Gang of Five

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Already a capable chronicler of conservatism, Easton (co-author with Ronald Brownstein of Reagan's Ruling Class) returns to the history of the Right with a cautionary political tale in the form of intersecting biographies of five "third generation" conservative leaders. Her subjects--Weekly Standard publisher Bill Kristol, Christian Coalition founder Ralph Reed, antitax lobbyist Grover Norquist, Congressman David McIntosh and constitutional lawyer Clint Bolick--all came of political age on the college campuses of the early to mid-1970s, when the Left was strong and the Right irrelevant. But the combative nature of this "gang," Easton argues, soon changed the landscape of American politics. Appropriating both the irreverence and confidence of their leftist antagonists, these five individuals made conservative politics not only interesting but also almost hip. Their view of politics as a Manichean duel in which there could be no compromise soon came to define conservative politics. Easton traces the public careers of her subjects from the Right's halcyon days in the Reagan era to the present; she also notes how many Americans--including Clinton, who, in 1996, said "The era of big government is over"--came to embrace many of their anti-statist, free-market ideas. But the public didn't embrace the gang itself, Easton contends, because its members were too arrogant, too vitriolic in their rhetoric; they had passion but seemed to lack compassion. Easton wonders, in the end, if her subjects truly want to lead or merely fight. Neither an impassioned defense nor a rabid attack, this book delivers a thoughtful account of a crucial aspect of recent American politics. (Aug.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

The focus of this book is five baby-boomer conservative Republicans--Bill Kristol, Ralph Reed, Clint Bolick, Grover Norquist, and David McIntosh--who have been outspoken activists since the Seventies.Easton, a former staff writer for the Los Angeles Times Sunday Magazine and Business Week as well as coauthor of Reagan's Ruling Class, provides exhaustive profiles of her subjects. Since the title evokes Chinese radicals convicted for the repressive policies of the Cultural Revolution, the reader might suspect that the profiles are not especially flattering. Nevertheless, the author manages to capture the intriguing conflicts and complexities of her subjects' ideologies and provides balanced assessments of their leadership in and out of government. The profiles are based on extensive interviews with the subjects and members of their families, as well as on national and local press reports. Well documented and easy to read, the book has a select bibliography for additional sources on its subjects and the issues and events they influenced. Highly recommended for political science collections in academic and large public libraries.--Jill Ortner, SUNY at Buffalo Libs. Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.\

Kirkus Reviews

Thoughtful and balanced portraits of five lively and influential conservatives, emphasizing their intellectual roots and the parts they have played in the increasing sway of conservative policies and politics in the US since before the Reagan presidency.