The Carnival Campaign tells the fascinating story of the pivotal 1840 presidential campaign of General William Henry Harrison and John Tyler—“Tippecanoe and Tyler Too.” Pulitzer Prize–nominated former Wall Street Journal reporter Ronald Shafer relates in a colorful, entertaining style how the campaign marked a series of “firsts” that changed politicking forever: the first campaign as mass entertainment; the first “image campaign,” in which strategists portrayed Harrison as a poor man living in a log cabin sipping hard cider (he lived in a mansion and drank only sweet cider); the first time big money was a factor; the first time women could openly participate; and more. While today’s electorate has come to view campaigns that emphasize style over substance as a matter of course, this book shows voters how it all began.

“Ron Shafer argues with clarity and a sly sense of humor that William Henry Harrison's fraudulent ‘log cabin and hard cider’ presidential campaign in 1840 (he was born in luxury and drank Madeira) set the tone for all the image-first campaigns that followed.” —James M. Perry, former chief political correspondent for the Wall Street Journal

"If you've ever wondered how our presidential campaigns came to be what they are now, read The Carnival Campaign. Ronald G. Shafer brings to life the raw emotions and coarse behaviors that toppled the incumbent President Martin Van Buren. This is gripping history." —Ralph Nader, author of Unstoppable: The Emerging Left-Right Alliance to Dismantle the Corporate State

"Ron Shafer's delightful book is replete with anecdotes, nicknames, quips, irony, and telling descriptions of large figures engaged in the long struggle to expand American democratic participation. For those who want the full narrative of the American experience, this book is both necessary and enthralling." —Robert W. Merry, author of A Country of Vast Designs: James K. Polk, the Mexican War, and the Conquest of the American Continent

“Seldom have I found history so entertaining. Despite its terrifying parallels with the current election, this book was a delight to read.” —The Internet Review of Books

“[Author Ronald] Shafer makes his readers feel that we are not alone—not the first, and sadly, not the last to be bamboozled.” —Kirkus Reviews

Ronald G. Shafer was an editor, reporter, and columnist at the Wall Street Journal for 38 years in Chicago, Detroit, and Washington, where he was the political features editor. In 1990 he was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for Journalism. He has also contributed to People, Sports Illustrated, Reader’s Digest and the Washington Post. His previous books include When the Dodgers Were Bridegrooms. Shafer is now a freelance writer and lives in Williamsburg, Virginia.