Customer Reviews

The Republican Party: A Photographic History of the GOP

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I purchased this book in a local store and love when my Democrat friends take notice of it in my apartment. They half can't resist making a snide comment and then proceed to take it down to look through it. It's a fun book with a nice collection of historical visuals.

After reading and writing a Review (January 8,2008) on "The Democratic Party by "Peter J.Ling ;I was pleased to find this book about "The Republican Party" by Adam Smith.
These are both excellent books and if the author's names weren't on the covers ;one could easily believe they were written and published by the same people as a set. They are the same large size 11.8 X 8.8 X 1.3 inches,both about 370 pages and both weigh 4.2 pounds.They are a set ,no matter how they came about.
Both books give an excellent story of the two Parties,the principles they stood for ,even though these varied over time.They are filled with hundreds of photographs of the many personalities,and events in the world of politics in America's history.
The one thing I found most surprising was how the positions of each party changed over the years,depending on whether or not they were the party in power at the time.
There is no doubt that the two parties are different in many ways,that those who are fanatically attached to one party or the other are completely convinced in their viewpoints and support their party ,no matter what.
However;the majority of people do not have such unflinching loyalty as that;and they change their suppoer depending on the issues,personalities,times and a variety of other reasons---and isn't that what Democracy is all about?
While many people think that there is a lot of problems with the politics and politicians who have run the United States for over 200 years;I dare say there is no other country that has done so well and lasted as long.While many people have predicted ,and even hoped,that the United States would fail;the U.S. is still,as President Reagan so aptly put it."The Shining City On The Hill".
As you go through these books,putting petty party politics aside,you will be reminded of both the good things as well as the difficult things that took place in America's history,by both parties and by the political leaders of both parties.
There is really no scorecard for the successes of either party,since the rules change,the circumstances change,the personalities change;but regardless one party continually attempts to replace the other and put their ideas into effect. It may be a little difficult to accept,especially for people who are dyed-in -the wool party supporters ,that once a party gets in power;they try to do the best they can with what they are dealt,and in the final analysis "The People" not "The Party" decides when it is a time to change.For a party that can be one term or decades,as these two books show.
There are many memorable photographs in both books;but I was surprised ,with the endless number of political photographs taken over the years;that so few color ones are included in these books, until fairly recent times.
A great "set" of books for anyone who follows politics,whether their persuasion is Democratic,Republican or whatever.

I have read the companion piece on the Democratic Party, and this book is just as nice. Both parties have long histories in our Republic. This book shows the foundation of the Republican Party in Ripon, WI to its present role. The photographs are worth a thousand words. This details the progress of our party from Lincoln to Bush II.

There is not much meat in this book. The photos are great, and I got a reasonable summary history of the Republican Party. For a more detailed history, the reader should go elsewhere. As one of the previous reviewers noted, both books are companion pieces, so one should buy both to get a good library.