Few politicians deserve special attention than Mr. Gingrich. But not from the reasons which Ms Shirley describes. As other authors rightly explained Mr. Gingrich destroyed political debate and non-partisan as well bipartisan approach by his manipulative and often offensive speech and action in Washington DC. If anyone can think about the specific genesis, which led to Trumpism, the creator of the culture of indecency, chaos and exploitation who has been there "in the beginning" is Mr. Gingrich. Thus Ms. Schirley fails to introduce true Mr. Gingrich.

So much detail, so little story. I like political history but. this was tough to get through...

Citizen Newt : The Making Of A Reagan Conservative is a lengthy 576 page authorized political biography by notable NYT bestselling author Craig Shirley. Deeply conservative, Shirley has written extensively about the historical impact of the Republican policies and influence in America, and the notable GOP leadership from Abraham Lincoln to Ronald Reagan. Shirley feels the importance for Conservatives to tell their stories from their own perspectives, as many of the books and articles about Republican’s are written with liberal slant and bias by Democrats.

Newt Gingrich (1943-) was adopted by his step-father, a career Army officer. The Gingrich’s lived overseas in France and Germany where his father was stationed. Later, Gingrich would express regret over not serving in the military, opting instead for deferments to avoid the war in Vietnam. NG completed his education at Tulane University earning a PhD in European History. In 1978, he was elected on his third attempt to the Georgia 6th Congressional District, the first Republican to represent the district since the Reconstruction era.
Weeks after he assumed his congressional seat, NG wasted no time policing the actions of colleagues and peers and called for the resignation of two congressmen suspected of corruption affiliated with an FBI ABSCAM probe. NG blasted the Carter Administration for their lack of support for the Shah of Iran, claiming American prestige had been compromised.
Shirley didn’t conceal the fact that NG targeted and attacked others, (mostly Democrats). He called the Democrats a “leadership of thugs” and appeared to be a self-righteous bully that was filled with contempt, suspicion, and hostility for those who didn’t agree with him or measure up to his idealistic high standards. Years later, Mike Synar (Oklahoma) said it best-- calling NG a “Legislative Terrorist”. It was unclear how Gingrich thought he would influence or change the system for the better when he didn’t seem to understand the basic principles of civility, common courtesy and respect for others.
After the retirement of Tip O’Neill (1986), Texas Congressman Jim Wright (1922-2015) had briefly served as Speaker of the House before abruptly resigning on June 06, 1989. In an hour long tearful speech, with his wife present, he “bitterly renounced the vigilante mentality that furthered alleged violations and vendettas” Wright, a true gentleman, didn’t mention NG by name, and certainly could have protested ethic allegations in the deliberate “crusade” waged against him. Instead, after serving in congress for 34 years, Wright returned to Texas and was never heard from again. This was the first time in history a resignation like this had occurred.

The American political history beginning in the 1970’s was very interesting and covered well-- from Watergate, to the controversy of the Panama Canal, high inflation, interest rates, the Carter and Ford administration. The 1980’s brought two long terms of the Reagan Administration: the cold war with the Soviet Union, Communism, tax cuts, terrorism, the military, the economy, the Nicaraguan Contra’s the Iran Contra’s, the HIV/AIDS epidemic-- ending the book in the 1990’s with NG involvement with the Clinton Administration. A lengthy and animated piece was included about Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller (1908-79). According to Shirley, “Rocky” suffered a fatal heart attack while in the intimate company of his young aide.

The title, “Citizen Newt” is somewhat misleading, because most stories that might include instances and events with family and friends are noticeably left out, the focus being strictly political. NG “brilliance” is compared to the notable Republican leadership of Henry Clay, Abraham Lincoln, Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan. While NG consistently raised awareness and called attention to congressional corruption, his personality and character seemed to cast a terrible toxicity over nearly everything he did. In fact, if there was any brilliance in NG, it was overshadowed by a negativity that Shirley was unable to camouflage and disguise.
** With appreciation and thanks to HarperCollins via NetGalley for the DDC for the purpose of review.