Virginia in the Vanguard: Political Leadership in the 400-Year-Old Cradle of American Democracy, 1981-2006
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 Vanguardarrives 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. (Harris, John F.)Virginia in the Vanguarddeserves a place on the bookshelf of anyone interested in the recent political history of the Commonwealth. (James R. SweeneyVirginia Magazine)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 Vanguardis a great read. (Fred Barnes)