How to Break Into the White House An irrepressible small-town girl’s up-close and personal tale of presidents, gangsters and spies
By Ann Bracken
‘I was determined to break into the White House and, with the confidence of youth, I didn’t see how anyone was going to be able to stop me.’
So how did a small-town girl from Muncie, Indiana, end up an assistant to and favourite of the President, joining George H. W. Bush for early morning runs and on the White House tennis court?
In this sparkling memoir, Annie Bracken takes readers straight to the heart of the action. How do the powerful live on Capitol Hill? What is Joe Biden really like and what can be expected from him as President? What is life like after the White House?
Packed with vivid personal portraits of Bracken’s encounters with Presidents, gangsters, spies and even some Hollywood greats, this is a joyful insider account of one woman’s journey from America’s fly-over states, through tales of hilarity and intrigue in London and Cannes, all the way to the White House.
Reviews
"It's so funny! ... Loved it."
Alec Russell, Editor FT Weekend
‘Amazing, mind-boggling, entertaining, informative, charmingly written, funny and honest to the point!’
Juergen E. Schrempp, former Chairman of Daimler- Benz Chrysler
“She brightened up the White House.”
C. Boyden Gray, senior legal counsel to President George W. Bush
“A breath of fresh air.”
Richard Helms, former director of the CIA
“Not a page is turned without a smile”
Andrew Ovenstone
"This book is a riot, bright and breezy, whose pages sparkle with unlikely insights into official Washington, with a first person flavour of what goes on behind the closed doors of power. Every line is worth the ticket; the fun is in the reading. It is on the tennis courts that she meets and sometimes is wooed by Washington’s high and mighty.
Small as the book is, it offers us a spectacular range of celebrities, by whom the author is undaunted, offering not so much a memoir, as sketches of a life enthusiastically lived."
John Carlin, author of Invictus
“Congratulations on your book, which brought back fine memories. As a fellow Midwesterner, I shared some of your experiences. We were particularly fortunate to work for George Bush senior, rare among Presidents, a true gentleman.”
Robert Zoellick, former President, World Bank
"One of the most remarkable books I have ever read... Your stories have motivated me to pursue my dreams. You are unstoppable."
Katty Rodrigues
"Hilarious, engaging, and sincere, Ann Bracken recounts her rise through the ranks with a levity that often lacks in others’ biographies on their careers... It’s a breath of fresh air. It’s sincere."
Joseph van Deinse
"Your book was so much fun (especially guessing who was who) that I read it all at once."
Chase Untermeyer, Senior Assistant to President George HW Bush and Director, Voice of America
"An absolute necessity read for all youthful people trying to climb the ladder of governmental issues. A fun, speedy, and straightforward diary that gives a captivating background look at working life at the White House."
Trishita Das, Goodreads
“You definitely want her on your side.”
Katharine Graham, owner of the Washington Post
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Buy this book
- Hardback, 144 pages
- ISBN: 9781785906480
- 19 January 2021
- £12.99
- eBook
- ISBN: 9781785906732
- 19 January 2021
- £8.99