Most Interesting Political Reads

Chip Drago of the Mobile Bay Times has asked a wide circle of folks to name the most interesting political book they ever read. Parts one and two (out of three) have been posted.

It’s a fun idea and will give you more than enough reading to get you through August. Yours truly offers up a favorite or two, but what is clear to me is that I should read All the King’s Men. It’s the title easily named most often in the first two posts.

I’d be interested to know what is the most interesting political book you have ever read, as MBT says, “fiction or non-fiction, autobiography, biography, essays, just whatever first came to mind upon considering the question.”

7 comments to Most Interesting Political Reads

  • walt moffett

    1984 was the first book, followed by Animal Farm, Brave New World and Durant’s The Story of Civilization.

  • wizard

    Lincoln by Gore Vidal. Political fiction so to speak.

  • Reactionary

    walt, good choices. I like V.O. Key’s ‘Southern Politics’ (on the list), Toqueville and Pierson’s ‘Toqueville in America’, and anything by Victor Davis Hanson (on the list). McCullough’s work is interesting, too.

    BTW, I’m currently reading a biography of Red Warren (’All the King’s Men’) – can’t wait to see if the nickname was from his hair or his politics…

  • Susan

    Anyone who wants to understand Alabama politics should read Fuller Kimbrel’s from the Farm House to the State House.

    That, and Dan Carter’s bio on George Wallace, “The Politics of Rage.”

  • Roy

    ,,, and two books by Grafton & Permaloff, “Big Mules & Branchheads” and “Political Power in Alabama.” Two interesting perspectives are also found in Carl Elliott’s “The Cost of Courage” and John Hayman’s book on Richmond Flowers, “Bitter Harvest.”

  • Ted

    The Path to Power (The Years of Lyndon Johnson, Volume 1) by Robert A. Caro. Brilliantly written. Makes you hate and admire LBJ all at the same time. The early chapter on the Texas Hill Country is the finest piece of prose I have ever read and I was an English major.

  • Tim Baer

    Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail 1972 — Hunter S. Thompson

    The Boys on the Bus — Timothy Crouse

    The Godfather — Mario Puzo

    Plunkitt of Tammany Hall — William Riordan (the best)

    Boss — Richard Daley of Chicago — Mike Royko

Leave a Reply

 

 

 

You can use these HTML tags

<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>

Daily News

Daily Headlines, Sunday, 3/21/2010

Montgomery AdvertiserPrint exclusive: Bingo lawsuits cost state more than $500,000

Montgomery AdvertiserCensus officials, volunteers vow to count all on Gulf Coast

Montgomery AdvertiserCENSUS Q&A

Montgomery AdvertiserCivil rights groups seek changes in 2020 census

Montgomery AdvertiserWhy has PAC reform not [...]

Small Town News

Small town political gazette – 3/21/10

The News CourierAthens goes after delinquent taxes

The Selma Times-Journal - Road closure for ‘greater good’ and related editorial

BaldwinCountyNowResidents gather to discuss Zoning District 14 referendum

Shelby County ReporterWestover mayor discusses progress

The Daily HomeHealth care: Fix it now

See more Recent Small Town News

 


 

Legislative Dispatch

Change

I wish my friend Hinton Mitchem godspeed and good luck after his retirement from public service. Hinton, on Monday, announced what many had suspected — he will not seek re-election. I remember meeting Hinton for the first time while I was a student at Auburn University. He served the people of his [...]

Ten Minutes in the House, Senate Moves On

Riley and her friend Caroline joined Julie on the campaign trail in Isabella this past weekend.

Here is a quick preview of the upcoming week in Montgomery. This week will be a standard legislative schedule for the House. We will be in session on Tuesday and Thursday with committee meetings scheduled for Wednesday.
The House will take up a ten minute calendar this week. A ten minute calendar is [...]

Purple Dot Connection

MARCH MADNESS

TOP TEN INDICATIONS OF MARCH MADNESS

10.  Eric Massa inviting us to ask the 10,000 Navy men he served with whether he is gay.

9.  Larry Langford hitting the jackpot 33 times in one day and not remembering it.

8.  Ron Sparks being able to make payments on a $500,000 loan with an income of $80,000.

7.  Artur Davis [...]


Back in the Day...

Tent City at Camp Sheridan near Montgomery, ca 1918

Vintage postcard