When Ronald Dellums arrived in Washington in 1971 to represent Oakland, California, in the House of Representatives, his radical activism had already earned him a place on Nixon’s enemy list. When he retired in 1998-his radicalism still intact-he left a record of accomplishment that has made an indelible mark on our political landscape.;;Lying Down with the Lions chronicles Dellums’s years in the House, and offers crucial lessons for Americans committed to democratic social change. From his days as a freshman from California’s 9th Congressional District, to helping to found the Congressional Black Caucus, to being the first African-American to serve on and later chair the House Armed Services Committee, Dellums’s tenure in the House is both a testament to his significant career and a crucible of American politics at the close of the century. Lying Down with the Lions tells the stories of Dellums’s remarkable life and of his political battles–over a sensible defense policy, health care reform, and ending apartheid in South Africa, to name just a few of his courageous struggles–with lessons learned about leadership, politics, and the importance of building coalitions to effect change.;;Profound and humane, Lying Down with the Lions ensures Ronald Dellums’s place as one of our most important leaders of the last half century.