A New York Times Notable Book! A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice The story of how Newt Gingrich and his allies tainted American politics, launching an enduring era of brutal partisan warfare When Donald Trump was elected president in 2016, President Obama observed that Trump “is not an outlier; he is a culmination, a logical conclusion of the rhetoric and tactics of the Republican Party.” In Burning Down the House, historian Julian Zelizer pinpoints the moment when our country was set on a path toward an era of bitterly partisan and ruthless politics, an era that was ignited by Newt Gingrich and his allies. In 1989, Gingrich brought down Democratic Speaker of the House Jim Wright and catapulted himself into the national spotlight. Perhaps more than any other politician, Gingrich introduced the rhetoric and tactics that have shaped Congress and the Republican Party for the last three decades. Elected to Congress in 1978, Gingrich quickly became one of the most powerful figures in America not through innovative ideas or charisma, but through a calculated campaign of attacks against political opponents, casting himself as a savior in a fight of good versus evil. Taking office in the post-Watergate era, he weaponized the good government reforms newly introduced to fight corruption, wielding the rules in ways that shocked the legislators who had created them. His crusade against Democrats culminated in the plot to destroy the political career of Speaker Wright. While some of Gingrich’s fellow Republicans were disturbed by the viciousness of his attacks, party leaders enjoyed his successes so much that they did little collectively to stand in his way. Democrats, for their part, were alarmed, but did not want to sink to his level and took no effective actions to stop him. It didn’t seem to matter that Gingrich’s moral conservatism was hypocritical or that his methods were brazen, his accusations of corruption permanently tarnished his opponents. This brand of warfare worked, not as a strategy for governance but as a path to power, and what Gingrich planted, his fellow Republicans reaped. He led them to their first majority in Congress in decades, and his legacy extends far beyond his tenure in office. From the Contract with America to the rise of the Tea Party and the Trump presidential campaign, his fingerprints can be seen throughout some of the most divisive episodes in contemporary American politics. Burning Down the House presents the alarming narrative of how Gingrich and his allies created a new normal in Washington.

The November 1994 midterm elections were a watershed event, making possible a Repbulican majority in Congress for the first time in forty years. Contract with America, by Newt Gingrich, the new Speaker of the House, Dick Armey, the new Majority Leader, and the House Republicans, charts a bold new political strategy for the entire country. The ten-point program, which forms the basis of this book, was announced in late September. It received the signed support of more than 300 GOP canditates. Their pledge: "If we break this contract, throw us out". Contract with America fleshes out the vision and provides the details of the program that swept the GOP to victory. Among the pressing issues addressed in this important book are: balancing the budget, stopping crime, reforming welfare, reinforcing families, enhancing fairness for seniors, strengthening national defense, cutting government regulations, promoting legal reform, considering term limits, and reducing taxes.

Describes the world that would have existed in 1945 if Adolf Hitler had not declared war on the United States after Pearl Harbor.

It’s become fashionable among the liberal elite to downplay, deride, even deny America’s greatness. The political correctness police insist that America is “hated” around the world for being too big, too powerful, too rich, too successful, too loud, too intrusive. And besides, it’s not nice to brag. They are completely missing the point. America’s greatness, America’s exceptional greatness, is not based on that fact that we are the most powerful, most prosperous—and most generous—nation on earth. Rather, those things are the result of American Exceptionalism. To understand American Exceptionalism, as Newt Gingrich passionately argues in A Nation Like No Other, one must understand our unique birth as a nation. American Exceptionalism is found in the simple yet utterly remarkable principles expressed in the Declaration of Independence, “that all men are created equal, that we are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness.” Our nation is exceptional, continues Newt, because we—unlike any nation before or since—are united by the belief and the promise that no king, no government, no ruling class has the power to infringe upon the rights of the individual. And when such a government attempts to do so, we will vigorously reject them. Sadly, many politicians and leaders today have forgotten our sacred commitment to these ideals. Our government has strayed alarmingly far from the scope of limited powers framed by our Founders. Meanwhile, the liberal media seek out, and sometimes create, stories intended to portray America as a bully and a thief. Even our own president seems clueless, assuring us that yes, yes, he believes in American exceptionalism, just like the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism and the British in British exceptionalism. But American Exceptionalism is not about cheerleading for the home team. It’s about recognizing and honoring the history-making, world-changing ideals our Founding Fathers enshrined to make this a nation of the people, by the people, for the people. And, as Lincoln warned, we must rededicate ourselves to those principles, lest our truly exceptional nation perish from this earth.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Understanding Trump, this "essential" book reveals the truth about the Trump presidency and explains his groundbreaking plans for our nation and world (Rush Limbaugh). No one understands the "Make America Great Again" effort with more insight and experience than former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. From his enthusiastic support of the Reagan administration to the 1994 Republican Revolution, he has spearheaded many successful initiatives to fight the Washington swamp, challenge the establishment, and restore conservative influence for his entire career. With his political expertise, Gingrich -- who has been called the President's chief explainer -- presents a clear picture of this historic presidency and its tremendous positive impact on our nation and the world. From the fight over the Southern Border Wall to the unending efforts to undermine and oppose the President, he unmasks all branches of the anti-Trump coalition, reveals the flaws in their ideological assaults, and offers a battle plan for those in Trump's America to help the President defeat these attacks. Throughout Trump's America, Gingrich distills decades of experience fighting Washington elites with a lifetime of studying history to help us understand how we can all keep working to make America great.

Learn how Trump is making America great again -- and why government and media elites attack his vision -- in this "inspiring and informative" book from one of his key political advisors (Sean Hannity). Donald Trump is unlike any president we've ever had. The only person ever elected to be commander in chief who has not first held public office or served as a general in the military, Trump's principles grow out of five decades of business and celebrity success -- not politics. The president owes his position to the people who believed in him as a candidate, not to the left-wing government and media who have expressed contempt for him since his first day on the campaign trail. Trump has enacted policies and set goals that send our country in a bold new direction -- one that is "unreasonable" to Washington elites but sensible to millions of Americans outside the Beltway. With Understanding Trump, Newt Gingrich provides unique insight into how the president's past experiences have helped to shape his life and style of governing, including a thorough analysis of how President Trump thinks and makes decisions, as well as his philosophy, doctrine, and forward-thinking political agenda. Discover Trump-style solutions for national security, education, health care, economic growth, government reform, and other important topics. In this eye-opening book, Gingrich also investigates and exposes the forces in the Washington establishment, media, and bureaucracy that oppose the president at every turn. Finally, Understanding Trump explains the president's actions so far and lays out a vision for what Americans can do to help make President Trump's agenda a success. With your help, President Trump will be able to overcome corrupt interests in Washington and fulfill his promise to make America great again.

Major Brooke Grant must track down the double agent who is infiltrating the U.S. government in this international thriller from influential politician Newt Gingrich and Pulitzer Prize finalist Pete Earley. Brooke Grant has been waging war against terrorism since her parents were murdered during 9/11, keenly aware that violence transcends borders. But after a coordinated attack on the president at a Washington power broker's funeral, she realizes that the enemy is closer than she'd ever imagined, hiding in plain sight. The Falcon has gained a weapon no terrorist has ever wielded before: an American-born traitor burrowed inside the U.S. government itself. Major Grant's deadly chess match with the Falcon turns personal when he issues a fatwa against her and those she loves. Can she unmask the traitor and stop the Falcon's most skilled assassin sent to kill her before he strikes? Or will she fall victim to betrayal by a false friend in this gripping story of treachery, courage, and the patriotic fight against evil? In this realistic tale of modern-day treason, a nation fights for its life against an internal threat: a fanatical jihadist who uses liberty as a shield while trying to destroy the civilization created in its image. With decades of knowledge in national security and politics, only Newt Gingrich and Pete Earley could spin such a vivid mix of reality and fiction -- a page-turner that dares readers to guess where the line between the two is crossed.