"I know the liberals call you 'the most dangerous man in America,' but don't worry about it, they used to say the same thing about me. Keep up the good work." -Ronald Reagan in a letter to Rush Limbaugh, December 11, 1992 Do you remember your first time? People tend to remember the moment they first heard The Rush Limbaugh Show on the radio. For Zev Chafets, it was in a car in Detroit, driving down Woodward Avenue. Limbaugh's braggadocio, the outrageous satire, the slaughtering of liberal sacred cows performed with the verve of a rock-n-roll DJ-it seemed fresh, funny and completely subversive. "They're never going to let this guy stay on the air," he thought. Almost two decades later Chafets met Rush for the first time, at Limbaugh's rarely visited "Southern Command." They spent hours together talking on the record about politics, sports, music, show business, religion and modern American history. Rush opened his home and his world, introducing Chafets to his family, closest friends, even his psychologist. The result was an acclaimed cover-story profile of Limbaugh in The New York Times Magazine. But there was much more to say, especially after Limbaugh became Public Enemy Number One of the Obama Administration. At first Limbaugh resisted the idea of a full-length portrait, but he eventually invited Chafets back to Florida and exchanged more than a hundred emails full of his personal history, thoughts, fears and ambitions. What has emerged is an uniquely personal look at the man who is not only the most popular voice on the radio, but the leader of the conservative movement and one of the most influential figures in the Republican Party. While Limbaugh's public persona is instantly recognizable, his background and private life are often misunderstood. Even devoted Dittoheads will find there's a lot they don't know about the self-described "harmless little fuzzball" who has, over the years, taken on the giants of the mainstream media and the Democratic Party-from Bill and Hillary Clinton to Barack Obama-with "half his brain tied behind his back, just to make it fair." Chafets paints a compelling portrait of Limbaugh as a master entertainer, a public intellectual, a political force, and a fascinating man.
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"A New Your Times employee writes a bio on Rush that is not a hit job, so naturally it stayed under the radar and did not get a lot of press. He had to go to a number of publishers before he could find one, because no one would publish a balanced biography. "
— Don (4 out of 5 stars)
" While I don't always agree with him, I have to say, I really love Rush Limbaugh.<br/>This biography was a nice tribute by a guy who also doesn't always agree with him but appreciates him.<br/>Love him or hate him, you can't ignore him.<br/> "
— Lizzie, 3/28/2011" Chafets gives a unbiased look at Rush from Rush's childhood to the present day. He doesn't skip the negative parts of Rush, but doesn't dwell on them either. "
— Dana, 10/31/2010" Good read! Of course I was already a fan of El Rushbo before I read the book however now I appreciate him even more having learned about more of his life and where he came from. Kudos to Chafets for a job well done! "
— Claire, 9/19/2010" If you have ever listened to Rush this is a great insight into his life. "
— Ray, 7/25/2010" Good book by Zev Chafets about Rush's life growing up. Finished<br/>it just before he got married June 6. "
— Joyce, 7/13/2010" This is an unbiased review of the Rush's life. Some parts of his childhood are described including those events that led him to a career in radio. Then there are events described that show what has lead to his success. "
— Seth, 6/20/2010" A well written biography. Fast read. "
— Opa, 6/15/2010
Zev Chafets is the author of eleven books of fiction, media criticism, and social and political commentary. He is a frequent contributor to the New York Times Magazine and a former columnist for the New York Daily News.
Erik Synnestvedt has recorded nearly two hundred audiobooks for trade publishers as well as for the Library of Congress Talking Books for the Blind program. They include The Day We Found the Universe by Marcia Bartusiak, A Game as Old as Empire edited by Steven Hiatt, and Twitter Power by Joel Comm.