An Amazing Adventure: Joe and Hadassah's Personal Notes on the 2000 Campaign (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Hadassah Lieberman (Author) "It's hard to call friends with bad news, but on that Sunday night, two of my friends did..." (more)
Key Phrases: Secret Service, Supreme Court, Los Angeles (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Readers expecting political insights, in-depth policy analysis or entertaining and gossipy insider information about the 2000 presidential election will have to look elsewhere than this diary-like account. Instead, the former Democratic vice-presidential candidate and his wife avoid any risk of controversy and offer a politically safe recounting of the campaign that does double duty as a preview of the centerpiece themes of a potential 2004 Lieberman run at the presidency. The narrative begins when Senator Lieberman learns he is on the short list of candidates and continues through the wrenching loss of Florida's electoral votes. The Liebermans alternate impressions, sometimes describing the same event. Suffice it to say there is no Rashomon-style disconnect, but rather unabashed and uninformative praise by each for the other. Hadassah Lieberman's view is the more novel, as she describes how the scrutiny that follows elevation to the national stage takes over her wardrobe, her personal routines and her natural voice as she is encouraged and cajoled by her campaign staff to "stay on message." The Liebermans are observant Jews, and their discussions on the role of religion in their lives and in American politics are thoughtful. But in the end this is a frustrating effort, as the Liebermans skate the surface of issues, content to wrap what could have been an interesting and dramatic insider story in a surfeit of praise for each other, Al Gore, their staffs, the Secret Service and all things American. Photos.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

When active national politicians publish books, it is usually a telltale sign that they want the presidency. John F. Kennedy began the modern precedent with Profiles in Courage, assisted by speechwriter Theodore Sorenson. Here, Senator Lieberman, the first Jewish vice-presidential candidate, and wife Hadassah, a first-generation American and child of Holocaust survivors, offer a joint memoir of the 2000 campaign, in which Lieberman's ticket captured the popular vote but lost the electoral vote in Florida's surreal voter count and recount. It is apparent that Al Gore tapped Lieberman, the first Democratic senator to condemn Bill Clinton's Monica Lewinsky affair, as damage control; an observant Jew, Lieberman daily offered a sharp contrast to Clinton's looseness. As with most campaign memoirs, this work offers few deep insights, though the reader captures a flavor of the modern campaign organization. Still, political buffs and Lieberman supporters will enjoy this memoir, which throws the senator's hat into the 2004 ring. Recommended.
--William D. Pederson, Louisiana State Univ., Shreveport
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; 2nd Printing edition (January 7, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 074322938X
• ISBN-13: 978-0743229388
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,102,491 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Mostly 2004 Campaign Ad, April 28, 2003

By	Steve Bennett "stevebenett" (VA United States) - See all my reviews

It's a light, quick, fluff read. If you liked Gore/Lieberman in 2000 you'll like the book. Lieberman falls all over himself emphasizing his religion while feigning shock that it could be an issue. He also sidesteps any criticism from fellow Jews that his positions are decidedly unorthodox. He emphasizes that everywhere his wife ever went and everyone she ever spoke to always loved her. If something went wrong in the campaign, it was because he didn't follow through with his instincts. He even quoted an editorial where someone said that Lieberman can make an attack not feel like an attack. Hardball politico, but with a smile.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I could not put this book down., August 12, 2006

By	MAMO - See all my reviews

One cannot possibly read this book and not develop a greater appreciation for the sacrifices, courage, determination and faith that the Liebermans made throughout the campaign and throughout their lives.

Not only is this a "biography" but it is also an excellent book on the political process, namely the campaign process. Throughout the book, the reader becomes acutely aware of the amount of work, energy and choregraphing a national campaign requires.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great installment!, August 12, 2006

By	Mikhail Duntz - See all my reviews

The writing is straightforward and the story is fast-paced. The book furnished me with a far greater appreciation than I had of the difficulty and complexity of conducting a national campaign and of the demands made upon the candidates and the many workers, mostly volunteers, who surround and assist them. The personality and character of the narrators comes through quite clearly and with considerable honesty and self-knowledge (although I must add that Mrs. Lieberman's insights are often the more interesting ones). The narrative makes clear that these are real human beings with real children and parents and problems. When their lives are stirred into the soup of arguably our most chaotic Presidential campaign, a very interesting tale emerges.