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Book SynopsisNew York Times BestsellerRising Star is the definitive account of Barack Obama''s formative years that made him the man who became the forty-fourth president of the United States—from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Bearing the CrossBarack Obama''s speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention instantly catapulted him into the national spotlight and led to his election four years later as America''s first African-American president. In this penetrating biography, David J. Garrow delivers an epic work about the life of Barack Obama, creating a rich tapestry of a life little understood, until now.Rising Star: The Making of Barack Obama captivatingly describes Barack Obama''s tumultuous upbringing as a young black man attending an almost-all-white, elite private school in Honolulu while being raised almost exclusively by his white grandparents. After recounting Oba

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“In his lively and engaging portrait of the two presidents Bush, Mark Updegrove has painted a compelling picture of political leadership in America. This isn’t just a work of history. It invites us to think about the leadership this country needs and deserves today.” -- William Kristol, Editor at large, The Weekly Standard“With unique access to the only father and son to serve as presidents in almost two hundred years, Mark Updegrove weaves a captivating, intimate portrait of one of the country’s most important political dynasties. The Bushes’ sense of public service as a high calling becomes all the more striking against the backdrop of today’s polarized party politics. This beautifully rendered story could not be more timely.” -- Doris Kearns Goodwin

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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"David Mendell got to Barack Obama before most of the rest of the world, telling the story of Obama's remarkable rise to power with deep reporting and in vivid detail. Obama was perhaps the most unlikely person ever to seek the presidency. Mendell's fine book provides the historical backdrop for how Obama got to the starting line of that 2008 campaign. The story he tells is as fresh today as it was at the time." -- Dan Balz, Chief Correspondent at the Washington Post "This book was required reading for those of us who covered Obama's 2008 campaign. Two White House terms later, it remains a fascinating and unfiltered read about the remarkable political rise of a major historical figure." -- John McCormick, Bloomberg national political reporter "Long before Barack Obama was president, David Mendell was there?and we're lucky he was. In Obama: From Promise to Power, he uses his extraordinary access to Barack and Michelle Obama, their friends and aides, to deliver an engaging and insightful portrait of one of the most intriguing leaders in modern American history." -- Peter Slevin, author of Michelle Obama: A Life. "I recommend this wonderful book to anyone who wants to know the real story behind Barack Obama's historic rise to national political stardom. Having covered Obama since his Senate campaign began, David Mendell offers an insightful, richly detailed and refreshingly balanced account of a 'change candidate' who was neither as perfect or as flawed as others might want you to believe." -- Clarence Page, 1989 Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for the Chicago Tribune "Long before Barack Obama made history, he attracted the attention of the gifted journalist David Mendell. His intimate interviews with the rising political star, and his brilliant analysis of the movement that formed around him, endure as an unparalleled chronicle of the making of an American president." -- Evan Osnos, winner of the National Book Award for Age of Ambition, and staff writer at the New Yorker "Before Barack Obama was a towering political figure, he was a local pol. This book serves as a corrective to Obama mythmaking on both sides, and it provides an insider's glimpse at the political origins and stunningly swift rise of Barack Obama." -- Ben Smith, editor-in-chief of BuzzFeed "David Mendell was on the Obama story long before the rest of the world caught on. This book remains an essential text for understanding President Obama's formative years." -- Alec MacGillis, government and politics reporter for ProPublica and author of The Cynic: A biography of Senator Mitch McConnell The single best source of background information on our new president. -- National Review

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“This richly detailed memoir by the former Secretary of State covers the period since her departure from government, in 2001. With clarity and wisdom, Albright recounts moments of pride, like receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom, in 2012, and acknowledges recent criticisms of her record, including those concerning the human cost of the sanctions that the Clinton Administration imposed on Iraq. Ultimately, the book presents an intricate portrait of a diplomat, and her ardent belief in democratic values and human rights, transatlantic partnerships and arms control, and open economies and sturdy institutions.” — The New Yorker “By turns poignant and hilarious.” — New York Times “In a blunt and revealing memoir, the former secretary of state reflects on the final stages of her career, working productively in her later decades and the state of the world since she left office in 2001.” — USA Today “The book reflects the energy and churn of her post-State Department life…What resonated with me most were the human moments…her successes and her failures. The changes she’s witnessed and the glass ceilings that remain.” — NPR “A humorous, self-deprecating account of her past two decades as a professor, businesswoman, mother and grandmother.” — Wall Street Journal “This passionately told account of Albright’s ‘afterlife’ will inspire readers to become involved in the issues meaningful to them. Recommended for all interested in politics, leadership, and women’s studies.” — Library Journal (starred review) “Former secretary of state Albright weaves geopolitics with her own life story in this intelligent and personable memoir….She proves to be a capacious storyteller, willing to share personal disappointments, such as the dissolution of her marriage, as well as professional accomplishments. This appealing memoir will charm readers interested in contemporary politics and women’s issues.” — Publishers Weekly "Dishy, as policy-wonkish memoirs go, and a pleasure for readers interested in the art of negotiation." — Kirkus Reviews

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“This…perfectly timed [book]...will be for many readers like the welcome, delicious equivalent of a large pitcher of iced water during a long, smoggy summer heat wave…[it] should not be approached as a eulogy for a fallen statesman…[but]...better read...as a blueprint for the future.” — Vital Speeches “Rich background information on policy and historical context introduces each chapter and frames each speech, which reveal Kennedy’s appeal to Democrats and Republicans, minorities and the middle class.” — Library Journal “Remarkable...a book worth getting and reading as well as passing down from one generation to another.” — Family Choice Award

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Bakari Sellers’ My Vanishing Country is exactly the book we need right now. The issues he raises are deeply personal and important to me. In his captivating memoir, Sellers not only brings a personal touch to the resilient people in places like his hometown Denmark, South Carolina, but he also rings the alarm about dangerous policies being enacted across the state and the devastating impact that they are having on people’s everyday lives.” — Hillary Rodham Clinton, the first woman in U.S. history to become the presidential nominee of a major political party. "My Vanishing Country is both a timely and timeless book that sheds a light on the unseen and gives a voice to the many who are unheard." — Tyler Perry “Bakari lays out a blueprint for anyone thinking just because their life starts on a dirt road in the rural south, it must end on a dirt road in the rural south. If you want to know what a black man can achieve in this country with faith in a higher power and a strong family structure, then this is the memoir you need.” — Charlamagne Tha God, author of Black Privilege and Shook One “My Vanishing Country solidifies Bakari Sellers as a major voice for his generation. He has taken the torch from his father Cleveland Sellers and soared. His brutally honest look at the systemic racism that continues to hold back the black working class is revelatory. His ownership of being Black, Country, and Proud is refreshing.” — Angela Rye, CNN Commentator and CEO of IMPACT Strategies “Bakari Sellers’ My Vanishing Country is urgent and essential reading brimming with compassion and courage.” — Van Jones, CNN Political Analyst “A strong voice for social justice emerges in an engaging memoir.” — Kirkus Reviews “Family trauma—even inherited trauma—can take a tremendous toll on children. But as Bakari Sellers makes plain in My Vanishing Country, family trauma can also be a source of strength.” — BookPage

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“This timely, readable book raises hugely important questions about how people justify supporting tyrants. In Young’s engaging narrative, what led British aristocrats, such as fascist fanatics Diana and Unity Mitford, to totalitarianism almost 100 years ago resonates with alarming trends we witness today. Attacks on democracy, from January 6th to Ukraine, make understanding authoritarianism most urgent; Hitler’s Girl, sure to be controversial, contributes critical case histories to that essential conversation.” — Carla Kaplan, author of Miss Anne in Harlem “A frank and timely exploration of a seminal era in modern history deserving of more attention. Young's engaging work shines a spotlight on this pivotal moment between the World Wars by bringing some of its most complicated personalities to the fore and thus reminding us that there is always more to discover, even when we think we know the whole story.” — Catherine Grace Katz, author of The Daughters Of Yalta: The Churchills, Roosevelts, and Harrimans “Confirms not only the danger British fascists posed to the nation but also the government’s embarrassing, often inexplicable unwillingness to take steps against them. . . . A cautionary tale for today [when] Democratic institutions are fragile and many of the problems roiling the waters of the ’30s are ascendant again.” — Library Journal “Defense analyst Young explores the pro-Nazi sentiments of 'an influential segment of [Britain’s] elite' in this . . . intriguing history . . . The brisk narrative contains many shocking revelations.” — Publishers Weekly "A fresh analysis of fascism in 1930s Britain. . . . Thanks to newly opened and expanded archives, the author is able to expose a host of fascist-leaning figures during the 1930s, revealing the shockingly broad complacency and complicity among the aristocratic class." — Kirkus Reviews “Hitler’s Girl joins other recently published titles, including Geoffrey Wheatcroft's Churchill’s Shadow (2021), in interrogating the British government’s own racism and postcolonial legacy.” — Booklist “Hitler’s Girl is required reading for anyone interested in the rise of Nazism and in the counter-factual mentioned at the outset. Lauren Young has given us a gift and has also warned us about the times we live in now which in so many ways resemble the period from 1933 to 1938 when Hitler could have been stopped.” — Counter Currents“This timely, readable book raises hugely important questions about how people justify supporting tyrants. In Young’s engaging narrative, what led British aristocrats, such as fascist fanatics Diana and Unity Mitford, to totalitarianism almost 100 years ago resonates with alarming trends we witness today. Attacks on democracy, from January 6th to Ukraine, make understanding authoritarianism most urgent; Hitler’s Girl, sure to be controversial, contributes critical case histories to that essential conversation.” — Carla Kaplan, author of Miss Anne in Harlem “A frank and timely exploration of a seminal era in modern history deserving of more attention. Young's engaging work shines a spotlight on this pivotal moment between the World Wars by bringing some of its most complicated personalities to the fore and thus reminding us that there is always more to discover, even when we think we know the whole story.” — Catherine Grace Katz, author of The Daughters Of Yalta: The Churchills, Roosevelts, and Harrimans “Confirms not only the danger British fascists posed to the nation but also the government’s embarrassing, often inexplicable unwillingness to take steps against them. . . . A cautionary tale for today [when] Democratic institutions are fragile and many of the problems roiling the waters of the ’30s are ascendant again.” — Library Journal “Defense analyst Young explores the pro-Nazi sentiments of 'an influential segment of [Britain’s] elite' in this . . . intriguing history . . . The brisk narrative contains many shocking revelations.” — Publishers Weekly "A fresh analysis of fascism in 1930s Britain. . . . Thanks to newly opened and expanded archives, the author is able to expose a host of fascist-leaning figures during the 1930s, revealing the shockingly broad complacency and complicity among the aristocratic class." — Kirkus Reviews “Hitler’s Girl joins other recently published titles, including Geoffrey Wheatcroft's Churchill’s Shadow (2021), in interrogating the British government’s own racism and postcolonial legacy.” — Booklist “Hitler’s Girl is required reading for anyone interested in the rise of Nazism and in the counter-factual mentioned at the outset. Lauren Young has given us a gift and has also warned us about the times we live in now which in so many ways resemble the period from 1933 to 1938 when Hitler could have been stopped.” — Counter Currents

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Ben Jealous appeals to our ‘better angels’ through storytelling that is riotously funny, deeply moving, and profoundly insightful. He is utterly brilliant, and his work to bridge our differences has never been more important.” — Henry Louis Gates Jr. “Never Forget Our People Were Always Free offers a timely meditation on the challenges we must continue to confront, and the progress made, as we pursue our common humanity.” — Stacey Abrams “Never Forget is powerful and poignant, but it is also proudly optimistic in many ways.” — Walter Isaacson “Never Forget is rooted in the powerful hope that we can solve our country’s most Difficult problems by working together.” — Van Jones “Never Forget is a must-read manifesto of what’s possible when we center love, faith, and aspiration in our common cause.” — April Ryan, Author of Black Women Will Save the World: An Anthem “Through a series of poignant vignettes and conversations with often extraordinary people, Ben Jealous taps into universal truths about the Black experience and shows us how we heal and grow.” — Elie Mystal, author of Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy’s Guide to the Constitution “Ben Jealous uses a warm and captivating writing style to show us that the original state of the human being is freedom.” — Robert F. McDonnell, former governor of Virginia “Few individuals can tell a story as authentically and entertainingly as Ben Jealous.” — Virginia Kase Solomón, CEO of League of Women Voters

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“In Congress, we miss his wisdom, his warm friendship, and his great humanity. In Baltimore, we miss our champion. God truly blessed the United States with the life and leadership of Elijah Cummings. What a blessing that, with this wonderful book, generations of Americans—our ‘living messengers’ to the future—will now be able to read his words and learn from his beautiful life!” — From the Foreword by Speaker Nancy Pelosi "Impressive on multiple levels . . . an urgent call to action, imploring us to defend our democracy as it is assailed by threats internal and external. And, perhaps above all, it is a poignant reminder of just how much the nation lost with his death. . . . To read this book is to join the ranks of his admirers." — NPR "Moving insight into a remarkable man, which remains a touching tribute to his accomplishments in the later years of his life." — Library Journal (starred review) "A forceful valedictory. . . . Cummings’s paeans to family, faith, and general idealism make this a moving tale worth reading." — Publishers Weekly "The legendary, late Baltimore congressman shares the stories of his past with an eye to the future in this apt-for-our-times memoir." — Newsweek “Excellent political memoir by the late Democratic representative from Baltimore…A thoughtful and inspiring exhortation to do better by a much-missed leader.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “I absolutely love the late Rep. Elijah Cummings’ book ‘We’re Better Than This: My Fight for the Future of our Democracy.’ It was his last call to action before he passed away.” — Suzanne Malveaux, CNN National correspondent “This memoir serves as an urgent call to action for all Americans as we strive to live up to our nation’s pledge of ‘liberty and justice for all’ as only Elijah could deliver it. He and I often spoke of our shared backgrounds and experiences, probably the most significant of all was that we each grew up as the son of a preacher…He is missed, but his message lives on in this powerful testimony of how we can best move our country toward the promise of ‘a more perfect union.’” — Rep. James E. Clyburn, House Majority Whip (D-SC)

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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 SynopsisSix-time New York Times bestselling author and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright—one of the world’s most admired and tireless public servants—reflects on the final stages of one’s career, and working productively into your later decades in this revealing, funny, and inspiring memoir.In 2001, when Madeleine Albright was leaving office as America’s first female secretary of state, interviewers asked her how she wished to be remembered. “I don’t want to be remembered,” she answered. “I am still here and have much more I intend to do. As difficult as it might seem, I want every stage of my life to be more exciting than the last.”In that time of transition, the former Secretary considered the possibilities: she could write, teach, travel, give speeches, start a business, fight for democracy, help to empower women, campaign for favored political candidates, spend more time with her grandchildren. Instead of choosing one or two, she decided to do it all. For nearly twenty years, Albright has been in constant motion, navigating half a dozen professions, clashing with presidents and prime ministers, learning every day. Since leaving the State Department, she has blazed her own trail—and given voice to millions who yearn for respect, regardless of gender, background, or age.Hell and Other Destinations reveals this remarkable figure at her bluntest, funniest, most intimate, and most serious. It is the tale of our times anchored in lessons for all time, narrated by an extraordinary woman with a matchless zest for life.Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“The President’s Man is an engaging and provocative look at the Nixon presidency written by Dwight Chapin, someone with a unique experience in the Nixon White House.” — Henry Kissinger “In a revealing and deeply personal volume, Dwight Chapin has penned the ultimate ‘draw back the curtain’ on the presidency of Richard Nixon.” — Karl Rove “This book sheds a unique, interesting light on one of our most complicated and effective presidents. Because of Watergate, few people recall that Nixon was historically popular and remarkably successful. Anyone who cares about American history and politics should read The President’s Man.” — Newt Gingrich “Dwight Chapin’s The President’s Man is the book we’ve been waiting fifty years for. Rarely in U.S. history has someone spent so much time with a president and lived to write about it. Filled with new details on every page and beautifully written, it will force us to reassess Richard Nixon yet again. It is sure to become an instant classic on the era!” — Douglas Brinkley and Luke A. Nichter, authors of The Nixon Tapes: 1971-1972 and The Nixon Tapes: 1973 “An intimate and insightful memoir that students of the era never imagined we would see… Dwight Chapin’s unsparing recollections make a significant addition to the literature of the Nixon administration and the annals of the postwar presidency.” — James Rosen, author of The Strong Man: John Mitchell and the Secrets of Watergate “Chapin’s autobiography offers some entertaining anecdotes about many who passed through his office and will appeal to Nixonians and to those looking for yet another very personal perspective on Watergate.” — Booklist “Chapin provides an insider’s perspective on what he deems the White House’s “ethical culture” and major developments of Nixon’s administration, including the ending of official American involvement in the Vietnam War, nuclear weapons negotiations with the Soviets, as well as significant domestic achievements that Chapin believes were obscured by the Watergate investigation.” — Publishers Weekly "[N]o staff member was closer to Nixon in the campaign of 1968, or for the first four years of his presidency, than his personal aide Dwight Chapin... if you would know what it was like to be at Nixon's side at the apex of American politics and at the beginning of the greatest fall of a president in American history... read this book." — Patrick Buchanan

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Book SynopsisINSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERFormer Secretary of Defense Mark T.Trade Review“A Sacred Oath pulls no punches. It depicts Trump as unfit for office and a threat to democracy, a prisoner of wrath, impulse and appetite. Over 752 pages, Esper’s Memoirs of a Secretary of Defense During Extraordinary Times are surgically precise in their score-settling. This is not just another book to be tossed on the pyre of Trump-alumni revenge porn. It is scary and sobering.” — The Guardian “Mr. Esper details the all-consuming task of managing America’s largest and most vital cabinet department—instructive reading for those unfamiliar with what operationalizing national security policy decisions involves. Time and again, he shows how presidential inattention, ignorance, incuriosity, duplicity and unwillingness to take responsibility for hard decisions all put the United States at risk…. A Sacred Oath is not a gratuitous tell-all. It is a work of history. Mr. Esper has his perspectives, to which he is entitled, but his willingness to go on the record at length is invaluable. Look forward to the reaction from Mar-a-Lago.” — Wall Street Journal “A damning portrait of a chaotic, inept administration that posed countless dangers to the nation and the world.” — Kirkus Reviews

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“A Sacred Oath pulls no punches. It depicts Trump as unfit for office and a threat to democracy, a prisoner of wrath, impulse and appetite. Over 752 pages, Esper’s Memoirs of a Secretary of Defense During Extraordinary Times are surgically precise in their score-settling. This is not just another book to be tossed on the pyre of Trump-alumni revenge porn. It is scary and sobering.” — The Guardian “Mr. Esper details the all-consuming task of managing America’s largest and most vital cabinet department—instructive reading for those unfamiliar with what operationalizing national security policy decisions involves. Time and again, he shows how presidential inattention, ignorance, incuriosity, duplicity and unwillingness to take responsibility for hard decisions all put the United States at risk…. A Sacred Oath is not a gratuitous tell-all. It is a work of history. Mr. Esper has his perspectives, to which he is entitled, but his willingness to go on the record at length is invaluable. Look forward to the reaction from Mar-a-Lago.” — Wall Street Journal “A damning portrait of a chaotic, inept administration that posed countless dangers to the nation and the world.” — Kirkus Reviews

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Book SynopsisINSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The former attorney general provides a candid account of his historic tenures serving two vastly different presidents, George H.W. Bush was largely the result of chance, while his second tenure under President Donald Trump a deliberate and difficult choice.

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewEarnest and exhaustive. — New York Times Book Review The best account we have so far of how Trump’s team botched the pandemic response so badly. . . . Significant . . . the book that should be an indispensable resource for future historians. . . . Deborah Birx offers more detail and nuance than anyone else. — The Atlantic There’s an underappreciated quiet heroism in the steadfast bureaucrat who day after day, for months on end, insists on seeking and spreading the truth. With Silent Invasion, Birx shows us she is a person of extraordinary tenacity who, armed with sound data and a deep sense of duty, fought corrupt forces to save lives as best she knew how. — Washington Post In-depth...In Silent Invasion, Birx reveals just how untenable her position was and, more importantly, what changes need to happen in order to win against the COVID-19 pandemic." — People

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Book SynopsisHer rise from housemaid to shop owner in the face of rampant poverty and discrimination kept her family intact, allowing her only son P.J. went on to become the first American Kennedy elected to public office—the first of many.Written by the grandson of an Irish immigrant couple and based on first-ever access to P.J.Trade Review“Here is that rare thing: an untold chapter in the Kennedy saga. Neal Thompson has given us a compelling and illuminating book about one of the most important families in our history—a family that represents so much about America then. And now.” — Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize winner and #1 New York Times best-selling author of Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power “Here is the chaos, claustrophobia, tragedy, and triumph of immigrant America told through one city and one iconic family. Just when you thought you knew everything there was to know about the Kennedys, along comes Neal Thompson with this brilliant re-creation of the Irish diaspora succeeding in a city that for many years would not allow them to be part of the American story. It’s great storytelling.” — Timothy Egan, Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times best-selling author of The Immortal Irishman “Compelling … ranks with the richly evocative work of Doris Kearns Goodwin and Thomas H. O’Connor.” — Boston Globe “Thompson’s impressive research and engaging exposition create a unique addition to the Kennedy canon. This is not just the story of the Kennedys; Thompson paints a picture of life for many Irish immigrants. History buffs should pick up this book immediately.” — Booklist “Drawing on archival material, contemporary publications, and family papers where sources about the Kennedys’ early years are scant, Thompson provides solid historical context about the plight of Irish immigrants, roiling national politics, and changing demographics … A lively biography of an iconic family before it became famous.” — Kirkus Reviews “To understand the unforgettable stories of Jack and Bobby, Eunice, Ted, and the rest of their celebrated generation of Kennedys, we have to understand the stories of their extraordinary great-grandparents and grandparents. Now, thanks to Neal Thompson, we can. Read all about it in The First Kennedys.” — Larry Tye, author of Bobby Kennedy: The Making of a Liberal Icon “A fresh, engrossing, and profoundly relatable look at a family that everyone thinks they know. Crafting a saga elevated by dogged research and transporting prose, Neal Thompson casts the humble beginnings of an American dynasty into surprising and penetrating light. Unforgettable.” — Denise Kiernan, New York Times best-selling author of The Last Castle and The Girls of Atomic City “Bridget Kennedy, JFK’s grandmother, achieved the American dream, but her story has been buried in patriarchal lore. No more. In this fascinating book, Neal Thompson gives Bridget her due—and in the process, makes us reconsider JFK’s origin story.” — Alexis Coe, historian and New York Times best-selling author of You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington “Neal Thompson’s The First Kennedys is both a profound portrait of the immigrant experience and an intimate look at the origins of an American dynasty. Deeply researched, intricately layered, and written in sparkling prose, this is narrative history at its finest." — Karen Abbott, New York Times best-selling author of The Ghosts of Eden Park and Sin in the Second City “I thought everything had been written about the Kennedy family, but Neal Thompson has proven me wrong. He has entered into the early years of the Kennedys and brought forth a stunning, intimate tale of the American family that fascinates us beyond all others.” — Laurence Leamer, New York Times best-selling author of The Kennedy Women and The Kennedy Men "An engrossing, real-life rags-to-riches tale." — Publishers Weekly “Splendidly heterodox … Thompson brilliantly illuminates the strain of Mariolatry in the Kennedys that Bridget embodied.” — Airmail “Winsomely written … both an absorbing family story and a saga of the Irish diaspora in Boston.” — Library Journal

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Book SynopsisNEW YORK TIMESBESTSELLERFrom political wunderkind and former army intelligence officer Jason Kander comes a haunting, powerful memoir about impossible choices?and how sometimes walking away from the chance of a lifetime can be the greatest decision of all.?A truly special book. This combination of honesty, thoughtfulness, urgency, and vulnerability is not common in leaders, and Jason demonstrates boundless occupancy of all of these traits.? ?Wes Moore,New York Timesbestselling author ofThe Other Wes MooreIn 2017, President Obama, in his final Oval Office interview, was asked who gave him hope for the future of the country, and Jason Kander was the first name he mentioned. Suddenly, Jason was a national figure. As observers assumed he was preparing a run for the presidency, Jason announced a bid for mayor of Kansas City instead and was headed for a landslide victory. But after eleven years battling PTSD from his service in Afghanistan, Jason was seized by depression and suicidal thoughts. He dropped out of the mayor?s race and out of public life. And finally, he sought help.In this brutally honest second memoir, following hisNew York Timesbestselling debutOutside the Wire, Jason Kander has written the book he himself needed in the most painful moments of his PTSD. In candid, in-the-moment detail, we see him struggle with undiagnosed illness as he considered a presidential bid; witness his family buoy him through challenging treatment; and, giving hope to so many of us, see him heal.

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Book SynopsisNow an Apple TV+ documentary, Lincoln''s Dilemma.One of the Wall Street Journal''s Ten Best Books of the Year A Washington Post Notable Book A Christian Science Monitor and Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2020Winner of the Gilder Lehrman Abraham Lincoln Prize and the Abraham Lincoln Institute Book AwardA marvelous cultural biography that captures Lincoln in all his historical fullness. . . . using popular culture in this way, to fill out the context surrounding Lincoln, is what makes Mr. Reynolds''s biography so different and so compelling . . . Where did the sympathy and compassion expressed in [Lincoln''s] Second Inaugural—''With malice toward none; with charity for all''—come from? This big, wonderful book provides the richest cultural context to explain that, and everything else, about Lincoln. —Gordon Wood, Wall Street JournalFrom one of the great historians of nineteenth-century America, a revelatory and enthralling new biography of Lincoln, many years in the making, that brings him to life within his turbulent ageDavid S. Reynolds, author of the Bancroft Prize-winning cultural biography of Walt Whitman and many other iconic works of nineteenth century American history, understands the currents in which Abraham Lincoln swam as well as anyone alive. His magisterial biography Abe is the product of full-body immersion into the riotous tumult of American life in the decades before the Civil War.It was a country growing up and being pulled apart at the same time, with a democratic popular culture that reflected the country''s contradictions. Lincoln''s lineage was considered auspicious by Emerson, Whitman, and others who prophesied that a new man from the West would emerge to balance North and South. From New England Puritan stock on his father''s side and Virginia Cavalier gentry on his mother''s, Lincoln was linked by blood to the central conflict of the age. And an enduring theme of his life, Reynolds shows, was his genius for striking a balance between opposing forces. Lacking formal schooling but with an unquenchable thirst for self-improvement, Lincoln had a talent for wrestling and bawdy jokes that made him popular with his peers, even as his appetite for poetry and prodigious gifts for memorization set him apart from them through his childhood, his years as a lawyer, and his entrance into politics.No one can transcend the limitations of their time, and Lincoln was no exception. But what emerges from Reynolds''s masterful reckoning is a man who at each stage in his life managed to arrive at a broader view of things than all but his most enlightened peers. As a politician, he moved too slowly for some and too swiftly for many, but he always pushed toward justice while keeping the whole nation in mind. Abe culminates, of course, in the Civil War, the defining test of Lincoln and his beloved country. Reynolds shows us the extraordinary range of cultural knowledge Lincoln drew from as he shaped a vision of true union, transforming, in Martin Luther King Jr.''s words, the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. Abraham Lincoln did not come out of nowhere. But if he was shaped by his times, he also managed at his life''s fateful hour to shape them to an extent few could have foreseen. Ultimately, this is the great drama that astonishes us still, and that Abe brings to fresh and vivid life. The measure of that life will always be part of our American education.

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Book SynopsisIn a democracy, we have come to assume that people know the policies they prefer and elect like-minded officials who are responsible for carrying them out. But does this actually happen? This book looks at citizens' views on candidates both before and after periods of political upheaval, including campaigns, wars, and natural disasters.Trade Review"Gabriel S. Lenz addresses the central question of how voters make use of the information around them to form evaluations of elected officials. Examining the impact of processes like priming and position changing, Lenz argues that there are also substantial effects working in the opposite direction - and that who voters support affects their views on the issues. There is much to ponder here for scholars interested in voter behavior and representation." (Thomas M. Carsey, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)"

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Book SynopsisMost analysts have deemed Richard Nixon's challenge to the judicial liberalism of the Warren Supreme Court a failure, a counterrevolution that wasn't. This title reveals a Nixon whose public rhetoric was more conservative than his administration's actions and whose policy toward the Court was more subtle than previously recognized.Trade Review"This book is fascinating, original, and important. It adds a rich case study to the literature that claims politicians use courts to advance their electoral and policy aims. McMahon deploys multiple sources of evidence to reveal how Nixon shifted the Supreme Court to the right on school desegregation and law and order as a successful electoral strategy, bringing white southerners and ethnic Catholics into the Republican fold and profoundly reshaping American politics." (Terri Peretti, Santa Clara University)"

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Book SynopsisGandhi, with his loincloth and walking stick, seems an unlikely advocate of postmodernism. But in Postmodern Gandhi, Lloyd and Susanne Rudolph portray him as just that in eight thought-provoking essays that aim to correct the common association of Gandhi with traditionalism. Combining core sections of their influential book Gandhi: The Traditional Roots of Charisma with substantial new material, the Rudolphs reveal here that Gandhi was able to revitalize tradition while simultaneously breaking with some of its entrenched values and practices. Exploring his influence both in India and abroad, they tell the story of how in London the young activist was shaped by the antimodern other West of Ruskin, Tolstoy, and Thoreau and how, a generation later, a mature Gandhi's thought and action challenged modernity's hegemony. Moreover, the Rudolphs argue that Gandhi's critique of modern civilization in his 1909 book Hind Swaraj was an opening salvo of the postmodern era and that his theory and p

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Book SynopsisThis title invites us to eavesdrop on an intimate conversation between one of the major political figures of the 20th century and his closest friend as they chat about the momentous events they lived through and helped orchestrate.Trade ReviewAn extraordinary transcription (and translation) of three blunt and probing conversations during the early 1990s between two old friends. Booklist A significant historical document... Journal of Democracy A timely and important book... An unusually candid and revealing dialogue between Gorbachev and Zdenek Mlynar. -- Robert D. English The Nation Gorbachev adds enough beyond what he has already written to offer valuable insight to his intellectual evolution, down to and including his conception of socialism. Foreign Affairs This books reminds us of [Gorbachev's] accidental greatness and his greatness of character... It reveals an argumentative, insightful and tenacious political frienship which did not end in betrayal. -- John Lloyd Times Literary SupplementTable of ContentsConversation One: The Criss-Crossing of Our Paths 1. Student Communists 2. New Hopes and New Disappointments 3. Twenty Years, Divergent Paths Conversation Two: How We Sought to Reinvigorate Socialism 1. the Prague Spring and Its Defeat 2. More Democracy, More Socialism 3. Freedom of Choice Either Exists or It Doesn't 4. An Airplane That Took Off Without Knowing Where to Land 5. What to Do With the Party? 6. Can the Use of Force "Save Socialism"? Conversation Three: There's Only One World 1. Breaking Out of the Dead End of the Cold War 2. Socialism Is Alive as a World Process 3. At a Crossroads of Civilization Concluding Thoughts: The Conscience of the Reformer

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Book SynopsisThe authoritative published record of the Lincoln assassination investigationTrade Review"The work's value to a public audience [will be] . . . its reflection of the moment in American history. . . . A serious researcher gains assistance from the authors' knowledgeable footnotes. . . . This unique volume rides the Lincoln bicentennial publishing wave."--Booklist“A gold mine of information and a major contribution to the literature on the Lincoln assassination. Highly recommended.”--Choice“Edwards and Edward Steers have both spent years researching the Lincoln assassination, and have produced a voluminous, but handy transcription of the plethora of assassination documents compiled by the War Department.”--Journal of Illinois History"The variety of material is breathtaking and immediately gives a sense of richness and range of its potential use for scholars."--H-CivWar“I cannot overstate the contribution that this book makes to the field. Anyone who has ever struggled with nineteenth-century handwriting, often made even more difficult to read on microfilm, will be delighted to have these primary sources in hard copy. Anyone doing research on the assassination in the future will have to consult this book.”--Thomas Reed Turner, author of Beware the People Weeping: Public Opinion and the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln“This is the documentary publication of the decade in the field of Lincoln assassination studies. The original records form a goldmine, with veins running off in many and unexpected directions--not merely assassination studies but also military law, politics, race relations, public mourning and hysteria, and civil liberties issues. There is no comparable printed book. Not even close.”--Terry Alford, editor of John Wilkes Booth: A Sister’s Memoir"The Lincoln Assassination: The Evidence is the most superb and substantive primary source ever to be made available for any one interested in the murder of our sixteenth president. Coeditors William C. Edwards and Edward Steers Jr. have spent a lifetime sorting through the records in search of the truth surrounding this regicide, and this annotated edition is the culmination of their triumphant efforts."--Frank J. Williams, founding chair of The Lincoln Forum and Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme CourtTable of ContentsList of Illustrations ix List of Tables xi Acknowledgments xiii Introduction xv Editorial Note xxix THE DOCUMENTS 1Documents are listed alphabetically by the addresser (or, where none exists, the subject of the document) and chronologically within the same addresser's file. Letters written by investigator H. L. Burnett are segregated and begin on page 239. Index 1405

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