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This Town: Two Parties And A Funeral — Plus Plenty Of Valet Parking! — In America’s Gilded Capital (2013)

by Mark Leibovich(Favorite Author)

3.38 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

0399161309 (ISBN13: 9780399161308)

languge

English

genre

Memoir & Autobiography

publisher

Blue Rider Press

review 1: One of the other reviews on this site refers to this book as a "mildly amusing piece of muck-raking." That's pretty accurate. Leibovich examines the political culture of Washington, D.C. (the "this town" of the title)in a very dishy style, with a particular concentration on the impact of the media, lobbyists and other "handlers" on how things work. It's interesting, often amusing (some great turns of phrase), and enlightening to those of us who are way outside the Beltway - taken, of course, with a grain of salt. Leibovich is an equal-opportunity skewerer; no party is left untouched. An interesting way to endure a plane ride.
review 2: This is one of the most depressing books I have every read. Everyone should read it. Certainly it affirms all of my prejudice... mores concerning life in the nation's capitol. In case you have a rose-colored view of our lawmakers and influencers, it will shatter your glasses and replace them with glasses that realistically reveal not only the emperor, but his court, the media oglers and the minions all in their naked finery.It is sad and deflating that we live in a nation ruled by someone's homecoming king and queen and their court. It's the high school experience with its cliques, drama, social climbing, gossip and pretension set within corridors of money and power. It is tragi-comedy on the pinnacle of American culture.In the '50's, outgoing President Eisenhower warned of the military-industrial complex and its dangers. Where was the prophet who saw the media-Hollywood complex that would exercise even greater influence and dumb down the United States populace to a level unimaginable to the founding fathers? This book portrays it all and more. The corruption that has become so insidious in Washington, D.C. peeks out from every page.Leibovich has no answers but he does paint a fascinating, if disheartening, picture. less

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Reviews (see all)

claire

Maybe 3.5 stars? I'm teetering between 3 and 3.5. I quite enjoyed This Town at first. Accessible read, very funny and snarky while giving us a bit of insight on the incestuous clique nature of Washington. As the book went on however, it just kept hitting the exact same points. Sure we got some new anecdotes and new players but do we learn anything new in the latter half? Not really. It did pick up a bit when the book moved onto the Obama administration and how they wanted to be above the fray but inevitable get sucked back in. Their attitudes in the run up and during the reelection cycle was quite interesting, particularly the dynamics between the players themselves. The ultimate take away is essentially, whether there's an R or a D next to these people's names matters not in the slightest. The book really hammers home how much of a farce this all is and it's quite sad when you take into account how ineffective the US government has been the last couple years, and all for what? This show? Also the money that is involved is just breathtakingly absurd, as is the sheer amount of ego stroking these people require. Fun read but really just quite sad for anyone who still had any faith left in government.

gale

Leibovich seems disdainful of those he writes about, but he also seems to fall into the same judgmental posture. While I love good political gossip, there didn't seem to be much else to this book. I learned a lot about various Washingtonians hair! Seriously, I do understand better the siren call of the money to be made in lobbying, but other than that, I'm not sure what I was supposed to take away from this book. He replays some of GAME CHANGE which I liked a lot more.

chuck

Self-loathing and cathartic, this is a great read for the political junkie in your life.

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