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Title: Grand Old Party : A History of the Republicans by Lewis Gould ISBN: 0-375-50741-8 Publisher: Random House Pub. Date: 04 November, 2003 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $35.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.71 (7 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Great history of the Republican party
Comment: Grand Old Party is a well-written account of the history of the Republican party. Although it has a few imperfections, it is still well worth a five-star review.
Gould is up front about any potential bias he may have, declaring early on that he is a Democrat. Despite this (or maybe because of this), he has written a reasonably objective history, with his own political slant relatively limited. Most of his criticisms are not so much aimed at particular political viewpoints as with how various Republicans have executed their ideas over the years. Figures such as Taft, Coolidge and Nixon are shown more positively than usual, while Reagan - the supreme deity in the Republican pantheon - is viewed a little more critically.
The main theme of this book is the complete shift in political thought that the Republicans have undergone in their 150 years of existence, going from the "liberal" party that was highly nationalistic and an advocate of centralized power to the more conservative party it is today, with its emphasis on states' rights and limited government. Gould traces this transformation and indicates the pivotal points, perhaps none greater than Teddy Roosevelt's splitting of the party in 1912, driving out the more progressive members and shifting the balance within.
While a great book, this book is not perfect. In particular, I would have liked a deeper look into the Whigs, who were in many ways the precursors of the Republicans. Nonethless, for those interested in the political history of the U.S., this book - along with its companion history of the Democrats, Party of the People - is a worthwhile read.
Rating: 4
Summary: Overall good job, but perspective is left-wing in places
Comment: This is a very comprehensive and informative account of the history of the Republican Party. It covers the GOP from many angles: the principles of Republican philosophy; the constituencies; electoral history; and an understanding of the key personalities. When one finishes this book, he has a thorough knowledge of all the important points.
However, I have to agree with other reviewers that it is slanted to the left, especially in recent history where it will be most noticed. It makes the reader wonder how much of the rest of the book was portrayed unfairly.
Nevertheless, it is a commendable effort.
Rating: 4
Summary: A basically fair account
Comment: I will admit right away that I am a conservative Republican. I did like the book, but found it grating in some places. Therefore I rate it as a fair account. (Nelson Rockefeller was not Conservative! Michael Dukakis is not a moderate!)
I also find it odd that the publisher couldn't get one Republican elected official to review the book. (While the Book on the Democrats has two such reviews.) It is also notable that the Republicans had to suffer disection by a liberal partisan Democrat. The publishers let another liberal Democrat write the book on the Democrats. It struck me as true to life.
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Title: Party of the People : A History of the Democrats by Jules Witcover ISBN: 0375507426 Publisher: Random House Pub. Date: 04 November, 2003 List Price(USD): $35.00 |
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Title: Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Champion of Freedom by Conrad Black ISBN: 1586481843 Publisher: PublicAffairs Pub. Date: November, 2003 List Price(USD): $39.95 |
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Title: Governor Reagan: His Rise to Power by Lou Cannon ISBN: 1586480308 Publisher: PublicAffairs Pub. Date: 16 September, 2003 List Price(USD): $30.00 |
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Title: Reds : McCarthyism in Twentieth-Century America by Ted Morgan ISBN: 0679443991 Publisher: Random House Pub. Date: 18 November, 2003 List Price(USD): $35.00 |
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Title: An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy, 1917-1963 by Robert Dallek ISBN: 0316172383 Publisher: Little Brown & Company Pub. Date: 13 May, 2003 List Price(USD): $30.00 |
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