Bob Dole: American Political Phoenix

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

This unauthorized biography of one-time presidential contender Dole by a former Senate staff aide traces the rise of a small-town Kansas native from county attorney to congressman and powerful Senate minority leader, and recounts his abortive race for the Vice-Presidency in 1976 and Presidency in 1980. Fiercely ambitious, independent, a workaholic, Dole suffered a crippling war injury and rehabilitation prolonged by years of incompetent medical care that apparently strengthened his determination to establish his identity and power. Termed by some a political chameleon and opportunist, he has moderated his extreme conservatism, sought to shed the ``hatchetman'' image of his Nixon days and, with the influence of an equally pragmatic wife, has curbed his abrasive ways and caustic wit, according to Hilton. He has also risked antagonizing the Far Right by attacks on the budget deficit and big business abuses and by his advocacy of civil rights and programs for the poor and handicapped. With Dole now out of GOP presidential contention, this book's chance of success about equals the former candidate's. Photos not seen by PW. (May)

Library Journal

A lawyer and former aide to Senator Dole, Hilton characterizes Dole by the statement, ``I fight; therefore, I am.'' He portrays Dole as an intense loner, bitter at being an outsider, but still consumed with becoming an insider. The ultimate expression of this is his presidential ambitions. Dole finds it difficult to express emotions; his marriage to Elizabeth is one of fierce competition and mutual political motivation. Yet Hilton points out that Dole is indecisive on controversial issues and credits Dole's wartime injuries as the source of his noted compassion for the less fortunate. The final chapter evaluates Dole as a possible president. While Dole may never become president, this book is an interesting interpretive biography, not merely a chronicle of Dole's life. See also Bob and Elizabeth Dole with Richard Norton Smith, The Doles, LJ 3/15/88. Mark K. Jones, Cincinnati, Ohio