by Peter Baker
First published 2020
Peter Baker and Susan Glasser chronicle the career of James Baker III, the Texas lawyer who became Washington's most effective power broker. Their biography traces Baker's journey from wealthy Houston attorney to indispensable Republican operative. The authors examine how this pragmatic Democrat turned Republican strategist secured Ford's 1976 nomination, maneuvered Bush onto Reagan's ticket, and dominated as White House chief of staff. Baker later served as treasury secretary and secretary of state, reforming tax policy and orchestrating Middle East peace negotiations. The book reveals his role in managing Soviet dissolution and his final controversial victory in Bush v. Gore. Written by The New York Times' Chief White House correspondent and The New Yorker's Washington columnist, this account shows how Baker prioritized deal making over ideology. The authors argue that Baker's pragmatic approach to governance offers lessons for today's polarized political landscape.
Genres: biography, history, 20th-century, political-science, politics, biography-memoir, 21st-century, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: political-intrigue, power-dynamics
Setting: Houston, Texas, Washington DC
Period: 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s
688 pages · Hardcover · Doubleday