Why read All the Great Prizes?

Book cover of All the Great Prizes: The Life of John Hay, from Lincoln to Roosevelt

Book description

From secretary to Abraham Lincoln to secretary of state for Theodore Roosevelt, John Hay remained a major figure in American history for more than half a century. His private life was as glamorous and romantic as it was privileged. This first full-scale biography since 1934 is a reflection of American…

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Why read it?

1 author picked All the Great Prizes as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Laurence Jurdem

Author

A wonderful biography of the journalist, poet, and diplomat.

Taliaferro’s narrative gives the reader a broad understanding of the political and diplomatic events which shaped the United States and the Republican Party from 1838-1905. Hay, like his close friend Henry Adams was a prolific letter writer and a man of strong opinions.

Within the text one gets a detailed description of not only what Hay’s relationship was like with Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt, but also his complex relationship with Henry Cabot Lodge and others within the political and diplomatic circles of Washington, D.C.

From Laurence's list on The best books on the lives of “The Rough Rider” (Theodore Roosevelt) & “The Professor” (Henry Cabot Lodge).