This biography by the Washington Bureau Chief of USA Today, Susan Page, is well-worth the read if you are interested in arguably the most powerful female politician in the United States today.
Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi and the Lessons of Power
By Susan Page (2021)
Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House for the USA Democrats, has been on center stage in American politics for the last 10 years. It is hard to miss her regal posture on American television as she spearheads politics in the House of Representatives. I was enthusiastic to read this recent unauthorized biography in which I learned that Nancy wrote her own biography entitled “Know Your Power” in 2008.
The author, Susan Page, is the well-known Washington Bureau Chief for USA Today and also previously authored a biography about Barbara Bush entitled, “The Matriarch”. You may also remember that Susan Page was the moderator for the 2020 Vice President debate between Mike Pence and Kamala Harris.
Madam Speaker is based on 150 exclusive interviews with the people who know Nancy Pelosi best as well as 30 hours of interviews with Nancy. It is sequenced chronologically as a series of chapters related to significant political events, for example, Nancy versus Trump, The Coronavirus Campaign, the Speaker, and the Squad. Each chapter contains personal material from the interviews that would not necessarily be public knowledge. While I found a lot of the political rhetoric boring, the personal glimpses into Nancy’s life were fascinating and the organization made it possible for the reader to focus on just the chapter they were interested in. The information presented highlights the pivotal role Nancy Pelosi has played in history.
