A Mobile Bay Times survey:
'Most interesting' political reads
(Part 2 of 3)
As the summer reading season nears its August zenith, the Mobile Bay Times turned to its erudite friends and correspondents for their recommendations on the "political book" that they had found "most interesting" in their reading history.
MBT sought not to hem in its respondents, allowing them to select a work of fiction or non-fiction, autobiography, biography, essays, just whatever first came to mind upon considering the question.
"Your question sent me to my library to review my vast holdings. I'm prone to biography and history, but I think a book by C. L. Sulzberger, A Long Row of Candles, Memoirs and Diaries 1934-54, is probably my favorite. Sulzberger was the New York Times Foreign News chief during WWII. This book is a great record of the war's history and politics. I recommend it to anyone baffled by the current Middle East situation.
Another book, City for Sale - Ed Koch and the Betrayal of New York by Jack Newfield and Wayne Barrett, is a great read on urban politics, giving insight to the rise of (Rudy) Guiliani after Koch was booed out of office."
-- Garry Mitchell,
Associated Press
"The American Dynasty by Kevin Phillips."
-- Lloyd Roebuck,
attorney
"All the King’s Men."
"It’s been a long time since I read it, but, boy, is that a great political novel."
-- Judson Wells,
district judge
“The Triumph of Politics” by David Stockman.
-- William J. "Bill" Harkins, Jr.
CitiSmart Coordinator, City of Mobile
"The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York by Robert Caro.
"An amazing story of amazing power amassed by one man in one of the world's power centers. Riveting reading. Just thinking about it makes me want to read it again.
For what it's worth, The Power Broker came to mind first, but what quickly came to mind second was The Children by David Halberstam. I was moved greatly by many of the stories there."
-- Danny,
"John Adams by David McCullough. I'm a sucker for biographies of historical figures and McCullough does an especially good job."
-- Karen Atchison,
interior designer
"Steven Covey’s “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” had the most impact on my political and personal life. I read Steven’s book and later took his week long work study course in Sundance, Colorado where he used my complex political job as a case study for the international executives in the class.
I list this as a political book because executive branch elected office (mayors, governors etc.) is all about planning, organization, motivation and communication, management of time, task and people as is the private sector business CEO equivalent job. Covey has captured the art of getting things done (first things first). Covey is big on trust and relationships. Politics is all about trust and relationships.
Politics, at its best, requires service to all and requires negotiating win-win scenarios at all levels. Those who go into the political arena thinking and operating as if the job is principally about which political party wins (Democrats, Republicans or otherwise) is cut to a 50 percent or less effectiveness."
-- Mike Dow,
former mayor, city of Mobile
"This summer -- Worse Than Watergate by John Dean.
-- Dianne Stanley,
O'Neal Steel
All the King's Men.
-- Matt McDonald,
attorney
"The Huey Long story by far was the most interesting read."
-- Dale Mims,
real estate executive
"Although not political books per se, Why the West Has Won and The Soul of Battle: From Ancient Times to the Present Day, How Three Great Liberators Vanquished Tyranny by Victor Davis Hanson are both fascinating looks into the political and cultural foundations that inspire individuals in Western armies to fight for ideals in ways that other armies do not. While the history is absorbing in and of itself, the books are further enhanced by Hanson's tremendous ability to capture the atmosphere of the situation."
-- William L. Brooks,
CPT, QM
2/10 Mountain
"Philip Dru: Administrator" by Edward Mandell House.
-- Jim Ziegler,
attorney
"I loved “All the King’s Men."
-- Bobby Segall,
attorney, Montgomery
The Godfather
-- Steve French,
state senator
"I recently read Carry Me Home by Diane McWhorter. It is a detailed study of the racial turmoil of Birmingham in the late 50s and 60s. She was a high school student during this time and describes the situation from the viewpoint of the Mountain Brook big mules, but also gives deep descriptions of the real players -- (George) Wallace, (Rev. Fred) Shuttlesworth, Bull (Connor).
It is a masterpiece and a real chronicle of Alabama as it WAS. I recommend it to all."
-- John Butler,
Juvenile judge (ret)
