INTRODUCING...

Ronald Kessler

Ronald Kessler is the New York Times bestselling author of books about President George W. Bush, the FBI, CIA, White House, Congress, and Palm Beach.

For his latest book, A MATTER OF CHARACTER: Inside the White House of George W. Bush, Kessler had unique access to the Bush White House. Kessler interviewed Bush's close friends going back to Andover and Yale and the key players in his administration, from Karl Rove, Andy Card, and Condoleezza Rice to Donald Rumsfeld and Colin Powell. Kessler completed the portrait by interviewing Secret Service agents and other insiders who contrasted the respectful way Bush and Laura treat Secret Service agents, military aides, and maids and butlers with the nasty, imperious way Bill and Hillary Clinton treated them.

Most of what we know from the media about Bush and his administration is from second-hand and third-hand sources. Ronald Kessler is one of the few journalists allowed into the inner sanctum. In his talk, Kessler reveals how the secretive Bush White House operates and the truth behind the caricatures of Bush and whether we are winning the war on terrorism. Along with Bob Woodward's Plan of Attack, Kessler's book is listed as suggested reading on the Bush-Cheney '04 web site.

Kessler's other topics include:
 
Inside the White House
The inside scoop on what Presidents from John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson to Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush were really like in the White House, as seen by the Secret Service, maids and butlers, and presidential aides, from George Reedy to Karl Rove.

Winning the War on Terror
An upbeat account of what the administration is doing to win the war on terror and the controversies surrounding the FBI, CIA, and protection of civil liberties.

Inside Palm Beach
The wealthiest and most sinful spot on earth, Palm Beach is home to Donald Trump, trust fund babies, and women addicted to staying beautiful. In an entertaining, anecdotal romp, Ronald Kessler reveals the bizarre tales of how the rich and famous really live. For example, there is Gianna Lahainer, who is worth $300 million but put her husband on ice because he died inconveniently in the middle of the season. For his book THE SEASON: Inside Palm Beach and America's Richest Society, Kessler and his wife Pam flew down to Palm Beach with Trump on his Boeing 727-100 and spent the weekend with him and Melania at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate.

Uncovering Secrets in Washington
How investigative journalist Ronald Kessler has penetrated secretive agencies like the FBI, CIA, and the Bush White House, leading to the dismissal of William Sessions as FBI director and unique access to the Bush administration. An inside look at how Washington really operates.

Ronald Kessler began his career as a journalist in 1964 on the Worcester Telegram, followed by three years as an investigative reporter and editorial writer with the Boston Herald. In 1968, Kessler joined the Wall Street Journal as a reporter in the New York bureau. In 1970, he became an investigative reporter with the Washington Post and continued as a staff writer until 1985.

Kessler's books include:
 A MATTER OF CHARACTER: Inside the White House of George W. Bush, THE CIA AT WAR: Inside the Secret Campaign Against Terror, THE BUREAU: The Secret History of the FBI, THE SEASON: Inside Palm Beach and America's Richest Society, INSIDE CONGRESS: The Shocking Scandals, Corruption, and Abuse of Power Behind the Scenes on Capitol Hill, THE SINS OF THE FATHER: Joseph P. Kennedy and the Dynasty He Founded, and INSIDE THE WHITE HOUSE: The Hidden Lives of the Modern Presidents and the Secrets of the World's Most Powerful Institution.

Kessler has won sixteen journalism awards, including two George Polk awards-one for national reporting and one for community service. He won the top prize for business and financial reporting given by the Washington chapter of the Sigma Delta Chi society of professional journalists. Kessler has also won the American Political Science Association's Public Affairs Reporting Award, the Associated Press' Sevellon Brown Memorial Award, and Washingtonian magazine's Washingtonian of the Year award.

                       Reviews of A MATTER OF CHARACTER:

“Ronald Kessler's brilliant portrait of the White House years of George W. Bush is the gold standard by which all future biographies of this decent and principled president will be measured.”
-Edward Klein, author of The Kennedy Curse and former editor-in-chief of The New York Times Magazine

“Ronald Kessler's inside, authoritative account of how George W. Bush has applied principled leadership to the tough task of defeating terrorism and preserving freedom should be read by everyone who cares about our national security.”
-William H. Webster, former director of Central Intelligence and former director of the FBI

“This eye-opening, behind-the-scenes look inside the Oval Office by one of the country's best journalists is every bit as engrossing as reality television.”
-Donald Trump, star of "The Apprentice" and author of Trump: How to Get Rich

www.RonaldKessler.com

Honorarium Range: $5,000 to $10,000