This Country, Chris Matthews
This Country, Chris Matthews
3 Rating(s)
List: $25.99 | Sale: $18.20
Club: $12.99

This Country
My Life in Politics and History

Author: Chris Matthews

Narrator: Chris Matthews

Unabridged: 9 hr 10 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 06/01/2021


Synopsis

A “quintessentially American” (Policy Magazine) memoir of politics and history from Chris Matthews, New York Times bestselling author and long-time host of MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews.

In This Country, Chris Matthews “has written a love letter to his country” (Joy Reid, host of The ReidOut and author of The Man Who Sold America), offering a panoramic portrait of post-World War II America through the story of his remarkable life and career. It is a story of risk and adventure, of self-reliance and service, of loyalty and friendship. It is a story driven by an abiding faith in our country.

Raised in a large Irish-Catholic family in Philadelphia at a time when kids hid under their desks in atomic war drills, Chris’s life etched a pattern: take a leap, live an adventure, then learn what it means. As a young Peace Corps graduate, Chris moved to DC and began knocking on doors on Capitol Hill. With dreams of becoming what Ted Sorensen had been for Jack Kennedy, Chris landed as a staffer to Utah Senator Frank Moss, where his eyes were opened to the game of big-league politics.

In the 1970s, Matthews mounted a campaign for Congress as a Democratic maverick running against Philadelphia’s old political machine. He didn’t win the most votes, but his grit put him on the path to a top job in the White House. As a speechwriter for President Carter, Matthews witnessed the triumphs and tragedies of that administration; from the diplomatic brilliance of the Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty to the disaster of the Iran hostage crisis. After Carter’s defeat, Chris became chief of staff to legendary Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill, a perch that gave him an on-the-job PhD in American politics during the Reagan years.

Chris than leapt to the other side of the political matrix as a columnist and reporter. For the San Francisco Examiner, he covered the fall of the Berlin Wall, the first all-races election in South Africa, the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland, and every American presidency from Reagan to George W. Bush. Chris would go on to pioneer cable news with a fast-paced, no-nonsense television program. His show, Hardball with Chris Matthews, would become a political institution for twenty years.

As Chris charts his political odyssey, he paints an animated picture of a nation searching for its soul. He reflects with grace and wisdom, showcasing the grand arc of the American story through one life dedicated to its politics.

About Chris Matthews

Chris Matthews is a veteran political journalist, television commentator, and bestselling author known for his sharp insights, historical depth, and no-nonsense approach to American politics. As the longtime host of Hardball with Chris Matthews, he became a household name, grilling politicians and analyzing the biggest stories of the day with his signature wit and energy. Before his career in media, Matthews worked as a speechwriter for President Jimmy Carter and served as Chief of Staff to House Speaker Tip O’Neill, giving him a front-row seat to the inner workings of Washington. His books, including Hardball, Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero, and Tip and the Gipper: When Politics Worked, blend personal experience with historical analysis, offering readers a compelling look at power, leadership, and the art of politics. With a deep love for history and a passion for public service, Matthews remains a respected voice in political discourse, known for his ability to connect the past with the present in an engaging and insightful way.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Donald on June 12, 2021

Chris Matthews displays his honesty and pugnacity in this pleasant memoir. Hs zeal to find the debate, the controversy, rings through each chapter. HIs ethical, ambitious drive is also apparent. He had a great upbringing and his sense of right and wrong, as always, seems to be a guiding beacon. Ameri......more

Goodreads review by Brian on June 16, 2021

Matthews, after writing bios of JFK and RFK, as well as a focus on the working partnership of Reagan and Tip O'Neill - his former boss, turns the spotlight on his own life as a political junkie. How does one discover they want to be in politics? How do they go about getting their foot in the door? W......more

Goodreads review by Tony on August 09, 2021

I followed Chris Matthews for many years. I understood his Democratic leanings but always found him a treasure of political insight. I will still read any book he writes because of the wonderful history he provides. Matthews recalls a lecture given by the Washington Post's David Broder. The speaker......more

Goodreads review by Mary Ann on August 08, 2021

This is the most personal of Matthews's books, and I appreciated the story of how his politics developed and evolved since his boyhood; it closely mirrors my own. He is a talented and insightful writer as anyone knows who has read his previous works (my personal favorite is Bobby Kennedy: A Raging S......more

Goodreads review by Eric on July 22, 2021

If you are a "Hardball" fan, (I am not) you may find this a piece of edifying literature; else it's little more than a work of left-leaning screed. Matthews allows that he was once a Barry Goldwater conservative, and he even admits that the "getting a thrill up his leg" comment about Obama was less......more