What It Takes: The Way to the White House
by Richard Ben Cramer
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 125)
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political junkies
This is the book that converted me from someone interested in the political process into a certified political junkie. It's a long, slow read, but fascinating. You'll never look at Bob Dole or Dick Gephart, not to mention Joe Biden, the same way again.
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Read in January, 2002
A friend gave me this book in college, and I quickly put it on the shelf and forgot about it. During some downtime, I read it. It's not a quick read by any means, but is a great one for anyone who loves the political process and presidential politics.
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Read in January, 1991
Among all the books about presidential politics, this one is the best, not only because it is so well written, but because it achieves a level of research detail that qualifies something as history -- it is exhaustive.
But not exhausting!
The year is 1988, and we all know the result. But 1988 is in many ways an unremarkable year. It's like 1927 ... the great change has yet to occur, you can smell it in the air, and the politics of the time are stale with anticipation. 1988 is not a year...more
But not exhausting!
The year is 1988, and we all know the result. But 1988 is in many ways an unremarkable year. It's like 1927 ... the great change has yet to occur, you can smell it in the air, and the politics of the time are stale with anticipation. 1988 is not a year...more
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Read in February, 2008
Excellent,somewhat impressionistic reporting on the 1988 Presidential primaries. Focusing on Dukakis, Biden, Hart and Gephardt on the Democratic side, and Bush and Dole on the Republican side, this book gives a real feel for what the primary competition was like for these candidates.
Although over 1000 pages, it reads fast. Cramer goes back and forth between candidates and ranges back and forth over time, painting portraits of each person's personality,background and political history. S...more
Although over 1000 pages, it reads fast. Cramer goes back and forth between candidates and ranges back and forth over time, painting portraits of each person's personality,background and political history. S...more
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Incredible insider view of politics. This book covers the 1988 presidential election by focusing on the lives of the key players: Bush / Dukakis / Dole / Gephardt / Biden and Gary Hart. Incredibly detailed. As people they have engrossing strengths and weaknesses and it's fascinating to see both play out as they run for the biggest job in the world. And the parallels to the current race are fascinating
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Hilarious and gripping account of the 1988 election, with vivid portrayals of the principal characters. By a Rolling Stone reporter, and chapters can easily be excerpted.
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Great perspective on the '88 race. Yes, I am curious about Dukakis, Hart, Gephardt, Bush, Dole, and Biden....
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Fascinating analysis of the 1988 presidential election. Real primer for the nitty gritty of campaigns. This has always been a subject that's fascinated... ever since I read Robert Caro's Means of Ascent in the early 1990s.
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Read in January, 2008
A brilliant analysis of what drives people to seek public office, as well as a fascinating narrative of one particular race for our country's highest office. Surprisingly relevant today, with an amazing number of characters from that race still playing important roles in public life 20 years later. A must read for political junkies.
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Read in January, 2006
Politicians are pretty much a bunch of weirdos, but this book makes them look surprisingly human. Does a great job of explaining how and why the 88 Presidential primary candidates made the decisions they did. I thought the parts on Gary Hart and Bob Dole were especially great.
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Read in July, 2002
One of the best political books I have ever read. The book chronicles the 1988 presidential campaign. Though it is a lengthy book, it is worth the time and effort to read. Every facet of the campaign, from the candidate to the volunteer, is examined.
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The absolute best book on presidential campaigns, political ambitions and the modern American electorate since the now dated (but enthralling) series of Teddy White books. Whole sections of this book read like a movie.
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