Reviews
"The Statesman and the Storyteller is one of the best and most enjoyable books I have ever read in my life, on any subject and in any genre. Samuel Clemens made "Mark Twain" into an icon and a family business, but here Mark Zwonitzer gives us Clemens himself, in full, deep, dark color. John Hay is enjoying a new round of political influence now, as the Republican party revives his memory to try to inspire a post-Bush-Cheney conservative foreign policy renaissance. But here is Hay in life and in the politics of his time, seen as clearly as we have ever seen him: challenged and brilliant and human. Zwonitzer has discovered that Clemens and Hay's intersection as friends and conflicted patriots in complicated times is one of the great personal stories of American political history. What a wonderful story, what a riveting book." -- Rachel Maddow, Host of MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show "Mark Zwonitzer's book is the wonderfully rich story of two dramatically different but compellingly interesting men, whose friendship and achievements encompass America's rise to wealth and world power at the end of the 19th Century and the beginning of the 20th. His sharp eye for detail, his ability to turn history and biography into story, and his ability to bring not only the protagonists, but the people around them, into vivid drama makes this a deeply insightful and satisfying book." -- Michael Korda, author of Clouds of Glory and Hero "The parallel lives of two of America's greatest sons will make you want to cheer. It will bring tears to the eyes of even the most hard-hearted political cynic." -James McBride, author of The Good Lord Bird "Set at the dawn of the United States' rise to world power, this well told and moving story about the unexpected relationship of an artist and a political leader should help readers understand how we came to be what we are today. - Bob Kerrey, former US Senator, author of When I Was a Young Man, "The Statesman and the Storyteller is one of the best and most enjoyable books I have ever read in my life, on any subject and in any genre. Samuel Clemens made "Mark Twain" into an icon and a family business, but here Mark Zwonitzer gives us Clemens himself, in full, deep, dark color. John Hay is enjoying a new round of political influence now, as the Republican party revives his memory to try to inspire a post-Bush-Cheney conservative foreign policy renaissance. But here is Hay in life and in the politics of his time, seen as clearly as we have ever seen him: challenged and brilliant and human. Zwonitzer has discovered that Clemens and Hay's intersection as friends and conflicted patriots in complicated times is one of the great personal stories of American political history. What a wonderful story, what a riveting book." '"e Rachel Maddow, Host of MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show "Mark Zwonitzer's book is the wonderfully rich story of two dramatically different, but compellingly interesting men, whose friendship and achievements encompass America's rise to wealth and world power at the end of the 19th Century and the beginning of the 20th. His sharp eye for detail, his ability to turn history and biography into story, and his ability to bring not only the protagonists, but the people around them, into vivid drama makes this a deeply insightful and satisfying book." '"e Michael Korda, author of Clouds of Glory and Hero "The parallel lives of two of America's greatest sons will make you want to cheer. It will bring tears to the eyes of even the most hard-hearted political cynic." '"e James McBride, author of The Good Lord Bird "Set at the dawn of the United States' rise to world power, this well told and moving story about the unexpected relationship of an artist and a political leader should help readers understand how we came to be what we are today." '"e Bob Kerrey, former US senator, author of When I Was a Young Man "Compelling...it makes that decade come alive, with interesting doses of arcane history." '"eSt. Louis Post-Dispatch "...a jam-packed, engrossing epic of American political and diplomatic history.... Zwonitzer handles all this material superbly, giving us a cornucopia of social and atmospheric detail without losing sight of the big picture. [He] deploys his glittering cast to near-novelistic effect." '"e Bookforum "A compelling narrative, opening rare insight into an exceptional friendship played out in the shadow of epoch-making geopolitics." '"e Booklist (starred) "Absorbing....This book is so well written I did not want it to end. With exhaustive research and superlative descriptive skills, Zwonitzer is able to capture mood and tone, bringing his prolific and often-profiled subjects to life and leading the reader to consistently feel present in the moment." '"eBookPage , "Mark Zwonitzer's book is the wonderfully rich story of two dramatically different but compellingly interesting men, whose friendship and achievements encompass America's rise to wealth and world power at the end of the 19th Century and the beginning of the 20th. His sharp eye for detail, his ability to turn history and biography into story, and his ability to bring not only the protagonists, but the people around them, into vivid drama makes this a deeply insightful and satisfying book." -- Michael Korda, author of Clouds of Glory and Hero, "The Statesman and the Storyteller is one of the best and most enjoyable books I have ever read in my life, on any subject and in any genre. Samuel Clemens made "Mark Twain" into an icon and a family business, but here Mark Zwonitzer gives us Clemens himself, in full, deep, dark color. John Hay is enjoying a new round of political influence now, as the Republican party revives his memory to try to inspire a post-Bush-Cheney conservative foreign policy renaissance. But here is Hay in life and in the politics of his time, seen as clearly as we have ever seen him: challenged and brilliant and human. Zwonitzer has discovered that Clemens and Hay's intersection as friends and conflicted patriots in complicated times is one of the great personal stories of American political history. What a wonderful story, what a riveting book." -- Rachel Maddow, Host of MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show "Mark Zwonitzer's book is the wonderfully rich story of two dramatically different but compellingly interesting men, whose friendship and achievements encompass America's rise to wealth and world power at the end of the 19th Century and the beginning of the 20th. His sharp eye for detail, his ability to turn history and biography into story, and his ability to bring not only the protagonists, but the people around them, into vivid drama makes this a deeply insightful and satisfying book." -- Michael Korda, author of Clouds of Glory and Hero "The parallel lives of two of America's greatest sons will make you want to cheer. It will bring tears to the eyes of even the most hard-hearted political cynic." -James McBride, author of The Good Lord Bird "Set at the dawn of the United States' rise to world power, this well told and moving story about the unexpected relationship of an artist and a political leader should help readers understand how we came to be what we are today. - Bob Kerrey, former US Senator, author of When I Was a Young Man "A compelling narrative, opening rare insight into an exceptional friendship played out in the shadow of epoch-making geopolitics." - Booklist , starred review "...a jam-packed, engrossing epic of American political and diplomatic history.... Zwonitzer handles all this material superbly, giving us a cornucopia of social and atmospheric detail without losing sight of the big picture. [He] deploys his glittering cast to near-novelistic effect." - Bookforum