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Rating: 
Summary: Fabulous Resource
Review: As a previously elected official (Mayor of Ashland, OR), author of The Campaign Manager, Running and Winning Local Elections, and a local campaigner for the last 15 years, I try to read every book there is on running campaigns. The process of running an election is always evolving and so I look for new material to expand my understanding of this bizarre field. Daniel Shea's book is excellent. It is well written, comprehensive, and has a depth of field I've found in no other book. While it may not give you the step-by-step approach to campaigning, it does provide the necessary foundation for understanding the process and getting to a win. What a resource. Shea's accounts of statewide campaigns are extraordinarily helpful in illustrating specific aspects of a campaign and his understanding and explanation of electoral targeting is excellent. Electoral targeting and precinct analysis may be one of the most important things a candidate can do to win an election and yet is the most difficult for some to understand. However, Daniel Shea is able to explain it in simple, understandable ways so the reader can apply it. Whether you're interested in running for office or simply want a better understanding of how the process works, I would recommend this book. Easily five stars. I only wish I'd written it.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Overview of the Biz
Review: As someone who has spent their entire professional life in politics, this book did not break any new ground. However, as someone who now teaches democracy in the former Soviet Union, I do like to read these types of books to order my normally scattered thoughts and be able to communicate ideas more effectively. Shea's update of his orginal 1996 text is a very competent overview of most aspects of modern campaigning and is highly recommended for anyone working in the business or anyone who just wants to know how modern campaigns function. The book is highly modular, you can read various sections independently of each other. Shea pays close attention to research - a topic often given short shrift in many campaigns but deadly necessary in developing strategy. He covers well opposition research, precinct targeting by electoral history and polling (including the differences between different types of polls and why the ballot test is not necessarily the most useful. Something I can't get the Azeris to understand!!!) Shea and Burton also explain the various aspects of paid and earned media strategy, including the use of "new" media. (I'm not sold on the use of the Net to move message, but it does have excellent fieldwork potential.) Their sections on fundraising and fieldwork are a bit skimpy, but certainly enlightening to people unfamiliar with the campaign operation. All in all, Campaign Craft is a solid workhorse of a book, dutifully explaining in good detail the various aspects of a modern political operation. It's well recommended to anyone looking for an overview of the biz.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: Shea definatly puts the science into political science. I found the book went further than most in analyzing most aspects of campaigning. I've read all the books from Robert Thomas, Gary Bosley, Catherine Shaw, Ireland and Nash, and now Shea.
I think Shea has the better book, but all should be read and read again, for I have found useful information in all of them. Three days before 9/11 I entered the race for my City Council. Totally unprepared and overwhelmed I bowed out before the election. I'll be trying again for a seat on my city council in the next off year election cycle and I found the chapters on prior electoral targeting very helpful. Both the book and my volunteer work in other races have taught me a valuable lesson.
Most important, have the support of your family, then begin early (in my case two years), do your homework, and cultivate relationships with movers and shakers. No book can ever replace the real world experience of working for a candidate or party, but Shea, more than others has provided me the rough framework for a realistic and successful attempt at public office.
Rating:
Summary: Solid Overview of Modern Campaign Practices
Review: Shea has written a solid book on campaign management. This is a big book that contains a lot of information on major subject areas. Fundraising, organization, free and paid media, candidates are all covered. Shea gives many of his subject areas a historical perspective. For novices, they will learn that many of the practices decried by today's reformers were practiced by our founders and their successors (Washington purchased hard cider for voters to aid in his election to the House of Burgesses; Van Buren accelerated the use of hard hitting media) Those interested in applying the arts of campaign management will find the book well organized and thoroughly descriptive of the various aspects of the modern camapaign. It does tend to focus on larger campaigns, so those running for local office will have to understand that topics like television advertising and massive fundraising are not applicable to their races. Still, the book presents a good and thorough description of today's campaign practices. I'm teaching a course in elective politics at the University of Pennsylvania's Fels Center of Government. This is one of the required reading books for the course and is also used by some other teachers in the field at colleges and universities around the country.
Rating:
Summary: Campaign Craft by Daniel M. Shea
Review: This book contains great insights into the structure of modern political campaigning and provides a foundation for interpreting and applying, in context, newer trends in the trade. Both the political observer and campaign professional will be rewarded through studious consideration of its content.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Book - Useful and Informative
Review: This book is one of the first books I reccomend whenever anyone asks me for a primer on political campaign strategy. This book is not for true beginners - if you don't know how to run a get out the vote operation or organize your grassroots organization, buy this book AFTER you've read a book geared towards beginners. If you know the basics though, this book will guide you through Political Campaign Strategy 201 - it is a great, intermediate level work. I wrote "25 Fundraising Secrets - Raise More Money, Guaranteed" to give political candidates some great advice on fundraising for thier campaigns. I often tell readers of my book to check out Shea's book as well, which has an good fundraising strategy section that gives the basics, and compliments my "secrets" book well.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Book - Useful and Informative
Review: This book is one of the first books I reccomend whenever anyone asks me for a primer on political campaign strategy. This book is not for true beginners - if you don't know how to run a get out the vote operation or organize your grassroots organization, buy this book AFTER you've read a book geared towards beginners. If you know the basics though, this book will guide you through Political Campaign Strategy 201 - it is a great, intermediate level work. I wrote "25 Fundraising Secrets - Raise More Money, Guaranteed" to give political candidates some great advice on fundraising for thier campaigns. I often tell readers of my book to check out Shea's book as well, which has an good fundraising strategy section that gives the basics, and compliments my "secrets" book well.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: This book made me feel like I back in school (in a good way)! It was very informative and covered all the bases. I am about to begin a career in campaign management, and I think this book is one of my best resources. I got the most out of the section on fundraising.
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