I Am Martin Eisenstadt: One Man's (Wildly Inappropriate) Adventures with the Last Republicans [Paperback]

Martin Eisenstadt (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 27, 2009

In the days after the 2008 presidential election, we heard that Sarah Palin thought Africa was one big country. We heard that the leak came from Martin Eisenstadt, a McCain policy adviser. And then, within forty-eight hours, we heard that he was a fraud, a fake, and that Martin Eisenstadt didn't exist.

Maybe he doesn’t. But in a world where "news" can spread like wildfire on the Internet and a hoax can tell you more about politics than the facts, Martin Eisenstadt—whose blog and think tank fooled the world—has something to tell us. With the savviness of Primary Colors and the playfulness of Forrest Gump, his book is a mix of political intrigue, campaign-trail escapades, and cyberspace detective work. From debate preparation with Sarah Palin to his mother’s basement (yes, he still lives at home), from Liberation of Iraq softball games to Saturday Night Live; from his campaign for casinos in the Green Zone to happy hour in Washington, we follow a neocon pundit on his travels. This is his version of the election campaign.

Martin Eisenstadt: Hoaxster? Hero? You decide.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“What’s consistently funny about the book is that for all that Martin Eisenstadt is an obvious parody, there is a striking similarity between his character and demeanor and those of many of the people you routinely encounter in green rooms and cocktail parties around Washington. This time, like the last time, the joke goes both ways. That’s why I intend it as real praise when I say that I Am Martin Eisenstadt is the best fake memoir of the campaign season.” —Joshua Green, Washington Monthly

 

“Washington has no shortage of pundits who pretend to know what they're talking about. But there's a real dearth of pretend pundits—and even fewer who will talk about why they're pretending in the first place.” —Rick Klein, ABC News

 

“The prank was funny, but it was also a telling example of what can sneak through the cracks of a 24-hour cable news cycle. But this part is not a joke: The two jesters now have a book out.” —Patrick Gavin, POLITICO

 

“He's been described as Stephen Colbert on the loose....The fake pundit has made friends with former White House press secretary Joe Lockhart, who hosted a book party at his Embassy Row home Wednesday night.” —Tara Palmeri, The Washington Examiner

 

“Laugh-out loud funny!” —Byron C. Tau, Roll Call

 

“Mirvish and Gorlin have produced Eisenstadt's memoir, a chronicle of his years in American politics and a fictional attempt to dispel those nasty rumors that he doesn't exist. It's a fiendishly fun book, full of startling revelations.” —David Pitt, Booklist

 

“Martin Eisenstadt: America's Best Pundit....[his] new memoir is essential reading for all political junkies.” —Ken Silverstein, Washington Babylon, Harpers.org

“What Stephen Colbert is to Bill O'Reilly, Martin Eisenstadt is to countless political pundits. Hilarious...biting commentary on Washington, D.C.” —Jeremy Jacobs, Politics Magazine

“Martin Eisenstadt is a fake, a fraud, a scam artist.” —Howard Kurtz, CNN (November 30, 2008)

 

“And look at this in the upper left hand corner: 'Martin Eisenstadt is a fake, a fraud, a scam artist!' Talk about there being no such thing as bad publicity. Can you believe this? I denounce the guy as a lying snake and he's using me to sell books!... Amazing!” —Howard Kurtz, CNN (October 25, 2009)

 

“Eitan and Dan's stunt simply proved what everyone already knew—24-hour news can easily fall victim to sensationalism. But more importantly, the authors and the book are funny, and we should all relax and take ourselves a little less seriously.” —Amos Hochstein, former deputy campaign manager to Chris Dodd, via The Washington Post

 

“So who did tell Fox News that [Sarah] Palin could not identify the countries involved in NAFTA and that she thought Africa was a country instead of a continent? Turns out it was Martin Eisenstadt, a McCain policy adviser, who has come forward today to identify himself as the source of the leaks.” —David Shuster, MSNBC

“Now a pair of obscure filmmakers, Dan Mirvish and Eitan Gorlin, say they created Martin Eisenstadt… But under the circumstances, why should anyone believe a word they say?” —Richard Pérez-Peña, The New York Times

About the Author

The political strategist and conservative analyst Martin Eisenstadt is a senior fellow at the Harding Institute for Freedom and Democracy and founder and president of the influential Eisenstadt Group. An expert on Near Eastern military and political affairs, Mr. Eisenstadt worked alongside Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign, offering advice and liaising with the Jewish community in particular. Prior to that, he consulted on the Rudolph Giuliani campaign, as well as for numerous corporate and multinational organizations on issues of security and policy development. Mr. Eisenstadt has been an influential voice in public policy debate for over a decade. By the time you read this, he will have his own place and will not be living in his mother’s basement.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Faber & Faber (October 27, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0865479143
• ISBN-13: 978-0865479142
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,180,884 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Political strategist and conservative analyst Martin Eisenstadt is a senior fellow at the The Harding Institute for Freedom and Democracy and Founder and President of the influential Eisenstadt Group. An expert on Near Eastern military and political affairs, Mr. Eisenstadt worked alongside Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign, offering advice and liaising with the Jewish community in particular. Eisenstadt generated headlines around the world as the self-admitted leak that Sarah Palin did not know that Africa was a continent. Prior to his work for McCain, Eisenstadt consulted on the Rudolph Giuliani primary campaign.

Time Magazine has designated Eisenstadt as one of America's elite "Twitterati" as well as listing him as its #8 Fleeting Celebrity of 2008. Eisenstadt has been quoted or written about in the Los Angeles Times, Mother Jones, The New Republic, The Times of India and has appeared or been quoted on CNN, MSNBC, FoxNews, ABC, CBS and Extra.

Controversy swirled around Eisenstadt in late 2008, when the New York Times claimed that he was simply a fictional creation of filmmakers and media satirists Dan Mirvish and Eitan Gorlin. Martin Eisenstadt himself has consistently denied these claims and refuted such spurious allegations.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The best political book of the year November 21, 2009

By Amazon Book Junky

Format:Paperback

I am Martin Eisenstadt is a brilliant book that is humorous but not trivial. I have not been more entertained by any book since Al Franken's classic, Lies and the Lying Liars that Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced ....

I strongly recommend you read this book and also watch "The Last Republican" series on YOUTUBE. [...]

Thank you Martin Eisenstadt.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Compare this book to Sarah Palin's November 20, 2009

By D. Sadler

Format:Paperback

Length: 2:40 Mins

This is Martin Eisenstadt's response to Sarah Palin's book, but it does point out one interesting thing. Marty's book has an index (and endnotes and good reviews from serious journalists...). Sarah's has none of those. So the question is... which one is fiction?

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars memoir or hoax? it hardly matters December 14, 2009

By Orrin Creeley

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is not bad for a book which was written by an author (Martin Eisenstadt) who is supposed not to even exist. Okay, I've got to say, this is one funny political "tell-all" book if there ever was one, and it covers so much which went on not so long ago, even stuff that is trivial or really has nothing to do with politics and is probably best left uncovered (or should I say covered) but you're pleased it's in here. Forget about the Presidential political autobiographies we've all read that try to paint the perspective politicians in such a good light. This one goes for the stories they don't want you to know about and the parodies are golden. From Guliani to Foley, from Obama to Sarah Palin, from the Jonas Brothers to Joe the Plumber, from Iran Contra to Africa as a country, it's all in here for your undiluted amusement.