bongino “When this moment in history finally passes, history will have Gregg Jarrett’s Witch Hunt to remind — on the record — of what really happened and who, really, was responsible for this disgrace.” — American Spectator

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Book SynopsisNATIONAL BESTSELLERThe FBI’s former head of counterintelligence reveals the seven secrets of building and maintaining organizational excellenceA must read for serious leaders at every level. —General Barry R. McCaffrey (Ret.)Frank Figliuzzi was the Keeper of the Code, appointed the FBI’s Chief Inspector by then-Director Robert Mueller. Charged with overseeing sensitive internal inquiries and performance audits, he ensured each employee met the Bureau''s exacting standards. Now, drawing on his distinguished career, Figliuzzi reveals how the Bureau achieves its extraordinary track record of excellence—from the training of new recruits in The FBI Way to the Bureau''s rigorous maintenance of its standards up and down the organization. All good codes of conduct have one common trait: they reflect the core values of an organization. Individuals, companies, schools, teTrade Review"Far-reaching, arguing that the world can benefit not from particular FBI skills but from the organization’s principles of accuracy and accountability." — Devlin Barrett, Washington Post “The FBI Way is a sterling achievement in narrative nonfiction, thrilling without being a thriller, and one of those books people will be referencing for decades to come as a definitive tome for the times in which we live." — Providence Journal “Figliuzzi’s war stories of hunting terrorists are spellbinding, but equally important is his playbook for how the FBI’s methods for achieving excellence in performance can be duplicated by a wide variety of organizations. This should be required reading in business schools across America.” — Andrea Mitchell, Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent, NBC News "Frank Figliuzzi is a patriot. He is an intelligent, straight-forward, and passionate voice for reason, loyalty, and what I have discovered are the simple but essential FBI values. In The FBI Way, through dramatic front-line stories and commentary, he demonstrates how to bring those values into our own lives." — Robert De Niro, Recipient of the Medal of Freedom "This is a must read for serious leaders at every level. Frank Figliuzzi served 25 years in the famed FBI rising to the highest levels of leadership. His assignments as chief counter-espionage officer for the Bureau, his street experience as a Special Agent confronting crime, corruption and police misconduct, and his perspective as an FBI policy maker offer us fresh insights into the links between preserving values, pursuing excellence, and defending anything worth keeping." — General Barry R. McCaffrey (U.S. Army Retired) “The institutions that best preserve and defend our nation’s values are made up of men and women who live and die by a code of excellence. ... As Frank Figliuzzi's The FBI Way makes clear, their survival and success are dependent on the same values that will determine the survival and success of our democracy. It’s time we all ask whether we are willing to live by that code.” — Leon E. Panetta, Former Secretary of Defense and Director of the CIA "For Frank Figliuzzi it's personal; for the rest of us, The FBI Way offers unique insights into how the men and women of the FBI serve with distinction and honor by adhering to a code that allows them to defend what matters most - our democracy." — Michael Steele, Former Chairperson of the Republican National Committee “An achievement in narrative nonfiction, a thrilling non-thriller.” — Richmond Times-Dispatch

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Bret Baier has done it again! To Rescue The Constitution is a masterful exploration of the electrifying struggle to unite a young United States. Meticulously researched and powerfully written, in these pages Baier presents riveting portraits of the era’s key leaders and above all of George Washington himself. This book should be required reading in Washington, DC and the rest of the nation. With To Rescue The Constitution, Baier clearly takes his place as the country’s most significant journalist-historian. What a tour de force!" — Jay Winik, New York Times bestselling author of April 1865 “Bret Baier’s To Rescue the Constitution is the epic saga of how George Washington emerged as the indispensable leader of the U.S. Constitutional Convention of 1787. Written with historical exactness, dramatic flare, and reader-friendly prose, Baier once again proves that he is a first-rate popular historian. The George Washington who emerges from these pages is a decorated Revolutionary War hero whose personality strengths are pragmatic risk-taking, philosophical wisdom, good judgment, and unwavering patriotism. As Baier makes clear, our first president was duty-bound to build a durable United States of America. Highly recommended!” — Douglas Brinkley, Katherine Tsanoff Brown Chair in Humanities and Professor of History at Rice University and author of American Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race “Bret Baier gives us a stylish and sensible portrait of the Foundingest Father of them all. At a time when a serious political dialogue has become virtually impossible, it is refreshing to be transported to a time when argument itself was the answer, and one man understood that surrendering power was the ultimate measure of leadership.” — Joseph J. Ellis, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation and His Excellency: George Washington "Once again Bret Baier has taken readers on a journey into American history, dramatizing the suspenseful years around the birth of our nation. The scenes have striking relevance in today’s fractured political climate, underscoring the need for constant vigilance to protect the values of our republic." — Mark Levin, #1 New York Times bestselling author “It is not possible for one book to do justice to George Washington. But it is possible, and long overdue, for one book to put Washington’s role in the framing our Constitution center stage. Kudos to Bret Baier for resurrecting these critical months in Washington’s life, and reminding the reader, again, that along with ‘No Washington, no country’ and ‘No Washington, no presidency,’ there is surely a third absolute: ‘No Washington, no Constitution.’ A book that could not be more timely as the country again seeks leaders of dignity and courage, resolve and restraint.” — Hugh Hewitt, Washington Post columnist and host of The Hugh Hewitt Show “Bret Baier’s narrative--careful, detailed, and evocative--captures what is arguably the most interesting (and in our schools often largely ignored) periods of American history. George Washington’s times were more divisive than today’s, but Baier clearly demonstrates how our first president brought the country together, largely by force of his character and example. To Rescue the Constitution fills the gaps in all readers minds; it informs, illuminates and deepens understanding. And gives us perspective from which hope might arise. It is very much worth reading.” — William J. Bennett, #1 New York Times bestselling author “Bret Baier has once again written a thoroughly enjoyable book about American history and its leading figures. I highly recommend To Rescue the Constitution to anyone who wants to learn more about our indispensable Founding Father – George Washington.” — David Rubenstein, New York Times bestselling author of The American Experiment

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Book SynopsisA revealing, behind-the-scenes examination of how Congress twice fumbled its best chance to hold accountable a president many considered one of the most dangerous in American history.The definitive?and only?insider account of both Trump impeachments, as told by the two reporters on the front lines covering them for The Washington Post and Politico.In a riveting account that flips the script on what readers think they know about the two impeachments of Donald Trump, Rachael Bade and Karoun Demirjian reveal how?and why?congressional oversight failed when it was needed most.Unchecked weaves a vivid narrative of how House Democrats under the lead of a cautious speaker, Nancy Pelosi, hesitated for months to stand up to Trump?and then pulled punches in their effort to oust him in a misguided effort to protect themselves politically. What they left on the cutting room floor would come back to haunt them, as Republicans seized on their missteps to whip an uneasy GOP rank-and-file into line behind Donald Trump, abandoning their scruples to defend a president who some privately believed had indeed abused his power.Even after Trump incited a mob to violently attack the Capitol?a day the authors recount in minute-by-minute, stunning detail ? Democrats pressured their own investigators to forego a thorough investigation in the name of safeguarding the Biden agenda. And Republicans, fearful of repelling a base they needed for re-election, missed their best moment to turn their backs on a leader they secretly agreed was destructive to democracy.Sourced from hundreds of interviews with all the key players, the authors of Unchecked pull back the curtain on how both parties pursued political expediency over fact-finding. The end result not only emboldened Trump, giving him room for a political comeback, but also undermined Congress by rendering toothless their most powerful check on a president: the power of impeachment. A dramatic and at times crushing work of investigative reporting, Unchecked is both a gripping page-turner of political intrigue and a detailed case study for historians and political scientists searching for answers about the unravelling of checks and balances that have governed American democracy for centuries.Trade Review"Revealing and engrossing history." — John Bolton, Wall Street Journal "A timely reflection . . . a searing blow-by-blow critique . . . with lots of insider scoops along the way." — Washington Post "A scorching exposé of the inner workings of the two impeachments of Donald Trump . . . A must-read for students of the Trump years and their dreary denouement." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “Bade and Demirjian deliver a granular examination of both Trump impeachments and the work of the January 6 committee. Their joint effort is a stinging indictment of what they see as Republican cravenness and Democratic ineptitude.” — Guardian (UK) “Journalists Bade and Demirjian deliver a searing analysis of the ‘political calculations’ made by Democrats and Republicans that led to Donald Trump’s acquittal in two separate impeachment trials….a thorough and often riveting account.” — Publishers Weekly

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Book Synopsis#1 New York Times BestsellerPeter Schweizer says that, in a quarter-century as an investigative journalist, this is the scariest investigation he has ever conducted. That the Chinese government seeks to infiltrate American institutions is hardly surprising.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“With surgical precision, Elie Honig’s Hatchet Man masterfully, lucidly, accurately, and brutally fillets the record of former attorney general William Barr by dissecting the myriad ways Barr corrupted and politicized the Department of Justice. Honig ably draws on his own experiences as a prosecutor to illustrate the ideals of prosecutorial independence and the apolitical administration of justice, and to demonstrate how Barr repeatedly despoiled them. Honig’s book provides essential reading for all who cherish the rule of law in America.” — George Conway, attorney and contributing columnist for the Washington Post "Written with all the color and pacing of a legal thriller... Honig’s book paints a powerful portrait of the unprecedented damage that Barr inflicted on the Justice Department." — Variety “Elie Honig has written a speaking indictment of a book—laying out the detailed case against Donald Trump’s ‘hatchet man,’ former attorney general Bill Barr. Endlessly readable and entertaining, this compendium of cautionary tales minces no words. With a mixture of humor, analysis, and expert storytelling, Elie has written much more than a compelling takedown of an unfit attorney general; he also offers a blueprint for how impartial and apolitical justice should be administered in America.” — Preet Bharara, former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and author of the New York Times bestseller Doing Justice “Many will recall the various incidents described in Hatchet Man, but the way former prosecutor Elie Honig dissects William Barr’s words and choices results in a fresh, devastating, yet easily understandable case against the former attorney general.” — Dan Abrams, New York Times bestselling author of Kennedy’s Avenger “Timely and engrossing, Hatchet Man uses Bill Barr as an example of how privilege and partisanship become corrupting influences at the highest level of power in America. With his trademark excellence and candor, Elie Honig lays out a startling and disturbing case, including the implications within the Department of Justice. I couldn’t put it down.” — Sunny Hostin, Emmy Award–winning journalist, author, and cohost of ABC’s The View “Elie Honig, like all the best prosecutors, is a master storyteller. In Hatchet Man, he helps us understand the tragedy of what former attorney general Bill Barr did to diminish the Department of Justice at the time when America needed her the most. This is an essential analysis for anyone committed to understanding the abuses of the Trump administration so we can ensure they never happen again.” — Joyce White Vance, Professor of the Practice of Law at the University of Alabama and NBC and MSNBC legal analyst “Elie Honig delivers a devastating indictment of Bill Barr’s tenure as attorney general combined with fascinating vignettes from his own career as a prosecutor. Hatchet Man shows how Barr, with his lies and abuses of power, repeatedly violated the ‘prosecutor’s code.’ Anyone reading this book will be convinced that the former attorney general is guilty as charged." — Max Boot, Washington Post columnist, CNN global affairs analyst, and senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations “A sharp-edged account…this is a comprehensive indictment of one of the most controversial figures of the Trump administration.” — Publishers Weekly “[A] damning, convincing account….A resounding excoriation of an unquestionably corrupt operator.” — Kirkus Reviews

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Book SynopsisAmerica’s liberal media keeps getting the news wrong.In Suppression, Deception, Snobbery, and Bias, Fleischer notes that half the country is keenly aware that they are routinely mocked and looked down on by much of the media.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Grisham’s book shows considerably more humility and self-reflection than that of any other Trump administration veteran I’ve read (and I’ve pretty much read them all).” — Laura Miller, Slate “Salacious and score-settling.” — The Guardian “Part giddy travelogue, part belated apologia, part petty payback, all personal-therapy session.” — New York Times

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