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The Negotiator: A Memoir
Compelling, poignant, enlightening stories from former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell about growing up in Maine, his years in the Senate, working to bring peace to Northern Ireland and the Middle East, and what he's learned about the art of negotiation during every stage of his life.
It's a classic story of the American Dream. George Mitchell grew up in a working class family in Maine, experiencing firsthand the demoralizing effects of unemployment when his father was laid off from a lifelong job. But education was always a household priority, and Mitchell embraced every opportunity that came his way, eventually becoming the ranking Democrat in the Senate during the administrations of George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton.
Told with wit, frankness, and a style all his own, Senator Mitchell's memoir reveals many insights into the art of negotiation. Mitchell looks back at his adventures in law and politics--including instrumental work on clean air and water legislation, the Iran-Contra hearings, and healthcare reform--as well as life after the Senate, from leading the successful Northern Ireland peace process, to serving as chairman of The Walt Disney Company, to heading investigations into the use of steroids in baseball and unethical activity surrounding the Olympic Games. Through it all, Senator Mitchell's incredible stories--some hilarious, others tragic, all revealing--offer invaluable insights into critical moments in the last half-century of business, law, and politics, both domestic and international.
It's a classic story of the American Dream. George Mitchell grew up in a working class family in Maine, experiencing firsthand the demoralizing effects of unemployment when his father was laid off from a lifelong job. But education was always a household priority, and Mitchell embraced every opportunity that came his way, eventually becoming the ranking Democrat in the Senate during the administrations of George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton.
Told with wit, frankness, and a style all his own, Senator Mitchell's memoir reveals many insights into the art of negotiation. Mitchell looks back at his adventures in law and politics--including instrumental work on clean air and water legislation, the Iran-Contra hearings, and healthcare reform--as well as life after the Senate, from leading the successful Northern Ireland peace process, to serving as chairman of The Walt Disney Company, to heading investigations into the use of steroids in baseball and unethical activity surrounding the Olympic Games. Through it all, Senator Mitchell's incredible stories--some hilarious, others tragic, all revealing--offer invaluable insights into critical moments in the last half-century of business, law, and politics, both domestic and international.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published March 3, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
June 17, 2015
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As someone born and raised in the state of Maine, I’ve always been fascinated by those fellow natives who go on to make significant impacts on the larger stage – particularly those who operate in the political realm.
George Mitchell was the first Maine politician that I saw ascend into the national – and then international – spotlight. From Senate majority leader to peace negotiator in Northern Ireland and the Middle East to independent investigator of Major League Baseball to chairman of the board at Disney, Mitchell’s journey has been one of dignified promise.
He shares some of his stories – both of those heady times and of the life that preceded them – in his latest book “The Negotiator: A Memoir”.
Mitchell offers thoughts and anecdotes regarding just about every stop on his life’s journey. He spends a good deal of time talking about his childhood, growing up as the son of immigrants in Waterville and watching as his parents struggled and sacrificed to make a better life for him and his siblings. He also shares some thoughts about his time at Bowdoin, where he began striving to reach the potential that so many had already seen in him. There’s talk about his time as a young lawyer and his stint in military intelligence as well.
He talks about his relationship with the legendary Ed Muskie and how that led him into the political realm, first with a failed campaign for governor and then with a surprising victory in a Senate race. From there, we learn about his time as majority leader; the sections in which he discusses the legislation that he’s proudest of (and the painstaking process required to pass it) are interesting insights into the mindset of someone ensconced within the legislative branch.
After his time in elected office came to a close, all Mitchell did was become one of the most prominent peacekeeping statesmen of our time. He was central to peace negotiations in some of the world’s longest-standing conflicts, bringing his own unique patient wisdom to the table in Northern Ireland and in the Middle East. Despite the modesty that Mitchell brings to the page, there’s no mistaking the enormous role that he has played on the global stage.
And there are also glimpses of his time in the private sector – his work within law, his investigations into MLB’s steroid problem and Olympic corruption – that illustrate another aspect of the strong work ethic passed down to him by his parents. One thing becomes clear in reading these stories – George Mitchell has never been one to back away from a challenge, devoting his energy tirelessly to his singular goal: doing the right thing.
One of the most engaging aspects of “The Negotiator” is Mitchell’s attitude toward the stories that he shares. Some stories go on at great length, packed full of minutiae and interesting tidbits. Others are short – just a page or two. But they all share something in common – each story is just as long as it needs to be. And there’s none of the self-aggrandizement that you sometimes see in this sort of book; Mitchell’s humility is ubiquitous despite the sheer magnitude of all that he has accomplished.
There’s also a tendency for this sort of book to be a bit dry, but the only dryness here is found in Mitchell’s wit. There’s a plainspoken straightforwardness to “The Negotiator” that makes it wonderfully readable, but there’s also a wry sense of humor that subtly permeates the stories – particularly those dealing with the athletic and scholastic shortcomings of his younger days.
“The Negotiator” offers a compelling, entertaining portrait of one of the giants of Maine politics. George Mitchell is a towering figure in the recent history of this state; his book offers some insight on the man he was, the man he is and the journey he took to progress from one to the other.
As someone born and raised in the state of Maine, I’ve always been fascinated by those fellow natives who go on to make significant impacts on the larger stage – particularly those who operate in the political realm.
George Mitchell was the first Maine politician that I saw ascend into the national – and then international – spotlight. From Senate majority leader to peace negotiator in Northern Ireland and the Middle East to independent investigator of Major League Baseball to chairman of the board at Disney, Mitchell’s journey has been one of dignified promise.
He shares some of his stories – both of those heady times and of the life that preceded them – in his latest book “The Negotiator: A Memoir”.
Mitchell offers thoughts and anecdotes regarding just about every stop on his life’s journey. He spends a good deal of time talking about his childhood, growing up as the son of immigrants in Waterville and watching as his parents struggled and sacrificed to make a better life for him and his siblings. He also shares some thoughts about his time at Bowdoin, where he began striving to reach the potential that so many had already seen in him. There’s talk about his time as a young lawyer and his stint in military intelligence as well.
He talks about his relationship with the legendary Ed Muskie and how that led him into the political realm, first with a failed campaign for governor and then with a surprising victory in a Senate race. From there, we learn about his time as majority leader; the sections in which he discusses the legislation that he’s proudest of (and the painstaking process required to pass it) are interesting insights into the mindset of someone ensconced within the legislative branch.
After his time in elected office came to a close, all Mitchell did was become one of the most prominent peacekeeping statesmen of our time. He was central to peace negotiations in some of the world’s longest-standing conflicts, bringing his own unique patient wisdom to the table in Northern Ireland and in the Middle East. Despite the modesty that Mitchell brings to the page, there’s no mistaking the enormous role that he has played on the global stage.
And there are also glimpses of his time in the private sector – his work within law, his investigations into MLB’s steroid problem and Olympic corruption – that illustrate another aspect of the strong work ethic passed down to him by his parents. One thing becomes clear in reading these stories – George Mitchell has never been one to back away from a challenge, devoting his energy tirelessly to his singular goal: doing the right thing.
One of the most engaging aspects of “The Negotiator” is Mitchell’s attitude toward the stories that he shares. Some stories go on at great length, packed full of minutiae and interesting tidbits. Others are short – just a page or two. But they all share something in common – each story is just as long as it needs to be. And there’s none of the self-aggrandizement that you sometimes see in this sort of book; Mitchell’s humility is ubiquitous despite the sheer magnitude of all that he has accomplished.
There’s also a tendency for this sort of book to be a bit dry, but the only dryness here is found in Mitchell’s wit. There’s a plainspoken straightforwardness to “The Negotiator” that makes it wonderfully readable, but there’s also a wry sense of humor that subtly permeates the stories – particularly those dealing with the athletic and scholastic shortcomings of his younger days.
“The Negotiator” offers a compelling, entertaining portrait of one of the giants of Maine politics. George Mitchell is a towering figure in the recent history of this state; his book offers some insight on the man he was, the man he is and the journey he took to progress from one to the other.
January 15, 2018
Some very interesting vignettes of one of Maine's most successful politicians. Where it falls down, and perhaps this was the reviewers misplaced expectations, was being an actual memoir, with a inner look at some of the more difficult aspects of life in the public eye. Besides the honest look at growing up poor in Maine, the sketches from Washington mostly glossed over his failures, highlighting how spectacular the wins were ending nearly all of them talking about how complicated humans are. Quaint, but unsatisfying for someone who has been through very difficult times. Personally I wouldn't put "A Memoir" in the title and instead refer to it as sketches of a life, or something like that. This is not really a memoir, or at least a very incomplete one.
January 2, 2020
I was intrigued to read this memoir as a way to learn more about Senator Mitchell's role in brokering/negotiating the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland.
I thoroughly enjoyed learning about Senator Mitchell, his personal journey, his humility and has hard work to try and get good outcomes in challenging conflicts (global and in the senate). It was also a great recap/refresh about recent political history and the history of conflict in the Middle East.
I read a bit of this book every night - really enjoyed it.
I thoroughly enjoyed learning about Senator Mitchell, his personal journey, his humility and has hard work to try and get good outcomes in challenging conflicts (global and in the senate). It was also a great recap/refresh about recent political history and the history of conflict in the Middle East.
I read a bit of this book every night - really enjoyed it.
May 23, 2019
Fascinating stories from George Mitchell from his life growing up, to lawyer, judge, senator, and special envoy to the Northern Ireland and the Middle East.
December 26, 2017
As someone who grew up in Maine and met Senator George Mitchell a few times, I was really hoping that this book would dive deeply into the process and what was at stake in each of the negotiations outlined to better understand what he brought to the table because Maine was very proud to have him as Senate Majority leader and the peacemaker for many international conflicts. But instead it reads like a survey of his life at these times and doesn’t get into the details of how he was able to find compromise, just that compromises were reached and how he was always trying to do best by the people of Maine, US, Disney shareholders, baseball fans, Northern Ireland, Middle East, etc. The stories are good and often have a lot of wit and colloquial charm to them, but lacked some depth on the negotiations process itself which was perhaps a misset expectation on my part going into the book.
Additionally the audio quality of the Audible audiobook is very choppy and sounds like five different audio engineers worked on this production with different mics, punch-in points. A little cut-and-pastey and jarring at times.
Additionally the audio quality of the Audible audiobook is very choppy and sounds like five different audio engineers worked on this production with different mics, punch-in points. A little cut-and-pastey and jarring at times.
August 19, 2025
The George Mitchell autobiography was a workmanlike telling of his life in public service and eventually how he earned fame as negotiator of nation-sized problems, most notably the Good Friday Accord ending the centuries old strife between England and Ireland. The main reason I read the book was to learn how this great feat of statesmanship was accomplished. Alas, When I read up to the point in his career when he took on this assignment, I learned that it was covered in a separate book he had written earlier! Scant coverage of the Good Friday Accords in this book. Aside from this big disappointment I did learn of his considerable life in public service at the national level and I did learn his approach for negotiations at the highest levels—it was mostly listening.
January 1, 2016
Norman Dietz delivers The Negotiator, A Memoir by George Mitchell with emotion, humor, and realism. Much of the book is full of anecdotal references, humor, and very stark human situations, yet schools the listener in the intricate politics of the US Senate, and the fine ways of peace negotiations. Although there are some sound issues, these should be corrected in the final edition. Excellent book concurrently published in paper. This should be a popular nonfiction/political book that gives a comprehensive and interesting overview of Senator Mitchell’s life.
August 25, 2015
I quite enjoyed this book, though I think also being born and raised in Maine helps with that. I actually found the chapters on actually political work - budget legislation, negotiations between Israel and Palestine - less compelling; I think the other books are better for those. For any other Mainers interested more in George Mitchell's background and bio, definitely recommended.
July 31, 2015
Narrated with humor, intelligence and compassion. I really enjoyed the book's format of short chapters. I could read a bit and pick it up next day and continue on. I did find the Disney dispute uninteresting but it was important for the author to include it, I guess.
May 12, 2015
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads . I enjoyed reading this book .I will be looking for more books from the author in the future , Great book !!
July 15, 2015
Great book -- learned a lot about his early life, his hard working parents and the values they instilled in him. Will look forward to reading his other books.
June 29, 2015
After reading this book I want to meet George Mitchell. What a remarkable man!!
November 6, 2015
No intimate revelations of substance
August 20, 2015
Interesting stories with nice insight. Made me want to meet Senator Mitchell.
Read
November 6, 2015A very interesting account of an upstanding man. A priority of not getting
consumed by power and ego.
consumed by power and ego.
May 1, 2016
A broad stroke of major events in his life. The author does not get personal but gives the reason he is called the negotiator
December 6, 2016
This is a surprisingly readable book considering it's by a polititian! I enjoyed it very much and have a lot of respect for the author.
July 4, 2016
My Maine man. I learned a lot from reading this.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews