Overview

Two former staffers to President George H. W. Bush bring together the most harrowing and hilarious stories behind presidential events over the past sixty years--from the Rose Garden to Air Force One, foreign trips to state dinners--detailing the art of preparation that goes into these delicate, high stress operations and revealing how they have often been one step away from disaster. Featuring a Foreword by Jon Meacham Don't Tell the President is a collection of the greatest tales of triumph and near-crisis in presidential advance. Behind every seamless campaign appearance and presidential affair lies the meticulous work of event planners and advance teams--the little-known professionals who transform political logistics into carefully choreographed performances. Here are illuminating first-hand accounts from dedicated employees who worked for every modern-day president from Lyndon Johnson to Barack Obama, a few First Ladies, and vice presidents. Experience some of the most searing events from behind the scenes, including 9/11 from someone who was on Air Force One with President Bush to the day someone tried to assassinate President Ford in California. The professionals sharing their memories are the strategic masterminds who ensure every moment appears effortless and spontaneous, while little is actually left to chance. More than a few went on enjoy influential careers, including Secretary of Defense Robert Gates; radio host and CNN contributor Michael Smerconish; and Fox News anchor Dana Perino. Allowing us to witness presidential history and politics from a new angle, Don't Tell the President brings together the hilarious chaos of Veep and the grandeur of The West Wing. It is a memorable and at times laugh-out loud funny look at how many presidential events happen--and how many almost went awry.

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Jean Becker served as chief of staff for President George H. W. Bush for nearly twenty-five years. She is the editor of Pearls of Wisdom (with Barbara Bush) and the author of the New York Times bestseller The Man I Knew: The Amazing Story of George H. W. Bush's Post Presidency and Character Matters: And Other Life Lessons from George H. W. Bush. She also served as deputy press secretary to First Lady Barbara Bush and was a newspaper reporter for ten years, including four years at USA Today. Nan McNamara has performed on stage, television, film, and behind the microphone in voice-overs for over twenty years. Her passion is to tell good stories--no matter what the medium. Originally from St. Paul, Nan received a BA cum laude in theater. Actor Charles Constant's professional storytelling career began at the age of thirteen, when he became an Actors' Equity Association apprentice. After training in Chicago and London, he went on to appear onstage in theaters across the country. Charles was chosen by Mark Cuban to narrate his book How to Win at the Sport of Business, and his work on Into the Crossfire became an Audible Listener Favorite in February 2014. Publishers Weekly says that he provides ""strong"" narration and finds his voice to be ""deep and assertive."" Jon Meacham is a Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer and the author of several New York Times bestsellers, including three that have made their #1 bestsellers list. He is a contributing writer for the New York Times Book Review and a contributing editor of Time magazine, and he holds the Rogers Chair in the American Presidency at Vanderbilt University Tom Parks is an AudioFile Earphones Award-winning narrator who has also been a finalist for the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. He has been involved in recording audiobooks and voice-overs for over thirty years and through an eclectic range of projects. In addition to performing and directing, he is also an active musician, drumming in musical theater productions in the Midwest, and is in demand as a conference speaker.

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