No Excuses and over 360,000 other books are available for Amazon Kindle – Amazon’s new wireless reading device. Learn more

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
More Buying Choices
82 used & new from $0.01

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Express Checkout with PayPhrase
What's this? | Create PayPhrase
Sorry!
No Excuses: Concessions of a Serial Campaigner
 
 
Start reading No Excuses on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don’t have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.
 
  

No Excuses: Concessions of a Serial Campaigner (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: vice preside, years lacer, debate prep, New Hampshire, White House, Ted Kennedy (more...)
3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)

Price: $28.00 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. Details
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Only 1 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).

Want it delivered Tuesday, November 10? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
24 new from $0.67 56 used from $0.01 2 collectible from $4.95

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
  Kindle Edition $9.59 -- --
  Hardcover, Bargain Price $7.54 $4.15 $3.00
  Hardcover, June 5, 2007 $28.00 $0.67 $0.01
  Paperback $10.20 $0.01 $0.01
  MP3 CD, Audiobook, CD, MP3 Audio $26.59 $21.00 $9.99
  Audio, Download Offsite Link $18.37 or less with new Audible membership

Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this book with What A Party!: My Life Among Democrats: Presidents, Candidates, Donors, Activists, Alligators and Other Wild Animals by Terry McAuliffe

No Excuses: Concessions of a Serial Campaigner + What A Party!: My Life Among Democrats: Presidents, Candidates, Donors, Activists, Alligators and Other Wild Animals

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

The Boys on the Bus

The Boys on the Bus

by Timothy Crouse
4.3 out of 5 stars (12)  $10.85
The Thumpin': How Rahm Emanuel and the Democrats Learned to Be Ruthless and Ended the Republican Revolution

The Thumpin': How Rahm Emanuel and the Democrats Learned to Be Ruthless and Ended the Republican Revolution

by Naftali Bendavid
The Selling of the President

The Selling of the President

by Joe McGinniss
4.8 out of 5 stars (8)  $6.40
The Prince of Darkness: 50 Years Reporting in Washington

The Prince of Darkness: 50 Years Reporting in Washington

by Robert D. Novak
4.4 out of 5 stars (81)  $11.98
How to Rig an Election: Confessions of a Republican Operative

How to Rig an Election: Confessions of a Republican Operative

by Allen Raymond
4.1 out of 5 stars (31)  $10.80
Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

With this lengthy but frequently gripping memoir, Shrum recounts his three-decade career in American politics, which he began as a speechwriter for New York's Mayor John Lindsay and ended as a campaign strategist for John Kerry in the 2004 presidential election. More insider history than memoir, the book focuses almost exclusively on the author's professional experience, featuring richly detailed accounts of his efforts working on Edward Kennedy's, Al Gore's and John Kerry's unsuccessful presidential bids (conversely, Shrum covers his engagement and wedding to Marylouise, his wife of 18 years, in three swift pages). Unsurprisingly, given his background, Shrum writes with eloquence and passion; more unexpected is his disarming candor. He's by turns effusive and brutal, for example waxing poetic about Edward Kennedy after vehemently criticizing Jimmy Carter. Later, he voices somewhat harsh ambivalence toward Bill Clinton. A deep sense of disappointment pervades the book: Shrum's string of failed presidential campaigns led to talk of the "Shrum curse," which the author never managed to overcome. Casual judgments and frank disclosures along the way make this a provocative and entertaining behind-the-scenes look at American politics. B&w photos not seen by PW. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


From Booklist

With experience working with the presidential candidacies of eight Democrats, as well as on the elections of senators, governors, and mayors, and with a reputation that has ranged from wunderkind to curse, Shrum offers a long and broad perspective on the Democrats' political strategizing over the past 30 years. Among his clients: George McGovern, Dick Gephardt, Al Gore, and John Kerry, as well as Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. Given their track records as winners and losers, Shrum's involvement in their candidacies has left him with a reputation as "the black cat of American politics, someone who had connived, confused, consulted, and condemned" Democratic candidates. Shrum recalls candidates in unguarded, vulnerable moments, when they actually spoke their minds, and in calculating moments, when they wanted the words—and ideas—placed in their mouths. Shrum also recalls the infighting, self-destruction, and spin typical of American politics as it has evolved in the last three decades. Although he does detail his own shortcomings, he laments the tendency to blame the consultant when the campaign ends in defeat. An enlightening and amusing look at American politics by a consummate insider. Bush, Vanessa
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 544 pages
  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster (June 5, 2007)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0743296516
  • ISBN-13: 978-0743296519
  • Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.6 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #148,722 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

More About the Author

Robert Shrum
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Visit Amazon's Robert Shrum Page

Inside This Book (learn more)


Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(1)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

 

Customer Reviews

32 Reviews
5 star:
 (9)
4 star:
 (12)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:
 (2)
1 star:
 (7)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.4 out of 5 stars (32 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Shrum Offers Honest and Provocative Insider's Account, June 5, 2007
If you enjoy reading an insider's account of a presidential campaign, then this book is difficult to pass up. Shrum is as candid as ever, and has produced a powerfully well-written and passionate memoir. He presents an inside look into several presidential campaigns from his vantage point, and pulls no punches. Whether one agrees or disagrees with Shrum's analysis, kudos to him for his honesty.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars a page turner by a great wordsmith, June 28, 2007
By Martin J. Keenan (Great Bend, KS USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Shrum is first and foremost, a wordsmith, a speechwriter, which led to political consulting. From the start of the book where he describes meeting JFK as a teenager---to the conclusion, in which Sen. Edward Kennedy throws Shrum a retirement party, the book is filled with interesting stuff about politics. A true "inside-baseball" account of the presidential races in recent decades.
Shrum seems even-handed in his assessment of people in politics, and the times he reveals unflattering information about people doesn't come across as score-settling, but simply telling it like it is. All good political books have to have some new information---some zingers about political stars, but Shrum's assessment of people is balanced by both positive and negative information. The one guy who seems to get no criticism in the book is Ted Kennedy, and it is clear that Ted and Shrum are close friends and that Shrum has too much respect for the Kennedys to
throw in any zingers about him or his clan. A great read by a great writer.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Eyewitness to power, August 10, 2007
Whether or not you agree politically with Robert Shrum, "No Excuses" is a no holds barred look at his career as a speechwriter and as a consultant. From McGovern to Kerry, Shrum has been at the right hand of those running for office and those serving...it's been quite a ride and he captures it with style and panache.

Most of us who are aware of the author know two things about him.....he's been on tv a lot over the past years... (his countenance is one not easily forgotten) and his track record for lending a hand in unsuccessful presidential races has been, well, astoundingly bad. Shrum acknowledges this but he has a great amount of self-deprecation in these losses and shares some of the blame when things haven't gone well. But he reminds readers that he has been very good at getting senators and governors elected. This might seem to be a covering explanation for the presidential level, but the political process is filled with those who need to be elected if they want to further their aspirations.

The "not so surprising" aspect of "No Excuses" is that Shrum can write well! (he can't drive or type, he tells us) The book never lets down and keeps forging ahead from one campaign to the next with the author contributing his take on the candidates and others around him. He minces no words about those he likes and dislikes. Certainly Ted Kennedy and Shrum's own astute wife, Marylouise, are the political and personal heroes of his life. The backroom decision-making processes are what makes his experience so intriguing. Especially of concern was his listening to and advising both John Kerry and John Edwards about their 2002 vote authorizing Bush to use force in Iraq. No clear-cut ideologies here. The book crackles with drama as election nights 2000 and 2004 are recounted (and also "re-counted"!) as they shift back between victory and defeat. Shrum is in such a unique position of being a speechwriter and a consultant that it is sometimes hard to know where he draws the line. Apparently, it was hard for him, too, to know exactly how he fit into the picture, on occasion.

As I read "No Excuses" I felt in many ways like it was a walk down "memory lane" as I cut my teeth in politics around the same time Shrum did. He did give me a better perspective on those candidates for whom I had voted...the ones I felt passionate about and the ones for whom it was just a pull of the lever. McGovern and Clinton I'd go for again, but Carter and Kerry, no. I'm sure many readers will identify with those men and it's just as well we didn't know how the campaigns were "made".

On a more current note, I was surprised to read about the antipathy between Kerry and Edwards. After the election, Kerry told Shrum he wished he had never picked Edwards. With Kerry now out of the presidential picture, Edwards will come under more scrutiny for those who read about him from Shrum.

Bob Shrum has given us what I would consider a nicely balanced look at his life in politics, taking the hits when necessary and gaining the credit where he should. "No Excuses" is simply a fascinating read, regardless of one's political persuasion. I highly recommend it for its compelling narrative, Shrum's detail of recollections and for his being an eyewitness to power and history in the making.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Shrumie comes up with some good excuses
If you love politics this is a fun read but the title is a misnomer as Mr. Shrum is more than a little thin skinned. Read more
Published 16 months ago by sirbed

5.0 out of 5 stars IF YOU WANT AN INSIDER'S VIEW OF ELECTIONS
When I first saw Bob Schrum's book on the shelves at my local book store, I pulled it out, cracked the cover, and sat cross-legged right there on the floor, inhaling about 100... Read more
Published 17 months ago by John P. Flannery

4.0 out of 5 stars Tales of A Vilified Man
For many, particularly in the wake of the 2002 and 2004 electoral disasters, Shrum represents the very epitome of what is wrong with the national Democractic Party... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Bertram Wooster

1.0 out of 5 stars No Excuses as long as there is MUCH money to be made
Shrum proves that money and politics corrupts.

Nothing he was written justifies the money he and his business partners garnered from just the Kerrey 2004 campaign... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Thomas Freeman

1.0 out of 5 stars No Excuses as long as there is MUCH money to be made
Shrum proves that money and politics corrupts.

Nothing he was written justifies the money he and his business partners garnered from just the Kerrey 2004 campaign... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Thomas Freeman

4.0 out of 5 stars The Forest Gump of democratic politics
The author is sort of like the Forest Gump of Democratic politics. He seems to be there or close by in all of the major events within the democratic party over the past 40 years... Read more
Published 24 months ago by Thomas M. Magee

5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful and an easy read
Shrum's book is insightful and an easy read. It is a truly candid look at politics from the inside. Shrum has no problems naming names when necessary to tell the story. Read more
Published on October 26, 2007 by Conserv. Republican

1.0 out of 5 stars Spin, spin, spin
Bob Shrum drank the Kool Aid back in high school and has never wavered from his view of the world. A master spin doctor and superb speech writer, this book is a 500-page apolgia... Read more
Published on October 15, 2007 by Amdream

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Historical Look at Democratic Politics
Shrum gives an indepth look at democratic politics since the late 1960's with an insiders view. Yet, he is willing to point out his shortfalls along the way and the shortfalls of... Read more
Published on September 16, 2007 by Paul R. Roos

2.0 out of 5 stars Tedium, Mostly, Except When Infuriating
Oh who cares, ultimately, what this spinmeister has to say? He's yesterday's news, thank God. The only interesting thing he has to tell concerns the disastrous poll-driven advice... Read more
Published on September 12, 2007 by godwillen

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   




Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)


Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject

 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.