First in line : presidents, vice presidents, and the pursuit of power

Summary: Vice presidents owe their position to the president-- a connection that affects not only how they are perceived but also their possible future as a presidential candidate, which is tied, for better or worse, to the president they serve. Brower introduces us to the second-most-powerful men in the world, exploring the lives and roles of thirteen modern vice presidents-- eight Republicans and five Democrats. She pulls back the curtain to reveal the sometimes close, often chilly, and always complicated relationship between our modern presidents and their vice presidents.

Record details

ISBN: 9780062668943
ISBN: 0062668943
Physical Description: print
xii, 336 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 24 cm
Edition: First edition.
Publisher: New York, NY : Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, [2018]

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [317]-320) and index.

Formatted Contents Note:

Prologue: "Safe hands" -- You're a guest in my house -- Two men, two hotel suites -- The art of the vet -- The observatory -- The Second Lady -- Tragedy and trauma -- From Senator to subordinate: the story of Nixon/Eisenhower, Johnson/Kennedy, and Humphrey/Johnson -- Confusion, conflict, and musical chairs: the rocky road of Agnew/Nixon, Ford/Nixon, and Rockefeller/Ford -- Getting to know you...or not: Mondale/Carter, Bush/Reagan, and Quayle/Bush -- From friendship to betrayal: the breakup of Al Gore and Bill Clinton -- The shadow president: Cheney and his sidekick Bush -- Fanboy: the love story of Joe and Barack -- Man on a wire: Mike Pence's tightrope act -- A heartbeat away.