The briefing Politics, the press, and the president

Sean Spicer, 1971-

Book - 2018

"No job is more of a pressure cooker than being a White House press secretary...especially in this White House. For more than two decades, Sean Spicer had been a respected political insider, working as a campaign and communications strategist. But in December 2016, he got the call of a lifetime. President-elect Donald J. Trump had chosen him to be the White House press secretary. And life hasn't been the same since. When he accepted the job, Spicer was far from a household name. But then he walked into the bright lights of the briefing room, and the cameras started rolling. His every word was scrutinized. Every movement was parodied. Every detail became a meme. And that's just the public side. Behind the scenes, things were a...lmost as difficult in an administration plagued by leaks that frustrated and angered both Spicer and the president. Not to mention the extraordinary pressures on Spicer's family and his faith. Now, in his provocative and enlightening political memoir, The Briefing, Spicer reveals the truth behind some of the biggest news stories of our time, and he offers a glimpse into what it's like to stand at the press secretary's podium--and how he got there. The Briefing is the first insider account written by someone who worked on the Trump campaign, with the Trump transition team, and in the Trump White House--and has seen Donald Trump rallying voters, building an administration, and making crucial policy decisions. Spicer's riveting and personal account makes The Briefing the must-read political book of the year."--Dust jacket.

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Subjects
Published
Washington, DC : Regnery Publishing, a division of Salem Media Group [2018]
Language
English
Main Author
Sean Spicer, 1971- (author)
Physical Description
278 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : color illustrations ; 24 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 259-268) and index.
ISBN
9781621578147
  • Chapter 1. It's Over
  • Chapter 2. Against the Odds
  • Chapter 3. Lessons Learned
  • Chapter 4. Meeting Trump
  • Chapter 5. The Never-Trump Convention That Never Was
  • Chapter 6. Upshifting the Downshifters
  • Chapter 7. Baptism by Fire
  • Chapter 8. Turbulence, Inside and Out
  • Chapter 9. Memorable Moments, Memes, and Mistakes
  • Chapter 10. The Way Forward
  • Acknowledgments
  • Notes
  • Index
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Nearly a year after leaving his post as President Trump's press secretary, Spicer is back with a flimsy memoir in which he eschews meaningful reflection for bitter recriminations against the media. A blue-collar kid from Rhode Island, Spicer recalls how he scuffled his way into a senior position at the Republican National Committee and attained his "dream job" in the White House following Trump's upset win. But the administration got off to a rough start, and Spicer famously lashed out at the press on day one over the size of Trump's inauguration crowd. Spicer's combative briefings would go on to make him a national punch line on Saturday Night Live. Spicer spends the bulk of the book litigating examples of the media's alleged malfeasance, pinning his own (and the administration's) troubles on the press's "relentless negativity." He's quick with a clumsy metaphor (White House communications work "is like being Nik Wallenda walking a tightrope while bricks are being thrown at you"), but light on self-reflection ("I had found my footing... but I still faced a media that reported rumor as fact"). And his recollections of the president range from tame to obsequious: he calls Trump "a rock star" and "a unicorn riding a unicorn over a rainbow." Like his tenure in the White House, Spicer's memoir is short, fact-challenged, and forgettable. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.