Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi's Life, Times, and Rise to Power [Hardcover]

Marc Sandalow (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 29, 2008 | ISBN-10: 1594868077 | ISBN-13: 978-1594868078 | Edition: First Edition

Unthinkable just a generation ago, Hillary Clinton's run for the presidency and Nancy Pelosi's ascension to Speaker of the House have cast the spotlight on American political women as never before. In the 230 years of this country's history, never has a woman—let alone a mother and a grandmother—risen to such a position of power as Nancy Pelosi did when she assumed her role as the first female Speaker of the House, third in line for the presidency.

In Madam Speaker, Marc Sandalow, an esteemed journalist and political analyst who covered Pelosi for decades, offers a richly nuanced portrait of the woman who made history. He charts Pelosi's political roots, honing in on her father, who spent five terms in Congress and stored hundreds of copies of the Congressional Record under her bed, and goes on to examine how Pelosi, who didn't run for political office until she was 47 years old, juggled her family life and fought hard to forge a place for herself in Washington, ultimately becoming one of the most influential voices in our nation.

Based on hundreds of interviews with Pelosi's colleagues, family, and friends—and the Speaker herself—Sandalow culls together insightful anecdotes and political analysis to chronicle Pelosi's meteoric rise and controversial tenure. Madam Speaker illuminates the inspiring life of a woman who has already made history.

Editorial Reviews

Review

  "All Americans should know Nancy Pelosi's remarkable story. This is a fascinating account of one of the nation's most fascinating political figures. No journalist has followed her more closely, and can tell her story better, than Marc Sandalow.'' —Willie Brown, former California Assembly Speaker and mayor of San Francisco

  "An illuminating portrait of the forces that shaped Nancy Pelosi and the way she wields power as the first woman to achieve the highest post in a male-dominated institution." —Eleanor Clift, contributing editor, Newsweek

  "This book is a wonderful insight into the first woman Speaker of the House. She is a modern pioneer whose life story is an inspiration to a whole new generation of women. And no one has followed her political career more closely than Marc Sandalow." —Leon Panetta, former White House chief of staff

About the Author

Marc Sandalow spent 21 years on the staff of the San Francisco Chronicle, the last 10 years as the paper's Washington bureau chief. He is currently a political analyst on KPIX-TV and KCBS radio in San Francisco. Sandalow is a coauthor of a book on baseball entitled Ballparks: A Panoramic History, and lives in Bethesda, Maryland.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 344 pages
• Publisher: Modern Times; First Edition edition (April 29, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594868077
• ISBN-13: 978-1594868078
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #270,904 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars Oh no. not again, July 21, 2011

By 

Gerald T. Westbrook "GTW" (Texas) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi's Life, Times, and Rise to Power (Hardcover)

Book Review: Madame Speaker

This review is on the third book I have bought on or about her.

Two review sources have been used to help in this review: Amazon (AZN) and Barnes & Noble (B&N). An interesting sequence of Customer reviews was noted as follows:

Thirteen reviews were recorded on AZN by Peter Richardson. He was responsible for 13 out of 21

reviews. Now 21 reviews is a small number by what one would expect to see on Amazon, but

large in this sampling. His third review covered this book. Richardson notes that "Readers

expecting a full blown, soup to nuts critical biography won't find it here." He reports that the

picture that emerges from this book "is that of an organized, hardworking, business like

leader." He goes on to report that he enjoyed this book. He closed, by calling it "Very

worthwhile."

However this accolade was followed by:

"(Full disclosure: I edit Pelosi's daughter, Christine.)." This addition, while one can appreciate

The motive behind it, is surely one that would not give one much confidence in this review.

One review was recorded on AZN by C. Williams. This seven line review starts out declaring that the author "has done a superb job pulling together a coherent and well told story of the rise of Nancy Pelosi." He concludes with the observation that this "would make an excellent book group choice for women seeking inspiration." However, in my reviews on two other books on Ms Pelosi, I have noted that she may be suffering from a royalty fixation. This would not be a good fit for women "seeking inspiration."

One review was recorded on AZN by Joseph A. Hennessey. This review was substantially larger at 17 lines, primarily used for inputs from two historians: Edward H. Carr and Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. He concluded it by commenting "that this book is a must read." However, that was a conclusion I simply could not share.

Zero reviews were posted on B&N. However, Kirkus Reviews posted the following partially edited review: "By-the-numbers bio of the Speaker of the House." Former San Francisco Chronicle Washington bureau chief Sandalow seems unsure whether to like, dislike or fear Nancy Pelosi, whose career he has been covering since 1987 (though, by his account, whom he first met only in 1993). "I have had a hot and cold relationship with Pelosi," he writes. Apparently Madam Speaker returns the favor, for this is an unauthorized biography chockablock with imagined conversations and scenes that speak to lack of access, unless he were hiding under her bed when the call from the White House came to congratulate her on her election to the nation's third in command. We will never know. Admittedly, Sandalow notes, Pelosi disdains the press; her attitude probably won't be improved by this too often ham-fisted piece, with all its unnecessary flourishes and choppy paeans to Pelosi's legendary multitasking abilities ("Each day was a logistical labyrinth. Carpools. Fund raising letters. School plays. Donor meetings. Birthday parties. Printing deadlines. Teacher meetings. Slate cards. Soccer practice. School supplies.)

Conclusion. The number of customer reviews seen hear speak for themselves. Thirteen, one, one and zero reviews are almost trivial numbers compared to what one would expect to see, and seem to declare there is not much of a book here, and again a book I am sorry that I bought.

18 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Important Story, Well Told, May 26, 2008

By 

Peter Richardson (San Francisco Bay Area) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi's Life, Times, and Rise to Power (Hardcover)

This portrait of the nation's first female Speaker of the House is built for speed; its short paragraphs and newspaper style are probably the result of Sandalow's former day job at the San Francisco Chronicle. Readers expecting a full-blown, soup-to-nuts critical biography won't find it here, and the "Times" part of the subtitle isn't quite apt. This is Pelosi's life story, told quickly and effectively, but without the benefit of much retrospection or even cooperation from the subject or her staff. (Pelosi is planning to write a memoir.) For this more replete kind of biography of a San Francisco politician, the gold standard is still John Jacobs's *Rage for Justice*, which features Phil Burton, one of Pelosi's mentors.

Still, I enjoyed *Madam Speaker* and learned a lot from it. In fact, one of the things I learned is that Pelosi wasn't Burton's creature, though Burton's widow Sala essentially bequeathed her House seat to Pelosi on her death bed. Pelosi is quoted as saying that Phil Burton might not have supported that move. Interesting.

The other thing I learned is how much political savvy Pelosi picked up from her family in Baltimore. Her father was elected both to the House and as mayor, and he did retail politics the old-fashioned way--right in the neighborhood. In fact, he did a lot of it in the family home, which was frequently full of constituents seeking favors and whatnot. Pelosi's father also provides a good deal of the book's color. Her messaging is very disciplined; he was more willing to open up his game, and Sandalow records some of his zingers, at least two of which are laugh-out-loud funny.

The picture that emerges from Sandalow's biography is that of an organized, hardworking, business-like leader. She's sure of her convictions but focused on results, self-respecting but more than willing to share the credit. Most of her peers describe her as a tough Italian grandmother--which happens to match her self-description. "I'm not taking complaints today," she used to tell her five young children when the lamentations began. But like all good legislative leaders, she knows what motivates her colleagues, tracks every detail, and takes no guff.

Very worthwhile. (Full disclosure: I edit Pelosi's daughter, Christine.)

4 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pelosi's Life Story Told by Accomplished Journalist, August 5, 2008

By 

C. Williams "Red house yonder" (Seattle) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi's Life, Times, and Rise to Power (Hardcover)

Marc Sandalow has done a superb job pulling together a coherent and well told story of the rise of Nancy Pelosi. The stories of her childhood in Baltimore, her fathers accomplishments in the parochial neighborhoods of Baltimore and the lessons Pelosi seems to have learned about building relationships are well told and generally not well known about the San Francisco politician. Sandalow does an good job pulling together a coherent story of a women who has made a huge impact as the role of women in politics becomes a part of the American landscape. Would make an excellent book group choice for women seeking inspiration.