Bag Man: The Wild Crimes, Audacious Cover-up, and Spectacular Downfall of a Political Crook in the White House

Amazon Customer: If you like Rachel Maddow you'll love her books

United States on Oct 26, 2023

dodo5: Lifelong history interests and studies but never knew about the importance of Agnew's story. Too many parallels between the criminal Nixon administration and the Trump debacle. It is an important read to keep events in perspective. Be forewarned!

United States on Oct 16, 2023

Joanne Harrison: Just like her show on MSNBC and her podcast, Rachel's books explain complex and important happenings in America in clear, concise and often humorous language, without talking down to her audience. Really hope she turns Ultra into a book as well.

Canada on Apr 22, 2023

paulc: read it in two days ; this man must be trump's playbook, uncanny and crazy how politics works

Canada on Oct 29, 2022

JamesMN: As a denizen of Maryland for the last 12 years there was clearly a lot about the state that I wasn't aware of - this book opened my eyes about those things, specifically the corruption. But this isn't what the book was about, it's about one of the offshoots of that corruption, Spiro Agnew.

I was vaguely aware of what was going on in the White House regarding Agnew, Watergate was sucking up all of the oxygen at the time and I was a sophomore in high school and politics weren't high on my list of concerns. I knew that he was out of office over something to do with taxes, and it would appear that I wasn't the only American with that understanding. Indeed, there was so, so much more.

Writing anything about Agnew here isn't really worth the time - he was a dirt bag, period. What sent chills up my spine were the tactics he used to try and worm his way of the predicament he was in. Maddow and Yarvitz lay them out simply:

Attack the investigation as a witch hunt
Obstruct the investigation behind the scenes
Attack individual investigators in personal terms
Attack the credibility of the Justice Department itself
Attack the media informing Americans about the...

United States on Mar 05, 2021

Richard Sherry: Great book for those interested in U.S. political history. It's a great follow-up from her terrific podcast series a couple of years ago. Lots of fun detail, with a good story being very well told. It was fun to be astonished as I learned the details of Agnew's criminality. The parallels with Trump's behaviour are just too obvious to ignore, right down to the lying rhetoric. Read history to understand today!

Canada on Jan 05, 2021

NormSF: My interests in getting this book were twofold: I was a Marylander during the time Agnew was considered a liberal, civil-rights governor if only the second or third GOP governor in the state elected since the Civil War. But that was partly because an open racist captured the Dem nomination. The other reason was: Maddow is an exceptional politico-historical writer, as good as she is a commentator.
But little did I know of the whole sordid story!
As governor, Agnew opened up his racist side after the black riots. He viciously read the riot act to African American leaders. This got Nixon's attention and kazoom! Furthermore, like Ted Danson//Sam Malone the sports news commentator in a Cheers episode, Agnew knew how to alliterate: The Nasty Negator of the Nattering Nabobs of Negativism was on the national ticket!
But: What a surprise! I knew that the Justice Dept was in a delicate full-tilt race to depose Spiro for his ongoing crimes BEFORE Nixon would be toppled by Watergate. However, saying I knew this is like boasting that I have secret information that Trump is a crook, too.
The lynchpin of the connection goes deeper than the race to deny Agnew the post-Nixon...

United States on Dec 30, 2020

Sue, Geneva.: I'm very familiar with Rachel Maddow's thorough research in anything she does. I learned many elements of US Republican corruption, from this book, that I was unaware of. Especially George HW Bush's involvement in the Spiro Agnew abuse of his position. This book only confirmed to me what I have always believed for over 50 years: politics and corruption should be cross-referenced in every dictionary.

Germany on Dec 28, 2020

Joyce: The reads like a criminal fiction novel, and it is..criminal but not fictional. I did not follow political news during the Watergate era. I was too young and interested in other stuff. I only remember the resignation and downfall of Nixon. Agnew’s story is far more interesting and I read it in one sitting. Of course I would not compare this Presidency with any other that came after. Of course not. Read and enjoy..it was quite a ride.

Canada on Dec 14, 2020