Heist: Superlobbyist Jack Abramoff, His Republican Allies, and the Buying of Washington (Hardcover)

~ Peter H. Stone (Author) "It certainly wasn't the way that Republicans in Washington wanted to start the new year-especially an election year such as 2006..." (more)
Key Phrases: lobbying associates, tribal clients, casino clients, Greenberg Traurig, Capitol Hill, Preston Gates (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this absorbing exposé, journalist Stone rakes through every bit of Abramoff muck, from his role as producer of the Dolph Lundgren thriller Red Scorpion to his efforts to shield Marianas Islands sweatshops from labor regulations and minimum-wage laws. In his ripest scam, Abramoff took Indian casinos for millions, largely to help quash rival gambling establishments; in one masterstroke, he lobbied to get the Tigua tribe's casino reopened—after secretly organizing the campaign that shut it down. No mere opportunist, Stone contends, Abramoff became "financial godfather to a conservative influence machine" and "indispensable bagman" to GOP stalwarts like Tom DeLay, Grover Norquist and Ralph Reed—who almost outsleazed Abramoff by organizing Christian antigambling crusades while collecting millions from Abramoff's tribal casino clients (and recently lost a Republican primary in Georgia perhaps because of this hypocrisy). Stone's sometimes repetitive account traces the labyrinthine routes—the charity front groups, the golf junkets—by which Abramoff funneled money to lawmakers and translated that influence into policy. The details can be eye glazing—as they were designed to be—but Stone keeps the story comprehensible while sprinkling in quotes from Abramoff's e-mails ("those moronic Tiguas... I'd love us to get our mitts on their moolah") that showcase his irrepressible grubbiness. The result is a troubling but colorful portrait of business as usual in Washington. (Oct.)
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Review

"...[A]ll the damning evidence a reader could want...with luck, this lively little study will help inspire reforms." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Peter Stone has provided a comprehensive history...the clearest picture yet of how Abramoff's operation really worked." -- Washington Monthly

"To anyone who cares about our political institutuions and their integrity, this story is simply revolting." -- Norman J. Ornstein, The New York Times Book Review

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux; First edition (October 3, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374299315
• ISBN-13: 978-0374299316
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #619,915 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most comprehensive account of the Abramoff scandal yet written, April 5, 2007

By	Brandon Wilkening (Bloomington, IN United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This was a highly entertaining and readable account of the Abramoff scandal. Before I started reading it, I had a pretty vague understanding of the whole affair. I had obviously followed the story in the newspapers but tended to get lost in all the details of the intricate plot. Stone does a good job of explaining Abramoff's activities in a clear way that renders the affair understandable even to those with no prior knowledge. For the most part, Stone's voice is fairly unbiased. He presents the facts and lets them speak for themselves. He mostly refrains from making moral judgments of Abramoff and his collaborators until the last chapter, in which he situates the scandal within the larger topic of corruption in Washington. If I had to make a criticism, it might be that the author is sometimes repetitive, as he had a habit of citing certain facts and making certain arguments multiple times. Overall, however, I would recommend this book to anybody looking to gain a better understanding of the Abramoff affair. It makes for a pretty entertaining read at points, mainly just because the affair itself is so interesting and populated by such a colorful cast of characters. As far as I know, this is the only book-length treatment of the Abramoff scandal.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Nothing but a shallow xerox job, December 20, 2008

By	Deanne R. Peterson "truthsquad" (boston, MA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The problem with this book is it swallowed whole what had already been reported in the press without the author doing any analysis or insight. Stone didn't delve into the depths. He just skimmed the surface. The author simply bought everything the Washington Post said, swallowed whatever Senator John Sidney McCain claimed, and believed the verdict imposed by the Justice Department, because the matter never went to trial. He had no access to Abramoff and no access to 99% of the documentary evidence that McCain refused to release. In a word, this author didn't scratch below the surface. He just basically photocopied what the press had already reported. This book is a complete waste of time.

5.0 out of 5 stars Stone's original reporting tells a wicked tale, August 14, 2008

By	Anne Colamosca "writer and reader" (new york, new york United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Peter Stone's first-rate investigative reporting -- done over several years -- is a deftly handled take by an experienced Washington reporter on Jack Abramoff's scandalous activities. The thing that makes this book stand out is the incredible amount of original reporting that went into it. The tale is also well-written and not overly hyped. It doesn't have to be. It is told in delicious, understated detail that could easily be turned into a movie script.