What do you think?
Rate this book
Now, Let Me Tell You What I Really Think
Chris Matthews has been playing "hardball" since the day he was born. From his first political run-in in the first grade to his years working as presidential speechwriter for Jimmy Carter and top aide to Tip O'Neill, Matthews grew up loving his country and dreaming of his chance to protect it. As one of the most honest, brash, and in-your-face journalists on TV, he has finally gotten the chance. The host of television's Hardball and bestselling author of such classics as Hardball and Kennedy & Nixon, Matthews is a political cop who insists on the truth and nothing but. In this latest work, Now, Let Me Tell You What I Really Think, Chris Matthews is at his brilliant, blunt, bulldogged best.
From the Cold War to the Clinton years, Matthews gives the straight-up account of what it means to be an American. Matthews tells us about his "God and Country" Catholic school education in Philadelphia complete with Cold War air-raid drills and his early enthusiasm for politics. He shares with us his life's adventures: two years in Africa with the Peace Corps, the challenge of running for Congress in his twenties, and his three decades deep in the "belly of the beast" of American politics.
Matthews has made his name as a razor-sharp journalist who cross-examines the politicians in Washington and takes on the Los Angeles and New York elite who view America's heartland as "fly-over country."
In Now, Let Me Tell You What I Really Think, Matthews rallies those who "work hard and play by the rules" and celebrates the wisdom learned from a U.S. Capitol policeman more than twenty years ago, "The little man loves his country, because it's all he's got." A hard-to-categorize maverick with an uncool love for his country, Matthews gives an irreverent look at who we are and whom we trust to lead us.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
8 people are currently reading
97 people want to read
About the author
Chris Matthews
71 books164 followersChristopher John “Chris” Matthews is widely respected for his in-depth knowledge of politics. Now retired, he was a nightly host, news anchor and political commentator on MSNBC (1997-2020), a Washington, D.C. bureau chief for the newspaper, San Francisco Examiner (1987–2000), a Chief of Staff to long-time Speaker of the House of Representatives Tip O'Neill, a Carter era presidential speech writer, and penned a number of bestselling books, to name a small part of his impressive resume. Chris has been married to Kathleen (née Cunningham) since 1980 and they share three children and several grandchildren.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 15, 2007
One thing about Chris Matthews is that he isn't afraid to share his opinions. This is certainly true in this book. He talks about different political issues and the prevaling views held about the issues...then proceeds to blow them out of the water. It was written about the time of George W. Bush's election, so the material is somewhat dated, but still a pretty good read.
December 21, 2017
After reading Bobby Kennedy: A Raging Spirit I wanted to read more by this author. Although some of the book is somewhat outdated, there is still a lot of relevant material here and sometimes a new perspective to some of the history talked about in this book. Too bad this guy doesn't run for president.
April 17, 2010
What can I say? I love Christopher Matthews. I've met him in person too!
August 18, 2018
I like Chris Matthews. I like this book.
August 21, 2023
Other than the tone he took on Clinton, I enjoyed this book. It was also fun to learn about Chris's path to Swaziland after he, unsurely, started a Ph. D endeavor on Economics involving a course that he felt he wasn't fit for, Econometrics.
It was also fun to learn about his path to the Washington Post from a consulting firm and his speech writing history for Jimmy Carter.
It was also fun to learn about his path to the Washington Post from a consulting firm and his speech writing history for Jimmy Carter.
December 6, 2025
I love reading what this man has to say. He has a no-nonsense attitude that is much needed in a world gone crazy.
March 5, 2008
Archived at http://web.archive.org/web/2003022408...
Now, Let Me Tell You What I Really Think by Chris Matthews
Naturally, on election day, November 5, 2002, Chris Matthews was on fire. As John Bloom noted in his column the next day, "Networks dazed and confused ," other television news reporters robotically reported the vote counts and the winners and losers (under garish overlighting, perhaps to hearken back to 1960s-era election night coverage?) while Matthews enthusiastically peppered his onscreen group of political experts and his offsite drop-in broadcast guests with nonstop questions and observations. MSNBC's Matthews seemed like the only commentator full of joy and passion for America's unique political system, while the other talking heads seemed to reflect the ennui and apathy of recent generations raised with the narcotizing presidencies of Ford, Carter, Reagan, Clinton and two Bushes.
"Now, Let Me Tell You What I Really Think," Matthews' third book, goes a long way toward explaining why this is so. A combination of opinion and memoir, Matthews lists the public figures as well as the personal life experiences that have shaped his own political point of view. It's the backstory to the awareness that he expresses on both "Hardball with Chris Matthews," his daily one-hour program (named after his first book, "Hardball: How Politics is Played, Told By One Who Knows the Game"), and on his half-hour Sunday program, "The Chris Matthews Show," which airs at various times on NBC affiliates. He also has a "Hardball" weblog, which is maintained on the MSNBC web site, at . His various newspaper bylines throughout the 1970s and 1980s coalesced into a nationally syndicated column written for 15 years for the San Francisco Chronicle, which ended just recently, in September of 2002.
Matthews does know the game--he used to be *in* the game. His professional resume famously includes stints as a speechwriter for President Carter and top aide to Speaker of the House Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill, as well as an unsuccessful 1970s bid for Congress. In the book Matthews drops a lot of names, mostly politicians and journalists. He devotes clusters of pages to specific political figures--presidential candidates Al Gore and George W. Bush, former U.S. Presidents Kennedy, Clinton, and Reagan, former boss O'Neill, and former British prime minister Sir Winston Churchill. He briefly weighs in on various political hot-button issues, including race relations, abortion rights, gay rights, and AIDS in Africa. He takes us back to his coverage of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, stopping to walk through the Buchenwald concentration camp in the process, and also revisits the first all-races election in South Africa in 1994. Most importantly, however, Matthews takes us to the African nation of Swaziland, where he was charged with helping the businessmen there develop their economy, while serving in the U.S. Peace Corps from 1968 to 1970. It was the lessons learned there that turned the Catholic Philadelphia native away from his parents' Republican values and over to becoming a Democrat.
The real strength of this book is Matthews' connecting the dots, so to speak--showing how the words of a few can affect the lives of so many (a point of fact that can be applied to both politics and journalism). So many people see politics as a meaningless exercise, a nagging means to a hollow end. That is not his view. A visit to Washington, D.C., in 1954, when he was just 10 years old, greatly impressed upon him the power of American politics. Later life experiences presented him with a rather pragmatic definition of freedom and therefore perhaps a deeper appreciation of what American democracy is able to accomplish.
This is why Matthews was able to shine without peer on election night. He knows the truth, that election night is what American democracy is all about. This country should only truly worry about its future if the light ever goes out of Chris Matthews' eyes. Three and a half stars.
The Free Press, 2001, $25
Reviewed by Valerie Hawkins
Now, Let Me Tell You What I Really Think by Chris Matthews
Naturally, on election day, November 5, 2002, Chris Matthews was on fire. As John Bloom noted in his column the next day, "Networks dazed and confused ," other television news reporters robotically reported the vote counts and the winners and losers (under garish overlighting, perhaps to hearken back to 1960s-era election night coverage?) while Matthews enthusiastically peppered his onscreen group of political experts and his offsite drop-in broadcast guests with nonstop questions and observations. MSNBC's Matthews seemed like the only commentator full of joy and passion for America's unique political system, while the other talking heads seemed to reflect the ennui and apathy of recent generations raised with the narcotizing presidencies of Ford, Carter, Reagan, Clinton and two Bushes.
"Now, Let Me Tell You What I Really Think," Matthews' third book, goes a long way toward explaining why this is so. A combination of opinion and memoir, Matthews lists the public figures as well as the personal life experiences that have shaped his own political point of view. It's the backstory to the awareness that he expresses on both "Hardball with Chris Matthews," his daily one-hour program (named after his first book, "Hardball: How Politics is Played, Told By One Who Knows the Game"), and on his half-hour Sunday program, "The Chris Matthews Show," which airs at various times on NBC affiliates. He also has a "Hardball" weblog, which is maintained on the MSNBC web site, at . His various newspaper bylines throughout the 1970s and 1980s coalesced into a nationally syndicated column written for 15 years for the San Francisco Chronicle, which ended just recently, in September of 2002.
Matthews does know the game--he used to be *in* the game. His professional resume famously includes stints as a speechwriter for President Carter and top aide to Speaker of the House Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill, as well as an unsuccessful 1970s bid for Congress. In the book Matthews drops a lot of names, mostly politicians and journalists. He devotes clusters of pages to specific political figures--presidential candidates Al Gore and George W. Bush, former U.S. Presidents Kennedy, Clinton, and Reagan, former boss O'Neill, and former British prime minister Sir Winston Churchill. He briefly weighs in on various political hot-button issues, including race relations, abortion rights, gay rights, and AIDS in Africa. He takes us back to his coverage of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, stopping to walk through the Buchenwald concentration camp in the process, and also revisits the first all-races election in South Africa in 1994. Most importantly, however, Matthews takes us to the African nation of Swaziland, where he was charged with helping the businessmen there develop their economy, while serving in the U.S. Peace Corps from 1968 to 1970. It was the lessons learned there that turned the Catholic Philadelphia native away from his parents' Republican values and over to becoming a Democrat.
The real strength of this book is Matthews' connecting the dots, so to speak--showing how the words of a few can affect the lives of so many (a point of fact that can be applied to both politics and journalism). So many people see politics as a meaningless exercise, a nagging means to a hollow end. That is not his view. A visit to Washington, D.C., in 1954, when he was just 10 years old, greatly impressed upon him the power of American politics. Later life experiences presented him with a rather pragmatic definition of freedom and therefore perhaps a deeper appreciation of what American democracy is able to accomplish.
This is why Matthews was able to shine without peer on election night. He knows the truth, that election night is what American democracy is all about. This country should only truly worry about its future if the light ever goes out of Chris Matthews' eyes. Three and a half stars.
The Free Press, 2001, $25
Reviewed by Valerie Hawkins
March 15, 2010
One of the first books by Chris Matthews but an interesting one. His predictions sometimes didn't exactly come to pass such as, he predicted Al Gore would definitely run again for president and that did not happen! Also he grew up in a Republican family but switched over to a Democrat later in life.
January 6, 2016
"Now, Let Me Tell You What I Really Think" by Chris Matthews is a good read. As of right now, I have read Hardball and this book. Therefore, I believe Hardball is a better read. I really liked the stories and advice he presented in the book, but it is not a five star book.
December 26, 2014
Typically Chris.
I have watched Chris since he had a 15 minute program back when he first started. I don't always agree with him, but I hate to have to miss him. Not only will you enjoy this book,but you'll learn something to boot.
I have watched Chris since he had a 15 minute program back when he first started. I don't always agree with him, but I hate to have to miss him. Not only will you enjoy this book,but you'll learn something to boot.
will-never-read
June 16, 2009Thanks but I'll pass.
March 16, 2010
I generally like Matthews. Yes, it's a little left biased (not that there's anything wrong with that), but for the most part he's middle of the road and honestly explains his beliefs in here.
July 31, 2010
All his books are the same.
April 1, 2012
Don't let him.
February 15, 2014
Not a fan of Matthews politics, but a good read.
May 31, 2016
Not bad, but not one of Matthews's best works.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews