Epic Journey: The 2008 Elections and American Politics (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Here's a useful book, by three academics, for all readers wishing to further understand the 2008 presidential campaign—and for those who think they already understand it! Although a Democrat was expected to win the presidency, the journey to that outcome was full of surprises; back stories, circumstances, strategies, and results are all described and objectively analyzed here. There is also a chapter on the congressional and state elections, and a conclusion—about the future. All readers will come away feeling as clearheaded as these writers, a tribute to their work.—Margaret Heilbrun (MH), Library Journal
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

Here's a useful book, by three academics, for all readers wishing to further understand the 2008 presidential campaign--and for those who think they already understand it! ...All readers will come away feeling as clearheaded as these writers, a tribute to their work. --Library Journal, Starred Review, April 2009 --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 234 pages
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. (March 28, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0742561364
• ISBN-13: 978-0742561366
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #129,592 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Objectivity trumps spin, April 6, 2009

By	Jerome F. Climer (North Carolina) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

After a yearlong bombardment of spin and simplistic explanations of what was happening in the 2008 campaigns, serious readers needed objectivity and scholarly review of those elections and that is what they get in Epic Journey. While the author's attention to the presidential campaign is both natural and justified, the analysis of congressional and state elections found in Chapter Six is most useful and well presented. The final chapter, Seven, addressing potential campaign and electoral ramifications of this past campaign on future campaigns, is most thought provoking. From insightful observations about the future of the Electoral College debate, to recognition that the 2008 campaign probably changed the campaign-finance system permanently, to issues like early voting and registration fraud, the authors make the book more than just a review of the long campaign of 2008. The entire read is comfortable and escapes most of the academic-sounding jargon. The authors do a nice job of refuting a number of relevant misconceptions about political history and some common wisdom repeated throughout the campaign. If there is a weakness, it may be in the insufficient attention they gave to the economic downturn that was revealing itself in the late summer and early fall of 2008.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fine addition to any political collection, August 16, 2009

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

No one would have guessed a black man could take the White House two years ago. "Epic Journey: The 2008 Elections and American Politic" tells the story of the 2008 presidential election and how it's a historical snapshot of American politics. Discussing the effects of George W. Bush's term, "Epic Journey" is a fine historical read that will give readers a more complete and comprehensive understanding of the recent past. "Epic Journey" is a fine addition to any political collection.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Epic Journey, June 30, 2009

By	Fred Friedman "political junkie" (Santa Cruz, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I really enjoyed reading Epic Journey. It was an easy read that examines the political history leading up to the 2008 Democratic windfall. The authors do a great job presenting the facts and forces that had given the Republicans their moral majority following Reagan and how they lost it. It was as entertaining as it was full of facts and concise political analysis.