“Absorbing and fair-minded.” —New York Times
“Romney’s story in full and clear detail…fascinating in-depth stuff.” —Los Angeles Times
“A fascinating story [that] sheds next light on an elusive subject.” —Boston Globe
Despite his political prominence, Mitt Romney remains an enigma to many in America. Who is the man behind that sweep of dark hair and the high-wattage smile? A savvy politician or someone who will simply say anything to win? A business visionary or a ruthless dealmaker? In this definitive, unflinching, and widely-acclaimed biography by Boston Globe investigative reporters Michael Kranish and Scott Helman, readers will finally discover the real Mitt Romney. Based on hundreds of interviews and more than five years of reporting, The Real Romney offers for the very first time a full understanding of this complex political figure.

The Real Romney

Biographies & Memoirs

Kranish, Michael

Helman, Scott

Leaders & Notable People

Harper

Historical

Harper Paperbacks

When Thomas Jefferson wrote his epitaph, he listed as his accomplishments his authorship of the Declaration of Independence and the Virginia statute of religious freedom, and his founding of the University of Virginia. He did not mention his presidency or that he was second governor of the state of Virginia, in the most trying hours of the Revolution. Dumas Malone, author of the epic six-volume biography, wrote that the events of this time explain Jefferson's "character as a man of action in a serious emergency." Joseph Ellis, author of American Sphinx, focuses on other parts of Jefferson's life but wrote that his actions as governor "toughened him on the inside." It is this period, when Jefferson was literally tested under fire, that Michael Kranish illuminates in Flight from Monticello. Filled with vivid, precisely observed scenes, this book is a sweeping narrative of clashing armies--of spies, intrigue, desperate moments, and harrowing battles. The story opens with the first murmurs of resistance to Britain, as the colonies struggled under an onerous tax burden and colonial leaders--including Jefferson--fomented opposition to British rule. Kranish captures the tumultuous outbreak of war, the local politics behind Jefferson's actions in the Continental Congress (and his famous Declaration), and his rise to the governorship. Jefferson's life-long belief in the corrupting influence of a powerful executive led him to advocate for a weak governorship, one that lacked the necessary powers to raise an army. Thus, Virginia was woefully unprepared for the invading British troops who sailed up the James under the direction of a recently turned Benedict Arnold. Facing rag-tag resistance, the British force took the colony with very little trouble. The legislature fled the capital, and Jefferson himself narrowly eluded capture twice. Kranish describes Jefferson's many stumbles as he struggled to respond to the invasion, and along the way, the author paints an intimate portrait of Jefferson, illuminating his quiet conversations, his family turmoil, and his private hours at Monticello. "Jefferson's record was both remarkable and unsatisfactory, filled with contradictions," writes Kranish. As a revolutionary leader who felt he was unqualified to conduct a war, Jefferson never resolved those contradictions--but, as Kranish shows, he did learn lessons during those dark hours that served him all his life. Take a look at pictures from Flight from Monticello (Click on images to enlarge) Thomas Jefferson by John Trumbull, from life, 1787-1788. Courtesy of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation/Monticello. Jefferson’s diary entry for June 4, the day he fled Monticello just before the enemy arrived, says, “British horse came to Monticello.” Courtesy of the Library of Congress. View from Monticello, looking toward Charlottesville, 1827, by Jane Pitford Braddick Peticolas. Courtesy of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation/Monticello. Thomas Jefferson’s sketch of the first version of Monticello. Jefferson was in the midst of building this early iteration of his mansion when the British invaded. Courtesy of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation/Monticello. Fry-Jefferson Map, of Virginia and Maryland, co-drawn by Thomas Jefferson’s father, Peter Jefferson. Courtesy of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation/Monticello.

Flight from Monticello: Thomas Jefferson at War

Oxford University Press

When Thomas Jefferson wrote his epitaph, he listed as his accomplishments his authorship of the Declaration of Independence and the Virginia statute of religious freedom, and his founding of the University of Virginia. He did not mention his presidency or that he was second governor of the state of Virginia, in the most trying hours of the Revolution. Dumas Malone, author of the epic six-volume biography, wrote that the events of this time explain Jefferson's "character as a man of action in a serious emergency." Joseph Ellis, author of American Sphinx, focuses on other parts of Jefferson's life but wrote that his actions as governor "toughened him on the inside." It is this period, when Jefferson was literally tested under fire, that Michael Kranish illuminates in Flight from Monticello. Filled with vivid, precisely observed scenes, this book is a sweeping narrative of clashing armies--of spies, intrigue, desperate moments, and harrowing battles. The story opens with the first murmurs of resistance to Britain, as the colonies struggled under an onerous tax burden and colonial leaders--including Jefferson--fomented opposition to British rule. Kranish captures the tumultuous outbreak of war, the local politics behind Jefferson's actions in the Continental Congress (and his famous Declaration), and his rise to the governorship. Jefferson's life-long belief in the corrupting influence of a powerful executive led him to advocate for a weak governorship, one that lacked the necessary powers to raise an army. Thus, Virginia was woefully unprepared for the invading British troops who sailed up the James under the direction of a recently turned Benedict Arnold. Facing rag-tag resistance, the British force took the colony with very little trouble. The legislature fled the capital, and Jefferson himself narrowly eluded capture twice. Kranish describes Jefferson's many stumbles as he struggled to respond to the invasion, and along the way, the author paints an intimate portrait of Jefferson, illuminating his quiet conversations, his family turmoil, and his private hours at Monticello. "Jefferson's record was both remarkable and unsatisfactory, filled with contradictions," writes Kranish. As a revolutionary leader who felt he was unqualified to conduct a war, Jefferson never resolved those contradictions--but, as Kranish shows, he did learn lessons during those dark hours that served him all his life.

A New York Times Bestseller A Philadelphia Inquirer Best Book of the Year A Los Angeles Times Most Important Book of the Year Authoritative, timely, and provocative, this deeply researched biography of Donald Trump provides a complex portrait of the man who—despite broad skepticism—could be the next president of the United States. Who is Donald J. Trump? Despite decades of scrutiny, many aspects of his life are not well known. To discover Trump in full, The Washington Post assembled a team of award-winning reporters and researchers to delve into every aspect of Trump’s improbable life, from his privileged upbringing in Queens to his astonishing 2016 rise to seize the Republican candidacy for president. Coauthored by Washington Post investigative political reporter Michael Kranish and senior editor Marc Fisher, this comprehensive book documents Trump’s fascinating family roots, his aggressive efforts to make a name for himself in New York social circles, and his penchant for big bets—on real estate, branded businesses, and, ultimately, on himself. The authors, seasoned journalists who interviewed Trump for this book, scrutinize everything from his youthful alliance with the power broker Roy Cohn to his alleged dealings with organized crime and his controversial projects in New York City, Atlantic City, Florida, Scotland, and Azerbaijan. The authors examine Trump’s wealth, the evolution of his political beliefs, and his peculiar identity as a billionaire businessman, celebrity, global brand, television star, and now candidate for the most powerful office in the world. Few individuals have ever roamed so widely through such diverse realms as real estate, sports, entertainment, and national politics. How has Trump’s life informed his bold statements on the economy, immigration, race, global trade, terrorism, and women? Drawn from in-depth reporting by The Washington Post, Trump Revealed is essential reading as the 2016 American presidential election looms.

Trump Revealed: An American Journey of Ambition, Ego, Money, and Power

Fisher, Marc

Scribner

A New York Times Bestseller A Philadelphia Inquirer Best Book of the Year A Los Angeles Times Most Important Book of the Year Hailed as “authoritative” and “essential,” and based on the work of two dozen reporters and twenty hours of interviews with Trump, Trump Revealed is the indispensable and now updated biography of the 45th president of the United States. Who is Donald J. Trump? To discover Trump in full, the Washington Post assembled a team of award-winning reporters and researchers to investigate every aspect of his life, from his privileged upbringing in Queens to his hundreds of lawsuits, his infamous womanizing, his shifting position on abortion rights, his dizzying seven changes in party affiliation, and his astonishing, disruptive election as president in November 2016. Coauthored by Washington Post investigative political reporter Michael Kranish and senior editor Marc Fisher, Trump Revealed details the 1970s Justice Department suit against Trump and his father for racial discrimination, his business and political machinations and alleged organized crime connections, his disastrous Atlantic City casino projects, and his relentless pursuit of the attentions of the media. What emerges is a portrait of “a man certain of his views, hugely confident in his abilities, not terribly well informed, quick to take offense,” a man with a penchant for big bets—on real estate, branded businesses, and, ultimately, on himself. In the wake of the most controversial and polarizing election in modern American history, Trump Revealed provides essential insight into this billionaire businessman, celebrity, and global brand who is now the president of the United States.

Trump Revealed: The Definitive Biography of the 45th President

Trump Revealed

Simon & Schuster Export

In the tradition of The Boys in the Boat and Seabiscuit, a fascinating portrait of a groundbreaking but forgotten figure—the remarkable Major Taylor, the black man who broke racial barriers by becoming the world’s fastest and most famous bicyclist at the height of the Jim Crow era. In the 1890s, the nation’s promise of equality had failed spectacularly. While slavery had ended with the Civil War, the Jim Crow laws still separated blacks from whites, and the excesses of the Gilded Age created an elite upper class. Amidst this world arrived Major Taylor, a young black man who wanted to compete in the nation’s most popular and mostly white man’s sport, cycling. Birdie Munger, a white cyclist who once was the world’s fastest man, declared that he could help turn the young black athlete into a champion. Twelve years before boxer Jack Johnson and fifty years before baseball player Jackie Robinson, Taylor faced racism at nearly every turn—especially by whites who feared he would disprove their stereotypes of blacks. In The World’s Fastest Man, years in the writing, investigative journalist Michael Kranish reveals new information about Major Taylor based on a rare interview with his daughter and other never-before-uncovered details from Taylor’s life. Kranish shows how Taylor indeed became a world champion, traveled the world, was the toast of Paris, and was one of the most chronicled black men of his day. From a moment in time just before the arrival of the automobile when bicycles were king, the populace was booming with immigrants, and enormous societal changes were about to take place, The World’s Fastest Man shines a light on a dramatic moment in American history—the gateway to the twentieth century.

The World's Fastest Man: The Extraordinary Life of Cyclist Major Taylor, America's First Black Sports Hero

Community & Culture

In this “sharp-eyed account of a nearly forgotten African-American sports legend” (Publishers Weekly)—the remarkable Major Taylor who became the world’s fastest bicyclist at the height of the Jim Crow era—“Kranish has done historians and fans a service by reminding us that such immortals as Joe Louis, Jesse Owens, Serena Williams and Tiger Woods all followed in Major Taylor’s wake” (The Washington Post). In the 1890s, the nation’s promise of equality had failed spectacularly. While slavery had ended with the Civil War, the Jim Crow laws still separated blacks from whites, and the excesses of the Gilded Age created an elite upper class. When Major Taylor, a young black man, announced he wanted to compete in the nation’s most popular and mostly white man’s sport, cycling, Birdie Munger, a white cyclist who once was the world’s fastest man, declared that he could help turn the young black athlete into a champion. Twelve years before boxer Jack Johnson and fifty years before baseball player Jackie Robinson, Taylor faced racism at nearly every turn—especially by whites who feared he would disprove their stereotypes of blacks. In The World’s Fastest Man, years in the writing, investigative journalist Michael Kranish reveals new information about Major Taylor based on a rare interview with his daughter and other never-before-uncovered details from Taylor’s life. Kranish shows how Taylor indeed became a world champion, traveled the world, was the toast of Paris, and was one of the most chronicled black men of his day. From a moment in time just before the arrival of the automobile when bicycles were king, the populace was booming with immigrants, and enormous societal changes were about to take place, “both inspiring and heartbreaking, this is an essential contribution to sports history” (Booklist, starred review). The World’s Fastest Man “restores the memory of one of the first black athletes to overcome the drag of racism and achieve national renown” (The New York Times Book Review).

Simon & Schuster Audio

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Kranish, Michael. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Kranish, Michael

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Kranish, Michael. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Real Romney

The Real Romney

Flight from Monticello: Thomas Jefferson at War

Flight from Monticello: Thomas Jefferson at War

Trump Revealed: An American Journey of Ambition, Ego, Money, and Power

Trump Revealed: The Definitive Biography of the 45th President

Trump Revealed

The World's Fastest Man: The Extraordinary Life of Cyclist Major Taylor, America's First Black Sports Hero

The World's Fastest Man: The Extraordinary Life of Cyclist Major Taylor, America's First Black Sports Hero

Trump Revealed: An American Journey of Ambition, Ego, Money, and Power