... a thoughtful look at the governor who shaped the state that has always reached the American future before the rest of the country ... Newton, who has published biographies of Dwight Eisenhower and Earl Warren, writes with verve, grace and the advantage over past Brown biographers of covering the finished product, rather than a work in progress ... He and his father, Gov. Pat Brown, had an affectionate but uneasy relationship that Newton sketches with skill, and in his comparisons between father and son he sets the younger Brown in sharp relief ... And there is plenty of commentary in these 448 pages, and people too ... Newton has produced a history of California as much as a biography of Brown ... In the end Newton calls Brown 'a gift to history.' So is his book.
... [a] vivid and admiring biography ... Newton draws upon more than a dozen dialogues with Brown, who has a reputation as a tough interview. These 'sparring' sessions, however, proved well worth it, providing rich firsthand perspective and churlish zingers...to punctuate the lively narrative ... In his conclusion, Newton touches upon California’s 'glaring inequality' ... One only wishes Newton would have delved deeper into the matter.
Newton provides a thorough and sympathetic take on one of California’s most significant and unconventional politicians ... Newton’s biography is also a portrait of a place, and readers who might be turned off by the minutiae of ballot measures and budgets (of which there is enough in this book to satisfy any wonk) will learn about how Brown’s life intersected with significant moments in California’s history, from the Jonestown massacre to the 1992 Los Angeles riots ... Ultimately, Newton seems unable to crack Brown’s inner emotional landscape; he remains inscrutable throughout the book, and that opacity limits the intimacy of this biography, though that might be less a fault of the writer than the nature of the subject himself, especially considering Newton’s exclusive access ... While Brown’s inner life remains fairly opaque, we instead infer character through actions.
This lengthy, detailed yet accessible account delves into the leader's public and private life ... Throughout, Newton offers insight into the personal and intellectual influences that shaped his subject's approach to government. This work sets itself apart from others...by contributing a more complete picture of this political figure, using firsthand interviews with Brown himself as well as numerous secondary sources. By also describing unsuccessful efforts to run for California senate in 1982 and the presidency in 1992, Newton gives a nuanced portrait of Brown as well as his complex political philosophy ... An insider political biography that will have national appeal.
Newton avoids the quicksand of detail while still laying out the issues closest to Brown’s heart and the political races he ran ... Brown’s failed campaigns for president are well covered, too. Very nearly a must for the politics collection.
... engaging, sympathetic ... Newton follows all of Brown’s ups and downs in a fluid, highly readable biography ... A well-delineated portrait of an accomplished leader.
In this overblown hagiography...Newton fills in the gaps with colorful sketches of California history...but doesn’t get far beyond the shallow assessment that Brown’s mix of conservative and liberal principles makes him 'thoroughly and completely his own person.' Readers hoping for deeper insight into California’s longest-serving governor will be disappointed.
