Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
The Man Who Ran Washington
The Man Who Ran Washington: The Life and Times of James A. Baker III | Peter Baker, Susan Glasser
29 posts | 1 read
From two of America's most revered political journalists comes the definitive biography of legendary White House chief of staff and secretary of state James A. Baker III: the man who ran Washington when Washington ran the world. For a quarter-century, from the end of Watergate to the aftermath of the Cold War, no Republican won the presidency without his help or ran the White House without his advice. James Addison Baker III was the indispensable man for four presidents because he understood better than anyone how to make Washington work at a time when America was shaping events around the world. The Man Who Ran Washington is a page-turning portrait of a power broker who influenced America's destiny for generations. A scion of Texas aristocracy who became George H. W. Bush's best friend on the tennis courts of the Houston Country Club, Baker had never even worked in Washington until a devastating family tragedy struck when he was thirty-nine. Within a few years, he was leading Gerald Ford's campaign and would go on to manage a total of five presidential races and win a sixth for George W. Bush in a Florida recount. He ran Ronald Reagan's White House and became the most consequential secretary of state since Henry Kissinger. He negotiated with Democrats at home and Soviets abroad, rewrote the tax code, assembled the coalition that won the Gulf War, brokered the reunification of Germany and helped bring a decades-long nuclear superpower standoff to an end. Ruthlessly partisan during campaign season, Baker governed as the avatar of pragmatism over purity and deal-making over division, a lost art in today's fractured nation. His story is a case study in the acquisition, exercise, and preservation of power in late twentieth-century America and the story of Washington and the world in the modern era--how it once worked and how it has transformed into an era of gridlock and polarization. This masterly biography by two brilliant observers of the American political scene is destined to become a classic.
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
review
Owls31092
Mehso-so

I‘m not a US historian, so it took me a while to get into the book. However, I loved reading about Baker‘s time as Secretary of State. I definitely recommend for US historians and US political scientists.

quote
Owls31092
post image

When the bin Laden family needs to do business, they call Jim Baker. I really want to read more on the bin Laden family. Typically, we focus on Osama bin Laden in all of our historical and political works, but I would be interested in any books on the bin Laden family #binladenfamily #jamesbaker #peterbaker #susanglasser #georgewbush #themanwhoranwashington #ushistory #politicalscience #history #americanpolitics

blurb
Owls31092
post image

Chapter 26 listed multiple factors contributing to George Bush‘s loss of the 1992 election. I want to know what factors stood out to you that led to Bush‘s loss #themanwhoranwashington #peterbaker #susanglasser #jamesbaker #georgehwbush #billclinton #williamclinton #1992election #politicalscience #history #ushistory #uspolitics

blurb
Owls31092

I always talk about the split in the Democratic Party between the Boomer/Gen X democrats and the Millennial/Gen Z democrats, but now i see there‘s a split in the Republican Party as well between the moderate right Rhinos and the far right MAGA group of Donald Trump and Patrick Buchanan. I really want to do more research into far right candidates who never made it as far as Trump. #themanwhoranwashington #peterbaker #susanglasser #election

quote
Owls31092
post image
quote
Owls31092
post image
blurb
Owls31092

It‘s interesting that this book doesn‘t necessarily cast Israel in a positive light and it makes me rethink US-Israeli relations. I feel as if Israel is very reactionary when things happen. They want to fight back and ask questions later. In addition, if they don‘t get what they want, they‘ll throw temper tantrums to get it. I would be interested in reading about US-Israeli relations today if a book is ever released on the Biden presidency.

quote
Owls31092
post image

Is Israel reactionary or war hungry? I‘ll let you all decide for themselves based on what we read here and current events #themanwhoranwashington #israel #iraq #peterbaker #susanglasser #persiangulf #operationdessertstorm #war #freepalestine

quote
Owls31092
post image
quote
Owls31092
post image

I love foreshadowing in history. What did Iraq become? Well, it became another Vietnam with Afghanistan that destroyed a Bush presidency. If you would like to read about the Iraq war that I consider another Vietnam that destroyed a Bush presidency, feel free to look back on what we posted and reread Days of Fire also by Peter Baker. #themanwhoranwashington #peterbaker #susanglasser #daysoffire #iraq #conflict #history #foreshadowing #bush

blurb
Owls31092
post image

We‘ve been reading a lot about priorities lately from Germany to Lithuania to Panama. I want to know how do officials such as James Baker or even Eduard Shevardnadze determine what their priorities are? I accept answers not only about the US government but foreign governments as well #themanwhoranwashington #jamesbaker #peterbaker #susanglasser #foreignaffairs #statedepartment #internationalpolitcs #worldhistory #history #politicalscience

blurb
Owls31092

New history/political science research project idea: the Vatican and politics: how the Vatican has felt and responded to world events over time. #noriega #panama #vaticancity #themanwhoranwashington #worldhistory #history #politicalscience #worldpolitics

quote
Owls31092
post image

New favorite Margaret Thatcher quote on the reunification of Germany in 1989 #themanwhoranwashington #peterbaker #susanglasser #margaretthatcher #europeanhistory #unitedkingdom #germany #ussr #reunification

blurb
Owls31092
post image

Today‘s alternate history is regarding the US response to Tiananmen Square where George H.W. Bush and James Baker took a pretty soft approach compared to what the US could have taken. So I want to know if Bush and Baker took a stronger stance, what would that look like? Would relations with China look the same today as they do now? how would relations with China differ if they will differ?

blurb
Owls31092
This post contains spoilers
show me

I can‘t figure out Dick Cheney‘s motives other than he is power hungry and wants to speak for everyone else. I know he ended up being the Vice President under George W. Bush, but I am very surprised given the way he undermines George H.W. Bush and says what he wants.

blurb
Owls31092

Reading about perestroika and the collapse of the USSR from an American administration perspective is interesting. It‘s one of those things you just don‘t think about.

quote
Owls31092
post image

quote
Owls31092
post image

Two important political science questions- What did the president know? When did he know it? #politics #politicalhistory #history #irancontraaffair #presidency #history #politicalscience #reagan #worldpolitics #uspolitics #worldhistory #ushistory

quote
Owls31092
post image

As a historian, I ask the what-ifs. This quote made me think of January 6, 2021. If Reagan made the same comment today, could it incite another insurrection? It‘s difficult to say. #themanwhoranwashington #peterbaker #susanglasser #history #reagan #ronaldregan #ushistory #politicalscience #americanpolitics #economics #taxbreaks #taxes

quote
Owls31092
post image

Was Reagan showing signs of Alzheimer‘s Disease while in the White House? It is extremely hard to say. We know he was President until January 1989 and was diagnosed with Alzheimer‘s Disease in 1994. As we study and learn more about the disease, we do have scientific evidence of Alzheimer‘s Disease symptoms appearing years before diagnosis.

quote
Owls31092
post image

I love alternate history. Come from the school of the end result is the end result. No matter what we change in time, everything will end the way it‘s meant to… but it is fun to think about. #themanwhoranwashington #peterbaker #susanglasser #ushistory #ronaldreagan #reaganpresidency #jamesbaker #nationalsecurityadviser

quote
Owls31092
post image

I had to switch to my iPad for travel purposes. Emergency planning is a recent interest of mine, but I never thought about combining my political science major and emergency planning together until now. It‘s interesting to read about what was happening in the Chief of Staff‘s office when former President Reagan was shot. #ronaldreagan #peterbaker #susanglasser #themanwhoranwashington #jamesbakeriii #ushistory #uspoliticalscience #emergencyplanning

quote
Owls31092
post image
quote
Owls31092
post image

Before there was Trump, there was Reagan. I just got done with listening to the 10 American Presidents podcast on Reagan, and I‘m genuinely interested in his life. Obviously, I‘m going to have to find some more Reagan books #themanwhoranwashington #peterbaker #susanglasser #jamesabakeriii #ronaldreagan #jimmycarter #ushistory #history #politicalscience #uspolitics #elections #jimmycarter #georgebush #campaigns

quote
Owls31092
post image

quote
Owls31092
post image

Recounting is a thing. You can challenge anything you want. The question is do you know when to stop? President Gerald Ford could‘ve fought for recounts in close states, but he didn‘t want to be the president who had the electoral college but not the popular vote. #themanwhoranwashington #geraldford #jamesbaker #susanglasser #elections #uspolitics #ushistory #history #politicalscience #electoralcollege #popularvote #recount

quote
Owls31092
post image
blurb
Owls31092
post image

Discussion question I wrote for my blog. Jimmy Carter ran as the anti-Nixon who will clean up Washington after the Watergate Scandal and Ford‘s pardoning of Nixon. I want to know why this campaign strategy works and why US citizens fall for it. Make sure you tag us in your responses or tag us when you share. #themanwhoranwashington #jamesabakeriii #peterbaker #susanglasser #unitedstateshistory #uspolitics #washingtondc #history #politicalscience

quote
Owls31092
post image

Before James Baker entered politics he lost his first wife, his sister got divorced, and his father‘s health was failing. #themanwhoranwashington #jamesbakeriii #peterbaker #susanglasser #death #tragedy #overcoming