The Gatekeepers

How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency

By: Chris Whipple

Narrated by: Mark Bramhall

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • An in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at the White House Chiefs of Staff, whose choices have defined the course of our country—including a chapter on the chaos of the first Trump administration

“Entertaining and engaging.”—The Wall Street Journal
“Compelling and insightful.”—HuffPost
“Carefully researched and eminently readable.”—Newsday

Presidents have always depended on the advice of key confidants. But it wasn’t until the twentieth century that the White House chief of staff was codified and became the second most powerful job in government. Unelected and unconfirmed, the chief is the president’s closest adviser; when the president makes a life-and-death decision, often the chief of staff is the only other person in the room.

Through extensive, intimate interviews with eighteen chiefs (including Reince Priebus) and two former presidents, award-winning journalist Chris Whipple pulls back the curtain on this unique fraternity. In doing so, he revises our understanding of presidential history, showing us how one chief paved the way for the Reagan Revolution—and, conversely, how Watergate and the Iraq War might have been prevented by a more effective chief. Plus, in a chapter written exclusively for this edition, Whipple takes readers inside the Trump White House, revealing startling details of its dysfunction.

The men behind Presidents

It is impressive to realize that the American political circle is a circle made up of about the same men in the sixties, through today.

A Reminder and New Revelations

Great men understand the important of appointments. Wish we had a great man right now.

Not a bad read if you like history

I enjoyed the history lessons in each administration if all true. I felt like the content and events we're presented without bias and that probably changes some of my opinions about some of the administrations that seems ineffective. There were successes and failures and it seemed each president was his own man. For sure the presidents that had the stronger chiefs of staff were more successful in accomplishing the goals of their boss.

One for the books

This book has some of the most inside stories you can get about presidents’s terms. A great read and one that every college political science major should read.

Great read

I didn't want to put it down. This is is a fantastic read and I highly recommend it.