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The Washington Book: How to Read Politics and Politicians
The Pulitzer Prize–winning opinion columnist at The New York Times explores how people in power reveal themselves through their books and writings and, in so doing, illuminates the personal, political, and cultural conflicts driving Washington and the nation.
As a long-time book critic and columnist in Washington, Carlos Lozada dissects all manner of commission reports, political reporting, Supreme Court decisions, and congressional inquiries to understand the controversies animating life in the capital. He also reads copious books by politicians and top tell-all accounts by administration insiders, campaign biographies by candidates longing for high office, revisionist memoirs by those leaving those offices behind. With this provocative essay collection, Lozada argues that no matter how carefully political figures sanitize their experiences, positions, and records, no matter how diligently they present themselves in the best and safest and most electable light, they almost always let slip the truth. They show us their faults and blind spots, their ambitions and compromises, their underlying motives and insecurities. Whether they mean to or not, they tell us who they really are.
In his memoirs and speeches, Barack Obama constantly invoked the power and meaning of his life story, Lozada notes, a sign of how the former president capitalized on his personal symbolism, trying to transform it from inspiration on the campaign trail into an all-purpose governing tool. In a soliloquy about his hair in a self-help book published two decades ago, Donald Trump revealed not just his vanity, Lozada explains, but his utter isolation from the world, long before he entered the bubble of the White House. In deft and lacerating prose, Lozada interprets the unresolved tensions of Hillary Clinton’s ideological beliefs. He imagines the wonderful memoir George H.W. Bush could have given us but instead left scattered in throughout various books and letters. He explores why Kamala Harris has struggled to carve out a distinctive role as vice president. He explains how Ron DeSantis’s pitch to America is just a list of enemies. And he even glimpses what Vladimir Putin fears the most, and why he seeks conflict with the West. He does so all through their own books, and their own words.
Lozada reads these books so you don’t have to. The Washington Book is the perfect guide to the state of our politics, and then men and women who dominate the terrain. It explores the construction of personal identity, the delusions of leadership, and that mix of subservience and ambition that can define a life in politics. The more we read the stories of Washington, Lozada contends, the clearer our understanding of the competing visions of our country.
As a long-time book critic and columnist in Washington, Carlos Lozada dissects all manner of commission reports, political reporting, Supreme Court decisions, and congressional inquiries to understand the controversies animating life in the capital. He also reads copious books by politicians and top tell-all accounts by administration insiders, campaign biographies by candidates longing for high office, revisionist memoirs by those leaving those offices behind. With this provocative essay collection, Lozada argues that no matter how carefully political figures sanitize their experiences, positions, and records, no matter how diligently they present themselves in the best and safest and most electable light, they almost always let slip the truth. They show us their faults and blind spots, their ambitions and compromises, their underlying motives and insecurities. Whether they mean to or not, they tell us who they really are.
In his memoirs and speeches, Barack Obama constantly invoked the power and meaning of his life story, Lozada notes, a sign of how the former president capitalized on his personal symbolism, trying to transform it from inspiration on the campaign trail into an all-purpose governing tool. In a soliloquy about his hair in a self-help book published two decades ago, Donald Trump revealed not just his vanity, Lozada explains, but his utter isolation from the world, long before he entered the bubble of the White House. In deft and lacerating prose, Lozada interprets the unresolved tensions of Hillary Clinton’s ideological beliefs. He imagines the wonderful memoir George H.W. Bush could have given us but instead left scattered in throughout various books and letters. He explores why Kamala Harris has struggled to carve out a distinctive role as vice president. He explains how Ron DeSantis’s pitch to America is just a list of enemies. And he even glimpses what Vladimir Putin fears the most, and why he seeks conflict with the West. He does so all through their own books, and their own words.
Lozada reads these books so you don’t have to. The Washington Book is the perfect guide to the state of our politics, and then men and women who dominate the terrain. It explores the construction of personal identity, the delusions of leadership, and that mix of subservience and ambition that can define a life in politics. The more we read the stories of Washington, Lozada contends, the clearer our understanding of the competing visions of our country.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published February 27, 2024
52 people are currently reading
483 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
February 17, 2024
Despite his protestations to the contrary, Carlos Lozada really does read the Washington insider books so we don't have to. I have no desire to read such books as James Comey's A Higher Loyalty, Mike Pence's So Help Me God, or Shirley Grisham's (google her if you don't remember) I'll Take your Questions Now; however, it's great to get insights into these self-serving memoirs that go beyond the sensational headlines that they inevitably produce. What makes this book work is that Lozada's writing is invariably enjoyable, often funny and always appropriately skeptical. If you enjoyed reading his columns in the Washington Post or New York Times (but hopefully haven't already read all of them), you'll probably enjoy this collection.
Lozada doesn't just review memoirs; he also includes historical accounts (there's a great review of 9/11 literature on its 20th anniversary), commission reports, and supreme court decisions. I am now resolved to read The Free Word by Louis Menand. But this book does suffer from one problem that may limit its appeal - it will simply be hard to care about many of these topics as their time has passed. But if good political writing is enough for you, you will find plenty to savor.
Thanks to netgalley for providing a pre-release copy for review.
Lozada doesn't just review memoirs; he also includes historical accounts (there's a great review of 9/11 literature on its 20th anniversary), commission reports, and supreme court decisions. I am now resolved to read The Free Word by Louis Menand. But this book does suffer from one problem that may limit its appeal - it will simply be hard to care about many of these topics as their time has passed. But if good political writing is enough for you, you will find plenty to savor.
Thanks to netgalley for providing a pre-release copy for review.
February 10, 2024
The Washington Book is a primer for those of us who want to read current events or recent history books, but are overwhelmed by the amount of books available. Mr. Lozada has compiled a series of short articles on these books to curate and help the reader with only a short window of reading to pick books of merit for deeper reading. I am glad to have this resource to sift out the wheat from the chaff of books that are mere conjecture. The book is easy to read and I will refer back to it often.
April 16, 2024
I enjoyed this book way more than I thought I would.
Lozada, an astute observer of political culture, uses a sharp analytical lens to peel back the layers of what often seems like an impenetrable world. His approach to explaining the mechanisms of political operations and the personalities involved gives readers a front-row seat to the strategic plays and realpolitik that define American governance.
This book is a great exploration into the heart of political operations in the U.S. capital.
Lozada, an astute observer of political culture, uses a sharp analytical lens to peel back the layers of what often seems like an impenetrable world. His approach to explaining the mechanisms of political operations and the personalities involved gives readers a front-row seat to the strategic plays and realpolitik that define American governance.
This book is a great exploration into the heart of political operations in the U.S. capital.
April 2, 2024
I don’t know man. I like the idea of this book - a book about books written by a book critic. In theory, it’s intriguing, but in practice, it gets so repetitive. Lozada is a really great writer, credit where it’s due. His commentaries are really well composed and his analyses of books are insightful, often pointing out things a casual reader might miss. Things like clever ways of saying nothing at all, or spotting contradictions, or pointing out sentences whose whole meaning changes depending on which word is emphasized.
It also sheds light on the political publishing industry. The sheer quantity of bullshit books out there is really jaw dropping, and I’m someone who reads regularly in the relevant genres discussed here. Its volumes and volumes of talking points, equivocation, and self-aggrandizement, but to read review after review sequentially (in the way that this book offers) sheds light on how comically similar and repetitive such books really are. It really does leave a distasteful image of the people who write (or contract a ghostwriter to write) such books, knowing full well they aren’t saying anything of substance and the publication mostly serves to pad their egos.
The biggest drawback for me is that it’s just so brazenly partisan in its content. I get that it’s written by an NYT book critic, so caveat emptor, dear reader, but in most chapters, you know where the review is heading just based on the author being reviewed. And that for me is a big disappointment. I wanted to read a series of even-keeled, non-ideological reviews of books about current events with the hopes of learning a thing or two and picking up some recommendations along the way. Unfortunately, to me this reads more like a collection of eloquent op-eds that just happen to be tangentially about books.
All in all, I feel like this book’s structure failed it more than its content. There are a lot of redeeming features, but it’s the type of book where once you’ve read the first few chapters you’ve read the whole thing.
It also sheds light on the political publishing industry. The sheer quantity of bullshit books out there is really jaw dropping, and I’m someone who reads regularly in the relevant genres discussed here. Its volumes and volumes of talking points, equivocation, and self-aggrandizement, but to read review after review sequentially (in the way that this book offers) sheds light on how comically similar and repetitive such books really are. It really does leave a distasteful image of the people who write (or contract a ghostwriter to write) such books, knowing full well they aren’t saying anything of substance and the publication mostly serves to pad their egos.
The biggest drawback for me is that it’s just so brazenly partisan in its content. I get that it’s written by an NYT book critic, so caveat emptor, dear reader, but in most chapters, you know where the review is heading just based on the author being reviewed. And that for me is a big disappointment. I wanted to read a series of even-keeled, non-ideological reviews of books about current events with the hopes of learning a thing or two and picking up some recommendations along the way. Unfortunately, to me this reads more like a collection of eloquent op-eds that just happen to be tangentially about books.
All in all, I feel like this book’s structure failed it more than its content. There are a lot of redeeming features, but it’s the type of book where once you’ve read the first few chapters you’ve read the whole thing.
March 14, 2024
Part of me feels like Lozada is wasting his mind reading, say, Ben Sasse's or Rick Perry's campaign biographies (not to mention Carly Fiorina's or Mike Huckabee's), or, for some reason, a self-published children's book by the mayor of Baltimore that feels weirdly like punching down. And then he goes and reads all of Trump's books before the campaign really gets going and resurfaces with a scathingly accurate take on everything wrong with him. Given the range of topics Lozada has covered over the past decade, the quality of cohesion here is impressive--aside from a few pieces that don't feel of more than passing relevance, this is a fitting complement to his previous book, an intellectual history of political catastrophes, and catastrophism, since 2013. You can see him wrestling with pessimism throughout, as well as with the specter of Trump as cause/symbol/symptom/distraction. My favorite part is the depth of his intellectual energy: if he decides to plumb a topic, he goes all the way, reading a shelf-full of war-on-terror books or the entire corpus of Samuel Huntington to see where and how his notions of and belief in America soured. His discussion of Hillary Clinton's and Obama's books, as well as biographies of Obama (and one article just on right-wing Hillary hit pieces, which he says give him "Clinton fatigue fatigue") sift through everything written in search of through-lines and changes of heart, and he manages to be at once critical and sympathetic, which strikes me as a feat in the face of the general hysteria with which both are generally treated. It's an indispensable guide to contemporary political culture, a useful meta-discussion of what scholars think contemporary political culture means and where it will go, and an inspiring testament to his commitment to inquiry, endless curiosity and attentive reading.
July 31, 2024
It is crazy that The Washington Book captured my attention for as long as it did. Carlos Lozada's compilation of literary commentary and criticism does not feature a single book that I've read, yet is able to tease out themes that resonate with contemporary readers. Lozada's writing is both evenhanded and deliciously snarky when it needs to be. His review of the children's book Healthy Holly, written by Baltimore mayor Catherine Pugh, had me laughing out loud on an airplane; it was such a VICIOUS read. But outside of his expert digs, Lozada provides incredibly meaningful analysis in each chapter. He readily diagnoses his subjects and their work without relying on overwrought verbal gymnastics or trite cliches to land his points. It's the kind of book that trains your critical thinking---Lozada asks the questions that we all should be asking when reading politicians' work. You do not want to bullshit this man because he'll see right through it.
I finished the book craving more direct guidance on how, as the book promises, to read politics and politicians. Regardless, I'm reviewing the book that I read, not the one that I wish I'd gotten. And what we got was a collection of book reviews that efficiently supports the thesis of the book: you can learn a lot by reading politicians' works. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who is curious about the Washington book (or has already read it).
I finished the book craving more direct guidance on how, as the book promises, to read politics and politicians. Regardless, I'm reviewing the book that I read, not the one that I wish I'd gotten. And what we got was a collection of book reviews that efficiently supports the thesis of the book: you can learn a lot by reading politicians' works. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who is curious about the Washington book (or has already read it).
August 31, 2024
This book has really changed my perspective about America and its political concepts. I grew up with an idealized version of this country and took it for granted that smart and trustworthy people ran the government. Well, this book changed my perspective on all of that.
The author, Carlos Lozada, meticulously reads all the Washington Insider books "so that we don't have to." (thank goodness) With keen insight into the Washingtonian world, he invites readers to read between the political lines. Basically, everything is smoke and mirrors, or as Carlos Lozada says on page 137: "It's quite the sleight of hand." (He said this in reference to 9/11 interrogation "rules," but the concept could easily apply across many parts of the book.)
Regarding the Iraq war, Lozada highlights a soldier's recollection of "hitting the wrong house." Lozada extends this thought further when he says, "All of Iraq was the wrong house. America's leaders knew it was the wrong house. They hit it anyway," exemplifying how America lost the war on terror.
This book explores how post-9/11 America contributes to the "lost greatness" narrative, especially with phrases like "Make America Great Again." Lozada claims that America might be suffering "from a post-traumatic stress democracy," and after reading this book, I couldn't agree more.
The author, Carlos Lozada, meticulously reads all the Washington Insider books "so that we don't have to." (thank goodness) With keen insight into the Washingtonian world, he invites readers to read between the political lines. Basically, everything is smoke and mirrors, or as Carlos Lozada says on page 137: "It's quite the sleight of hand." (He said this in reference to 9/11 interrogation "rules," but the concept could easily apply across many parts of the book.)
Regarding the Iraq war, Lozada highlights a soldier's recollection of "hitting the wrong house." Lozada extends this thought further when he says, "All of Iraq was the wrong house. America's leaders knew it was the wrong house. They hit it anyway," exemplifying how America lost the war on terror.
This book explores how post-9/11 America contributes to the "lost greatness" narrative, especially with phrases like "Make America Great Again." Lozada claims that America might be suffering "from a post-traumatic stress democracy," and after reading this book, I couldn't agree more.
July 9, 2024
Somewhere between 3 1/2 and four stars. Some of the books Lozada summarizes and analyzes were interesting, but a lot of them weren't, and having a variety of Washington politicians and pundits put on the couch turns out to be no more interesting than you would expect, which is why you didn't bother to read their books in the first place. Do we really want to revisit Trump and Obama and Trump's niece yada yada yada?
However, a couple of the books I hadn't heard of were brought to my attention by listening to this, and I am now planning on reading them, so that may turn out to be a good thing.
On the whole, though, the books he discussed were just as negligible as they looked in the bookstore windows.
However, a couple of the books I hadn't heard of were brought to my attention by listening to this, and I am now planning on reading them, so that may turn out to be a good thing.
On the whole, though, the books he discussed were just as negligible as they looked in the bookstore windows.
May 10, 2024
I haven’t read a book that inspired me and made me feel stupid like this book. The author is brilliant and the idea that if you critically read even the worst political memoir, it will reveal itself to you was incredible. It was easier for me to honestly evaluate in books I had already read, but he is such an insightful writer that I wanted to read so many of the books he reviewed.
His overwhelming intelligence was a bit overwhelming but he won me over. It’s one of the very best books I’ve read in a long time.
His overwhelming intelligence was a bit overwhelming but he won me over. It’s one of the very best books I’ve read in a long time.
April 5, 2024
A very helpful guide as to what books are worth reading (not the majority by any means) and which are definitely not. Of course, the appeal, or lack thereof, of many will depend your opinion of the useful idiot about whom they are all writing.
May 25, 2024
This is a collection of previously published works, which I didn't realize when I picked it up. I liked the writing, but I found it jarring to travel back in time to 2009, 2016, etc. Feels like reading old New Yorker pieces (fortunately these essays are much shorter).
July 27, 2024
Series of articles printed over 15 years about various memoirs and other political writings. Some are better than others but all are interesting and at times, seem poingant. How the world has changed in 15 years....
September 26, 2025
I didn’t know this could be a job, but now I want his job! And I got a lot of new book recommendations. I appreciated his articulate thoughts on books that I haven’t read, and wanted to engage in more discussion where our thoughts were similar and differed on the books I have read.
December 29, 2025
A brilliant collection of essays from a insightful writer that digs into and peels apart the ghost-written memoirs and government reports coming out of Washington, as well as books with observations about American democracy. Worth reading if you have any interest in American politics.
May 19, 2024
Good idea, good for research oriented reading.
May 26, 2024
notre damn — love him and these essays
May 27, 2024
a delightful read that made me want to improve my own skills of critique and analysis
August 2, 2024
And now I will likely never read a Washington book again, but I am hooked on Lozada.
October 9, 2024
As always, I'd rather read a reader writing about politicking vs the infinite scroll of it all. Lozada saves me much trouble and pulls out things that intrigue and unveil.
November 12, 2024
An incisive and enjoyable book, especially for those who like biographies across the political aisle. One of my favorite reads this year!
October 21, 2025
Unmatched insight into several American politicians, Washington D.C. and the United States. The collection of essays was easy to pick up and hard to put down.
December 29, 2025
Carlos indeed had read many many books! Some you will never read, some you may have, some you may add to your list thanks is to him. His work is solidly in the Trump orbit or era and although it branches out and cites a number of interesting references I wish it had at some point broke from the anthology of previously published writings. Trump centric books and Trump influence on the courts and democracy play an outsized part in the writings. He very thoughtfully connects writings and writers across time but I leave hoping there is more out there - an autobiography from John McCain or John Lewis for example or a Ted Kennedy or a Barbara Bush perhaps.
May 25, 2024
Really like his writing, and I like reading book reviews in general. The subject matter of most of the books being reviewed doesn’t appeal to me: Trump, and politicians in general. But I enjoyed reading his reviews. As someone said, he’s reading books so I don’t have to.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews