Julian E. Zelizer

Zelizer’s accessible study of political behavior and leadership directly relates to today’s tumultuous political scene. Anyone interested in American politics will devour this book.

This highly readable, compelling book should be required reading for all Americans of voting age.

The author will engage academic readers with the nuance of his argument. While general readers will not find the grandeur of Robert Caro here, they will appreciate the clarity of Zelizer's writing and the brevity of his account. All readers will take note of his apt references to current Congressional dynamics and will discover in this book a fine complement to Caro's work. [See Prepub Alert, 7/21/14.]

It may be too soon for many readers to consider a historical analysis of the George W. Bush presidency. But Zelizer's work provides a valuable benchmark for historians to build upon.