Leonard Downie Jr.

Leonard Downie Jr.

Leonard Downie Jr. is an American journalist who worked at The Washington Post for 44 years. From 1991 to 2008, he was the paper’s executive editor.

He served in many roles throughout his career at the Post, including managing editor, national editor, London correspondent, assistant managing editor for local news, deputy metropolitan editor, and investigative reporter.

During his time as executive editor, The Washington Post earned 25 Pulitzer Prizes, the most ever under one editor.
Downie is vice president at large at The Washington Post. He also teaches as the Weil Family Professor of Journalism at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. He serves on several journalism and public affairs advisory boards.

Downie’s bookThe Rules of the Game is a political thriller that feels surprisingly ahead of its time. The story imagines a presidential campaign shaken up by an unexpected choice for vice president: a 41-year-old woman, new to politics, chosen by an older presidential candidate whose health has become a concern. Though inexperienced, she quickly becomes a media sensation, steals the spotlight at the convention, and turns the campaign into a spectacle.

The plot offers eerie similarities to real-life politics, though Downie’s fictional candidate, Susan, is a California senator and a Democrat. She faces intense criticism from Crystal Malone, a glamorous and outspoken conservative author, and support from Sally McGuire, a sharp New York columnist.

At the heart of the novel is Sarah Page, a young investigative reporter for the Washington Capital. Sarah tries to balance her personal life and her demanding job while she uncovers a conspiracy that reaches far beyond Watergate. Her search for the truth pulls her into a dangerous world of corruption, power, and influence.

The Rules of the Game shows how newsrooms work, how reporters investigate stories, and how lobbyists and political power operate behind the scenes. The novel reveals a Washington where it is difficult to distinguish between those who are honest and those who are corrupt. Political scandals, backroom deals, and a string of mysterious deaths create a tense atmosphere where almost no one follows the rules.

While the story begins with a focus on personal relationships, it soon deepens into a layered political mystery. The vision of a political world driven by private interests makes the story both engaging and unsettling. For readers who enjoy thrillers about journalism, power, and secrets, The Rules of the Game offers a sharp and realistic look at how politics really works.

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4. Linwood Barclay, author of the Promise Falls Series.
5. Michael Connelly, author of the Harry Bosch Series.

Leonard Downie Jr.: F.A.Q