Come hell or high water, the American people will elect a new president in November 2008, and the following January will see a changeover in presidential administrations. One of the first challenges facing the new chief executive, and one of the most consequential, is to put his or her stamp on the personnel and day-to-day operations of the "new" White House. In this insightful and entertaining book, a veteran of several presidential administrations opens a window onto the closely guarded Oval Office turf.
Bradley H. Patterson has lived and worked in Washington for over six decades, including fourteen years working with the White House staffs of Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, and Gerald Ford. A past president of the American Society for Public Administration and a senior fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, he has also worked in the State and Treasury departments and the Peace Corps. He is the author of The White House Staff: Inside the West Wing and Beyond (Brookings, 2000) and The Ring of Power (Basic Books, 1988).
"Patterson offers his third chronological volume on the what, who, and how of White House staffing. Here, he provides detailed and accessible insight into the George W. Bush White House.... from an expert clearly devoted to the cause of White House service." - Library Journal |"Patterson is the single best source for understanding and explaining the changes in staffing brought about by the consequential and controversial presidency of George W. Bush....This masterful work will serve as a valuable resource for the incoming administration, and should be widely read by those interested in the art and craft of governing. Highly recommended." - CHOICE |"John Kennedy was the last man to go straight from the Senate to the Oval Office, but this year, both presumptive nominees are Senate products. I'm recommending for their reading a book just published by an old friend, Bradley H. Patterson, who has made a specialty of examining the workings of the White House and probably knows as much as anyone about how to organize the presidency." -David S. Broder, Washington Post |"In To Serve the President, Brad Patterson provides us with an excellent portrait of the White House staff, including the important changes implemented during the George W. Bush administration. The book will be an important source of information for staff coming into the White House in 2009 as well as for those who study the presidency." -Martha Joynt Kumar, author of Managing the President's Message, winner of the 2008 Richard E. Neustadt Award |"This engaging, well-written, and painstakingly researched book will update and enlighten even the most seasoned observers of American presidents and the presidency. Through detailed interviews with senior staff, Brad Patterson teases out information that few in Washington get without subpoenas. A few hours spent poring over To Serve the President should be required of future tenants at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue." -Alexis Simendinger, National Journal |"A White House veteran and careful student of the Presidency, Brad Patterson has written the most thorough analysis available of how the White House operates from the perspective of those who work there. His book is an invaluable resource for anyone, including newly appointed White House staffers, who wants to understand how the 135 separate White House offices serve the presidency." -James Pfiffner, George Mason University, author of Power Play: The Bush Presidency and the Constitution
