Revealing evidence from the investigation never before made public, Golden is the most complete telling yet of the Blagojevich story, written by two Chicago reporters who covered every step of his rise and fall and spent years sifting through evidence, compiling documents, and conducting more than a hundred interviews with those who have known Blagojevich from his childhood to his time in the governor's office. Dispensing with sensationalism to present the facts about one of the nation's most notorious politicians, the authors detail the mechanics of the corruption that brought the governor down and profile a fascinating and frustrating character who embodies much of what is wrong with modern politics. With Blagojevich now serving 14 years in prison, the time has come for the last word on who Blagojevich was, how he was elected, how he got himself into trouble, and how the feds took him down.
Jeff Coen is a reporter for the Chicago Tribune, covering federal trials and investigations at both Chicago's Criminal Courts Building and the federal courthouse. He is the author of Family Secrets: The Case That Crippled the Chicago Mob. He lives in Oak Park, Illinois. John Chase is also a reporter for the Chicago Tribune, covering state and local politics. He covered Blagojevich from the start of his first campaign for governor and pushed the newspaper's further investigations into the former governor's tactics. He lives in Chicago.