First published 2013
President Ronald Reagan and House Speaker Tip O'Neill occupy opposite ends of the political spectrum. Reagan wants to shrink government. O'Neill fights to preserve it. Their ideologies clash daily on Capitol Hill. Yet something unexpected develops between these two powerful men. They share long lunches every St. Patrick's Day. They trade Irish stories and jokes. When an assassin's bullet strikes Reagan, O'Neill becomes the first outsider to visit his hospital bedside. Matthews witnessed this relationship firsthand as O'Neill's chief of staff for six years. He watched Reagan and O'Neill battle fiercely over policy while maintaining genuine personal respect. The president and speaker discovered they had more in common than their differences suggested. Both men understood that politics need not destroy friendship. Their bond proves that bitter opponents can still find human connection. Matthews draws on his insider access and extensive interviews to recreate their conversations and private moments. He shows how two leaders navigated the tension between public duty and personal loyalty in an era of deep political division.
Genres: 20th-century, political-science, biography-memoir, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Capitol Hill
Period: 20th Century
448 pages · Hardcover · Simon & Schuster