Robert Carlyle Byrd was a United States Senator from West Virginia, and a member and former Senate Leader of the Democratic Party. Byrd was a senator from January 3, 1959, until his death, and was the longest-serving senator, as well as the longest-serving member in congressional history. He was the Dean of the Senate from 2003 to 2010. He was also the oldest member of the current Congress at the time of his death (Strom Thurmond was the oldest to serve in Congressional history), and was the first person to serve uninterrupted for half a century as a senator. Byrd was President pro tempore of the United States Senate from 2007 to 2010, a position that put him third in the line of presidential succession, behind Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. He also held this post previously from 1989 to 1995, briefly in January 2001, and from June 2001 to January 2003. Byrd held a wide variety of both liberal and conservative political views. He also held many leadership positions: Senate Conference Secretary, Majority Whip, Minority Leader and twice Majority Leader.
This autobiography follows West Virginia senator Robert C. Byrd's experiences from his boyhood in the early 1920s to his election in 2000, which won him an unprecedented eighth term in the Senate. Within these pages, Senator Byrd offers commentary on national and international events that occurred throughout his long life in public service.
The book critiques the erosion of civil liberties and the balance of power in the wake of September 11, highlighting Senator Byrd's concerns over the concentration of authority in the presidency and the resulting loss of public engagement in governance. It argues that recent legislation undermines foundational American principles and calls for a restoration of constitutional values. Byrd emphasizes the necessity of accountability in government and offers a candid perspective on the implications of an unchecked executive branch, including a new postscript for the paperback edition.
Finn MacCoul is a loveable but cowardly giant. While building the Giant's Causeway from Ireland to Scotland, he finds himself in a spot of bother with a Scottish giant called Cucullin. Finn is terrified, but his clever wife Oonagh comes up with a cunning plan to put Cucullin back in his place.