
Get It Done
Seven Decades of Lessons from a Political Legend
Grand Central Publishing
Will be published approx. on 14. July 2026
Book
Hardback
288 pages
978-1-5387-7813-5 (ISBN)
Description
From one of the most influential officeholders in Texas and power brokers in Washington over the last seventy years, lifetime Democrat Ben Barnes, an intimate and unexpected look behind the corridors of power.
Ben Barnes started out as a whistleblower. He was only nineteen when he uncovered corruption in the Health Department in Austin, Texas, and testified against the culprits. He felt empowered—a guy like him could make a difference. Now at eighty-seven, despite his impressive career, he is trying to go more places and solve more problems than any other time in his life. Barnes is ready to share his decades of political experience and remind readers that there is a way to keep going and keep fighting, even in the golden years. The golden years are a fine time to get things done.
In Get It Done, Ben Barnes details never-before-heard stories of the most consequential politicians of the past several decades, including Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, John Connally, Hubert Humphrey, Ross Perot, Barbara Jordan, Nancy Pelosi, Joe Biden, and Donald Trump. He sheds new light on pivotal political events, including the Kennedy assassination, the Anwar Sadat assassination, the Vietnam War, and the Iranian hostage crisis. Further, Barnes offers actionable lessons to successfully face, combat, and thwart the consequences of the second Trump term.
Ben Barnes started out as a whistleblower. He was only nineteen when he uncovered corruption in the Health Department in Austin, Texas, and testified against the culprits. He felt empowered—a guy like him could make a difference. Now at eighty-seven, despite his impressive career, he is trying to go more places and solve more problems than any other time in his life. Barnes is ready to share his decades of political experience and remind readers that there is a way to keep going and keep fighting, even in the golden years. The golden years are a fine time to get things done.
In Get It Done, Ben Barnes details never-before-heard stories of the most consequential politicians of the past several decades, including Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, John Connally, Hubert Humphrey, Ross Perot, Barbara Jordan, Nancy Pelosi, Joe Biden, and Donald Trump. He sheds new light on pivotal political events, including the Kennedy assassination, the Anwar Sadat assassination, the Vietnam War, and the Iranian hostage crisis. Further, Barnes offers actionable lessons to successfully face, combat, and thwart the consequences of the second Trump term.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Publishing group
Little, Brown & Company
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 159 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-5387-7813-5 (9781538778135)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
approx. 07/2026
Grand Central Publishing
€12.99
Not yet available
Persons
Ben Barnes was Speaker of the Texas House at the age of 26, and the youngest Lieutenant Governor in Texas history. He spent the next 70 years serving as a trusted consultant, lobbyist, and power broker. He serves at the CEO and Founder of the Ben Barnes Group. He lives in Austin, TX.