Citizen Newt
The Making of a Reagan Conservative
- History & Biography
- Publisher: Nelson Books (Thomas Nelson)
- Published: 2017
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Publisher's Description
The definitive, authorized biography of the one of the most important, provocative, and visionary political figures of our time. In one way or another Newt Gingrich has been leading a revolution for most of his life. Citizen Newt is the definitive account of that struggle. Writing with the full cooperation of Speaker Gingrich and the players around him, New York Times bestselling author Craig Shirley captures the events, ideas, failures, and successes of Newton Leroy Gingrich—one of the most complex, influential, and durable political figures of our time. Returning to Gingrich’s childhood in Pennsylvania and his formative years as a young history professor, Citizen Newt moves through Gingrich’s first forays into politics and takes readers behind the scenes of the Congressman’s crucial role in the Reagan Revolution, his battles with George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton, and his masterly orchestration of 1994s “Gingrich Revolution” and the Contract with America, which catapulted him to national prominence and forever changed congressional and national politics. Drawing upon untold stories from Gingrich and those who know him best—political allies and opponents, Washington insiders and political iconoclasts, Capitol Hill staffers and colleagues—Shirley has crafted a fascinating, humorous, humanizing, and insightful account of a true American original.
Endorsements (12)
“Craig Shirley is just the right person to take an in-depth look at one of the most fascinating political figures of the modern era, Newt Gingrich. Like Gingrich, Shirley is a historian who has ably written about World War II and Ronald Reagan. Those similarities may be one reason Shirley can understand Gingrich’s mind and actions so well—and help the rest of us put the larger-than-life former House Speaker in proper perspective.”
“Biographer Craig Shirley has written a much- needed fact-based book about one of the most influential and important political figures of the last forty years, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Shirley has uncovered intricate tiny details behind Gingrich’s big-picture vision and giant legacy. Citizen Newt brings to life the true story of a fearless reformer. Timely. Important. Revealing.”
“Anyone who wants to understand the heart and soul of American conservatism, the history of the GOP and the rise of Gingrich and Reagan, must read Craig Shirley’s superbly crafted, compellingly told Citizen Newt. What he did to frame the importance of the Reagan legacy, he does for another totemic figure in US politics.”
“Citizen Newt tells the remarkable story of a politician loathed by the press, reviled by his enemies, and underestimated at every turn among Washington’s elites. By the time Newt Gingrich left Congress, he had changed that institution every bit as much as Ronald Reagan transformed the presidency. Craig Shirley masterfully captures for the first time the epochal and revolutionary era when Gingrich balanced budgets, reformed welfare, and put Republicans in charge of Congress almost all of the next twenty years.”
“Craig Shirley is that rare combination of a superb writer perfectly matched to his subject. His books on Ronald Reagan brought a freshness and perspective to a man he knew well and helped us know better. His examination of Newt Gingrich and the role the former Speaker of the House has played in the modern American political life is fascinating and hugely entertaining. This is not an easy subject; Newt Gingrich is a complex figure of many paradoxes who defies easy characterization. Craig Shirley embraces the contradictions of Gingrich’s life and delivers a rich portrait of a man many know and few understand.”
“Craig Shirley has become the leading biographer of America’s political leaders. He did it first with Ronald Reagan and now with Newt Gingrich. Citizen Newt chronicles the rise and fall of Gingrich—and his rise again as a strategist, reformer, and commentator. Shirley captures the indispensable Newt, whose influence on politics and government never fades.”
“Citizen Newt is a must-read for anyone interested in politics or how their government works. Craig Shirley, the brilliant strategist turned gifted biographer, has captured the unique, revolutionary movement led by a man who went from being a gadfly backbencher to the Speaker of the House. As he did with his Reagan books, Shirley takes it all in, making you feel as if you’re in the room when the plots are laid and the comebacks seem impossible. Fascinating, well written, and well researched, this is a book you will treasure!”
“Newt Gingrich is one of the most fascinating and important conservatives in the post-Reagan era. Craig Shirley’s volume represents a deep dive into the rise and continuing relevance of one of the key figures of the modern conservative movement.”
“Craig Shirley has become our leading historian of modern conservative leaders. In Citizen Newt, he follows up his accounts of how Ronald Reagan brought conservatism to the White House with a sparkling account of how Newt Gingrich brought conservatism to the House of Representatives.”
“Craig Shirley is one of most insightful and informed historians of modern American politics, and he doesn’t disappoint here. What a great book, about a man many have covered but until now few have understood. When future generations seek to assess Newt Gingrich, they’ll read this first.”
“In this affectionate and often moving book, Craig Shirley has given us a remarkable account of Ronald Reagan’s ‘long goodbye,’ chronicling the final years of an American original who bent history in the service of freedom. This is an invaluable book about an invaluable man.”
“Craig Shirley is a walking encyclopedia on all things Ronald Reagan. His latest, Last Act, delves into Reagan’s post-presidential life with verve and insight, breaking plenty of new ground. The story of Reagan’s battling the curse of Alzheimer’s disease is utterly riveting. Highly recommended!”
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