What A Party!: My Life Among Democrats: Presidents, Candidates, Donors, Activists, Alligators and Other Wild Animals

by Terry McAuliffe, Steve Kettmann

"I thought I knew Terry McAuliffe as well as anyone, but this time he surprised even me. Who knew Terry could sit still long enough to give us a book this good? What a Party! is a must-read for all of us who love politics, believe in public service, and know that laughter is often the best survival strategy."

--President Bill Clinton

"No one knows more about American politics than Terry McAuliffe. He gives
us some remarkable insights and knows how to make his accounts both humorous
and informative."

--President Jimmy Carter

"I've often said Terry's energy could light up a city, and readers of this book will know why. Terry's excitement for politics--and life--is evident on every page." --Senator Hillary Clinton For more than twenty-five years, Terry McAuliffe has been at the epicenter of American politics. Just out of Catholic University in Washington, Terry took a position with the Carter-Mondale campaign and quickly became one of the campaign's chief fund-raisers--and hasn't looked back since. The list of Terry´s former mentors, friends, and close associates in the nation's capital reads like a who's who of legendary Tip O'Neill. Jimmy Carter. Dick Gephardt. Bill Clinton. Hillary Clinton. Al Gore. The list goes on and on. Terry has fought hard for the Democratic Party his entire life and, as Bill Clinton reveals here for the first time, he was the first one in the party to see opportunity in the Republican gains in the 1994 Congressional elections.
Without question the most successful fund-raiser in political history, Terry established himself as a heavyweight Democratic strategist and leader who was George W. Bush´s most vocal and persistent critic during the first four years of the Bush 43 presidency. He earned rave reviews even from former critics for his groundbreaking work as chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2001 to 2005, pulling the DNC out of debt for the first time in its history. Terry has served as a confidant and adviser to President Clinton and countless presidential candidates, a mediator among party leaders, the chairman of a national convention and presidential inaugural, and a forceful spokesman for the party--all without losing his reputation as a colorful, fun-loving character liked and respected even by his Republican adversaries.
What a Party! is a fascinating, hilarious, and provocative look at the life of one of Washington's legendary figures. From wrestling an alligator to running the Democratic National Committee to his friendship with President Clinton, Terry McAuliffe's wonderful memoir covers it all and is, without doubt, the political book of the year.

Genres: Politics, Biography Memoir, Biography, Nonfiction, Contemporary, Business

416 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Adam · Rating 2 out of 5]

The subtitle of this book is not appropriate. Instead, it should be What a Party! How Terry McAuliffe Has Never, Ever Made a Single Mistake on a Matter of Any Real Importance. This reads like a caricature of a memoir, where the writer is a hero on every page and when bad things happen, it's always someone else's fault. (Did I mention that McAuliffe also seems to have had his friends and employees shill the book with a glowing Amazon review or three? Apparently he forgot or just doesn't care that right there on page 350-something he noted that one Addisu S. Demissie, proud owner of a 5-star review, is his trusted assistant and sometime driver.) It's also a fairly embarrassing co-writing job on Kettmann's part, abetted by sloppy editing - there are numerous typos and minor but obvious factual errors, like explaining that the Boxing Day earthquake of 2004 occurred on Christmas Eve.

All that said, there are a handful of entertaining anecdotes here, but they mostly occur early on in the book. As you might expect, the life of a fundraising genius just isn't all that interesting; there seem to be only so many ways one can kiss the asses of very rich men. Overall, worth a quick skim if you're interested in some of this inside baseball stuff. Just make sure you have kosher salt on hand, because the grains you should take this book with need to be extra big.

[Naina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is hilarious. Read it for the humor and don't focus on the politics. It's a political beach read. Great stories though on the Clinton years and honest reflection on issues with the Kerry campaign. Also really interesting to hear from Terry himself about how he turned around the DNC. Note- this book is best for those who align themselves more to the left although even republicans will find themselves chuckling at some of his stories (like he seriously did wrestly an alligator to raise money).

[Steve Comstock · Rating 2 out of 5]

McAuliffe's memoirs are rollicking and energetic. Of course he is pretty partisan, critical of the Bush administration and Republicans in general, which is to be expected from a former DNC chairman. He does not spend much time on policy discussion, but formats the book in a fast paced storytelling style. His energy pops right off the page. This is a great read for political junkies who want a behind the scenes look at the nuts and bolts of campaign work.

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of a fun read. McAuliffe is a natural storyteller, in the classic tradition, which means you're never entirely sure how much of the story is pure BS. He's very difficult not to like, despite the naked egotism, false humility, and so forth. It's an interesting look into how you can become a real power player in U.S. politics as well.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

a easy read and interesting look at a Clinton insider.

[Colin Cox · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't finish reading it. I got the point early on about how important Terry McAuliffe is.

[Jaden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! If you are interested in politics and don't mind hearing the Democratic point of view, this is a great read! The extraordinary life of a political fundraiser!

[Ngiste · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book filled with fascinating stories about what it takes to be a money-man in Democratic politics, even if you have to wrestle alligators and have little family time. Many of his stories are lively and interesting and he tells them with much vim and verve. His passion for principles is also an undeniable driving force of many of his tales. I gave this book only four stars though because of two things: shamelessness and chronology. He is absolutely shameless about making anybody in the Republican camp uncomfortable or downright angry, like when he gave then-Senator Fred Thompson a hard time on his campaign finance reform committee's problems or when he sat behind First Lady Laura Bush and her daughters during the first 2004 presidential debates, which sent the Bush ladies into a bit of nervous gossip and the President into a tantrum that delayed the debates for several minutes. Not necessarily an endearing quality to the man. There is also the problem of chronology. The first part of his book on his childhood seems to jump back and forth many times leaving readers unable to know when exactly things happened. Not to mention he completely skipped over the 2002 Congressional elections, which the Democrats got worked over in. Overall, an interesting read for anyone who is interested in the Democratic party and its history for the past quarter century.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the most partisan book I have ever read, and it was pretty fun. Terry is arrogant in a charming way -- you have to roll your eyes when he insists that he predicted everything that has ever happened in politics and that he is responsible for most of the good and none of the bad. (Also, he must have kept a log of how late he stayed up each night because that detail was on nearly every page. Bizarre.) Tons of great behind-the-scenes stories about the Clintons and the recent presidential campaign trails and conventions.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining, motivating, and thought-provoking book (as is the 2000 election - WTF were these people doing?!?), thoroughly charming guy. It's no wonder he gets people to hand over fistfuls of money - I purchased 3 full priced books after hearing him speak. And if that is not a testament to his ability, I don't know what is.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pure fun for any Democrat looking for the inside scoop from the former head of the DNC - lots of stories and remembrances and silly stuff. You aren't going to find anything heavy or controversial here - just lots of info about the exploits of consummate Democratic insider and friend of the Clintons.

[Evan Macbeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

It jumps around at the beginning, the name dropping is constant, and the pace is relentless. In short, this is pretty much Terry McAuliffe's quintessence in book form. I really liked it. A fascinating and clearly one-sided perspective on the last thirty years of Democratic politics, and definitely a necessary read for anyone who claims to understand them.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of a "kiss & tell" for the political set. Lots of name-dropping of world leaders (which is kind of interesting). Offers great insights into the wild world of political fundraising. If you're not a Dem, don't bother.

[Ryan Naples · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very light reading. Too little of the book talked about his time as Chairman of the DNC, though probably because despite his best efforts, 2000-2004 was not the best time for the party. It's nonetheless a pretty good read for a political junkie like say, me or Suzanne Globetti.

[Dominic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terry McAulliffe's book is somewhat self-serving, which is something he even admits to in the book. Nevertheless, it is an interesting and insightful book. I particularly liked McAuliffe's insights on the Clintons, failures of the Kerry presidential campaign, and modernizing the DNC.

[Johan Sulaiman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I lean more towards R than D, but this is a fun book filled with insider anecdotes about the life of a Democratic fundraiser. His rise to fortune is also an inspiration, as well as educational. Terry sounds like a really good person to know and watch.

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book of anecdotes from fundraising guru to the Dems.

[Mary Grogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book reads like a history lesson so you not only learn about McAuliffe's life growing up with a political father but also how campaignes are run and won.

[Paola Moll · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've always thought this guy was hilarious, and it definitely came across in the tone of the book. A good read for someone who wants to be a political operative/fund raiser.

[Molly S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun book!

[G Crawshaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great audiobook. As always with political books, entirely partisan but in a fun & interesting way

[Laurel Snode · Rating 2 out of 5]

He is a real player, and I kind of liked him.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

It showed an inside look at the White House with no fluff.