本书相当于一本高级企业管理、行政管理指南。

美国总统，被美国媒体称为“这个国家最糟的工作”。总统走马上任时，要么适逢世界发生巨变，国内经济震荡甚至行将崩溃，要么国家陷入战争泥淖，新政府前景黯淡，要么两者兼有。而他接手的白宫，是美国最大的行政机构，也被称为“世界上最大的企业”，其担负的责任比全球任何一家企业都重，而且是全球所有企业中预算最高、员工最多的。在这种情况下，两届政府交接、整个高级管理架构和团队需要在75天内完成，白宫上下的胆战心惊可想而知。

此时，白宫幕僚长的重要性就初步体现了出来。

白宫幕僚长，又称白宫办公厅主任，总统的守门人。他要协调白宫的日常事务，遴选和配备人员，推进每天的安排，还要协助总统工作，包括在危急时刻做出决策，书中不乏著名的政治事件。比如，“水门事件”发生后，白宫的混乱和应对；911事件发生后，各部门是如何严阵以待；里根总统遇刺后，政府差点瘫痪，幕僚长甚至和内阁成员“密谋”换掉副总统，以防不测……

作者克里斯•威珀通过调查和采访，以前所未有的细节展示了白宫幕僚长的工作全貌，直接或间接地揭示了白宫乃至美国国家机器的运作细节。从中不难看出，白宫幕僚长这个鲜为人知的职位在华盛顿和其他地方都握有巨大的权力，每个幕僚长都可以成就或者毁掉一个政府。

“仔细地研究，极强的可读性，《白宫幕僚长》……为看待现代总统提供了一个全新的视角。作者切中了要害——谁才是总统成败的关键。”——Newsday“引人入胜、富有洞察力……注定要与理查德·诺伊斯塔特、西奥多·怀特和其他白宫编年史家的经典作品并驾齐驱……一本必读之作。”——《赫芬顿邮报》

“克里斯·威珀带我们深入了解了华盛顿最重要、要求最高的工作之一——白宫办公厅主任。在这里，我们可以了解那些担任过这份工作的人是如何管理和行使巨大权力的。如果你是一个政治迷，或者只是好奇，这本书适合你。”——-汤姆·布罗考，NBC前晚间新闻王牌主播

作者简介

克里斯•威珀，作家，纪录片导演，曾在美国总统的就职典礼日受BBC邀请担任庆典直播节目的主持人，担任过CBS《60分钟》和ABC《黄金时段》的制片人，多次获得皮博迪奖和艾美奖，成立了自己的影视制作公司后自任首席执行官。作为纪录片《总统的守门人》的编剧，他用5年时间采访了多位总统、幕僚长、国务卿等。

This book is equivalent to an advanced business management, administrative management guide.

The President of the United States has been called "the worst job in the country" by the American media. A president takes office at a time when the world is changing dramatically and the domestic economy is in turmoil or collapse, or the country is at war and the prospects for a new administration are bleak, or both. And he inherited the White House, is the largest administrative agency in the United States, also known as "the world's largest enterprise", its responsibility is heavier than any other enterprise in the world, and is the world's largest budget, the largest staff. In this case, the transition of two administrations, the entire senior management structure and team need to be completed in 75 days, and the White House is understandably nervous.

At this point, the importance of the White House chief of staff was initially reflected.

The White House chief of staff, also known as the White House chief of staff, is the president's gatekeeper. He coordinates the day-to-day operations of the White House, selects and staff, promotes the daily schedule, and assists the president in his work, including making decisions in critical situations, including famous political events. For example, the chaos and response of the White House after the Watergate scandal; How agencies were prepared after 9/11; After the assassination of President Reagan, the government was nearly paralyzed, and the chief of staff even "conspired" with cabinet members to replace the vice president in case of emergency...

Through investigations and interviews, author Chris Wipper presents the full picture of the White House chief of staff in unprecedented detail, revealing directly and indirectly the workings of the White House and the US state machine. It's not hard to see how the little-known job of White House chief of staff wields enormous power in Washington and beyond, with each chief of staff able to make or break an administration.

"Carefully researched, extremely readable, The White House Chief of Staff... Offers a whole new perspective on the modern presidency. The author hits the nail on the head - who is the key to the presidency's success or failure." -- Newsday is "engaging, insightful... Destined to stand alongside the classic works of Richard Neustadt, Theodore White and other White House chroniclers... A must-read." -- Huffington Post

"Chris Wiper takes us inside one of the most important and demanding jobs in Washington - the White House Chief of Staff. Here we can learn how those who have held the job managed and exercised great power. If you're a political junkie, or just curious, this book is for you." -- Tom Brokaw, former anchor of NBC Nightly News

About the author

Chris Wipper is a writer and documentary filmmaker who was invited by the BBC to be the host of the Inauguration Day broadcast of the President of the United States, served as a producer for CBS's 60 Minutes and ABC's Prime Time, won several Peabody Awards and Emmys, and founded his own film and television production company. As a screenwriter for the documentary "The President's Gatekeepers," he spent five years interviewing presidents, chiefs of staff, secretaries of state, and more.