Book Review: The Invisible Bridge by Rick Perlstein
In The Invisible Bridge: The Fall of Nixon and the Rise of Reagan author Rick Perlstein writes an in depth account of the political and social climate of the United States in the 1970s, and I mean in depth. Perlstein's style reminds me a lot of that of David Halberstam: why use 20 words to describe something, when you can use 200? That's not necessarily a bad thing, as Perlstein is a very witty and entertaining wordsmith. In the book's acknowledgement section, Perlstein thanks his editor for reducing the book's volume (804 pages) by 11.83%. No offense, but the editor could have cut more.
Despite its wordiness, Perlstein provides an excellent chronicle of the turbulent 70s, beginning with the return of the POWs from Vietnam, through the war protests, Watergate, post-Watergate America, the Ford administration, the rise of Jimmy Carter and ending with the 1976 GOP convention. The star of the book is one Ronald Wilson Reagan. Perlstein gives the reader a detailed account of Reagan's meteoric rise, from the confident youth born to a struggling Irish-American family in Illinois, to B-picture movie star, to pitchman for corporate America, and finally to a populist, straight-talking California politician. The book's climax is the titanic struggle for the 1976 Republican Presidential Nomination between the stilted accidental President Gerald Ford and his polished conservative opponent. His blow-by-blow description of the convention is wonderful.
Perlstein provides the details of not only what was taking place before the media, but behind the scenes as well. He also does a terrific job of putting the political doings in the context of whatever else was going on in the nation at the time: what movies and books were all the rage (does anyone remember when the Exorcist came out in theaters?), what other news stories were capturing the nation's interest (such as the Patty Hearst saga) and generally what was happening in pop culture. It is a delightful stroll down memory lane for anyone who can remember the 70s.
Some authors become enamored with the main subjects of their books, but one needn't worry about that with this author. Perlstein portrays Reagan as scripted and self-absorbed, never sincere. He is an equal opportunity offender, managing to dish dirt on every President from FDR to Jimmy Carter (as well as future President Reagan). He is extremely cynical, but his sarcasm is done with a sneer, not with vein-popping vitriol.
One of the book's brilliant ideas is not to publish its source material. Instead that can be found on Perlstein's website. While this might seem non-transparent, as Perlstein points out, readers do not have to pay for published voluminous pages of footnotes (though the author has no difficulty filling the volume with other material.)
This book will likely offend conservatives and especially admirers of Ronald Reagan. If you are not a patient reader or are intolerant of authors who do not use words economically, this is not a good book for you. But if you remember the 70s and are a political junkie who likes to read about details and stories not told in typical history books, this is a very enjoyable read (most of the time).
Despite its wordiness, Perlstein provides an excellent chronicle of the turbulent 70s, beginning with the return of the POWs from Vietnam, through the war protests, Watergate, post-Watergate America, the Ford administration, the rise of Jimmy Carter and ending with the 1976 GOP convention. The star of the book is one Ronald Wilson Reagan. Perlstein gives the reader a detailed account of Reagan's meteoric rise, from the confident youth born to a struggling Irish-American family in Illinois, to B-picture movie star, to pitchman for corporate America, and finally to a populist, straight-talking California politician. The book's climax is the titanic struggle for the 1976 Republican Presidential Nomination between the stilted accidental President Gerald Ford and his polished conservative opponent. His blow-by-blow description of the convention is wonderful.
Perlstein provides the details of not only what was taking place before the media, but behind the scenes as well. He also does a terrific job of putting the political doings in the context of whatever else was going on in the nation at the time: what movies and books were all the rage (does anyone remember when the Exorcist came out in theaters?), what other news stories were capturing the nation's interest (such as the Patty Hearst saga) and generally what was happening in pop culture. It is a delightful stroll down memory lane for anyone who can remember the 70s.
Some authors become enamored with the main subjects of their books, but one needn't worry about that with this author. Perlstein portrays Reagan as scripted and self-absorbed, never sincere. He is an equal opportunity offender, managing to dish dirt on every President from FDR to Jimmy Carter (as well as future President Reagan). He is extremely cynical, but his sarcasm is done with a sneer, not with vein-popping vitriol.
One of the book's brilliant ideas is not to publish its source material. Instead that can be found on Perlstein's website. While this might seem non-transparent, as Perlstein points out, readers do not have to pay for published voluminous pages of footnotes (though the author has no difficulty filling the volume with other material.)
This book will likely offend conservatives and especially admirers of Ronald Reagan. If you are not a patient reader or are intolerant of authors who do not use words economically, this is not a good book for you. But if you remember the 70s and are a political junkie who likes to read about details and stories not told in typical history books, this is a very enjoyable read (most of the time).