Iowa's Record Setting Governor: The Terry Branstad Story

Mike Chapman has penned a warm and glowing tribute to the nation’s longest serving governor – Iowa’s Terry Branstad. Written in a folksy, down-home style, Chapman chronicles Branstad’s life from the farm near Leland to the Terrace Hill governor’s residence. An easy read, the book looks at the forces and people who shaped the governor. It’s something of a how-he-did-it manual that will interest Iowa history buffs and younger readers thinking about a political career for themselves. Branstad’s tenure isn’t finished so we’ll have to leave it to the historians and experts of tomorrow to dissect the legacy of his policies. For now, this work shows how a small-town boy worked his way to the top. You can like his politics or not, but you’ve got to admire Branstad’s tenacity, commitment to the state and his ability to win elections: 20 wins and no losses. – David Yepsen, Director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute and former Chief Political Writer for the Des Moines Register