Presidential Debates: Fifty Years of High Risk TV

''Schroeder's book is far and away the best I've ever come across on the history of presidential debates.'' -- Ken Rudin, political editor, National Public Radio

This wildly popular history now covers the 2000 Bush-Gore and 2004 Bush-Kerry debates, including innovations in format and press coverage, and incorporates new research into the analysis of televised debates since 1960. Alan Schroeder organizes his book according to a television production timeline, highlighting the importance of pre- and post-debate periods, as well as the live telecasts themselves. He describes production in painstaking detail, from the selection of questioners to camera angles, from makeup to lighting and set design. Televised debates represent a rare departure from well-choreographed campaigns, and with new media such as YouTube continuing to redefine form and content, the 2008 election should present the most exciting opportunities for debate yet.