Overview
Misadventures on K Street recounts Riva Levinson’s decade embedded with high-powered Washington lobbyists—Black, Manafort, Stone & Kelly—from its rise in 1985 to its shuttering a decade later. At twenty-four years old, Riva was the lone woman in the room at a firm that operated as a privatized, rogue Department of State. While her partners pulled the strings from their offices on the Potomac, Riva was on the front lines, facing real-world danger. Courageous and fiercely loyal, she fought relentlessly for her firm and her clients—only to be ultimately betrayed.
Riva’s narration moves from the boardrooms and back channels of D.C. to the proxy wars of the Reagan era, offering readers an insider’s look at a world few Americans have ever seen. She discloses, with original archival detail, the campaigns for controversial clients (UNITA/Savimbi; Kashmiri activists; Somalia’s president), and recounts her dangerous foreign missions (Angola, South Africa, Somalia, Pakistan, Indian-occupied Kashmir, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka), ethical compromises, and a political theater that reshaped US foreign policy. Personal arcs intertwine—the pride and shame of her family history, a near-reckless restlessness, sexual harassment, abandonment, love, and motherhood—illustrating how ambition and idealism clashed with scandals, personal danger, and betrayal.
Levinson exposes the world of privatized influence, covert operations, and the human fallout of high-stakes geopolitics, probing accountability and survival amid power, deep-seated corruption, and historical consequence, with lasting international ramifications today. As one of the few survivors of the era she witnessed, Riva uses her book to bring back to life the friends and colleagues whose stories—and lives—were cut short.
While major retailers like Amazon may carry Misadventures on K Street (My Decade with the Architects of Modern Political Scandal), we specialize in bulk book sales and offer personalized service from our friendly, book-smart team based in Portland, Oregon. We’re proud to offer a Price Match Guarantee and a streamlined ordering experience from people who truly care.
We’re trusted by over 75,000 customers, many of whom return time and again. Want proof? Just check out our 25,000+ customer reviews—real feedback from people who love how we do business.
Prefer to talk to a real person? Our Book Specialists are here Monday–Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST and ready to help with your bulk order of Misadventures on K Street (My Decade with the Architects of Modern Political Scandal).