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Jacob Weisberg's Top Book Recommendations

Want to know what books Jacob Weisberg recommends on their reading list? We've researched interviews, social media posts, podcasts, and articles to build a comprehensive list of Jacob Weisberg's favorite book recommendations of all time.

1

Henry V

The introduction includes an examination of the Quarto and texts, and of the relationship between them; a critical discussion of the play's historical and literary sources; an examination of conflicting critical attitudes to the play, and of its fluctuating theatrical fortunes; and a demonstration of the range and variety of Shakespeare's characterization.

About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to...
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Recommended by Jacob Weisberg, and 1 others.

Jacob WeisbergWell, they have always been my favourite Shakespeare plays and they are about a family dynasty and the son of the king who is considered too irresponsible to rule but he, Hal, turns it around and becomes king himself and reverses everyone’s low expectations of him. Like Prince Hal, Bush did go from nothing, from having been written off by his family, to doing what nobody in the family thought he... (Source)

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2
In one of the most unprecedented developments in the history of national politics, George W. Bush abruptly emerged to lead all presidential aspirants in the national polls for the 2000 election. Yet voters know very little about the man, beyond his famous name and his place in one of the nation's most powerful political dynasties.

First Son is a true, riveting family saga about extraordinary power and politics in America and in the unharnessed state--a state of mind--called Texas. The story begins with the turn-of-the-century emergence of the influential Bush-Walker clan and...
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Recommended by Jacob Weisberg, and 1 others.

Jacob WeisbergThis is the pre-presidential counterpart to the Draper book. He’s a Texas reporter who covered George Bush’s period as governor. It was one of the first books written about George W and it contains a lot of the most familiar ideas about Bush and the classic family stories. When George was drinking and was basically a bum hanging around in Texas he took his little brother out drinking and then... (Source)

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3
In this ambitious work of political narrative, Robert Draper takes us inside the Bush White House and delivers an intimate portrait of a tumultuous decade and a beleaguered administration. Virtually every page of this book crackles with scenes, anecdotes, and dialogue that will surprise even longtime observers of George W. Bush.



With unprecedented access to all the key figures of this administration -- from six one-on-one sessions with the president to Laura Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Condoleezza Rice, Karl Rove, and perhaps 200 other players, some well known,...
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Recommended by Jacob Weisberg, and 1 others.

Jacob WeisbergDraper is an excellent political reporter steeped in the Texas background of Bush’s political story. He also had access that other reporters didn’t have – he used to work for the Texas Monthly – and this is a chronicle of the Bush presidency. He gets detail that other people weren’t in a position to get and Bush gave him several interviews when he was in office and he spoke much more candidly... (Source)

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4

The Bushes

Portrait of a Dynasty

Based on hours of unprecedented interviews with members of the Bush family, The Bushes tells the inside story of the unique dynasty at the heart of American power.

As well as laying out the secretive family’s inner workings, this intimate and fascinating group portrait probes into such sensitive matters as their dealings in the oil business, George W.’s turbulent youth, and Jeb’s likely run for the presidency in 2008.

In this first full-scale biography, Peter and Rochelle Schweizer insightfully explore the secrets of the Bushes’ rise from obscurity to...
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Recommended by Jacob Weisberg, and 1 others.

Jacob WeisbergThe Schweizers started reporting on the Bush family well before George W decided to run for president, so many family members co-operated with them – because the Schweizers were sympathetic and from a conservative background and the family weren’t as worried in those days about how everything would look and sound. The Schweizers simply had a lot of access and they are very solid reporters and... (Source)

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5

What It Takes

The Way to the White House

Ezra KleinEverybody should read it. (Source)

Steven Sinofsky@pkedrosky I *love* this book especially as one of those kids shipped from university in Mass to New Hampshire for the primary. Dixville Notch, 1988. I was there! (Source)

Michael Berry"Fightin Joey Biden" as Esquire's late, great Richard Ben-Cramer called him in his FANTASTIC book about the 88 race, What It Takes, with his former form saying Bernie "seems to have more inspiration in the Soviets, Sandinistas, Chavistas and Castro than in America." (Source)

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