Playing President (My Close Ecounters with Nixon, Carter, Bush I, Reagan, and Clinton--and How They Did Not Prepare Me for George W. Bush)

“Robert Scheer is one of the best reporters of our time.” —Joan Didion

“Impressive . . . Deftly analyzed to create a sound basis for understanding each of these former Presidents, Playing President offers readers a wealth of insights into their lives, minds, and decisions . . . Very strongly recommended.” —Midwest Book Review

Robert Scheer’s interviews with US Presidents, and his profiles of them, have shaped journalism history. Scheer developed close journalistic relationships with Presidents Nixon, Carter, Reagan, Clinton, and Bush I. His reporting on them had a tangible impact on national debate—such as the eminent 1976 Playboy interview in which Jimmy Carter, the then–presidential candidate, admitted to lusting in his heart; and the 1980 interview with the Los Angeles Times during which Bush I confessed to Scheer his dream of a “winnable nuclear war.”

In Playing President, copublished with Truthdig.com, Robert Scheer offers an unparalleled insight into the presidential mind. Through both new writing and reprinted material, he analyzes each administration since Nixon, including George W. Bush, offering insights that will surprise the reader—particularly those with rigid preconceptions about the decision-making processes of our leaders. The volume also includes Scheer’s famous presidential interviews, along with previously unpublished interview transcripts and select previous writings.