“Samuel has produced a concise, engaging and readable take on the subject…eminently worthwhile.” —The Washington Times

“The U.S. Senate today has become a pressure-cooker, a place of combat, hardball politics and raw ambition. The Upper House pulls back the curtain and shows it all: the brawling, the deal-making, and sometimes even the hilarity, of the U.S. Senate in action. With rare access, Terence Samuel presents a dramatic and intense look at life in the august halls of power as it really is and what it really means, for better or worse, for our democracy.” —Roger Simon, author of Divided We Stand

“Veteran D.C. journalist Terence Samuel deftly guides us through the hallways and back rooms of one of Washington's most peculiar centers of power: the U.S. Senate. With a gripping narrative focusing on the ongoing political wars, Samuel shows how America's top lawmakers--a curious collection of egos and oddballs--make the sausage, or, too often, don't. This ain't the Senate you read about in civics class.” —David Corn, author of The Lies of George W. Bush

“Terence Samuel's fascinating book provides an engaging and lively look at the troubled institution of the Senate over the past decade. His thoughtful narrative, based on perceptive sketches of several senators, shows why the institution has become mired in a chronic crisis. Readers will be grateful to Samuel for his informed guidance about the causes of the Senate's current malaise.” —Lewis L. Gould, author of The Modern American Presidency and Grand Old Party

“Terence Samuel opens a window, one that is usually slammed tight, on the United States Senate's bizarre customs and folkways, and he shows us these usually carefully scripted and packaged people in a candid light. A highly edifying and important book.” —Michael Tomasky, author of Hillary's Turn