Synopses & Reviews
Timed to re-release simultaneously with Chris Matthews’s new book Jack Kennedy, which Simon & Schuster will publish this fall, this national bestseller explores the fascinating, largely unknown, relationship between Nixon and Kennedy and the crucial ways in which it shaped them—and the nation.
Hardball is a tough, funny, tell-all revelation of how politics really works. From tales of raw ambition and brutal rivalry to behind-the-scenes stories of famous disagreements, Matthews reveals the truth about master politicians such as JFK, LBJ, and Richard Nixon, while he explains the real meaning of rules such as “Only talk when it improves the silence;” “Positioning is everything;” and “Always concede on principle.”
Whether addicted to Washington politics or office politics, readers will enjoy this unprecedented guide to grown-ups’ favorite game—the game of position, power, and survival in the world today.
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Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill, Jr. The best in the business!
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Ben Bradlee author of A Good Life and Conversations with Kennedy Christopher Matthews writes about politics with relish -- the way sports writers cover boxing.
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"People will be quoting Hardball as long as the game of politics is played."
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"Chris Matthews hits a political homer with Hardball. For political sagacity and humor, this ranks with the work of George Washington Plunkitt."
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"A thoroughly entertaining book about modern-day American politics and how it's played. . . . Hardball is a must-read textbook that should be read with a marker."
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"Brilliant! God may take care of fools, drunks and the United States, but Chris Matthews has the goods on how Washington politicians take care of the rest of us."
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William Safire
Chris Matthews hits a political homer with Hardball. For political sagacity and humor, this ranks with the work of George Washington Plunkitt.
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"In Washington, everyone says they 'practice' politics, and 'develop' policy. But to succeed they know they must 'play hardball.' This book smartly captures that central truth!"
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Hendrik HertzbergSenior Editor, The New YorkerPeople will be quoting Hardball as long as the game of politics is played.
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"Matthews is half Huck Finn and half Machiavelli in this exuberant guide to the great game of politics."
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"Every so often a writer reads a book so incisive and so good that when he finally puts it down he says, 'Damn, I wish I had written this.' I just finished Christopher Matthews' Hardball. And damn, I wish I had written this."
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Christopher Lehmann-Haupt The New York Times Savvy and amusing...Fresh and original.
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"Savvy and amusing. . . . Fresh and original."
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"Christopher Matthews writes about politics with relish—the way sports writers cover boxing."
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"The best in the business!"
Synopsis
How politics is played by one who knows the game...host of MSNBC's
Hardball, Chris Matthews.
Chris Matthews has spent a quarter century on the playing field of American politics—from right-hand man of Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill to host of NBC's highest rated cable talk show Hardball. In this revised and updated edition of his political classic, he offers fascinating new stories of raw ambition, brutal rivalry, and exquisite seduction and reveals the inside rules that govern the game of power.
About the Author
Chris Matthews is anchor of MSNBC’s Hardball. He is author of Tip and the Gipper; Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero; Kennedy and Nixon; Now, Let Me Tell You What I Really Think; American: Beyond Our Grandest Notions; Hardball: How Politics Is Played by One Who Knows The Game; and Politicians: The Backroom World They Never Show Us.
Table of Contents
ContentsIntroduction
Part I Alliances
1 It's Not Who You Know; It's Who You Get to Know
2 "All Politics Is Local"
3 It's Better to Receive Than to Give
4 "Dance with the One That Brung Ya"
Part II Enemies
5 Keep Your Enemies in Front of You
6 Don't Get Mad; Don't Get Even; Get Ahead
7 Leave No Shot Unanswered
Part III Deals
8 "Only Talk When It Improves the Silence"
9 Always Concede on Principle
Part IV Reputations
10 Hang a Lantern on Your Problem
11 Spin!
12 "The Press Is the Enemy"
13 The Reputation of Power
14 Positioning
Perspective
Index