Today Simon & Schuster announced that it will publish THE ROAD TAKEN, a memoir by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt), in April of 2022. The last of Congress’s “Watergate Babies,” Leahy was elected to the United States Senate in 1974 and is currently its most senior member. Leahy was born in Montpelier, Vermont, and grew up blocks from the State House. He is currently the President Pro Tempore of the United States Senate and Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. He served for 20 years as chair or ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee where he remains as the most senior Democrat. He is also the most senior Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee where he previously served as Chair for seven years.
In the book, Leahy looks back on a life lived on the front lines of American politics. As the senior-most member and de facto dean of the chamber, Senator Leahy has been a key author of the American story. Leahy established himself as a moral leader and liberal pioneer over four decades spanning nine presidential administrations. Stuart Roberts at Simon & Schuster acquired World rights, first serial, and audio rights from Robert B. Barnett and Emily Alden of Williams & Connolly.
THE ROAD TAKEN is the story of a master political leader and consummate legislator. Leahy takes readers inside the room as pivotal moments in our nation’s history play out, from the post-Watergate reform era to pathbreaking Supreme Court confirmations to stress tests like the impeachment of President Clinton, 9/11 and Congress’s role in greenlighting a disastrous war in Iraq, the January 6th Capitol insurrection, and both impeachment trials of Donald Trump—one of which Senator Leahy presided over, a historic first.
Senator Leahy’s memoir is populated by a larger-than-life cast of characters, including every President from Ford onward, a fresh-faced Ted Kennedy, a dying Hubert Humphrey, a thirty-three-year-old son of Scranton named Joe Biden, a quick-witted Barry Goldwater, a freshman Senator and trash-talking gym-mate named Barack Obama, and a scrappy newcomer by the name of Bernard Sanders.
THE ROAD TAKEN is also a moving personal portrait. Born in Vermont in 1940, Leahy got his first taste of politics at age six after riding his tricycle into the Governor’s office. Twenty-eight years later he became the first Democrat and youngest person ever elected to the United States Senate from Vermont. He writes movingly of his wife of nearly sixty years, Marcelle, his family life, his beloved home state of Vermont, and his unexpected life as an actor with cameos in five Batman movies. Despite being born legally blind in one eye, Leahy became an accomplished photographer, shooting history as he witnessed it. His intimate portraits illustrate the book, showcasing history through the lens of his life.
“I look forward to sharing my reflections in THE ROAD TAKEN, as well as some of the photographs that I have taken over the past four decades,” Leahy said. “I’ve enjoyed widening the lens on our journey so far, from Vermont to the Senate. Marcelle and I have been down many roads together, and now with a touch of grey we are enjoying reflections as we work on the book. For a printer’s son from Montpelier and a 1st generation American of French Canadian descent from Newport, we have a lot of lessons learned on roads trailing behind us, which give us hope and inspiration for the Senate, the country, and our future.”
“Few lives of public service rival the scope and impact of Senator Patrick Leahy, who, over nine presidential administrations, has worked tirelessly to enact historic legislation that is imbued with a sense of moral purpose and human rights,” Simon & Schuster Senior Editor Stuart Roberts said. “His wonderful memoir doubles as a stirring portrait of post-war America. He is a first-rate storyteller who injects every page with wisdom, insight, and good humor.”
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