After nearly five years of research and writing, Don’s biography of U.S. Senator Al Simpson of Wyoming (retired), is in it’s third printing, with another on the way, by the University of Oklahoma Press.

This is what the Senator said after reading the draft text:

“This book adds dimension better than I ever could, not only to my own life, but also to the people and events that helped shape important pieces of American history.

I think it must have been difficult for him to keep my failings and successes in correct perspective, but he has done just that. This book is the true me. It is the only written account of my life that I have ever authorized – or ever will.”
 
This book will be released to the public in Cody, Wyoming (Simpson’s home town) on Labor Day Weekend. It is available for pre-release purchase now at this site: www.SenatorAlSimpson.com. Those ordering now can request autographs by contacting this email address: SimpsonBook@gmail.com.

 

First Review: by Gary Robson, WorldPress.com

Would it really be a dream for a biographer to have thousands of pages of daily journal entries to work from? It certainly seems so. But when Don Hardy set out to write Shooting from the Lip: The Life of Senator Al Simpson, and the former Wyoming senator handed him the journals, it must have been overwhelming. Not the task of reading all that material — after spending 18 years as Simpson’s Press Secretary and Chief of Staff, that material must have been a fascinating romp down memory lane for Hardy — but the task of winnowing it down into a 488-page book.
 
Imagine the pressure. Simpson gave Hardy free reign to include anything he wanted, as long as it was true. Al Simpson was a highly influential senator and majority whip. He was involved in groundbreaking legislation. He chaired many committees, including Veterans’ Affairs, Immigration and Refugee Subcommittee of Judiciary;  Nuclear Regulation; Social Security, and the Committee on Aging. He was there during the Iran-Contra scandal. He served under — and worked closely with — four presidents. Simpson’s father was a U.S. Senator as well. The volume of material available about Alan Simpson’s life is overwhelming.
 
And Don Hardy had to decide what details to include and what to leave out. In my humble opinion, Hardy did a yeoman’s job. Biographies are often one-sided documents, lauding or roasting the subject. Despite being very close to Simpson, Hardy presented the senator complete with all of his faults and foibles. He distilled all of the interviews, a 19-volume diary, and all of the documents from Simpson’s time in office into a story that held my attention. I really enjoyed reading it.
 
Non-fiction writers can’t throw in a car chase to liven a slow spot in the story. They have to rely on actual honest-to-goodness writing skill. Luckily, Hardy has that skill.
 

The book has now been released national and internationally, and is receiving positive reviews.

October 26, 2011
Shooting From The Lip has just gone into its third printing and continues to receive great reviews. See www.senatoralsimpson.com

November 1, 2011
The book is now the top selling book produced by the University of Oklahoma Press.

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