This CountryThis Country

The former host of MSNBC's "Hardball with Chris Matthews" offers a panoramic portrait of post-World War II American politics through the story of his extraordinary life and career
Matthews offers a panoramic portrait of post-World War II America through the lens of his life and career. Raised in a large Irish-Catholic family in Philadelphia, he became a Peace Corps graduate, moved to DC and began knocking on doors on Capitol Hill. There his eyes were opened to the game of big-league politics. As a speechwriter for President Carter, Matthews witnessed the triumphs and tragedies of that administration. As chief of staff to Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill, he received an on-the-job PhD in American politics during the Reagan years. He pioneered cable news with Hardball with Chris Matthews, which became a political institution for twenty years. -- adapted from jacket