Quiet Passion: A Biography of Bob Graham [Hardcover]

S. V. Date (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 25, 2004

A biography of the one electable Democratic presidential candidate with the guts to provide a real alternative to George Bush.

Senator Bob Graham of Florida is the one electable Democrat running for President who provides a real alternative to George Bush. And S. V. Date is uncannily suited to write Graham's biography: an acclaimed novelist (praised by The New York Times Book Review for his "hilarious political satire"), Date is also a veteran journalist who has covered Florida politics since 1995 and has access to Senator Graham and his intimates.

Date reveals Graham's motivations and the sheer drive and talent that turned a country boy into a multimillionaire, two-term Florida Governor, United States Senator (since 1987), and now, a presidential candidate willing to speak unpopular truths. While most Democrats hemmed and hawed, Graham-"a modern-day Paul Revere" (The Washington Post)-unequivocally opposed the Iraq war, stating repeatedly and forcefully that it was diverting funds and focus from preventing future terrorist attacks in the United States.

The biography offers a balanced portrait of Graham. Date explores both the compromises Graham made to get to the top and his quirky side, including Graham's ritual of filling small notebooks with every detail of his day, as well as his inclination to break out into an occasional bad song, including the self-penned "I'm a Florida Graham cracker. Be a Graham cracker backer!"

Senator Graham Cracker, like the man himself, is straight-forward, funny, and smart.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Veteran Florida journalist and novelist Date (Final Orbit) details both why Graham, a two-term governor and three-term senator, has been such a popular politician in the Sunshine State-and why he has not fulfilled expectations for higher office. While Date emphasizes Graham's reserved, deliberate nature, what also comes through is the senator's ability to succeed using unconventional methods: e.g., while running for governor in 1977, he devised the idea of "workdays," when he would spend a day doing an ordinary job, a campaign strategy that, Date explains, Graham took seriously-and one that he has continued while serving as senator. He's also known for singing at campaign rallies. Date is generally positive about Graham's career, emphasizing his environmental record as governor and his important role as head of the Senate Intelligence Committee after September 11. But Date casts a critical glance at Graham's support for the death penalty and his stance against returning Elián Gonzalez back to Cuba-both positions that Date surmises might have been taken less out of conviction than with an eye toward Florida voters. Date also devotes a chapter to Graham's notebooks-in which the senator dutifully records his every move. It's an unexplained quirk that the media has jumped on whenever Graham has been considered for national office. Graham was the first Democratic candidate to drop out of the 2004 presidential race. Tarcher is hoping for a vice-presidential slot for Graham; otherwise it's hard to see a national market for this well-done bio.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

Bob Graham of Florida should win the Democratic primaries and bury Bush. (Jimmy Breslin)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Tarcher (March 25, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585423041
• ISBN-13: 978-1585423040
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,294,063 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing, Detailed, Fair, and Poignant--an Excellent Read., June 14, 2004

By 

Allison Garcia (Boca Raton, FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Quiet Passion: A Biography of Bob Graham (Hardcover)

S.V. Date's book is an easy read - you can read it over a weekend - but it is surprisingly deep and well-researched. The book, written in the straightforward prose one expects from a seasoned newspaper reporter, is especially strong on Graham's bumpy yet successful ride as a politician in Florida. The author's observations of Graham are positive, yet balanced, looking at Graham's strengths and weaknesses, his moments of true leadership and his worst mistakes. On the whole, the book left me with a favorable impression of Graham -- he comes across as a bright, patriotic and hard-working leader who tried to make peoples lives better.