Scorpion Tongues: Gossip, Celebrity, and American Politics

When it comes to Washington politics, gossip didn't begin with the Clintons. Whispers and innuendos have been part of the American political landscape since our nation's beginning. In this wickedly entertaining popular history, Gail Collins, bestselling author of America's Women, serves up two centuries' worth of delicious gossip about major and minor politicians-from Thomas Jefferson's rumored affair with his slave mistress, Sally Hemings, to the accusations of cannibalism aimed at early nineteenth-century presidential candidate John Fremont, to the alleged indiscretions of FDR, Kennedy, Nixon, Ford, Clinton, and Bush. Scorpion Tongues is a fresh, funny, scathing, and eye-opening look at the ever-evolving relationship between our elected officials and the media, and the ever-blurring line between politics and celebrity.

About the Author:
Gail Collins was a member of the Times editorial board, and a columnist for the New York Daily News and New York Newsday