The Battle for the White House from Bush to Obama

Anthony Bennett guides us through the events of the four elections of the 21st century, showing how this era of partisanship has reshaped not only presidential nominations and elections, but the American presidency and politics itself.

"Here is an ideal reminder of how and why American presidential elections and therefore the presidency itself have changed so radically since the time of the elder George Bush. Anthony J. Bennett's analytic passages are on the money. His narrative chapters fairly race along, written with verve and laced with humour. He reckons that now is 'a time to heal' but knows that little healing in American political life is going on or is likely to in this generation. A sad story, but essential." - Anthony King, University of Essex, author of The Founding Fathers v. the People: Paradoxes of American Democracy

"US politics is a full-contact sport, and never more so than at election time. The second volume in Anthony J. Bennett's series on modern US elections offers a first-class introduction to a topic that is by turns complex, tedious, misunderstood and utterly compelling. The accessible prose and engaging style of The Battle for the White House from Bush to Obama successfully blends the 'dry' but important aspects of the topic, such as the practicalities of caucusing, with such gripping events as Bush v. Gore and the 'Hope and Change' promise of Obama's 2008 victory. I will be recommending this useful scholarly tool without hesitation to my undergraduate US Politics students. I know they will find it as engaging and informative a read as I have." - Clodagh Harrington, Senior Lecturer in US Politics, De Montfort University, UK

Anthony J. Bennett is a British academic who received his masters and doctoral degrees in United States government and politics at the University of Essex. Before retiring, he taught at the Royal Hospital School, Ipswich and at Charterhouse. He is the author of several books, including The Race for the White House from Reagan to Clinton.