The Ambition and the Power

by John M. Barry

Profiles the man whose thirty-five-year congressional career ended ignominiously in the spring of 1989

Genres: Biography, Politics, History, Nonfiction, American, The United States Of America

784 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

John M. Barry is an American author and historian, perhaps best known for his books on the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 the influenza pandemic of 1918 and his book on the development of the modern form of the ideas of separation of church and state and individual liberty. His most recent book is Roger Williams and the Creation of the American Soul: Church, State, and the Birth of Liberty (Viking 2012).

Barry's 1997 book Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How It Changed America appeared on the New York Times Best Seller list and won the 1998 Francis Parkman Prize from the Society of American Historians for the year's best book on American history. His work on water-related issues was recognized by the National Academies of Sciences in its invitation to give the 2006 Abel Wolman Distinguished Lecture on Water Resources; he is the only non-scientist ever to give that lecture.

His 2004 book The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Greatest Plague in History was also a New York Times Best Seller, and won the 2005 Keck Communications Award from the United States National Academies of Science for the year's outstanding book on science or medicine. In 2005 he also won the "September 11th Award" from the Center for Biodefense and Emerging Pathogens at Brown University. He has served on a federal government's Infectious Disease Board of Experts, on the advisory board of MIT's Center for Engineering Fundamentals, and on the advisory committee at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health for its Center for Refugee and Disaster Response.

The expertise he developed in these two areas has involved him in policy-making, risk communication and disaster management strategies, and developing resilient communities, and this work resulted in his induction into Delta Omega, the academic honorary society for public health. More specifically, he has advised the private sector and local, state, national, and international government officials about preparing for another influenza pandemic. He has also both advised officials and taken a direct role in preparing for water-related disasters. A resident of New Orleans, after Hurricane Katrina he was also named to both the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority, which is the levee board overseeing several separate levee districts in the New Orleans area, and the state's Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, which is responsible for hurricane protection for the entire state.

His first book, The Ambition and the Power: A true story of Washington, appeared in 1989 and explored the operation of the U.S. Congress, the use of power by Speaker of the House Jim Wright, and the rise of future Speaker Newt Gingrich. In 1995 the New York Times named it one of the eleven best books ever written on Congress and Washington.

With Steven Rosenberg, MD, Ph.D., chief of the Surgery Branch at the National Cancer Institute and a pioneer in the development of "immunotherapy" for cancer—stimulating the immune system to attack cancer—Barry co-authored his second book, The Transformed Cell: Unlocking the Mysteries of Cancer, which was published in 12 languages.

Barry has written for The New York Times, Time Magazine, Fortune, The Washington Post, Esquire, and other publications and frequently appears as a guest commentator on broadcast media.

He has also coached high school and college football, and his first published article was about blocking assignments for offensive linemen and appeared in a professional journal for coaches, Scholastic Coach.

Reviews

[Fishface · Rating 3 out of 5]

I opened this book wanting to know more about John Mack, the would-be killer of Pamela Small, and I learned a little more about the guy. He went from being a 19-year-old guy who did his best to kill someone because he was frustrated with his home life to being the top aide for the Speaker of the House during the Reagan and Bush era. But 99.999% of this book is about his boss, Jim Wright, whose career went splat after he overstepped his bounds as Speaker -- not once, but over and over. This book was a detour back through a period in political history that we remember as being divisive and embattled -- but boy, it looks like a walk in the park compared to here and now. This is nearly 900 pages of detailed scrutiny of policy decisions, controversy, finagling and secret decisions made in smoke-filled rooms. Interesting if this is the kind of thing that grabs you. Very well-written and moves right along.

[Zach · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the House of Representatives version of Robert Caro’s masterful Master of the Senate about LBJ. Another Texas politician that uses the levers of power to his advantage, but then goes too far and it’s eventually his downfall. This is a great book that really captures the politics of the House of Representatives during a critical time in American history. I heard about John Barry as an author during the pandemic because he wrote the definitive book on the 1918 flu epidemic. Barry is a very skilled writer and you can see his ability to compose a masterful narrative throughout this book. He was in the room for these meetings and must have had access everywhere. For anyone interested in the power that is used in the House of Representatives, as well as anyone looking for a book similar to Caro’s tales about LBJ, this is a great read!!!

[Kevin McTigue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've worked in electoral politics for 16 years and this is right up there with What It Takes as the best piece of writing on my field

[Jwt Jan50 · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, I've read his books on the Mississippi and the 1918-1920 flu epidemic. Highly recommend both. Second, one of the external reviews circa 1995 includes in the top 50 books ever on politics. More like top 10 for me.
Less than 100 people have reviewed/rated here.
Finally, couldn't find a copy either of the 2 library systems I frequent - one is Fairfax County, VA sw corner of DC.
Everything in here was fact checked by the people quoted, interviewed, etc.
Straight to the 'memorable' shelf. Contender for the 'favorites.' Need to think about that one.

[Socraticgadfly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only reasons I didn't five-star this book is because it got a bit long, a bit or more repetitive, adn I would have appreciated a bit more history on how Wright became Majority Leader before he became Speaker.

That said, John Barry has a very good book overall. The 100th Congress, the one Congress fully led by Wright during his short tenure as Speaker, was outstanding for its accomplishments. For example, for the first time in nearly 40 years, a Congress passed all 13 normal annual appropriations bills on time for the start of a new budget year. Wright personally, and fairly successfully, intervened in the Sandanistas-Contras conflict in Nicaragua, and upset Reagan's early-era neocon applecart there, especially that of Elliot Abrams.

For all this success, and the fear that he would continue it in the future, Newt Gingrich decided Jim Wright had to die, politically. So, already becoming a master of sleaze himself, he decided to push some ethics claims. Some were bogus, some were on the edge, and even the more legit ones weren't that serious.

That said, Wright had been so successful for two reasons. One was riding a tight, often fairly partisan herd, over Congress, which pushed away many Republicans. The second was his focus on procedure to the deficit of friend-building. Coming right after Tip O'Neill, that second issue, especially, was notable. (For that matter, given how much Tip got steamrolled at times, the first was also a notable difference.)

Add to that the fact that Newt's scorched-earth + CSPAN blab tactics were all new to the House. Democratic friends that he did have largely gave him bad advice, in hindsight, to not fight publicly. And a few bits of good advice weren't followed through on by staff at the time, which also had its effects later. (On the lack of friends Dem power broker Bob Strauss once commented on how hard it was to help Wright.)

Finally, add in an enormously ambitious special legal counsel to the House Ethics Committee, one who lobbied to get the job, and the juggernaut headed Wright's way was clear in hindsight.

Also clear is that Wright was correct on the Constitutional role of the Speaker. Finally, also clear is that Wright is pretty much the last national-level Democrat to stand up to top Republicans on a regular basis.

[Fred Kohn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is unique in my experience of political books and pretty amazing to boot. Throughout I wondered how it could read like a novel— complete with the inner experiences of multiple people and mundane details of their personal lives; and yet be true to the facts. The section on methodology explained it all. The author was given the unique opportunity of sitting in on all important meetings and verifying with the individuals involved what their thoughts were. Most amazing was the final paragraph describing the methodology:

"All major figures in the book— including but not limited to former Speaker Jim Wright, Speaker Tom Foley, former Democratic whip Tony Coelho, Republican leader Robert Michel, and Republican whip Newt Gingrich— were contacted prior to this printing and offered the opportunity to correct anything they regarded as a factual error. Those involved directly in the ethics investigation, including the ethics committee chairman, Julian Dixon, and ethics committee outside counsel, Richard Phelan, were also given this opportunity. There is no dispute about the facts in this book."

[Les Aucoin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The definitive biography of House Speaker Jim Wright. I watched the author tail Wright everywhere--even into the most sensitive meetings and on a trip to Moscow to meet Gorbachev. The ending puddles like a poorly cast fly line, but that's because the publisher made Barry rush to finish as Wright came tumbling down. The book's has a fascinating subplot, showing Gingrich's evil methods on what became his, Gingrich's own march to the speakership.

[Manuel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is incredible in depth of research, interviews with key players in the House of Representatives, a balanced approached, and analysis. A must read for anyone who wants to understand how the House works, and at the same time how Speaker Jim Wright lost the speakership.

[Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal book about how the House works and how power is accumulated and used. Jim Wright transformed the speakership and yet he’s barely a footnote in history now. This book should be required reading for anyone working on the Hill or covering it as a reporter.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Jim Wright- he was a big time Texas democrat and has a wealth of knowledge about Washington politics. I took a class from him in college and will never forget his kind, patient voice.

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent account of the fall of Speaker Jim Wright and the rise of Newt Gingrich. If you want to understand the polarization of today's Congress, this where to start.