Bill Bradley

Easton Press Bill Bradley books

Time Present, Time Past: A Memoir - signed first edition - 1995
Life on The Run - signed first edition - 1999
The New American Story - signed first edition - 2007

Bill Bradley biography

Bill Bradley, born William Warren Bradley on July 28, 1943, in Crystal City, Missouri, is a former professional basketball player, U.S. Senator, and presidential candidate who has left an indelible mark on both the world of sports and American politics. Bradley's early life was shaped by his passion for basketball, a sport he excelled at from a young age. He played college basketball at Princeton University, where his talent and leadership on the court earned him accolades, including the prestigious Sullivan Award as the nation's outstanding amateur athlete in 1965. After graduating from Princeton, Bradley joined the New York Knicks in the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1967. Over the course of his ten-year professional basketball career, Bradley became a key player for the Knicks, helping them secure two NBA championships in 1970 and 1973. Known for his versatility, intelligence on the court, and accurate shooting, Bradley was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1983.

Following his basketball career, Bradley transitioned to politics. He earned a Rhodes Scholarship and studied at the University of Oxford from 1965 to 1967, where he honed his intellectual abilities and developed a keen interest in public service. In 1978, Bradley was elected to the U.S. Senate from New Jersey, where he served three terms from 1979 to 1997. During his time in the Senate, Bradley was known for his focus on economic and social issues. He played a key role in the passage of the Tax Reform Act of 1986, which aimed to simplify the tax code. Bradley's dedication to bipartisan cooperation and his reputation for integrity earned him respect on both sides of the aisle.

In 2000, Bradley sought the Democratic nomination for President of the United States but ultimately lost to Al Gore. Despite the campaign's outcome, Bradley's run allowed him to articulate his vision for a more inclusive and compassionate America.

Beyond his political career, Bradley is also an accomplished author, having written several books, including Life on the Run, an autobiography that reflects on his experiences in basketball and public service. Bill Bradley's life journey—from basketball star to U.S. Senator and presidential candidate—exemplifies his commitment to excellence, leadership, and public service. His legacy extends from the basketball court to the halls of Congress, leaving an enduring impact on sports, politics, and the ideals of civic engagement.

Time Present, Time Past - A Memoir

During his terms in the U.S. Senate, Bill Bradley won a national reputation for thoughtfulness, decency, and a willingness to take controversial positions on issues ranging from tax reform to the rights of Native Americans. All these qualities inform this best-selling memoir, in which Bradley assesses his political career and the experiences that shaped his convictions, and looks beyond them to consider the state of the American union on the eve of the 21st century. Time Present, Time Past offers an intimate portrait of the day-to-day working of the how legislation gets passed and sometimes thwarted; how money is raised and at what cost. But Bradley also writes about deeper What does it means to be an American in an ago of dwindling opportunities and increasing inequality? How much can we expect from our public servants? What do we owe our fellow citizens? The result is a genuinely revelatory book, informed by intelligence, compassion, and unprecedented candor.

Life on The Run

Almost two decades after its original publication and more than fifteen years after its author retired from the New York Knicks to become a United States senator, Bill Bradley's account of twenty days in a pro basketball season remains a classic in the literature of sports, unparalleled in its candor and intelligence.

Bradley takes readers from the court to the locker room, from the seamless teamwork of a winning game to the loneliness of a motel in a strange city. We see Bradley and his fellow Knicks as they withstand the abuse of the press and the smothering adoration of their fans, along with the shameless appeals of those who want to parlay their celebrity into a fast buck. We watch in horror as Earl Monroe is beaten outside Madison Square Garden barely an hour after twenty thousand people cheered him. And we come to understand the euphoria and exhaustion, the icy concentration and intense pressure, that are felt only by those who play basketball for keeps.

The New American Story

“Politics is stuck,” writes Bill Bradley, in this insightful, informative, and provocative book about America at a crossroads, but “idealism isn’t dead. It can be reawakened.”

What will it take to make America a better, stronger, truer country? asks the bestselling author, former Knicks star, and onetime presidential candidate. Bill Bradley believes that America is at a teachable moment when we are compelled to reevaluate our political system, our leadership, our agenda as a nation, and ourselves as citizens. With clarity and urgency, Bradley shows why the story we are being told now about who we are as a people is not true. He then offers a new story about our nation, based on America’s rich heritage and his belief in the character of the American people. Bradley explores what changes need to be made in our parties, in our politics, and in citizen activism to ensure America’s future. He asserts that the American people are ready for the truth and suggests that the party that chooses to embrace this new story will be in power for a generation.

Writing from his own experience in politics and drawing on his knowledge of history, Bradley shows how the Republican Party has built a solid pyramid structure since the 1970s, at the base of which are money, ideas, and media, whereas the Democratic Party’s structure is an inverted pyramid, with too much emphasis put on the need for a charismatic leader to hold the pyramid up. Each party, for different reasons, fails to deal with the real issues that now confront America.

This informed and inspiring call to action is addressed not only to the parties and elected leaders, but to citizens as well. Bradley proposes things every American can do to shape our nation’s future. He points out that if eighty percent of the electorate voted, instead of fifty percent, it would be the most important change in American politics since women got the vote. Now more than ever, he says, we need to embrace an “ethic of connectedness,” a combination of collective action and individual responsibility, to solve our nation’s most pressing problems, and he argues that the fate of all countries is bound together as never before. Writing today with the freedom of a private citizen, Bradley provides this transformative and eye-opening book about the danger and the promise of America’s choice at this crucial moment in the nation’s history.