The Invisible Bridge: The Fall of Nixon and the Rise of Reagan

Perlstein's four-book project is remarkable not only for its subject—a liberal historian writing an at times sympathetic history of modern American conservatism, the dominant political movement of our time—but for its style. In Before the Storm (on Goldwater), Nixonland (on you-know-who), and now his latest volume, which marvels at how Reagan captured the heart, if not the nomination, of the GOP in 1973-76, Perlstein dives into the archives like a Hunter S. Thompson who prefers microfiche to mescaline to give us the manic, anxious mood of the era. The density and intensity of his storytelling might overwhelm some, but for others they'll provide surprises and insight on every quickly turned page.