Kings Of The Hill: How Nine Powerful Men Changed The Course Of American History (Paperback)

~ Richard Cheney (Author), Lynne V. Cheney (Creator) "In November 1811, six young representatives, most of them new, roomed at Mrs. Dawson's boardinghouse on Capitol Hill in Washington City..." (more)
Key Phrases: war hawks, elected speaker, floor leader, Rules Committee, House of Representatives, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

High-level government insiders themselves, the Cheneys profile nine of the most influential and controversial leaders of the House of Representatives in American history.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

From Henry Clay to Newt Gingrich -- the men who ruled Congress and changed the course of American history

Since the early days of our country, leaders in the House of Representatives have exerted tremendous force and influence on government policy and consequently on both domestic and world affairs. Now, two prominent public figures profile nine of America's most provocative, colorful, and controversial congressional leaders: Henry Clay, James Polk, Thaddeus Stevens, James Blaine, Thomas Reed, Joe Cannon, Nicholas Longworth, Sam Rayburn, and Newt Gingrich. Capturing the personalities of these men in revealing anecdotes, the Cheneys present a telling chronicle of how power in the House affects not only congressional politics, but the nation as a whole.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone (May 9, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684823403
• ISBN-13: 978-0684823409
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #727,294 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Quick Read About Fascinating Leaders in Congress, August 29, 2000

By	Wayne A. Smith (Wilmington, DE) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Ever wonder how 435 egomaniacs get even a few bills done in
Congress?

The Cheneys supply the answer in this book of excellent
vignettes on several masters of the US House of Representatives. Meet
Clay, Polk, Stevens, Blaine, Reed, Cannon, Longworth, Rayburn and
Gingrich as they work their will on their members to controll the
legislative process.

By examining the role of congressional
leadership through history and historic personalities, this book both
illustrates how the House has changed and how the nature of power
hasn't. These men relied on personal relationships, codes of honor
that won respect and a willingness to exercise power (ie, risk tough
battles, reward friends and punish enemies) to run the House.

Both
the history buff and those interested in leadership studies will find
this book interesting. Though well written, the book is short. I
think that it could have delved into more detail of some of the
political battles these men faced and still been fascinating. Maybe
Dick Cheney will have the time to expand upon this theme as Vice
President -- there is a lot of opportunity for writing while jetting
to and from foreign funerals (as John Nance Garner -- FDR's 1st VP --
said "the job's not worth a bucket of warm spit!).

4.0 out of 5 stars Great insight into role of the Speaker, November 3, 2000

By	"spiff_5" (Valrico, FL United States) - See all my reviews

I thouroughly enjoyed this book. It covered each topic just enough with a good balance of political, social, and personal aspects and how the three inter-related and affected the subjects. For someone just beginning to understand the history of the House, it is a great book to read.

6 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Controlling Caos, April 7, 2001

By	Greg Leaman "Bthov6th" (Oostburg, WI United States) - See all my reviews

Want to know where the real seat of control lies in the US government? Then this book about some of the most powerful men in the history of the House of Representatives is an excellent (although short) resource. I now have a much better appreciation of the need to ensure control of that body is in the hands of truthful, focused and principled people.

The book needs a re-write, though. It stops (was published) before the full impact of Newt Gingrich's term could be evaluated.

Read this book and you'll have a new respect for the workings of the House of Representatives and, by extension, the federal government - something like controlling chaos!