Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime

John Heilemann · Mark Halperin

Jan 2010 · Harper Collins

About this ebook

“It’s one of the best books on politics of any kind I’ve read. For entertainment value, I put it up there with Catch 22.” —The Financial Times

 

“It transports you to a parallel universe in which everything in the National Enquirer is true….More interesting is what we learn about the candidates themselves: their frailties, egos and almost super-human stamina.” —The Financial Times

 

“I can’t put down this book!” —Stephen Colbert

 

Game Change is the New York Times bestselling story of the 2008 presidential election, by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin, two of the best political reporters in the country. In the spirit of Richard Ben Cramer’s What It Takes and Theodore H. White’s The Making of the President 1960, this classic campaign trail book tells the defining story of a new era in American politics, going deeper behind the scenes of the Obama/Biden and McCain/Palin campaigns than any other account of the historic 2008 election.

Ratings and reviews

What a great insider look at an election from the primaries to the end result! Although I knew the outcome of this book before I started reading it, I loved reading the behind the scenes look of a presidential campaign from beginning to end. I instantly picked up this book because I am more and more drawn to the things of Washington, D.C. as my home is right on the outskirts of the city. I feel as though now more so than ever, the decisions that are made in D.C., greatly affect me and my future. This book claims from the beginning that each candidate will be shed in a light that is true and honest, with each having some negative encounters. I don't believe this is so. I believe just as the media did not hound Obama in his campaign, this book does not shoot him down or shed much of a negative light on him or his campaign. It was interesting to read of the rise and fall of both Hillary Clinton and John McCain. The insider aspect of Edwards and his wife was shocking and made me second guess everything that I hear because I had no idea some of the details that were revealed. I loved the honesty that the authors did have stating that they would not put quotes around a quote if they were not certain that it was actually said. This made for some hard reading when reading some of the conversations, but I was glad they kept their integrity by not putting quotes. I would pass this book along to my friends who love to hear the behind the scenes look at movies, tv and more. Also to my political friends, this is a great look at campaigns from both a Democratic and Republican view.

There's nothing quite like looking behind the curtain to see who is really pulling the levers. And there is nothing so enjoyable as catching glimpses of the powerful with their public masks pulled from their faces revealing snarls where one once thought smiles hung. As I was reading Game Change, aside from laughing out loud to myself, I kept muttering, "God, I wonder if these people can be such schmucks?" One side of my mind shouted yes, while the other wondered how these two journalists could have possibly captured the quotes contained in this narrative. Regardless, well worth reading.

Just finished! ! Should be required reading for high school seniors. Randy

About the author

John Heilemann is the national political correspondent and columnist for New York magazine. He is a former staff writer for the New Yorker, the Economist, and Wired. He is the author of Pride Before the Fall: The Trials of Bill Gates and the End of the Microsoft Era, Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime and Double Down: Game Change 2012. Mark Halperin is editor-at-large and senior political analyst for Time magazine. He's a former political director for ABC News. He is the author of The Undecided Voter's Guide to the Next President, The Way to Win: Taking the White House in 2008, Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime and Double Down: Game Change 2012.