Bill Thomas (writer)
Encyclopedia
Bill Thomas is an American
author and journalist.
He has written books on the legal profession, capitalism in Russia
and the corrupting influence of money on Capitol Hill. In 2010, Thomas unsuccessfully ran for Maryland's 8th congressional district
seat in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Republican
.
and economics
. His work examines how misplaced trust in alleged 'experts' can have calamitous as well as amusing consequences. The New York Times
Book Review called his first book Lawyers and Thieves, coauthored by Roy Grutman, a “wry, witty, eloquent” look at the practice of law. The Wall Street Journal called it an “entertaining expose” of the legal profession, from the seamy world of New York personal-injury lawyers to the highest court in the land. The Los Angeles Times said Lawyers and Thieves, “has the quality of hard-boiled mystery fiction, tough, knowing and full of dirty little secrets.”
Red Tape: Adventure Capitalism in the New Russia (Dutton) details how business is done in Russia. Thomas and co-author Charles Sutherland drew on more than 25 extended trips to Russia and the former Soviet Republics in researching this book. Kirkus Reviews say that Thomas and Sutherland have written “a breezy, street-wise guide…that does for the New Russia what P.J. O’Rourke’s
Parliament of Whores
did for the U.S. government.”
Thomas launched and wrote “Heard of the Hill,” Roll Call newspaper’s widely read political-insider column. Based on years of experience in writing about Congress, his book, Club Fed: Power, Money, Sex and Violence on Capitol Hill, (Scribner’s) was praised by The Washington Post
as “timely…entertaining…required reading.” The American Lawyer called it “a sprawling and ribald collection of salacious scandals.”
in 2010. The district was rated "Safe Democratic" by CQ Politics. Thomas had 3 opponents in the primary: Michael Lee Philips, Bruce Stern, and Christine Thron. Thomas finished 4th in a field of 4 with 15% of the vote; Michael Lee Phillips with 32% of the vote finished first in the primary. The election itself was won by incumbent Chris Van Hollen Jr., Democrat.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author and journalist.
He has written books on the legal profession, capitalism in Russia
The Development of Capitalism in Russia
The Development of Capitalism in Russia was an early economic work by Lenin written whilst he was in exile in Siberia. It was published in 1899 under the pseudonym of "Vladimir Ilyin It established his reputation as a major Marxist theorist...
and the corrupting influence of money on Capitol Hill. In 2010, Thomas unsuccessfully ran for Maryland's 8th congressional district
Maryland's 8th congressional district
Maryland's 8th congressional district elects a representative to the United States House of Representatives every two years. The district mostly consists of the larger part of Montgomery County, also including a small portion of Prince George's County...
seat in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
.
Work
Thomas' books reflect his career-long interest in politicsPolitics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
and economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
. His work examines how misplaced trust in alleged 'experts' can have calamitous as well as amusing consequences. The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
Book Review called his first book Lawyers and Thieves, coauthored by Roy Grutman, a “wry, witty, eloquent” look at the practice of law. The Wall Street Journal called it an “entertaining expose” of the legal profession, from the seamy world of New York personal-injury lawyers to the highest court in the land. The Los Angeles Times said Lawyers and Thieves, “has the quality of hard-boiled mystery fiction, tough, knowing and full of dirty little secrets.”
Red Tape: Adventure Capitalism in the New Russia (Dutton) details how business is done in Russia. Thomas and co-author Charles Sutherland drew on more than 25 extended trips to Russia and the former Soviet Republics in researching this book. Kirkus Reviews say that Thomas and Sutherland have written “a breezy, street-wise guide…that does for the New Russia what P.J. O’Rourke’s
P. J. O'Rourke
Patrick Jake "P. J." O'Rourke is an American political satirist, journalist, writer, and author. O'Rourke is the H. L. Mencken Research Fellow at the Cato Institute and is a regular correspondent for The Atlantic Monthly, The American Spectator, and The Weekly Standard, and frequent panelist on...
Parliament of Whores
Parliament of Whores
Parliament of Whores is an international best-selling political humor book by P. J. O'Rourke published by Atlantic Monthly Press in 1991. Subtitled "A Lone Humorist Attempts to Explain the Entire US Government", Parliament is a scathing critique of the American system of governance from a right...
did for the U.S. government.”
Thomas launched and wrote “Heard of the Hill,” Roll Call newspaper’s widely read political-insider column. Based on years of experience in writing about Congress, his book, Club Fed: Power, Money, Sex and Violence on Capitol Hill, (Scribner’s) was praised by The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
as “timely…entertaining…required reading.” The American Lawyer called it “a sprawling and ribald collection of salacious scandals.”
Running for Congress
Thomas ran in the Republican primary for the U.S. House of Representatives in Maryland's 8th congressional districtMaryland's 8th congressional district
Maryland's 8th congressional district elects a representative to the United States House of Representatives every two years. The district mostly consists of the larger part of Montgomery County, also including a small portion of Prince George's County...
in 2010. The district was rated "Safe Democratic" by CQ Politics. Thomas had 3 opponents in the primary: Michael Lee Philips, Bruce Stern, and Christine Thron. Thomas finished 4th in a field of 4 with 15% of the vote; Michael Lee Phillips with 32% of the vote finished first in the primary. The election itself was won by incumbent Chris Van Hollen Jr., Democrat.
Books
- Lawyers and Thieves (with Roy Grutman), Simon & Schuster (June 1990), hardcover, 352 pages
- Red Tape: Adventure Capitalism in the New Russia (with Charles Sutherland), Dutton (October 1, 1992), hardcover, 288 pages, ;
- Club Fed: Power, Money Sex and Violence on Capitol Hill, Scribner’s (October 17, 1994), hardcover: 320 pages,
- Capital Confidential: One Hundred Years of Sex, Scandal, and Secrets in Washington, D.C., Pocket Books, (April 1996), paperback: 154 pages,
External links
- Interview of Bill Thomas C-Span Booknotes Club Fed: Power, Money, Sex and Violence on Capitol Hill October 19, 1994 video and/or transcript
- Candidate website
- "A private-sector challenge to a Maryland incumbent" opinion by Diana Furchtgott-Roth in The Washington Examiner August 19, 2010