Politics Books - Page 23

Actual Innocence

Barry Scheck, Peter Neufeld, Jim Dwyer

List Price: $25.00 By: Random House Audio Amazon Marketplace: 16 new & used starting at $1.50

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Law -> Criminal Law -> Criminal Procedure
Subjects -> Law -> Criminal Law -> Evidence
Subjects -> Law -> Criminal Law -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 36 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Read by Michael Boatman
3 Cassettes, 5 hours 15 minutes

You're glancing through your morning paper when you see a story about a terrible assault in your neighborhood. Included in the story is a physical description of the suspect, and that description sounds a lot like you. Suddenly the police knock at your door and ask you about your whereabouts the night before. You were home alone. You spoke to no one. You own a red jacket like the perpetrator. You're dragged down to the police station, questioned for hours, hauled in front of a line-up. The victim swears you're the man who assaulted her. And so, after a two-day trial, you're sentenced to twenty years in jail. You're innocent. But with the whole criminal justice system arrayed against you, how can you prove it?

Far-fetched? It happened to Tony Snyder, in Alexandria, Virginia. Unfortunately, such scenarios occur every day in this country. Lazy police officers, crusading and hostile district attorneys, shaken and unreliable witnesses, coerced false confessions, corrupt crime labs, lying jailhouse snitches, biased juries - all of these obstacles confront the wrongfully accused in a criminal justice system geared more to get a conviction than get at the truth.

This powerful book tells the story of innocent people put in prison because one or another aspect of the system failed. In each case, the lawyers of the Innocence Project worked pro-bono to free these individuals, a struggle that can take years, even after DNA evidence has definitively cleared the suspects.

The Abduction

James Grippando

List Price: $9.99 By: HarperAudio Amazon Marketplace: 12 new & used starting at $0.50

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> Genre Fiction -> Political
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> Contemporary
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> General -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 31 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Allison Leahy is the US Attorney General, the mot renowned lawyer in America. She and her wealthy husband are the twenty-first-century version of the couple who has it all: a happy marriage and two successful careers. To top it off, Allison is the highly touted Democratic nominee for the presidency.

Her opponent is Lincoln Howe, a retired four-star general and bona fide African-American hero. Like Allison, howe is living the American dream, and for months the candidates hav run neck and neck. Both sides need jut one extra push to swing the election - and on Halloween morning, they get it: A twelve year old girl is kidnapped on her way to school. The girl is Kristen Howe, Lincoln Howe's granddaughter. The nation and the candidate explode in outrage. As Attorney General, Allison launches a massive nationwide manhunt. But her motives are under fire, as each side claims the other is exploiting the tragedy and manipulating the investigation for political advantage.

In truth, Allison's drive to bring Kristin home safe is far more personal than political. Years before Allison's adopted baby daughter was stolen from her home never to be found. Now it seeks likely that her own child's fate is somehow tied to the current crisis. Allison now must step off the political ladder if she is to help save the life of an innocent young girl and unravel the secrets of her own painful past.

The New Prince

Dick Morris

List Price: $17.95 By: Audio Renaissance Amazon Marketplace: 17 new & used starting at $1.85

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> Leaders & Notable People -> Political
Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> General
Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Niccolo Machiavell's The Prince has been the most widely read and quoted book about politics for the past five centuries. But in the democracies of the information age, new ideas are needed to make governments prosper through the next century. Who better to write The New Prince than current political dark prince Dick Morris?

Morris contributed significantly to President Clinton's reelection in 1996 and, during the previous two decades, helped many political officials (democrats and republicans alike) gain office. Now Morris takes a hard look at our times and writes a how-to book for office-seekers, special interest groups, and anyone who cares about politics. The New Prince is the essential rule book and program guide for the next election and the new millennium.

In fifty insightful, witty, honest chapters, Morris advises candidates to adopt idealism as a strategy---not because of misguided altruism, but because it works. He tells politicians, advocacy groups, business leaders, and citizens how to promote their causes and get their jobs done effectively. His pragmatic idealism would bring about a system in which value is place on:
-message over money
-issue over image
-positives over negatives
-substance over scandal
-strategy over spin

In discussing current issues, Morris draws on the political experience of both major parties over the past three decades. He offers insights into the character and development of the most remarkable political figures of our times. He also lays out what he believes will be the political agenda for the twenty-first century: the environment, the elderly, education, economic growth, and genetic engineering.

Machiavelli wrote The Prince for the powerful prince of Florence. The New Prince is equally practical. It takes up such vital contemporary issues as:
-how to raise money and keep your virtue
-how to survive a scandal
-how to stop your staff from controlling you
-how to use paid advertising

Reagan In His Own Voice

Kiron K. Skinner, Annelise Anderson, Martin Anderson

Amazon Price: $19.76 List Price: $26.00 Usually ships in 1 to 3 weeks By: Simon & Schuster Audio Amazon Marketplace: 16 new & used starting at $3.69

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> Leaders & Notable People -> Political
Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> People, A-Z -> ( R ) -> Reagan, Ronald
Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Reagan In His Own Voice features Ronald Reagan's radio addresses from the late 1970s. Edited by Kiron K. Skinner, Annelise Anderson, and Martin Anderson, they are introduced by George Shultz and feature additional introductions by Nancy Reagan, Richard V. Allen, Judge William Clark, Michael Deaver, Peter Hannaford, Edwin Meese III and Harry O'Connor.

From 1975 to 1979 Ronald Reagan gave more than 1,000 daily radio broadcasts, the great majority of which he wrote himself. This program represents the opening of a major archive of pre-presidential material from the Reagan Library and the Hoover Institution Archives. These addresses transform our image of Ronald Reagan, and enhance and revise our understanding of the late 1970s -- a time when Reagan held no political office, but was nonetheless mapping out a strategy to transform the economy, end the cold war, and create a vision of America that would propel him to the presidency.

These radio programs demonstrate that Reagan had carefully considered nearly every issue he would face as president. Reagan's radio broadcasts will change his reputation even among his closest allies and friends. Here, in his own voice, Reagan the thinker is finally fully revealed.

Rutherford B. Hayes: American Presidents Series

Hans Trefousse

Amazon Price: $19.72 List Price: $25.95 Usually ships in 1 to 3 weeks By: Macmillan Audio Amazon Marketplace: 12 new & used starting at $5.00

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> Historical -> United States -> General
Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> Historical -> United States -> General AAS
Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> Leaders & Notable People -> Political

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Very useful brief biography of Rutherford B. Hayes 4 out of 5 stars.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.

President Rutherford (called "Rud" by friends) is best known, probably, for being a (as his opponents put it) fraudulent president." Of course, this refers to (a) his becoming president while being whipped in the national popular vote and (b) the process by which a couple contested southern states (perhaps ironic given the 2000 contested presidential election, Florida) had their electoral votes assigned to Hayes.

But what else do most people know about Hayes? Probably not much. And this slender volume, another in the series "The American Presidents" (edited by Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.), can remedy that ignorance.

Hayes was born in Vermont and ended up moving to Ohio while still young. He went to college at Kenyon and then studies law at Harvard. Politically, he became a Whig until the party began imploding, whereupon he joined the new Republican Party. When the Civil War began, he volunteered for service and had a career of which he was justly proud. He rose through the ranks and fought ably in West Virginia and with the Army of the Potomac. As the war closed, his political career began with a vengeance. He was elected to the United States House of Representatives.

The book continues with his political ascent, from Congressman to Governor of Ohio and to the Republican nomination for President in 1876 (with a handful of defeats, by the way, scattered in between). There were a whole series of contenders for the nomination, and Hayes' eventual nomination occurred because none of the major players could get enough delegates to be nominated, and Hayes was settled upon as the party's choice. Then, of course, his contested victory. The book does an excellent job dissecting what actually happened, and the interpretation is different from the standard view.

As President, one of his first actions was beginning to remove federal troops from the South while trying to assure that recently freed slaves would retain their rights. It appears that he naively thought that southern leaders would actually live up to their promises to maintain the rights of freed slaves. The book does a good job outlining his accomplishments (adequate but not earth shaking) as well as his travails (intraparty disputes, gridlock with Congress, and so on). Apparently, he was perceived as honest and just, even by many opponents. Assessment? The author notes (Page 129): "What did Hayes contribute to the presidency? His biographers have generally credited him with unifying the country, though faulting him for not succeeding in safeguarding blacks' rights."

Then, his post-presidential career is outlined.

This is another in a fine series of books. The thought dawns on me as I am reading books in this series that very few 19th century presidents really stood out and were transformational. I knew that intellectually, but reading these biographies emphasizes the point. Anyway, a good addition to the series and well worth reading if you wish to learn more about American presidents.

Editorial Review:

The disputed election of 1876 between Rutherford B. Hayes and Samuel Tilden, in which Congress set up a special electoral commission, handing the disputed electoral votes to Hayes, brings recent events into sharp focus.Historian Hans L. Trefousse explores Hayess new relevance and reconsiders what many have seen as the pitfalls of his presidency. A great intellectual and one of our best-educated presidents, Hayes did much in the way of healing the nation and elevating the presidency.

Homewrecker: Travel Stories from a Woman Who's Been Everywhere

List Price: $24.95 By: Random House Audio Amazon Marketplace: 3 new & used starting at $34.88

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> Travel
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Politics -> General
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Politics -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Susan Orlean has been called “a national treasure” by The Washington Post and “a kind of latter-day Tocqueville” by The New York Times Book Review. In addition to having written classic articles for The New Yorker, she was played, with some creative liberties, by Meryl Streep in her Golden Globe Award—winning performance in the film Adaptation.
Now, in My Kind of Place, the real Susan Orlean takes readers on a series of remarkable journeys in this uniquely witty, sophisticated, and far-flung travel book. In this irresistible collection of adventures far and near, Orlean conducts a tour of the world via its subcultures, from the heart of the African music scene in Paris to the World Taxidermy Championships in Springfield, Illinois–and even into her own apartment, where she imagines a very famous houseguest taking advantage of her hospitality.
With Orlean as guide, lucky readers partake in all manner of armchair activity. They will climb Mt. Fuji and experience a hike most intrepid Japanese have never attempted; play ball with Cuba’s Little Leaguers, promising young athletes born in a country where baseball and politics are inextricably intertwined; trawl Icelandic waters with Keiko, everyone’s favorite whale as he tries to make it on his own; stay awhile in Midland, Texas, hometown of George W. Bush, a place where oil time is the only time that matters; explore the halls of a New York City school so troubled it’s known as “Horror High”; and stalk caged tigers in Jackson, New Jersey, a suburban town with one of the highest concentrations of tigers per square mile anywhere in the world.
Vivid, humorous, unconventional, and incomparably entertaining, Susan Orlean’s writings for The New Yorker have delighted readers for over a decade. My Kind of Place is an inimitable treat by one of America’s premier literary journalists.

Battle Ready (Study in Command)

Tom Clancy

Amazon Price: $19.76 List Price: $26.00 Usually ships in 1 to 3 weeks By: Simon & Schuster Audio Amazon Marketplace: 25 new & used starting at $0.38

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> Leaders & Notable People -> Military -> General
Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> Leaders & Notable People -> Military -> General AAS
Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> Professionals & Academics -> Military & Spies

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 53 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

From one of the country's most prominent writers and one of the military's most outspoken generals comes the audiobook every American must listen to.

Marine general Tony Zinni was known as the "Warrior Diplomat" during his nearly forty years of service. As a soldier, his credentials were impeccable, whether leading troops in Vietnam, commanding hair-raising rescue operations in Somalia, or -- as Commander in Chief of CENTCOM -- directing strikes against Iraq and Al Qaeda. As peacemaker, he made his mark conducting dangerous troubleshooting missions all over Africa, Asia, and Europe. While serving as Secretary of State Colin Powell's special envoy to the Middle East, disagreements over the 2003 Iraqi war and its probable aftermath caused him to resign.

In Battle Ready, he is candid, thoughtful and blunt about both the good and the bad. Battle Ready follows the evolution of General Zinni and the Marine Corps, from the cauldron of Vietnam through the operational revolution of the '70s and '80s, to the new realities of the post-Cold War, post-9/11 military.

This is an in-depth view to a man, an institution, and a way of war and peace, making this an instant classic of military history.

The White House Connection

Jack Higgins

List Price: $24.95 By: Putnam Adult Amazon Marketplace: 23 new & used starting at $0.66

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> Genre Fiction -> Political
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> Contemporary
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> General -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 55 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

A thoroughly entertaining book by a master of suspense... 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I've read few Jack Higgins books, and this was my first. That said, I didn't know any of the recurring characters or their stories, yet it didn't make a difference. The story makes perfect sense without foreknowledge of the characters, and this was still a great book.

In the opening pages, an assassin waits patiently for a Senator to arrive at his residence. Against the backdrop of a light rain, two men pull a woman into an alley with the intent to rape her. The assassin comes to her aid, and we find that the assassin is an old woman, a kindly old grandmother! From this moment on, my interest was peaked. I had to find out who this woman was, how she entered her profession, etc. I was not disappointed. "The White House Connection" is a spy thriller true to its purpose, perfect for a rainy day or an extended plane ride. If you like Jack Higgins, you'll definitely love this novel. And if you've never read his work, this is a great starting point. For a quick reality escape, read this book!

Britt Gillette
...

Editorial Review:

Best of the Best. Jack Higgins reunites the team from "The President's Daughter" to go after a most curious assassin--but one with the power to bring down nations.

Special Agent: My Life on the Front Lines as a Woman in the FBI

Candice DeLong

List Price: $25.95 By: Random House Audio Amazon Marketplace: 23 new & used starting at $0.24

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> Leaders & Notable People -> Political
Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> Specific Groups -> Women
Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 59 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

A twenty-year veteran of the FBI, Candice DeLong worked on some of the toughest hig-stakes criminal investigations of our time. As a field profiler, DeLong collected evidence at the scene of the crime to creat a specific portrait of criminals via behavioral patterns, character traits, background, etc. Special Agent is her remarkable personal story-- of drama and danger on the front lines of law enforcement, of the art and science of criminal profiling, and of the challenge of maintaining courage, wise-cracking humor, and grace under fire.

Candice DeLong tailed terrorists and helped track the notorious Tylenol killer; she was one of three agents hand-picked to mastermind the Montana manhunt for the Unabomber; and she went undercover for major stings, sometimes in such exotic roles as a gangster's moll, and as a madam of a call-girl ringdubbed the "Candy Store." As Profiling Coordinator, she was Chicago's and until her recent retirement, San Francisco's link to the Bureau's legendary Behavioral Science Unit, spearheading investigations into the most recondite serial murders and sex crimes. Packed with fascinating details about her job, Special Agent reveals what life is like for a woman and for an agent on the front lines.

Worse Than Watergate: The Secret Presidency of George W. Bush

John W. Dean

List Price: $45.00 By: Books on Tape Amazon Marketplace: 7 new & used starting at $29.85

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Current Events -> Conspiracy Theories
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Current Events -> Terrorism
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Politics -> U.S.

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 205 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Nobody knows more, both from firsthand experience and legal expertise, about the abuse of presidential power and its dangers than John W. Dean, former counsel to President Nixon.In WORSE THAN WATERGATE, Dean delivers a stunning indictment of the current Bush administration, and issues an urgent alarm to the nation: The Bush team's obsession with secrecy and their willingness to deceive make them even more dangerous than Nixon's men. Dean brilliantly explores Bush's emphasis on image over substance; his angry, mistrustful personality; his excessive fear of leaks; his reversal of the work of his predecessors in opening up government; his imperial governing combined with deeply flawed decision making; and his serious abuses of national security secrecy.From the administration's refusal to explain the precarious health of the powerful vice president to hiding the identity of those setting the nation's energy policy, from obstructing 9/11 investigations to unprecedented secrecy in the name of fighting terrorism, Dean exposes the dangers of a presidency that is using weapons of mass deception against the American public.