Stepping Into the Arena

Stepping Into the Arena

In the Arena, Trope Publishing CoHappy Pub Day to In the Arena! In the Arena: A History of American Presidential Hopefuls is now available in the US. This book profiles 34 American leaders who captured their party’s nomination for the presidency, but never reached the Oval Office. Author Peter Shea chronicles the rise, early careers, campaigns, and later achievements of historical giants like Aaron Burr and Henry Clay, up through modern candidates Mitt Romney and Hillary Clinton. A foreword by 1988 candidate Michael Dukakis gives readers more personal insight into what it’s like to run for one of the most powerful positions in the world – and come up short.

Official Booklist Review

Gary Day of Booklist recently reviewed In the Arena. "Fans of American history will find hours of engaging reading in this book." Read the full review here

In the Arena, Trope Publishing Co

Trope Stories: Special Edition

In this special episode, authors Peter Shea and Tom Maday connect from Boston and Chicago to discuss the making of In the Arena, a collection of essays and photos examining the careers and legacies of 34 American leaders who captured their party’s nomination, but failed to reach the Oval Office.

About the Authors

Peter Shea has been a writer, editor, and teacher for over 25 years, and a history geek for far longer. He has written about prominent Irish Americans, educational gaming, and cutting-edge technologies in higher education. Peter is a Director of Professional Development at the community college level. In the Arena marks his return to the subject of public lives in America.

Tom Maday is a photographer whose assignments take him to every corner of the globe for clients like Abbott, GE, ESPN, Motorola and TD Ameritrade. His pictures appear in the books Trope Chicago, Trope London, Great Chicago Stories, and After the Fall: Srebrenica Survivors in St. Louis. Tom shoots digitally in DSLR and medium formats, but is always focused on the most important task: capturing the emotion and essence of the subject.