This Town: Two Parties and a Funeral--Plus Plenty of Valet Parking!--in America's Gilded Capital

Mark Leibovich

Jul 2013 · Sold by Penguin

About this ebook

The #1 New York Times bestseller!

Washington D.C. might be loathed from every corner of the nation, yet these are fun and busy days at this nexus of big politics, big money, big media, and big vanity. There are no Democrats and Republicans anymore in the nation's capital, just millionaires. Through the eyes of Leibovich we discover how the funeral for a beloved newsman becomes the social event of the year; how political reporters are fetishized for their ability to get their names into the predawn e-mail sent out by the city's most powerful and puzzled-over journalist; how a disgraced Hill aide can overcome ignominy and maybe emerge with a more potent "brand" than many elected members of Congress. And how an administration bent on "changing Washington" can be sucked into the ways of This Town with the same ease with which Tea Party insurgents can, once elected, settle into it like a warm bath. Outrageous, fascinating, and very necessary, This Town is a must-read whether you're inside the highway which encircles DC - or just trying to get there.

Ratings and reviews

It is just a quick brush of what really Washington is. What they call 'lobbying' in other countries is called corruption but, while the book suggests the levels of corruption that prevail in Washington are incredibly big it never delves into the issue and never really touches it. For example, we have current real national issues such as Obama-care that are being pushed and pull by well-intentioned politicians against evil healthcare provider corporations that do not want release the power they have accumulated in decades of giving money to corrupt politicos. The book does not go into these kind of more relevant areas, just shows you some of the big egos their nicknames and their parties and brunches in the town. Way to go, Tamster!

Yes, you already know DC is a bordello of bureaucratic corruption, improper collusion and legislative constipation. Yes, you know the media and our ignoble statespeople coagulate in a goo of solipsism. Yes, we all know that the welfare of humble citizens can never trump the desire for a juicy corporate knob slob. But this book, this magnum opus measures the depth of the cesspool and gives the lucky reader a precise reading of the debauchery.

About the author

Mark Leibovich is a recipient of the National Magazine Award for profile writing. He is the author of four books, including the #1 New York Times bestsellers Thank You for Your Servitude and This Town. He recently joined The Atlantic, after a ten-year stint as chief national correspondent for The New York Times Magazine. Before arriving at the magazine in 2012, Leibovich covered national politics in the Times' Washington Bureau. He previously worked at The Washington Post and the San Jose Mercury News. He lives with his family in Washington, D.C.