Review: Game Change by John Heilemann

Goodreads: In 2008, the presidential election became blockbuster entertainment. Everyone was watching as the race for the White House unfolded like something from the realm of fiction. The meteoric rise and historic triumph of Barak Obama. The shocking fall of House of Clinton - and the improbable resurrection of Hillary as Obama's partner and America's face to the world. The mercurial performance of John McCain and the mesmerizing emergence of Sarah Palin.

Based on hundreds of interviews with the people who lived the story, Game Change is a reportorial tour de force that reads like a fast-paced novel. Character driven and dialogue rich, replete with extravagantly detailed scenes, this is the occasionally shocking, often hilarious, ultimately definitive account of the campaign of a lifetime.

Kritters Thoughts: 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.

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Pages: 464

Cover Challenge Jan-March: Red Cover