Alpha Dogs: How Political Spin Became a Global Business

(Paperback, Main)

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Alpha Dogs tells the gripping story of the remarkable group of men who invented modern politics and turned 'spin' into a global phenomenon.David Sawyer dreamed of a career as a film-maker; Scott Miller, the son of a shoe salesman, was a brilliant copywriter. Unlikely partners, together they became a political powerhouse. Directing democratic revolutions from the Philippines to Chile, steering a dozen presidents and prime ministers into office, and instilling the campaign ethic in corporate giants from Coca-Cola to Apple, the consultants of Sawyer-Miller were the Manhattan Project of spin politics.In this pulsating book, James Harding tells the story of the men whose political savvy, entrepreneurial drive and sheer greed came to alter the landscape of global politics. Alpha Dogs charts the creation of a new style of political campaigning and its triumph across the world.'Fascinating' Peter Preston, Observer'As an analysis of one of the prime unseen forces behind modern politics, Alpha Dogs is an unremittingly rich source of entertainment.' Jonathan O'Brien, Sunday Business Post'Alpha Dogs holds the reader's attention like the most deliciously odious political attack ad. Fortunately, the book is also honest and perceptive.' The Economist

Reviews

"[A] stinging new book..." - "Newsweek """Alpha Dogs"holds the reader's attention like the most deliciously odious political attack ad...The book is also honest and perceptive." - "The Economist """"This absorbing first book by the editor of the Times tells the story of Sawyer-Miller, a pioneering and hugely influential campaigning company in the US that laid the foundations for our modern methods of politics and made 'spin' a global phenomenon." - "The Bookseller"""James Hardings "Alpha Dogs" is one of those wonderful books that takes you to a time and place you may not know much about but where life as we know it was changed in real and lasting ways. This inside story of how American-style political spin was sold to the world is a fascinating and insightful glimpse into the clockwork of global power. Whats more, its a great read featuring complex characters, high stakes, and drama. Theyve tried to make movies about this sort

Author Bio

James Harding is the editor of The Times. He was previously Washington bureau chief of the Financial Times. This is his first book.