About

The Book

“Jack had no fear of unpopular opinions or of reaching across the aisle to pursue the common good, and his principled leadership and political courage, richly chronicled in this first biography of his life, leave an extraordinary legacy.”

–Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives

The Meanest Man in Congress: Jack Brooks and the Making of an American Century

Hardcover $32.95
Timothy McNulty (Author), Brendan McNulty (Author), Jim Wright (Foreword)
Published by NewSouth Books.

The Meanest Man in Congress: Jack Brooks and the Making of an American Century chronicles the life of this remarkable citizen and generous, diligent, and irrepressible public servant. Meticulously researched, it covers the indefatigable lawmaker and details the epic sweep of U.S. history during the latter half of the 20th century; from WWII, the JFK assassination, and Civil Rights legislation, to Nixon’s impeachment, Iran-Contra, and gun reform under Clinton.

His story is one to remember. Read this and enjoy. The next time somebody tries to tell you a decent, honorable, hard-working guy can’t get anywhere in American politics, or in the U.S. Congress, remember Jack Brooks, and rejoice.

Jim WrightFormer Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives

From the Great Society to Watergate to the Iran-Contra scandal to the Clinton crime bill, Congressman Jack Brooks was a larger-than-life figure in our nation’s political history. The Meanest Man in Congress tells his remarkable story.

Terry McAuliffeFormer Governor of Virginia

Jack Brooks proved...a master legislator, canny operator, and giant of the House...his principled leadership and political courage, richly chronicled in this first biography on his life, leave an extraordinary legacy.

Nancy PelosiSpeaker of the U.S. House of Representatives

About the Authors

Timothy McNulty’s long career in journalism includes years as a national, foreign, and White House correspondent for the Chicago Tribune. He later became the newspaper’s associate managing editor and public editor. Before retiring, he taught at the University of Chicago and at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, where he co-directed the National Security Journalism Initiative. He holds degrees from Wayne State University in Detroit and Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He currently lives in Durham, North Carolina.

Brendan McNulty’s interest in politics began during a Capitol Hill internship with Representative Robert Matsui of California and while writing for the Democratic National Committee during the 2004 presidential campaign. With degrees from IE Business School in Madrid and the University of Virginia, he has written papers and journal articles on topics from street crime in Chicago to education and behavioral studies in Haiti and other developing countries. He currently works for the World Bank in Washington, D.C.

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