Virginia in the Vanguard - by Frank B Atkinson (Hardcover)

About the Book

Virginia in the Vanguard continues the story begun in The Dynamic Dominion, detailing the resurgence of Virginia's Democratic Party in the 1980s and the Republicans' efforts to turn back the gains made by Chuck Robb and Douglas Wilder. It closes with Democrat Tim Kaine taking ...

Book Synopsis

Virginia in the Vanguard continues the story begun in The Dynamic Dominion, detailing the resurgence of Virginia's Democratic Party in the 1980s and the Republicans' efforts to turn back the gains made by Chuck Robb and Douglas Wilder. It closes with Democrat Tim Kaine taking the governor's seat and former Republican and Democratic governors George Allen and Mark Warner poised to enter the 2008 presidential primaries.

Review Quotes

Virginia in the Vanguard deserves a place on the bookshelf of anyone interested in the recent political history of the Commonwealth.

Frank Atkinson is a rare combination of scholar and practitioner-recognized by all of us who have covered Virginia politics as one of the keenest minds in either party or on either side of the reporter's notebook. Virginia in the Vanguard arrives with superb timing, just as two of Virginia's most interesting and capable politicians are springing on national notice. Atkinson's work will alert readers outside Virginia to something I learned long ago-the Old Dominion has one of the most distinctive, entertaining, and occasionally outrageous, political cultures of any state in the union.

Virginia has changed from a political backwater to a powerhouse in the past quarter century-the significance of which was missed by almost everyone except Frank Atkinson. He explains-brilliantly, I'd say-how it happened and why it's so important, especially now that Virginia is not as red a state as it once was. You won't understand Virginia's pivotal role in the 2008 presidential race without Atkinson's help and, besides, Virginia in the Vanguard is a great read.

About the Author

Frank B. Atkinson is the chairman of McGuireWoods Consulting LLC and a partner in McGuireWoods LLP in Richmond, Virginia. In 1994-1996, he served in the cabinet of Governor George Allen as counselor and director of policy. During the Reagan administration, he served as special counsel and deputy chief of staff to the U.S. Attorney General and before that was special assistant in the Justice Department.