Bob Dole

by Richard Ben Cramer

Cramer penetrates Bob Dole's legendary reserve to decipher the enigma of his character and the vicissitudes of his career. Dole loyally served four Republican presidents--including one who treated him shabbily and another whose policies he often questioned--and has survived Congress for 35 years. Bob Dole is an invaluable barometer not only to Dole himself, but to American politi cs as a whole.

Genres: Biography

165 pages, Paperback

First published August 29, 1995

About the author

Richard Ben Cramer was an American journalist and writer. He won a Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting in 1979 for his coverage of the Middle East. His work as a political reporter culminated in What It Takes: The Way to the White House, an account of the 1988 presidential election that is considered one of the seminal journalistic studies of presidential electoral politics.

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short book, and for the most part it focuses more on snapshots from Dole's life rather than attempting an overall biography. The introduction, describing Dole's childhood in Russell KS and the hardships of the Dust Bowl and Depression, is very affecting. After this, the book chooses specific events in his life where it focuses in, then jumps several years to the next chapter.

Overall, it paints a fairly rosy picture of Dole, but it doesn't shy away from some of his imperfections, such as his neglect of his first wife and child and the mudslinging in an early campaign. The writing style is a bit unconventional; it feels more like reading a tabloid or listening to a sports announcer than reading a biography. On the one hand, it provides a refreshing sense of immediacy and "down-to-earthiness," but it can also seem a bit too casual and flippant.

As a young Kansan living in small town, it was inspiring to learn how another "nobody" became such an important figure in American history—despite his humble beginnings—through his determination to never give up and keep moving forward. Though Dole was certainly not perfect, one can appreciate him for never forgetting his roots and accomplishing what he did. Despite some early stumbles, he seems to have both respected and been given respect by his own party as well as those who disagreed with him, which is a rare trait.

In summary, this is a good introduction to Dole's life, but one composed of news clippings rather than one with great depth. (This book was created from excerpts of a larger work called "What It Takes," so the brevity of the biography is understandable.) I suspect there's much more depth to Dole's personality and story than is apparent in this, but it does an admirable job of covering his life highlights (up to 1990) while remaining lively and engaging.

[Jean Dupenloup · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great biography of an important actor of American politics.

Disagree with him or not, love him or hate him, it’s hard not to respect Bob Dole after reading this book.

This account steps away from the politician who once sought the highest office in the land and reveals the young man beneath, one profoundly scarred (both mentally and physically) by a terrible wound fighting in World War II.

An evocative portrait of a compelling if not always convincing politician.

[Adrian Brown · Rating 1 out of 5]

From my uncle. I have always admire Bon Dole, and he deserves better than the tortured mangled prose in this abbreviated biography.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be an interesting biography of Bob Dole. Though it is short it packs quite a but of information in the book. I enjoyed reading it and I will at some point get the book that these exerts are from, and read that book.