Customer Reviews

Where the Evidence Leads: An Autobiography

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This book describes in fascinating detail the political life and governmental experience of a man who has held numerous offices. Dick's life has included tragedy and triumph, and Dick holds no punches in describing all significant events. The book is well written, candid, insightful, honest and interesting. Regardless of your political party or your politics, it is must reading.

As the title of this autobiography suggests, and the pages that follow confirm, this is the story of Dick Thornburgh, who has a strong and lengthy legal career. That this legal career was interrupted by eight years of service as Governor almost would appear a diversion from someone who rose from the Board of Directors of his local ACLU to be a United States Attorney and ultimately U.S. Attorney General. Yet, as the book informs, Dick Thornburgh was definitely a politician who successfully balanced switching between political and legal careers.
It was Dick Thornburgh's poltical work that caught the attention of Republican Party leader Elsie Hillman that led her to successfully push the political buttons to get Thornbugh the position of U.S. Attorney. Thornburgh had earlier worked in a Senate campaign and run a losing race for Congress. Although his preparation for the job was lacking, as Thornburgh admits his initial reaction was "What does a U.S. Attorney do?", Thornburgh had a distinguished career as a federal prosecutor. He went after organized crime figures and public corruption, although his zeal fadedat times, as when he refused a request by Arlen Specter to investigate some fellow Republicans on allegal illegal campaign payments.
A weakness of the book is it lacks depth of analysis in explaining how he chose many of his policies as Governor. The book excels in describing the Three Mile Island crisis. Here, the book is descriptive and reflective and leaves readers with useful advice on crisis management. Readers of legal history and Pennsylvania politics will find this an important book to examine.

Mr. Thornburgh came into office just as I was taking the lead in our family business. I was becoming aware of the incompetence and corruption of Pennsylvania's Democrat-led government. He gathered the business community to his side to make some hard decisions, particularly in the bankrupt unemployment compensation fund, to make the state solvent again. He achieved a budget surplus and created a "rainy day" savings account. He reduced the number of patronage jobs and returned the highway department to competence. I wish he were young enough to come back to be our governor again. He is dead-honest and loves his wife.