Time Present, Time Past: A Memoir

by Bill Bradley

During his terms in the U.S. Senate, Bill Bradley won a national reputation for thoughtfulness, decency, and a willingness to take controversial positions on issues ranging from tax reform to the rights of Native Americans. All these qualities inform this best-selling memoir, in which Bradley assesses his political career and the experiences that shaped his convictions, and looks beyond them to consider the state of the American union on the eve of the 21st century. Time Present, Time Past offers an intimate portrait of the day-to-day working of the how legislation gets passed and sometimes thwarted; how money is raised and at what cost. But Bradley also writes about deeper What does it means to be an American in an ago of dwindling opportunities and increasing inequality? How much can we expect from our public servants? What do we owe our fellow citizens? The result is a genuinely revelatory book, informed by intelligence, compassion, and unprecedented candor.



"Strikingly reflects the realities of modern politics, what it looks like, feels like, from the inside."--New York Times Book Review

Genres: Politics, Biography, Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography Memoir, History, American History

480 pages, Paperback

First published January 16, 1996

Reviews

[Larry Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read TIME PRESENT, TIME PAST in 2000. Since Bill Bradley was kind enough to provide a positive blurb for the cover of my book I decided to reread his memoir earlier this year. It's much more than a "quick read," something I believe it was never intended to be, and I found it to be even more thought provoking the second time around and at times amazingly prophetic. Having graduated a year behind Senator Bradley at Princeton I was well aware of his dedication and honesty. His book, a well-thought out examination of many of this county's traditions, should be required reading for anyone who is thinking about entering politics. Rereading it reinforced my long held belief that "Preacher" Bill should have been president.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

You won't sleep on Bill Bradley. One of the best books about politics by a politician. He is very genuine.

[Kelly Holmes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bill Bradley made me care about the kind of leaders we elect to run this country.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What a thoughtful, substantive memoir. Not a quick read, but well worth the effort. Anyone considering running for public office should use this as their primer, although the political landscape may have changed drastically since this was written 20 years ago.

[Jeff Youngstrom]

my review