Thirty-Six Days: The Complete Chronicle of the 2000 Presidential Election Crisis

by Correspondents of The New York Times

From the most trusted newspaper in the country, here is the complete story of the Election 2000 standoff that stopped American politics.

Beginning on Election Day and ending with the Supreme Court decision that gave victory to George W. Bush, this important volume provides a day-by-day record of events as they unfolded. Drawing on the talents of many of the the top political reporters at The New York Times , 36 Days aims to make sense of a complex and convoluted chapter in our recent history.

Along with lead stories from each consecutive day, the book includes informative and enlightening background pieces, analytical essays, investigative reports, personality profiles, and opinion pieces, thus offering students and all other observations of this election a well-rounded, fair-minded, thoughtful account. These pieces are linked by original text that highlights key developments and shifting strategies. Also included are selected excerpts from all the relevant legal opinions, statistical graphics, quotations, and sidebar stories. An introduction by acclaimed presidential scholar Brinkley adds historical perspective to this authoritative and comprehensive chronicle.

Genres: Politics, History

400 pages, Paperback

First published February 23, 2001

Reviews

[Karl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairly comprehensive collection of New York Times news reports, editorials, and op-eds related to the disputed 2000 presidential election in Florida. The articles provide a day-to-day account of the various events and the torturous number of legal suits, court decisions, and appeals, along short profile articles about the major players. This is not a history as such, but rather a news archive presented in chronological order with limited commentary and a degree of repetition in the articles. It should be of use to those interested in presidential history or in better understanding how one media outlet covered the disputed election. There are several charts with election data organized by county and the text of the Bush v. Gore Supreme Court decision is also included.

[Ethan Mignard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detailed and informative. I enjoyed the book’s format, constructed from New York Times articles which chronologically trace the chaos in Florida following the 2000 election. Although there was duplicate information across multiple articles, I felt each one also provided unique insights or differing perspectives. An overall takeaway was the staggering room for error allowed by Florida election procedures.

[Andrew Goutman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is a compilation of NYTimes articles about the Gore/Bush post-election scrimmage in Florida. I read it again because I believed that the Clinton/Trump election might result in a similar situation. Of course we know now that that wasn't the case.

Still, this is a remarkable book of journalism. It let the articles tell a gripping story. For people like me who love journalism and politics, this is a good read anytime.