Inside USC Annenberg: November 19, 2013

Professor Richard Reeves has published many books in his long career as one of America's leading experts on the U.S. Presidency. As chief political correspondent for The New York Times, Reeves reported as part of the White House Press Corps. Last month, Reeves published The Kennedy Years, a book he edited that collects The New York Times' best writing about President John F. Kennedy. Here's a look at three of Reeves' other books:

The Detroit Free Press wrote, "Richard Reeves is a marvelous observer, writer and reporter.  That  makes him one of the best columnists in the country."
  • Jet Lag: The Travels of a Bicoastal Reporter — With this collection of original and previously published pieces, Reeves cuts fervently through his observations of American politics, culture and media as he travels constantly from New York and Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles and back.
"Reeves is a pleasure to disagree with" (William Safire, New York Times).
  •  A Ford, Not a Lincoln — This book looked at Gerald Ford's first 100 days in office following Richard Nixon's tumultuous exit. Reeves depicts Ford as unprepared to accept the responsibilities of the White House, and in a larger way he gleans troubling insight into how Americans are governed in the first place.
"Only eight months ago, when I last stood here, I told you I was a  Ford, not a Lincoln.  Tonight I say I am still a Ford, but I am not a  Model T." --From the President's address delivered before a joint session of Congress, August 12, 1974

Visit Richard Reeves' website here.