Books Update: The Life and Times of a Power Broker

"The Man Who Ran Washington," a biography of James Baker III, by Peter Baker and Susan Glasser

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story September 25, 2020 Secretary of State James A. Baker at the United Nations, 1990.Chester Higgins/The New York Times Dear Reader, Our cover this week features “The Man Who Ran Washington,” the first major biography of the former secretary of state James Baker — a subject that might seem firmly rooted in the past, except that Baker is still alive and the contrast between his Washington and today’s Washington is so remarkable. The book is written by two journalists who happen to be married: Susan Glasser, a writer for The New Yorker, and The Times’s own chief White House correspondent, Peter Baker, who also wrote the book “Days of Fire” (one of our 10 Best Books of 2013). Samantha Power, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and former ambassador to the U.N., writes our review. Power has been reviewing for the Book Review since 2001, when she reviewed a book about the Rwandan genocide in our pages. Peter Baker and Glasser join this week’s podcast to discuss. Several other books take a look back this week, including Rick Perlstein’s “Reaganland,” his fourth book on the conservative movement in America; “His Truth Is Marching On,” Jon Meacham’s biography of the late John Lewis; and “Wandering in Strange Lands,” Morgan Jerkins’s exploration of her family’s experience in the Great Migration. Fiction lovers can enjoy the latest from Margot Livesey, Susan Minot, Sarah Shun-Lien Bynum and Mary Gordon. Please stay in touch and let us know what you think — whether it’s about this newsletter, our reviews, our podcast, our literary calendar, our Instagram or what you’re reading. We read and ponder all of it. I even write back, albeit belatedly. You can email me at books@nytimes.com. Pamela Paul Editor of The New York Times Book Review @PamelaPaulNYT Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Like this email? Sign-up here or forward it to your friends. Have a suggestion or two on how we can improve it? Let us know at newsletters@nytimes.com. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. THE BOOK REVIEW PODCAST   C.I.A. Operatives in the Early Years of the Cold War Scott Anderson discusses “The Quiet Americans,” and Peter Baker and Susan Glasser talk about “The Man Who Ran Washington.” NONFICTION Chester Higgins/The New York Times   Nonfiction The Incredible Influence of James A. Baker III Peter Baker and Susan Glasser’s “The Man Who Ran Washington” tells the story of the incredibly influential statesman and insider’s insider. By Samantha Power James Hughes/NY Daily News Archive, via Getty Images   Nonfiction How Ronald Reagan Triumphed Rick Perlstein’s “Reaganland” completes his multivolume survey of American conservatism with the 1980 election victory of Ronald Reagan. By Evan Thomas Stephen F. Somerstein/Getty Images   Nonfiction Jon Meacham on John Lewis, the Legend and the Man Meacham’s “His Truth Is Marching On” tells the story of the young John Lewis up to the time he entered Congress. By Eric Foner Mary Beth Meehan   Nonfiction The Harvard Professor Who Told the World That Jesus Had a Wife In “Veritas” Ariel Sabar tells the madcap story of the professor who was tricked by a Florida fraudster into announcing an extraordinary religious discovery. By Mark Oppenheimer Sylvie Rosokoff   Nonfiction Morgan Jerkins Heads Down South in Search of Her Black Identity “Wandering in Strange Lands” traces the author’s ancestry — and the history of African-American oppression — along the footsteps of the Great Migration. By Afua Hirsch ullstein bild, via Getty Images, Alamy, Corbis, Agence France-Presse   Nonfiction The Men Who Reinvented Philosophy for Turbulent Times In “Time of the Magicians,” Wolfram Eilenberger tells the story of four philosophers — Wittgenstein, Benjamin, Cassirer and Heidegger — who altered the way we see reality. By John Kaag Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Marybeth Bonner   Nonfiction A Troubled Artist’s Death Proves as Unknowable as Her Life In “The Book of Atlantis Black,” Betsy Bonner attempts to solve the mysterious fate of her troubled, enigmatic older sister. By Alexis Schaitkin Ethan Miller/Getty Images   Nonfiction The Incestuous Relationship Between Donald Trump and Fox News In his new book, “Hoax,” Brian Stelter examines Fox’s role as a White House propaganda organ masquerading as conservative journalism. By David Enrich Doug Mills/The New York Times   How Has Donald Trump Survived? Michael S. Schmidt’s “Donald Trump v. the United States” describes the uncomfortable tenures of two influential White House figures. By Gabriel Debenedetti     Nonfiction Disaster May Upend Reality, but What Is ‘Real’ Anyway? In “The Unreality of Memory,” the poet and essayist Elisa Gabbert considers our psychological relationship to calamity. By Alexandra Kleeman Nonfiction The Future Looks Very Different on Opposite Sides of Los Angeles In “Show Them You’re Good,” Jeff Hobbs examines the high school experiences of boys in Beverly Hills and Compton. By Wes Enzinna FICTION Laura Anastasio   Fiction Recreational Adrenaline: Three Sizzling New Thrillers Late summer is supposed to be a slow time for publishers, but this year there’s plenty to get your heart racing. By Sarah Lyall Tony Rinaldi   Fiction In This Novel, a Grisly Discovery Leads to Self-Discovery The three siblings at the center of “The Boy in the Field,” by Margot Livesey, find an unconscious child. Their lives are never the same. By Jenny Rosenstrach Christopher Greenleaf   Fiction What if We Pursued Vigilante Justice on Reality TV? In “Payback,” the veteran novelist Mary Gordon gives score-settling a modern twist. By Francine Prose Jean Pagliuso   Fiction Life, and Other Interruptions: A Storyteller Explains ‘Why I Don’t Write’ Susan Minot’s new book is her second collection in 30 years. But that doesn’t mean she hasn’t been busy. By Justin Taylor Mara Casey   Fiction Dreams and Waking Life Blur in a New Story Collection “Likes,” by Sarah Shun-Lien Bynum, shows an impressive control of language and a capacious sense of how much a short story can do. By Caitlin Horrocks Klaus Kremmerz   Fiction Scenes From a Marriage: One Cheats, the Other Wants To Cree LeFavour’s first novel, “Private Means,” examines the tribulations of an Upper West Side couple. By Lionel Shriver John Gall   Shortlist Young Adult Dystopian Fiction That Feels Pretty Real These four thrillers may be gussied up with future settings, but the problems they confront are rooted in today’s world. By Kaitlyn Wells Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT CHILDREN’S BOOKS FEATURES Jillian Tamaki   By The Book Reed Hastings, the Founder of Netflix, Keeps His Library in His Pocket “They’re all on Kindle. Although I have to admit as a first-time author, when the hardcover book arrived, it felt really good to hold in my hands.” Sketchbook A Wordless Way to Write a Novel From “bespectacled” to “rosy-fingered,” a special set of emoji for the literary inclined. By Liana Finck New & Noteworthy Poetry, From the Ancient Greeks to Billy Collins A selection of recent poetry releases; plus, a peek at what our colleagues around the newsroom are reading. Politics and Fiction and Other Letters to the Editor Readers respond to recent issues of the Sunday Book Review. editors’ choice 10 New Books We Recommend This Week Suggested reading from critics and editors at The New York Times. inside the list David Chang’s Memoir, ‘Eat a Peach,’ Provides Food for Thought The restaurateur, television personality and podcast host lays his life on the table with bracing candor. By Elisabeth Egan New in Paperback: ‘The Topeka School’ and ‘Brown White Black’ Six new paperbacks to check out this week. By Jennifer Krauss Best Sellers Combined Print & E-Book Fiction Combined Print & E-Book Nonfiction Hardcover Fiction Hardcover Nonfiction Paperback Trade Fiction Paperback Nonfiction All Lists New International Books Illustration by Thoka Maer Your sneak preview of books coming out in 2020 from around the world. Get globetrotting. Continue reading the main story Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. 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