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by: Ed Rollins
List Price: $19.00Amazon.com's Price: $17.10 You Save: $1.90 (10%)Prices subject to change. Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 320.973
EAN: 9780553067316
ISBN: 0553067311
Label: Broadway
Manufacturer: Broadway
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 400
Publication Date: March 03, 1997
Publisher: Broadway
Release Date: March 03, 1997
Sales Rank: 219586
Studio: Broadway
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Editorial Review:
Product Description:
In a book as fierce and stunning as a prize fight, Ed Rollins tells of his many triumphs and sometimes spectacular blunders during a thirty-year career in
American politics. From the Reagan presidency to the campaigns of Ross Perot and Christine Todd Whitman, Rollins has long been at the red-hot center. Now,
in Bare Knuckles and Back Rooms, he gives us the inside story on Washington and many of its most prominent players with sharp reflections, revealing and frequently irreverent anecdotes, and always astonishing candor.
Once a champion amateur boxer, Rollins brings the pugnacious spirit of a born fighter to everything he does. Never shy about his opinions, he now delivers the kind of take-no-prisoners honesty for which he is notorious. He dissects the personalities of Richard Nixon, Ronald and Nancy Reagan, George Bush, Ross Perot, James Baker, Michael and Arianna Huffington, and Newt Gingrich. He shows how political campaigns really operate, and he offers keen insight on this year's contenders, from Bill Clinton to Bob Dole and Pat Buchanan.
Part autobiography and part political primer, this is a deeply compelling story and a highly personal look into the inner workings of government and campaigns. Ed Rollins's passion for the game and thoughtful insight into our political system make this a must-read for anyone interested in how the game of contemporary politics is really played.
Who else but Ed Rollins--the brilliant, bare-knuckled political consultant--would dare give us the inside story on how Washington really works? Famously outspoken, Rollins is a true maverick whose gift for winning campaigns is matched only by his talent for generating controversy. Now, in this astonishingly candid book, he delivers a no-holds-barred, hugely entertaining account of his thirty-year career in American politics.
Rollins has worked for almost every major Republican politician of the past two decades, but he was never a member of the Washington aristocracy. Raised in the tough shipyard town of Vallejo, California, he fought as a championship amateur boxer and won over 160 bouts. His love of politics was kindled when he worked for Bobby Kennedy's presidential campaign in 1968, but after Kennedy's assassination and a life-changing experience during a violent anti-war demonstration, he joined the Republican party. By 1981, he had worked his way up to a job in the Reagan White House; the following year, he became the president's top political advisor. He has battled at the center of the political arena ever since, and he and his candidates have won far more often than they have lost.
If Rollins loves anything more than a good fight, it's a good story. Here is Richard Nixon complaining to him about the lack of a 'nutcutter' in the Reagan administration; Nancy Reagan berating him for his atrocious attire; Barbara Bush telling him he's not welcome in the White House; Ross Perot wailing about how expensive campaign advertising is; Arianna Huffington hiring a private detective to investigate an unfriendly journalist. But Rollins has made some spectacular blunders of his own, and now he tells stories on himself too--most particularly when he provides the first full account of his role in the scandal that followed Christine Todd Whitman's election as governor of New Jersey.
Ed Rollins is an American original--a power-punching, street-smart insider who loves politics and his country with equal fervor. Fast and funny, pugnacious and passionate, this is one of the best books ever written about how the modern political game is really played.
Amazon.com Review:
A consummate political operative, Ed Rollins has ridden high and ridden low. The political director of Ronald Reagan's White House in 1981, he enjoyed overwhelming success. But the weirdness of the Ross Perot campaign sent him reeling, and his stint running Christine Todd Whitman's gubernatorial campaign resulted in a grand jury investigation. Through it all, Rollins picked up a wealth of juicy and humorous material, which he is willing to share--holding nothing back. He calls Perot a 'paranoid lunatic on an ego trip' and Arianna Huffington 'ruthless and unscrupulous.' An enjoyable and educational book from an outspoken insider who reveals the viciousness of modern politics.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Ed Rollins sets the record straight
In Bare Knuckles and Back Rooms: My Life in American Politics, Ed Rollins details his careers as a Political Operative learning the trade from California Democratic Speaker Jess Unruh, his philosophical transformation into a conservative Republican, alignment with the Reagan revolution and his time as a Senior White House Staffer and heavyweight Political Consultant.
Rollins delivers this in a entertaining and salty style that seems appropriate given the blue collar background he repeatedly ... Read More
Rating: - The Real World
Being a political operative seems like a glamorous profession. While there certainly are perks -- there are an equal number of disadvantages to this career choice. Rollins' depiction of what it's like to be a campaign manager is the truest I've read. It's not always a glamorous lifestyle. Even the best campaigns are full of fast food, headaches and heartaches (now there's a title)! Rollins does a great job of telling "the real" story of being a campaign manager...the good, the bad, and the ugly...
Rating:  - Funny and Insightful
I would love to hear Ed Rollins opinions concerning the present President Bush. His book descibes the problems with the first Prsident Bush adminastration (such as putting a higher price on staff and administrators with blind loyalty to those who knew what they were doing)
Rollins book was very funny and a nice peek at the inside of political campaigns. He was very honest in the way he dealt his stories of former Presidents Nixon and Reagan. he did not try to gloss over the failings of either presidency ... Read More
Rating: - Hilarious and Insightful
Bare Knuckles and Back Rooms is political consultant Ed Rollins' journey as a political strategist in American politics. First of all you have to read this book just to receive the insight on Ross Perot and his insanity. I read this book awhile ago when I was in High School and laughed for hours about Perot. Also I love just hearing about the day to day operations of a political campaigns. If you are interested in politics or political campaigns this book is a must read and has to be in your library.
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Rating: - The Bare Facts
I am a self confessed Democrat and even I loved this book. The author is as about as right leaning as they come, but that did nothing to diminish the enjoyment any political junkie would get from the book regardless of what side of the spectrum you are on. The author has been involved in Republican politics sense the Nixon administration and in this book he givens a well written, interesting and humorous account of what he has been a part of. I would not call this book a kiss and tell, but he does give you ... Read More
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