Product Description

How can a state be represented by Jesse Helms and John Edwards at the same time? Journalist Rob Christensen answers that question and navigates a century of political history in North Carolina, one of the most vibrant and competitive southern states, where neither conservatives nor liberals, Democrats nor Republicans, have been able to rest easy. It is this climate of competition and challenge, Christensen argues, that enabled North Carolina to rise from poverty in the nineteenth century to become a leader in research, education, and banking in the twentieth.

Although party divisions and the issues of race that often distinguish them are deeply rooted, Christensen explains, North Carolina voters remain loyal to candidates who focus on issues such as education and building a business-friendly infrastructure. He takes us to picket lines and debates and through numerous red-baiting and race-baiting political campaigns. Along the way we are introduced to many remarkable characters, including a U.S. senator who was a Nazi sympathizer, a candidate for governor who was a Soviet agent, a senator who helped bring down Joe McCarthy and Richard Nixon, and a TV commentator who helped usher in the Reagan Revolution. Long before the talk of red state-blue state polarization, North Carolina was an intensely divided state politically. With Christensen as a guide, readers may find there is sense after all in the topsy-turvy nature of Tar Heel politics.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #472540 in Books
• Published on: 2008-04-21
• Released on: 2008-03-27
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 368 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780807831892
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
"Presents the pivotal figures and elections of North Carolina's twentieth-century politics in an entertaining and insightful fashion. . . . Christensen's panoramic picture of the state's modern politics is much more than fascinating."
— North Carolina Historical Review



"A lively account of history [that] includes eyebrow-raising facts."
— Fayetteville Observer

Concentrating his focus on the upper level of state politics, the battles for the offices of governor and senator, Christensen explains the see-saw of Tar Heel sentiments. . . . Christensen thoroughly covers his topic.
—Foreword Magazine

The well-told story of North Carolina’s 20th-century political dynasties forged by patronage, cronyism, kickbacks, fraud, character assassination and the high art of stealing elections honorably. . . . Christensen succeeds where most political historians fail; he makes the story interesting. . . . A must-read for all who value insight into the realities of winning campaigns and governing in a democracy.
—John N. Davis, Raleigh News and Observer

"Christensen has written a terrific . . . history here, one that is very readable and absolutely jammed full of facts, figures, and anecdotes. . . . [He] lay[s] the historical basis for North Carolina politics as they exist today."
— Winston-Salem Journal

This book is more than issues and events, however. It is an encyclopedic biographical reference of the people whose electoral success, achievements, and misadventures have long confounded those seeking to properly place North Carolina on the political spectrum.
—Howard E. Covington Jr., coeditor of The North Carolina Century: Tar Heels Who Made a Difference, 1900-2000

"A vivid tableau. . . . Informative, delightful and entertaining. . . . A page turner."
— Wake County Physician

"Hotter and slicker than a politician's handshake at a pig pickin' in July."
— Marcy Smith, Raleigh Raleigh News & Observer

"Fascinating. . . . Christensen is a keen observer and first-rate storyteller. . . . Whether you're a native or a newcomer, Christensen's book will tell you things you didn't know about the people and forces behind [North Carolina's] astonishing transformation."
— The Charlotte Observer

"A romp through 100 years of North Carolina politics...Help[s] readers understand the conflicts and contradictions that define North Carolina to this day."
— Greensboro News and Record

About the Author
Rob Christensen has covered North Carolina politics for thirty-four years at the News and Observer in Raleigh.

Customer Reviews

This book is a must read for anyone interested in North Carolina politics.
The Paradox of Tar Heel Politics: The Personalities, Elections, and Events That Shaped Modern North CarolinaThis is a wonderful read by one of the best newspaper reporters in the State. I would highly recommend the book to anyone who has an interest in the history of modern day politics in North Carolina.

O. Max Gardner III

Great book on NC political history
This is a wonderful book. Interesting and well-written. I have bought several copies as gifts for friends who are interested in NC history and politics.

A great introduction to state political history
In "The Paradox of Tarheel Politics", veteran reporter Rob Christensen, of the Raleigh News and Observer, provides a stellar addition to the pantheon of North Carolina political works.

This book is a must read for any politician, journalist, activist, observer or just plain interested party. Christensen deserves a medal for making the subject matter approachable to the layman. As an historical work, the book ranks among the most active and engaging stories in recent memory.

Perhaps a testament to the editors Christensen has had in his career, the prose is engaging and full of energy. There is hardly a weak spot in the entire book. Whether the reader is on vacation with hours on end or a casual nighttime bookworm reading a few pages a night, "The Paradox of Tarheel Politics" is sure to capture and hold their attention.

Read the full review at my personal website, or via this link:

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Jeffrey Sykes
www.jeffreysykes.com