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Rating: 
Summary: A Good Read for Anyone
Review: If you want to read a book about politics, this is the book to read. Even if you are skeptical or apathetic towards American politics, I would still recommend this book to you-- it might make you more interested in the subject. Woodward takes us behind the scenes of the 1996 presidential elections, showing us the intricacies and complexities involved. He does a powerful job of keeping this potentially flat topic lively and engaging. The first time I read this was in 1998, and I am still raving about it.
Rating:
Summary: Good Book
Review: Very good book. Being a preidential primary and pre genral elction junkie, this was the best book I ever bought... Very well written and researched. Woodward defintely got the inside scoop on election 1996.
Rating:
Summary: How Bob Dole won the 1996 primaries
Review: Woodward carefully documents the early stages of the 1996 presidential election, covering mid-1994 to April 1996. Note that the book's coverage ends before the national party conventions. Woodward tries to give equal treatment to both parties, but Republicans clearly cooperated with him much more than Clinton's staff (who no doubt feel burned by Woodward's earlier exposé of Clinton, 'The Agenda'). More than anything else, this is a character study of Bob Dole, who candidly shared his thoughts with the author throughout the period. We also learn a great deal about Powell, Forbes, and Dick Morris.Woodward's style is not for everyone. He carefully reconstructs various meetings, explaining who said what to who. However, Woodward uses paraphrases instead of direct quotes, unless he's sure of the exact words spoken. Many readers will find the result to be incredibly tedious, although I appreciate Woodward's concern for accuracy when quoting people. The book gives the reader a real sense of being in the room when important conversations occur regarding the federal budget or campaign strategy.
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