Dispatches from the War Room: In the Trenches with Five Extraordinary Leaders [Hardcover]

Stanley B. Greenberg (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0312351526 | ISBN-13: 978-0312351526 | Publication Date: February 17, 2009 | Edition: First Edition

The fascinating “war room” memoir of a political pollster and how he helped forge the agendas of five high-profile heads of state

As a hired gun strategist, Greenberg—a seasoned pollster and political consultant—has seen it all. In his memoir, he recounts his work with President Bill Clinton, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, Bolivian president Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada, and South African president Nelson Mandela. Through his experiences aiding the leaders in pushing their visions for better and clearer domestic and international policies, Greenberg offers an insightful examination of leadership, democracy, and the bridge between candidate and constituency. This captivating tale of political battlegrounds provides an inside look at some of the greatest international leaders of our time from the man who stood directly beside them.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

STANLEY B. GREENBERG is chairman and CEO of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner. In addition to those covered in his memoir, Greenberg has served as a polling advisor to national campaigns for German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, Al Gore, Chris Dodd, and Joe Lieberman. Greenberg is the author of The Two Americas, Middle Class Dreams, and The New Majority.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 512 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books; First Edition edition (February 17, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312351526
• ISBN-13: 978-0312351526
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.5 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #389,745 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #21 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( C ) > Clinton, Bill
  • #22 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( M ) > Mandela, Nelson

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Back Stories to Political Headlines From Someone in a Front Row Seat, March 16, 2009

By 

Kare Anderson "Kare Anderson" (Sausalito, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dispatches from the War Room: In the Trenches with Five Extraordinary Leaders (Hardcover)

So much at stake. So many smart but power-driven people doing peculiar (sometimes stupid) things when the stakes are high. This is the kind of first-hand account of real life adventure stories that will interest even the apolitical (and who's really not thinking about the machinations of government and politics in this bail-out era?) I've found myself quoting Greenberg's book when talking with friends about politics today. He has an astute way of describing specific political actions that help me understand some of the choices candidates make - and the people who work for them and fund them.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great read, March 28, 2009

By 

SLD - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dispatches from the War Room: In the Trenches with Five Extraordinary Leaders (Hardcover)

Whether or not you like the world leaders profiled in this book, it provides a fascinating look inside the campaign process and then the challenges of leading once elected. Greenberg is pretty reflective about the benefits and limitations of polls in both campaigns and governing. He's even critical, at times, of the role consultants and research play. Regardless, it provides real insight into how leaders consider and sometimes reject public opinion and has real application to our ongoing politics.

The chapter on Nelson Mandela is particularly compelling. Not only is Greenberg deeply steeped in South African politics - his academic work was focused on South Africa and he was banned by the government for his writings against apartheid - but learning how Mandela made the transition from fighting the government to governing, using insights from public opinion research is incredibly interesting. It also just reinforces what a brilliant man Mandela is, as he is able to adjust to changing realities.

4.0 out of 5 stars The Making Of The Political Message, June 15, 2009

By 

William Mann (Columbus, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dispatches from the War Room: In the Trenches with Five Extraordinary Leaders (Hardcover)

This book provides a fascinating look at the sausage factory of political message making. The author describes how he helped shape the message of several significant political campaigns, including those for Bill Clinton, Nelson Mandela and Tony Blair. The lesson to be learned from this book is that while "what you say," is very important, "how you say it," is important as well. A popular political idea, poorly expressed, is not going to do nearly as well with voters as a popular political idea that is well expressed. The author describes how he helps his clients find "what to say," or at least what to emphasize, and "how to say it," in a way that voters will be most likely to accept. Interesting stuff if this subject is your cup of tea.