Politics

This page features titles by the controversial ex-governors of Alaska and Illinois, the current vice president, and a recently deceased longtime US senator, among others. I read and recommend The Russia Hand: A Memoir of Presidential Diplomacy, by Strobe Talbott, a longtime friend of, and former advisor to Bill Clinton. I also look forward to reading Before the Fall: An Inside View of the Pre-Watergate White House, by William Safire the late, highly respected New York Times columnist who worked as a speechwriter for two Republican presidents.

To read reviews about a book or order it, click on its title. To quickly reach one of the subtopics immediately below, click on it.

Politics

Acheson, Dean. Present at the Creation: My Years in the State Department. Norton, 1969. The author's experience as Secretary of State from 1949-1953.

Albright, Madeleine. Madam Secretary: A Memoir. Miramax. 2003. First female American Secretary of State on her life in politics.

Ashcroft, John. Never Again: Securing America and Restoring Justice. Center Street, 2006. By the George W. Bush administration's former Attorney General.

Bergessen, Bobbie. My Life in Capitals . Hellgate Press, 2004. A diplomat's daughter (and wife of a diplomat) recalls life between cities.

Biden, Joe. Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics . Random House. 2007. The US senator on both his lengthy political career and his personal hardships, including losing his first wife and daughter.

Blagojevic, Rod. The Governor . Phoenix Books, 2009. You probably will not suffer eternal damnation if you buy this title by one of the great sleazes of our times. But we can't guarantee.

Bradley, Bill. Time Present, Time Past: A Memoir . Vintage. 1997. Author tells the story of his colorful and exciting life, from his experience as a basketball player to his years as a New Jersey senator.

Boggs, Lindy. Washington Through A Purple Veil: Memoirs Of A Southern Woman. Harcourt, 1995. First female member of Congress (and mother of Cokie Roberts) writes of her childhood and life in politics.

Buckley, Carol. At The Still Point: A Memoir . Simon and Schuster, 1996. The sister of William F. Buckley moves from a life of privilege and “doing nothing” to a productive life after many hurdles.

Buckley, Jr. William F. The Reagan I Knew . Basic Books, 2008.

Bush, Barbara. A Memoir . Scribner, 2003.

Bush, George H.W. All The Best: My Life in Letters and Other Writings. Scribner, 2000. Clinton, Hillary Rodham, Living History. Simon & Schuster. 2004.

Elsey, Mckee George. An Unplanned Life: A Memoir . University of Missouri Press, 2005. Author’s rise from childhood, through White House duties, and assistantships to FDR and Truman.

Griffin, Susan. Wrestling with the Angel of Democracy: On Being an American Citizen . Trumpeter, 2008. The author on her upbringing and 1950s-born interest in politics.

Huckabee, Mike. Do The Right Thing : Inside The Movement That's Bringing Common Sense Back To America . Sentinel, 2008. Evangelical presidential candidates traces his grassroots campaign.

Jordan, Hamilton. No Such Thing as a Bad Day: A Memoir . Longstreet Pr ess, 2000. By Jimmy Carter's former Chief of Staff.

Katz, Mark. Clinton and Me . Miramax, 2004. A former presidential joke writer recalls his first work in the field writing for former Democratic Presidential candidate Michael Dukakis and his subsequent work for Clinton.

Katzenbach, Nicholas deB. Some of It Was Fun: Working with RFK and LBJ. W.W. Norton & Co., Inc., 2008. By JFK's former attorney general.

Kennedy, Edward M. True Compass: A Memoir. Twelve, 2009. The late Senator tells his extraordinary personal story of family, politics and 50 years in the public eye.

Kuhn, Jim. Ronald Reagan in Private: A Memoir of My Years in the White House . 2004. By Reagan's former executive assistant.

McCain, John. Faith of My Fathers. Random House, 1999.

McCain, John and Salter, Mark. Worth the Fighting For: A Memoir. Random House, 2002.

McClellan, Scott. What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception . PublicAffairs, 2008. By the former White House Press Secretary.

Morris, Edmund. Dutch: A Memoir of Ronald Reagan . Modern Library, 2000

Myers, Dee Dee. Why Women Should Rule the World: A Memoir. Harper Paperbacks, 2008. By Bill Clinton's former press secretary.

Newfield, Jack. RFK: A Memoir. Nation Books, 2003. By the late reporter who worked closely with Robert Kennedy during his last years.

Nixon, Richard. RN: The Memoirs of Richard Nixon . Simon & Schuster. 1990. Nixon on his presidency, and his decision to resign.

Oliver, Stephanie Stokes. Song for My Father: Memoir of an All-American Family . Atria Books, 2005. Memoir of Stokes’ African American Republican family, her life in Seattle, Washington and the career of her father, Charles Stokes, who became a judge and legislator in Washington State.

Palin, Sarah. Going Rogue: An American Life. HarperCollins Publishers, 2009.

Rangel, Charles B. And I Haven't Had a Bad Day Since . Thomas Dunne Books, 2007.

Rockefeller, David. Memoirs. Random House, 2002.

Ross, John. Murdered by Capitalism: A Memoir of 150 Years of Life and Death on the American Left .Nation Books, 2004. Left-leaning journalist’s memoir of a life of alcohol, drugs, and political dissent.

Safire, William, Before the Fall: An Inside View of the Pre-Watergate White House . Transaction Publishers, 2005. The late NY Times columnist and former Nixon speechwriter's account of his service at the Nixon White House.

Sanjuan, Pedro. The UN Gang: A Memoir of Incompetence, Corruption, Espionage, Anti-Semitism and Islamic Extremism at the UN Secretariat . Doubleday, 2005.

Simon, Roger L. Blacklisting Myself: Memoir of a Hollywood Apostate in the Age of Terror . Encounter Books, 2009. Hollywood mystery writer describes his turn from radical leftist to political conservative.

Talbott, Strobe. The Russia Hand: A Memoir of Presidential Diplomacy . Random House, 2002. Bill Clinton’s former adviser on Russian affairs recalls and lauds, Clinton's efforts to assist Boris Yeltsin democratize the former USSR.

Thomas, Clarence. My Grandfather' s Son . Harper, 2007. The author on his poverty-stricken childhood in racist Georgia, his struggle to acquire an education, and his controversial confirmation to the Supreme Court.

Wirthlin, Dick. The Greatest Communicator: What Ronald Reagan Taught Me About Politics, Leadership . Wiley, 2005. By the pollster, chief political strategist, and trusted friend of the late President.

Washington-Williams, Essie May and Stadiem, William. Dear Senator: A Memoir by the Daughter of Strom Thurmond . Regan Books, 2005. The mixed race daughter of the late Sen. Strom Thurmond on her struggle with the discrepancy between the supportive, affectionate father she knew -- -- and his public role as a segregationist leader..

Wilson, Joseph C. The Politics Of Truth : Inside The Lies That Put The White House On Trial And Betrayed My Wife's CIA Identity : A Diplomat's Memoir.

Carroll and Graf, 2005. Wirtz, Willard. In the Rear View Mirror. Beloit College Press, 2008. By the Secretary of Labor under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson.

Zinn, Howard. You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train: A Personal History of Our Times. Beacon Press, 2002. By the renowned leftist author of A People’s History of the United States.