The Man Who Ran Washington

Starred review from February 24, 2020
A bygone era of bipartisan pragmatism and statesmanship is elegized in this sprawling biography of the leading advisor to Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. Husband and wife journalists Baker (no relation) and Glasser (coauthors, Kremlin Rising) style James Baker as possibly “the ultimate Washington player,” noting that he shepherded landmark tax cuts through Democratic congresses as Reagan’s chief of staff and treasury secretary; negotiated the dismantling of the Soviet empire and German reunification as Bush’s secretary of state; and organized bruising political warfare while managing presidential campaigns and masterminding George W. Bush’s strategy in the 2000 election dispute. There’s plenty of West Wing backstabbing, situational ethics, and profane tirades in the authors’ vibrant narrative as Baker (aka the “Velvet Hammer”) outmaneuvers rival White House power brokers and authorizes attack ads against Michael Dukakis in the 1988 election. But in their telling, Baker also champions a relatively enlightened establishment politics, sidelining right-wing Republican zealots, forging relationships with liberal congressmen and communist reformers, and crafting workable domestic and international initiatives. The contrast with the current White House is pointed, resulting in an engrossing study of a kind of government leadership that readers may conclude is both obsolete and sorely needed.

Starred review from March 1, 2020
A penetrating portrait of a powerful Washington insider. New York Times chief White House correspondent Baker and New Yorker staff writer Glasser bring political acumen and thorough research to their absorbing biography of James Addison Baker III (b. 1930), who served presidents Ford, Reagan, and both Bushes, decisively shaping American policies at home and abroad. Drawing on prodigious sources, including more than 210 interviews (70 hours with Baker), the authors offer a balanced view of a man praised for being pragmatic, scrupulously organized, and authoritative, and derided as manipulative, self-aggrandizing, and cynical. He habitually leaked information and "cunningly took credit for something he actually opposed in order to pocket a chit." One political columnist noted, "taking responsibility isn't Jim Baker's style." Born into an influential Texas family, he followed his father into corporate law, where he felt bored. In 1975, his longtime friend George H.W. Bush recommended him for undersecretary of commerce in Ford's administration. His impressive political savvy led Ford to tap Baker to run his 1976 presidential campaign; although Ford lost to Jimmy Carter, Baker saw his own reputation rise. When Reagan took office in 1981, he made Baker his White House chief of staff. The authors portray Reagan as distracted and distant but also "a man of driving ambition and more calculation than his public image suggested." Baker, too, was ambitious, and he could be ruthless in pursuing his goals. After running the White House, Baker became secretary of the treasury and, in George H.W. Bush's administration, secretary of state. Although he spoke no foreign languages and had no international relations experience, he succeeded in helping to reunify Germany, organize a crucial Middle East peace conference, deal with the Iran-Contra scandal and Iraq's incursion into Kuwait, and preside over the end of the Cold War. He later served as chief counsel for George W. Bush during the 2000 election recount. With Baker as their focus, the authors afford a sharp, insightful view into Washington dealmaking. An engrossing biography that is highly relevant in today's America.

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April 1, 2020

Journalists Baker (New York Times chief White House correspondent) and Glasser (staff writer, The New Yorker) spent seven years researching and writing this sweeping biography of a figure they refer to as the ultimate "deal-maker" in modern American politics. James Baker (b. 1930), no relation to the author, has an impressive political r�sum�, starting with his stint as undersecretary of commerce in the Ford administration, and, later, running Ford's 1976 presidential campaign. Baker subsequently served as chief of staff and secretary of the treasury during the Reagan administration, then as secretary of state and chief of staff for close friend George H.W. Bush. Beginning with Baker's early life as the scion of well-connected Houston lawyers, the book proceeds to cover his law career and gradual entry into politics, along with his ability to wield power. The authors interviewed Baker, and talked with numerous friends and associates to present a well-documented, engaging read. The private life of Baker also emerges here: his domineering father, the early death of his first wife, his relationship with his four sons, and, especially, his close bond with Bush. VERDICT Indispensable reading for anyone interested in late 20th-century U.S. politics.--Thomas Karel, Franklin & Marshall Coll. Lib., Lancaster, PA

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