Pick Nick: The Political Odyssey of Nick Galifianakis from Immigrant Son to Congressman

Pick Nick is a fascinating and intimate political biography of the Congressman Nick Galifianakis who served in the 1960s by historian John Semonche, who is a neighbor of Nick's. It is a fascinating and intimate look at Galifianakis' political career in the context of a changing South. From his origins at his father's Durham, North Carolina restaurant through his stunning political successes to a final doomed battle for the Senate, Nick Galifianakis mastered the art of politics and showed what was possible - and what was not - in the American South in the 1960's and 1970's.

Review :
"These days, Galifianakis is mainly the answer to a political trivia question: Which Democrat did Jesse Helms defeat in his first run for the U.S. Senate in 1972? In "Pick Nick," however, retired Chapel Hill history professor John E. Semonche argues that Galifianakis was much, much more. In a state that was once just black and white, Galifianakis was the first wedge, opening the good ol' boys' club of Tar Heel politics to new ethnic groups. Plus, he was one of the most entertaining politicians North Carolina ever produced ....[Semonche] presents a balanced warts-and-all portrait of his subject, while chronicling a pivotal moment in North Carolina politics." - Ben Steelman, Star News Online "The nephew may be better known today, but his uncle Nick Galifianakis' life and political career is an important one for those who want to understand our state's history and political background." - D.G. Martin, columnist and host of "North Carolina BookWatch" "Pick Nick" shows the historian's hand at work - facts is facts, as the old folks say - even when your 88-year-old neighbor is the subject of your book. John Semonche's even-handed biography rescues one of North Carolina's most colorful politicians from near-obscurity. For a generation of Tar Heels and a legion of immigrants to the state who know little or, more likely, nothing about the election of 1972 and Nick Galifianakis (though they likely recognize the name in another context: actor and comedian Zach Galifianakis is his nephew), "Pick Nick" is an overdue introduction to the man and his times. The best political biographies not only revive memories for those who lived through an era, but also tell the story for those who didn't. Pick Nick is an accessible tutorial on a savvy first-generation American's political journey through pre-1972 North Carolina, a page-turning rainy-day read blessedly free of the muddled writing that afflicts so much contemporary scholarship." - Bob Wilson, The News and Observer "Semonche recounts the remarkable like of Galifianakis, who was the first to pave the way in politics in North Carolina for candidates of various ethnic backgrounds, including Greek-Americans like himself." - The National Herald