The Gatekeepers, Chris Whipple
The Gatekeepers, Chris Whipple
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The Gatekeepers
How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency

Author: Chris Whipple

Narrator: Mark Bramhall

Unabridged: 12 hr 14 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 04/04/2017


Synopsis

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • An in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at the White House Chiefs of Staff, whose choices have defined the course of our country—including a chapter on the chaos of the first Trump administration

“Entertaining and engaging.”—The Wall Street Journal
“Compelling and insightful.”—HuffPost
“Carefully researched and eminently readable.”—Newsday

Presidents have always depended on the advice of key confidants. But it wasn’t until the twentieth century that the White House chief of staff was codified and became the second most powerful job in government. Unelected and unconfirmed, the chief is the president’s closest adviser; when the president makes a life-and-death decision, often the chief of staff is the only other person in the room.

Through extensive, intimate interviews with eighteen chiefs (including Reince Priebus) and two former presidents, award-winning journalist Chris Whipple pulls back the curtain on this unique fraternity. In doing so, he revises our understanding of presidential history, showing us how one chief paved the way for the Reagan Revolution—and, conversely, how Watergate and the Iraq War might have been prevented by a more effective chief. Plus, in a chapter written exclusively for this edition, Whipple takes readers inside the Trump White House, revealing startling details of its dysfunction.

About Chris Whipple

Chris Whipple is an author, political analyst, and Emmy Award–winning documentary filmmaker. He is a frequent guest on MSNBC, CNN, and NPR, and has contributed essays to The New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and Vanity Fair. His first book, The Gatekeepers, an analysis of the position of White House Chief of Staff, was a New York Times bestseller. His follow-up, The Spymasters, was based on interviews with nearly every living CIA Director and was critically acclaimed. Whipple lives in New York City with his wife Cary.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Jean on April 23, 2017

I found this a most interesting book to read. I learned a lot of information not only about the chief of staff but also about the president and his administration. The chief of staff(COS) is the highest-ranking White House employee. According to Whipple the chief of staff can make or break an admini......more

Goodreads review by Steven on September 01, 2017

At a time when the oval office is occupied by a man who seems to know no bounds of decency when it comes to race, hounds people who disagree with him on twitter, and vilifies individuals who he views as disloyal or refuse to do his bidding like former FBI head James Comey or Special Prosecutor Rober......more

Goodreads review by LauraBeth on April 03, 2017

I loved this book because of its inside look into one of the most powerful (and most difficult) positions in the world, the White House Chief of Staff. Chris Whipple is an excellent journalist and in his hands, this book reads like a fascinating documentary. He interviews all 17 living Chiefs of Sta......more

Goodreads review by Colin on February 09, 2018

Quick read filled with plenty of interesting anecdotes across several administrations, but (perhaps because of the key role the chief of staff plays across a host of issues) the book often tends to get side tracked into more discussions of the major challenges or scandals that consumed those adminis......more

Goodreads review by Yun on February 08, 2018

The Gatekeepers is a well-researched look at the White House chiefs of staff under Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush Sr., Clinton, Bush Jr., and Obama; and their styles, abilities, accomplishments and failures in that role. The book explores the relationship between a chief's effectiveness and his p......more


Quotes

“Entertaining and engaging.”Wall Street Journal

“Compelling and insightful . . . destined to take its place alongside classic works by Richard Neustadt, Theodore White, and other White House chroniclers . . . a must-read.”HuffPost

“Carefully researched and eminently readable, The Gatekeepers . . . provides a fresh view of the modern presidencies. Whipple cuts to the heart of what, or more to the point who, makes a presidency succeed or fail.”Newsday

“A treasure trove of stories about ‘the second-most-powerful job in government.’”Fort Worth Star-Telegram

“Could not be more timely . . . There are valuable lessons in The Gatekeepers for Trump’s chief, the embattled Reince Priebus.”Time

“Captivating . . . This is a tale told by a journalist and in a way that makes for better history.”U.S. News & World Report

“[Whipple’s] prose is clear, crisp, and often evocative. . . . His observations ring true as he tracks the development of the office.”Washington Times

“Observers of the political scene will find this book well worth their time and attention. Whipple’s style is lively and engaging, and he peppers the pages with colorful quotes and marvelous anecdotes.”—History News Network

“A candid and exhilarating history about the development of the office of chief of staff.”Washington Missourian

“Chris Whipple takes us deep inside one of the most important and demanding jobs in Washington—White House chief of staff. Here, we get to know how great power is managed and exercised by those who have held the job. If you’re a political junkie or merely curious, this is the book for you.”—Tom Brokaw, former anchor, NBC Nightly News

“A vivid, enthralling, and brilliantly reported account of White House chiefs of staff, who are—with all respects to U.S. vice presidents— the actual second-most-powerful people in Washington. This is U.S. history through the fascinating prism of the men who guard the door to the Oval Office and a learned, welcome, and important addition to the study of the executive branch.”—Christopher Buckley, author of Thank You for Smoking, No Way to Treat a First Lady, and The Relic Master

“Understanding how government really works, what presidents actually do, and what is the range of ‘normal’ versus ‘unprecedented’ behavior is more important now than ever before. As The Gatekeepers makes vividly clear, White House chiefs of staff are at the center of the process that determines how presidents succeed or fail. This is an enlightening work of history with important lessons for our immediate future.”—James Fallows, The Atlantic, former White House speechwriter


Awards

  • GoodReads Choice Award