First published 2017
Chris Whipple examines the most powerful unelected position in American government through unprecedented access to those who have held it. Drawing on extensive interviews with all seventeen living White House chiefs of staff and two former presidents, he reveals how these gatekeepers control presidential access, negotiate with Congress, and ultimately determine the success or failure of administrations. Whipple shows how James Baker's skilled management enabled the Reagan Revolution, while poor chief of staff decisions contributed to disasters like Watergate, the Iraq War, and the troubled Obamacare launch. The book demonstrates that each president's choice of chief reveals his character and priorities, as figures like Dick Cheney, Rahm Emanuel, Donald Rumsfeld, and Leon Panetta wielded enormous influence from this critical role. Through detailed analysis and previously unreported insights, Whipple illustrates how effective chiefs can make presidencies while weak ones can destroy them.
Genres: biography, history, political-science, politics, non-fiction, 21st-century, government, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: insider-perspective, power-dynamics
Setting: America, United States, White House
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
384 pages · Hardcover · Crown Publishing Group