On the House: A Washington Memoir

John Boehner

Apr 2021 · Sold by St. Martin's Press

About this eBook

* INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * #1 WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER *

“A rollicking, foil-mouthed” [memoir]....Boehner has delivered a classic Washington “tell-all,” albeit one with his typical jocular style.” --The Washington Post

Former Speaker of the House John Boehner shares colorful tales from the halls of power, the smoke-filled rooms around the halls of power, and his fabled tour bus.

John Boehner is the last of a breed. At a time when the arbiters of American culture were obsessing over organic kale, cold-pressed juice, and SoulCycle, the man who stood second in line to the presidency was unapologetically smoking Camels, quaffing a glass of red, and hitting the golf course whenever he could.

There could hardly have been a more diametrically opposed figure to represent the opposition party in President Barack Obama's Washington. But when Boehner announced his resignation, President Obama called to tell the outgoing Speaker that he'd miss him. "Mr. President," Boehner replied, "yes you will." He thought of himself as a "regular guy with a big job," and he enjoyed it.

In addition to his own stories of life in the swamp city and of his comeback after getting knocked off the leadership ladder, Boehner offers his impressions of leaders he's met and what made them successes or failures, from Ford and Reagan to Obama, Trump, and Biden. He shares his views on how the Republican Party has become unrecognizable today; the advice--some harsh, some fatherly--he dished out to members of his own party, the opposition, the media, and others; and his often acid-tongued comments about his former colleagues. And of course he talks about golfing with five presidents.

Through Speaker Boehner's honest and self-aware reflections, you'll be reminded of a time when the adults were firmly in charge.

Ratings and reviews

He writes interesting stories in the book, about other Republicans, but it seems like it's too hard for him to say these stories out loud?! Strange.. It's like you wrote it in your book, so please own what you said!!! Please explain further too..

Very good book about the rise of today's GOP. Even though he still voted for Trump, it's good to see him bash some of the people he's worked with based on a character standpoint rather than a political standpoint.

Excellent book based on the interpretations of a man who got fed up with hypocrisy and smartly left the swamp to use his smarts where they were useful and productive.

About the author

JOHN BOEHNER served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2011-2015. A member of the Republican party, he was the U.S. Representative for Ohio's 8th congressional district from 1991 to 2015. Today he is a Senior Policy Advisor at Squire Patton Boggs, US LLP and serves on the Steward Health Care board of directors.