Woman of the House: The Rise of Nancy Pelosi

by Vincent Bzdek

Overview

Arguably, Nancy Pelosi will be one of the most important political figures for many years to come. Not only has she somehow won the confidence of the boy's club of the House and returned her party to majority status after twelve years of Republican rule, she has managed, in her first 100 hours on the job, to pass much of the legislation she promised. Pelosi is also leading the vocal, in-your-face opposition to the Iraq war, this generation's defining event, and is likely one of the most important political figures of the last few decades. Bzdek chronicles the rise of the country's most powerful woman, shining a light on the nuts and bolts that make up the person who is two heartbeats away from the presidency by line of succession.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780230610989
Publisher:	St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date:	01/06/2009
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Vincent Bzdek is the news editor and a features writer at The Washington Post. He has also written for The Wall Street Journal, Wired Magazine and The Denver Post. He lives in Washington, D.C.

Table of Contents

Introduction * The Family Vocation * Political Liberal, Conservative Catholic * The Big Family: Theory and Practice * "Those San Francisco Values" * Back in the Game * Navigating the Boys' Club * The Conscience of Congress * The Favor File 2.0 * Intelligence Tests * The Three-Year Race * The Voice of Dissent * Chocolate and the Gavel * "All Politics is Personal" * Cracking the Marble Ceiling * Six for '06 * Pelosi and the President * The First Session * Epilogue: The Pelosi Primary

Editorial Reviews

"Vincent Bzdek is a terrific observer and storyteller who has found the perfect subject in Nancy Pelosi. Woman of the House is a revealing portrait of the complex politician—part old-school, part New Age—who shattered the glass ceiling and became the most powerful female elected official in the nation's history."—Eugene Robinson, political columnist, The Washington Post

“Bzdek provides a well-rounded portrait of a powerful woman.” –Booklist

"Bzdek [is] a crisp writer and effective storyteller....It's a page-turning and impressive ride." —New York Post

"Who is Nancy Pelosi? Vincent Bzdek answers that question in the first biography of the first woman Speaker of the House, Woman of the House. It traces her life from Baltimore's Little Italy to the chair on the podium behind the President of the United States. I've known Nancy Pelosi for more than 25 years, and I learned a lot from this book."—Michael Barone, Senior Writer, U.S. News & World Report; Resident Scholar, American Enterprise Institute; and co-author of The Almanac of American Politics

"This is superbly written, fascinating page turner of a political biography. It teaches us a lot about Speaker Pelosi, House politics, and big city politics."—Thomas E. Cronin, author of The Paradoxes of the American Presidency

"I'm very proud to be a supporter and to serve with the first woman Speaker of the House. This book shows the depth of character and conviction of an outstanding leader, Nancy Pelosi, who, like no other, is able to lead our diverse Democratic Caucus. Woman of the House is a timely book about an extremely talented, bright woman who has risen through her skills and hard work, to become the most powerful woman in our country."—Representative Leonard L. Boswell (D-IA)

From the Publisher

Bzdek (news editor, Washington Post) has written a balanced (if ultimately praising) and thoroughly researched biography of the energetic "gentle lady" from San Francisco and her remarkable political rise. Born into the legendary political D'Alesandro family from Baltimore (her father and brother were both mayors), married to a wealthy and supportive businessman, and mother to five children, Nancy Pelosi, as Speaker of the House, now holds the highest political office ever held by a woman in the United States. The author details Pelosi's 20-year rise through the Democratic ranks in California, up to her current role, when in the first 100 "legislative hours" as speaker she managed to push through most of the legislation she had pledged to pass. The author shows the influences of family, religion, respect, and loyalty as guiding beacons for her success and stamina. Bzdek's is not an academic study of the person two heartbeats away from the presidency, but it details how she is truly an inspiration to other women. Highly recommended for public libraries.
—Mary C. Allen

Library Journal