Madam Speaker - by Susan Page

About the Book

A New York Times best-selling author and USA Today Washington bureau chief offers a new biography of Nancy Pelosi, one of the most powerful women in American politics.

Book Synopsis

The definitive biography of Nancy Pelosi, the most powerful woman in American political history, written by New York Times bestselling author and USA Today Washington bureau chief Susan Page.

Featuring more than 150 exclusive interviews with those who know her best--and a series of in-depth, news-making interviews with Pelosi herself--MADAM SPEAKER is unprecedented in the scope of its exploration of Nancy Pelosi's remarkable life and of her indelible impact on American politics.

Before she was Nancy Pelosi, she was Nancy D'Alesandro. Her father was a big-city mayor and her mother his political organizer; when she encour­aged her young daughter to become a nun, Nancy told her mother that being a priest sounded more appealing. She didn't begin running for office until she was forty-six years old, her five children mostly out of the nest. With that, she found her calling.

Nancy Pelosi has lived on the cutting edge of the revolution in both women's roles and in the nation's movement to a fiercer and more polarized politics. She has established herself as a crucial friend or for­midable foe to U.S. presidents, a master legislator, and an indefatigable political warrior. She took on the Democratic establishment to become the first female Speaker of the House, then battled rivals on the left and right to consolidate her power. She has soared in the sharp-edged inside game of politics, though she has struggled in the outside game--demonized by conservatives, second-guessed by progressives, and routinely underestimated by nearly everyone.

All of this was preparation for the most historic challenge she would ever face, at a time she had been privately planning her retirement. When Donald Trump was elected to the White House, Nancy Pelosi became the Democratic counterpart best able to stand up to the disruptive president and to get under his skin. The battle between Trump and Pelosi, chronicled in this book with behind-the-scenes details and revelations, stands to be the titanic political struggle of our time.

Review Quotes

PRAISE FOR SUSAN PAGE AND THE MATRIARCH
[A] highly readable portrait...Like the arc of her life itself, [Bush] created a bridge for first ladies that reached from traditional feminine pursuits to modern feminism. This definitive biography is a welcome contribution to our understanding of the complex role of presidential spouses.--The Washington Post

The Matriarch is the rare biography of a public figure that's not only beautifully written, but also shockingly revelatory.--The Atlantic

The Matriarch will be read, and worth reading, for a long time to come.--Wall Street Journal

"Nancy Pelosi is a tough, ruthless, and energetic practitioner of the acquisition and use of political power. Anyone seeking to understand the House of Representatives and the House Democratic Party has to start with Speaker Pelosi. Susan Page has written that lesson plan for all to read."--Newt Gingrich

"With her biography of First Lady Barbara Bush and her new book about Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Susan Page has distinguished herself as a chronicler of women public figures who defied odds, raised eyebrows, and ultimately found that being true to themselves and not worrying about what others thought or said about them was the key to success and happiness as they defined it. As with her first biography, MADAM SPEAKER will be a resource to historians and anyone who wants to understand the influence this powerful, sometimes controversial, occasionally ruthless, and fiercely determined woman has had on our national life."--Dana Perino, New York Times bestselling author of AND THE GOOD NEWS IS...

Barbara Bush was the wife of one president and the mother of another, but as Susan Page shows, was far more interesting than that. In the nick of time, Page managed to interview Mrs. Bush at length, gain access to her diaries, and acquire other information that many earlier authors did not have in order to bring us this highly readable portrait, which expands our understanding of this strong, decisive woman, whose influence spanned an era.--Michael Beschloss, New York Timesbestselling author of Presidents of War

Except for Eleanor Roosevelt, first-rate biographies of First Ladies are rare. Susan Page's volume on Barbara Bush is an impressive exception. It is a beautifully written and informative study of not only Barbara Bush, but also the presidential administrations of her husband and son.--Robert Dallek, Pulitzer Prize finalist and New York Times bestselling author of An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy, 1917-1963

Formidable and fearless, candid and sharp, Barbara Bush was among the most interesting people of our time. Susan Page's intimate biography covers both the triumphs and tribulations that made her so fascinating and beloved.--Walter Isaacson, Pulitzer Prize finalist and #1 New York Times bestselling author of Leonardo da Vinci, Steve Jobs, and Einstein

Insightful, touching, personal...this exceptionally readable Bush biography [is] unlike any you will read.--USA Today

Scoopy and insightful.--The New York Times

Susan Page has given us an insightful and engaging portrait of a remarkable American. Wife to one President, mother to another, Barbara Bush was fascinating and complicated, and this absorbing biography brings the woman George H.W. Bush called 'the Silver Fox' to vivid life.--Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize-winning and #1 New York Times bestselling author of Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush

What a fascinating read! By giving Page access to her diaries and agreeing to long interviews, Barbara Bush finally reveals the person behind the pearls. And she turns out to be one of the most interesting and influential women of the twentieth century.--Cokie Roberts, New York Timesbestselling author of Ladies of Liberty and political commentator for NPR and ABC News

"Long considered one of America's finest journalists, Susan Page's newest book cements her reputation as one of our foremost political biographers. In exploring the remarkable life of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Susan has painted a compelling portrait of determination, resilience, and patriotism that is the essence of American democracy."

--Former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright

"With her biography of First Lady Barbara Bush and her new book about Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Susan Page has distinguished herself as a chronicler of women public figures who defied odds, raised eyebrows, and ultimately found that being true to themselves and not worrying about what others thought or said about them was the key to success and happiness as they defined it. As with her first biography, Susan's current work will be a resource to historians and anyone who wants to understand the influence this powerful, sometimes controversial, occasionally ruthless, and fiercely determined woman has had on our national life."

--Dana Perino

"Impressive in scope, elegant in style, and extremely judicious in its use of evidence, Susan Page's MADAM SPEAKER is a must-read biographical portrait of the indomitable Nancy Pelosi. Page, one of America's most admired journalists, has a gift for delivering fresh behind-the-scenes anecdotes and recapturing watershed historical moments in colorful prose. Every page sparkles with revelations. Pelosi is the true power broker of our time. Highly recommended!"--Douglas Brinkley, bestselling author of AMERICAN MOONSHOT: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race

"In this story of power, resolve and intrigue, Susan Page has a subject equal to her inordinate talents. She takes us behind the scenes with the Speaker of the House--the most powerful woman in American history--and shows us how Nancy Pelosi conquered a world of guys."--John A. Farrell, New York Times bestselling author of RICHARD NIXON: THE LIFE

About The Author

Susan Page is the award-winning Washington Bureau chief of USA Today, where she writes about politics and the White House. Susan has covered seven White House administrations and eleven presidential elections. She has interviewed the past ten presidents and reported from six continents and dozens of foreign countries. In 2020, she moderated the vice presidential debate between Mike Pence and Kamala Harris. Her first book, The Matriarch: Barbara Bush and the Making of an American Dynasty, was an instant New York Times bestseller. She lives in Washington, D.C.