The Squad

AOC and the Hope of a Political Revolution

By: Ryan Grim

Narrated by: Ryan Grim

A riveting insider account of the progressive movement in Congress centering A.O.C., Rashida Tlaib, Jamaal Bowman, Cori Bush, Ayanna Pressley, and Ilhan Omar—their rise, their efforts to set an ambitious agenda for the country, and their struggle to find their footing within the Democratic party.

The Squad is the definitive must-listen book about the most exciting figures defining our new era. The story is urgent, and the stakes are high—for the country and the world—and Grim, an experienced political reporter who covered the Squad before they were the Squad, is uniquely qualified to tell it.

When Bernie Sanders, an obscure Vermont senator, launched his quixotic 2016 presidential campaign, few could have seen just how radically the Democratic Party would transform in just a few short years—or that such a transformation could be led by a Bronx bartender volunteering for Bernie in her spare time. The world as it was when that campaign began is almost unrecognizable today, and the Squad has both shaped and been shaped by the seismic social, cultural, and political changes underway.

Referred to informally as the Squad, led by the preternaturally politically savvy Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the group laid down a marker for an aggressive left-wing agenda. Grim takes you behind the scenes as that new energy makes impact with Washington, and the Squad spends as much time fending off assaults from Donald Trump—who regularly singled them out and led chants of “send them back” at rallies—as they did battling their own party’s sclerotic leadership. As they’ve grown in office, they’ve had to contend with the eternal question that confronts outsiders who power their way into the inside: Are they still radical organizers willing and able to lead a political revolution?

A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt & Company.

©2024 Ryan Grim (P)2024 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“If you've been reading Ryan Grim's consistently groundbreaking reporting over the past decade, the recent monumental shift in our politics came as little surprise. For anybody who wants to understand where we've been and where we're going, The Squad is an essential read.” (Naomi Klein, New York Times bestselling author)

“[Grim] has become one of the most authoritative voices in Washington on a wide range of topics, but his specialty has always been giving voice to the voiceless and taking on powerful institutions trying to screw over the most vulnerable among us.” (Lydia Polgreen, New York Times columnist)

Excellent look inside Washington.

Ryan does an excellent job of conveying the challenge intellectually and emotionally of taking on an institutional machine that has been chugging a way for decades. Hopefully the trend of people informing themselves and not being swayed by propaganda. Looking at things from every angle not just buying the rhetoric that is shoved at them by the people responsible for things like citizens united.

great summary of how establishment Dems subvert progressive aims

Ryan Grim does a fantastic job summarizing the politics, backstabbing, and dark room deals made to subvert progress or discussion amongst the democratic party.

Missing information

The overall performance of the book was great but where Grimm falls short is when he intentionally omits certain names. Those missing names prevents the reader from doing research and corroborating/discrediting the claims made.

It was great.

But this review is timely because there's been too much talk of Israel and I just had to skip that chapter out of frustration

Informative

I really like the way the stories were told of the members of the squad.

The History of the progressive movement and the Squad.

Ryan Grim's writing and narration are very entertaining and informative. I'm going to have to listen to We've Got People.

Eye opening

It is amazing how much legalized bribery money flowing from businesses and over foreign govts is involved in American politics.

Greatly written and read by Ryan.

I enjoyed learning alot about these members and what has really been going on. Great way to understand the dynamics and inner workings of what congress is all about and the difficulty being a non-corrupt progressive in there.

Detail of events

Great book about what came after 'We've got People' easy read. Thanks for the insight into AOC. yes yes

excellent review of the rise of the squad

This is a very thorough review of the conditions surrounding the rise of the squad, some of their victories and losses, and was especially insightful regarding their individual backgrounds and motivations. I especially enjoyed hearing Ryan narrate his own book because it adds a nice personal touch. He's an excellent journalist, and this book is a testament to that fact.