How politics is played by one who knows the game…

Chris Matthews has spent a quarter century on the playing field of American politics—from right-hand man of Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill to host of NBC’s highest rated cable talk show Hardball. In this revised and updated edition of his political classic, he offers fascinating new stories of raw ambition, brutal rivalry, and exquisite seduction and reveals the inside rules that govern the game of power.Hardball, first published in 1988, is like a modern version of Machiavelli’s The Prince, only much more richly illustrated, with anecdotes drawn from talk-show host Chris Matthews’s stint as a congressional staffer (where he worked for, among others, renowned Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill). Discussing such basic principles as “It’s not who you know; it’s who you get to know” and “Don’t get mad, don’t get even–get ahead,” Matthews not only dishes out choice Washington insider info, he has over the years inspired many readers to apply his principles for political success to their own professional lives.