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The King Whisperers: Power Behind the Throne, from Rasputin to Rove
Throughout history, behind so many de facto rulers, there can often be found a shadowy puppetmaster pulling the strings. Using examples from Machiavelli, Catherine de Medici and Alexander Hamilton to Dick Cheney, Zhou Enlai and Joseph Stalin, Kerwin Swint presents profiles of notorious “king whisperers,” spanning the globe and historical periods, showing how they employed unique styles of power politics to wrest control. From spies, silver-tongued devils, and the truly evil, this is a brilliant tapestry of behind-the-scenes schemers of all shapes and sizes.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
7 people are currently reading
230 people want to read
About the author
Kerwin Swint
7 books13 followersDr. Kerwin Swint is an author, speaker, and professor of politics at Kennesaw State University in Atlanta. Specializing in Campaigns and Elections and Mass Media, he or his work has appeared in a number of national and international media, including CNN, FOX News, the BBC, the ABC program The View, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, NPR, The Toronto Star, The Daily Mail (UK), National Journal, Mental Floss, Publisher's Weekly, Salon, Slate, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and numerous other media.
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April 8, 2011Some stories are so terrible, so fantastic, so unreal that you just know they had to have happened.
Take Aggripina the Younger, the devoted mother would stop at nothing to secure her son’s emperorship or Rome—incest, murder, cunning, whatever it took. Or Kautilya, the BC-era warlord who knew his most powerful weapon was a beautiful woman and a lovesick enemy. How about the monster Heinrich Himmler whose desire to build a race-based society of supermen led to the twentieth century’s most horrifying event, the Holocaust?
These figures were all wise, ambitious, determined. They knew what they wanted and, in most cases, they knew how to get it. Power was their motivation.
These are not the great villains of history; they are not the mighty rulers of nations. They are the King Whisperers, a special breed of politician that thrives behind-the-scenes. They are the power behind the throne, not that which is seated upon it.
Too often their stories have been discussed as they relate to those of the rulers they served; some have been overlooked almost entirely. The King Whisperers: Power behind the throne from Rasputin to Rove by Dr. Kerwin Swint introduces the reader to 47 figures ranging from biblical times to the modern day.
They are sorted into ten archetypal groups: Machiavellians, Empire Builders, Kingmakers, Spies, Silver-Tongued Devils, Generals, Rebels, the Truly Evil, Fixers, and Schemers. Each category is defined for the reader before delving into its explanations of the four to seven highlighted individuals.
The King Whisperers offers an in-depth look at these great manipulators, sometimes exploring multiple figures that shaped a single era or movement, sometimes juxtaposing enemies and highlighting their similar strategies. Swint explores his content in such a manner that it caters to both the historical expert and the ignoramus. He draws intriguing parallels across archetypal groups and poses questions which the reader may choose to ignore or to contemplate at length (this is especially true of the chapter on “the truly evil” King Whisperers).
The author’s careful attention to detail and fluid writing style make this book an intriguing and informative read. Its well-paced discussion and organized structure allows for the reader to pick it up at will or to read it straight-through in a single sitting.
The King Whisperers by Kerwin Swint tells the stories of some of the greatest power players and schemers in world history, from the ancient world to modern day.
Although they ruled from the shadows, history has not forgotten.
Take Aggripina the Younger, the devoted mother would stop at nothing to secure her son’s emperorship or Rome—incest, murder, cunning, whatever it took. Or Kautilya, the BC-era warlord who knew his most powerful weapon was a beautiful woman and a lovesick enemy. How about the monster Heinrich Himmler whose desire to build a race-based society of supermen led to the twentieth century’s most horrifying event, the Holocaust?
These figures were all wise, ambitious, determined. They knew what they wanted and, in most cases, they knew how to get it. Power was their motivation.
These are not the great villains of history; they are not the mighty rulers of nations. They are the King Whisperers, a special breed of politician that thrives behind-the-scenes. They are the power behind the throne, not that which is seated upon it.
Too often their stories have been discussed as they relate to those of the rulers they served; some have been overlooked almost entirely. The King Whisperers: Power behind the throne from Rasputin to Rove by Dr. Kerwin Swint introduces the reader to 47 figures ranging from biblical times to the modern day.
They are sorted into ten archetypal groups: Machiavellians, Empire Builders, Kingmakers, Spies, Silver-Tongued Devils, Generals, Rebels, the Truly Evil, Fixers, and Schemers. Each category is defined for the reader before delving into its explanations of the four to seven highlighted individuals.
The King Whisperers offers an in-depth look at these great manipulators, sometimes exploring multiple figures that shaped a single era or movement, sometimes juxtaposing enemies and highlighting their similar strategies. Swint explores his content in such a manner that it caters to both the historical expert and the ignoramus. He draws intriguing parallels across archetypal groups and poses questions which the reader may choose to ignore or to contemplate at length (this is especially true of the chapter on “the truly evil” King Whisperers).
The author’s careful attention to detail and fluid writing style make this book an intriguing and informative read. Its well-paced discussion and organized structure allows for the reader to pick it up at will or to read it straight-through in a single sitting.
The King Whisperers by Kerwin Swint tells the stories of some of the greatest power players and schemers in world history, from the ancient world to modern day.
Although they ruled from the shadows, history has not forgotten.
May 12, 2011
Hand someone a book about ‘history’ and more times than not they break out into uncontrollable shaking, floundering in a quagmire of forgotten names, dates and places and they mentally smell the dry dust whiffing up from the crinkled, yellowed pages. “History? Oh God, no. Dull, boring, meaningless ‘History’! Why me God?’ they cry out in despair.
Yes, we’ve been conditioned well to view history as a succession of names, places and times committed to memory, that might as well exist on Mars for as much relevance placed on them.
Yet, is there anything more relevant to our continued survival and advancement as the human race than in the understanding of our past? Is ‘History’, in fact, nothing more than a succession of memorized names, dates and places?
The answer to both questions is a resounding: “NO”.
History is not some faded collection of mythical events and names flashing across our memories like a disjointed slide show. History is a record of people’s interaction with and responses to the world around them. People – who were no different from you and I are today. People – who had dreams, drives, motivations, fears, strengths and weaknesses - no different from people today. Why and how they did what they did when they encountered opportunity or obstacle and what resulted from those actions - the generations to follow have the benefit of hindsight to see and call it ‘History’.
Why is it relevant? Because when all is said and done, people haven’t changed. Our clothing changes, our toys change, technology, transportation, communication and knowledge all change and for sure our weapons change. But the needs, wants, emotions and reactions of people two thousand years ago, for the most part, mirror the same drives and feelings of people today. The redemption history offers us, is learning from our predecessors actions so that we can avoid the same results and consequences they experienced and proceed towards creating a better world for us and our children.
Think about ‘History’ and names begin jumping out at us like flashbulbs going off; popes and kings, presidents and queens, bigger than life people, in the way history books, fiction books or Hollywood has imprinted them in our minds. But were kings and queens standalone players in the schemes and designs of men? Did they move in isolated spheres devoid of information? If not, then from where or whom did they get their information? Their biases? Who held their confidences and provided them with advice and direction - or misdirection?
In his latest work, “The King Whisperers, Power behind the Throne from Rasputin to Rove” Professor Kerwin Swint (Mudslingers)has attempted to remove some of the wrappings and fluff of history by showcasing the people behind the Hollywood ‘headliners’. Going behind the dry names, dates and places committed to memory, taking the spotlight off of them and putting it on those in the background who played a role in shaping those events – many times more so than the ‘king’ himself actually played. Those key persons who leaned over and whispered into the king's ear "Hey King - have you heard about..." and changed the course of history. Further, he’s attempted to show some root causes for their motivations, making them identifiable and understandable to us today. By doing so, historical events are viewed in a fashion that we can in fact relate to and learn from – the true goal of a historian. A sizeable undertaking for sure.
His approach is different from that of the standard historian as well. Instead of the traditional focus on major events in time, Professor Swint has categorized his ‘whisperers’ by motivation and personality. Slicing across the timeline of recorded history, he has chosen examples of each to present his thesis. A difficult task, especially when ten categories are identified. A wide spectrum, presenting difficulty in distinguishing one motivation from another across lines that are fuzzy at best and invisible at worse. Few people, if any, are of a single motivational make-up but are complex creatures having multiple motivations and personalities, all jumbled together, making it difficult if not impossible to categorize clearly, (beware the ‘silver-tongued, truly evil, rebel, empire builder who comes 'whispering').
Defining the motivation of powerful, complex men and women, who moved and worked, centuries ago in high-profile roles during turbulent times, civilizations and governments is a task of Herculean effort and no small skill. Professor Swint manages the task with competency and brevity choosing 47 representative men and women covering around 4700 years of history in less than 300 pages (too bad it wasn't 470 pages and we could have a trifecta). He doesn’t present detailed biographies, that not being his goal, instead he provides micro-level overviews of their common personalities and motivations and how they interacted with the situations they encountered. Neither are the historical ‘events’ surrounding each person the focus of Professor Swint’s thesis. Whether it’s the crusades or the inquisition, the war in Iraq or the Russian Revolution, the focus is on the motivational personality of the advisor behind the crown.
As is true in our own lifetime, many of his ‘whisperers’ changed roles during their reigns, some going from...‘king whisperer’ to ‘king’...so going from....‘king whisperer’ to ‘court jester’... and still others going from... King whisperers to ....the chopping block.
Professor Swint poses many rhetorical questions throughout his book, from the origins of government and civilizations to the nature and definition of ‘evil’. It's not his intent to answer these questions and he doesn't attempt to. Rather, he lays them out for the reader as if setting a table for thought when discussing his examples of those who embodied such things while 'whispering' from behind the curtain. And like the great Wizard in the Land of Oz, it turns out, when the curtain is pulled aside, they too were not wizards, but were just people with the same drives, fears and biases we have, only they had the power to appease them.
Professor Swint delves into the backgrounds and personal histories of his examples; their childhoods, successes and failures, pains and joys, providing the reader with identify, making them human, thereby bringing them out of the’ dusty, yellowed' pages of 'history' into the light of modern-day analysis, not to condone or condemn, but to understand.
The representatives he's chosen are good examples in showcasing the motivations discussed in each of the ten categories and establish a cross-timeline slice of history supporting his thesis. The reader can easily insert examples of their own in each of the ten categories across international and political lines. (The use of recent persons by Professor Swint may be hurrying the definition of ‘history’ somewhat, being a little early for historical analysis of events still unfolding.)
The quest of humanity should always be to improve ourselves and our world. Only by learning from the actions of those who’ve gone before are we able to do so. There are many historical figures – good and bad – credited with things they did or didn’t do and there are many unknown persons who really shaped events and history who are not known. Many of these heroes and villains, were the 'whisperers' behind the spotlights. And there’s the rub – for in that informational void people cannot discern truth and therefore cannot learn. This is the true role of the historian, to bring to light those behind the scenes forces that shape events and Professor Swint doesn’t let the reader down in fulfilling that role and presenting a case for further study and reflection.
Using a style and format that is easy on the eyes and appealing to novice and academia alike, The King Whisperers cracks open the door, inviting us to look at history from a different perspective and does so in an entertaining manner urging the reader to look deeper and further for themselves. This is not only a book for historians and students but is a must read for anyone with any interest in the whys of what we do and the hows of history, past, present and yet to be.
Those persons who have the ear of the king are the ones we need to know more about and need to watch carefully. Yesterday's world was able to absorb the mistakes and whims of kings and queens (and of their 'whisperers'). Today's world - cannot.
Whether our future moves towards paradise....or Darkness......it behooves us to be vigilant to the temptations of power.
Only by studying those who have come before us can we be vigilant.
Yes, we’ve been conditioned well to view history as a succession of names, places and times committed to memory, that might as well exist on Mars for as much relevance placed on them.
Yet, is there anything more relevant to our continued survival and advancement as the human race than in the understanding of our past? Is ‘History’, in fact, nothing more than a succession of memorized names, dates and places?
The answer to both questions is a resounding: “NO”.
History is not some faded collection of mythical events and names flashing across our memories like a disjointed slide show. History is a record of people’s interaction with and responses to the world around them. People – who were no different from you and I are today. People – who had dreams, drives, motivations, fears, strengths and weaknesses - no different from people today. Why and how they did what they did when they encountered opportunity or obstacle and what resulted from those actions - the generations to follow have the benefit of hindsight to see and call it ‘History’.
Why is it relevant? Because when all is said and done, people haven’t changed. Our clothing changes, our toys change, technology, transportation, communication and knowledge all change and for sure our weapons change. But the needs, wants, emotions and reactions of people two thousand years ago, for the most part, mirror the same drives and feelings of people today. The redemption history offers us, is learning from our predecessors actions so that we can avoid the same results and consequences they experienced and proceed towards creating a better world for us and our children.
Think about ‘History’ and names begin jumping out at us like flashbulbs going off; popes and kings, presidents and queens, bigger than life people, in the way history books, fiction books or Hollywood has imprinted them in our minds. But were kings and queens standalone players in the schemes and designs of men? Did they move in isolated spheres devoid of information? If not, then from where or whom did they get their information? Their biases? Who held their confidences and provided them with advice and direction - or misdirection?
In his latest work, “The King Whisperers, Power behind the Throne from Rasputin to Rove” Professor Kerwin Swint (Mudslingers)has attempted to remove some of the wrappings and fluff of history by showcasing the people behind the Hollywood ‘headliners’. Going behind the dry names, dates and places committed to memory, taking the spotlight off of them and putting it on those in the background who played a role in shaping those events – many times more so than the ‘king’ himself actually played. Those key persons who leaned over and whispered into the king's ear "Hey King - have you heard about..." and changed the course of history. Further, he’s attempted to show some root causes for their motivations, making them identifiable and understandable to us today. By doing so, historical events are viewed in a fashion that we can in fact relate to and learn from – the true goal of a historian. A sizeable undertaking for sure.
His approach is different from that of the standard historian as well. Instead of the traditional focus on major events in time, Professor Swint has categorized his ‘whisperers’ by motivation and personality. Slicing across the timeline of recorded history, he has chosen examples of each to present his thesis. A difficult task, especially when ten categories are identified. A wide spectrum, presenting difficulty in distinguishing one motivation from another across lines that are fuzzy at best and invisible at worse. Few people, if any, are of a single motivational make-up but are complex creatures having multiple motivations and personalities, all jumbled together, making it difficult if not impossible to categorize clearly, (beware the ‘silver-tongued, truly evil, rebel, empire builder who comes 'whispering').
Defining the motivation of powerful, complex men and women, who moved and worked, centuries ago in high-profile roles during turbulent times, civilizations and governments is a task of Herculean effort and no small skill. Professor Swint manages the task with competency and brevity choosing 47 representative men and women covering around 4700 years of history in less than 300 pages (too bad it wasn't 470 pages and we could have a trifecta). He doesn’t present detailed biographies, that not being his goal, instead he provides micro-level overviews of their common personalities and motivations and how they interacted with the situations they encountered. Neither are the historical ‘events’ surrounding each person the focus of Professor Swint’s thesis. Whether it’s the crusades or the inquisition, the war in Iraq or the Russian Revolution, the focus is on the motivational personality of the advisor behind the crown.
As is true in our own lifetime, many of his ‘whisperers’ changed roles during their reigns, some going from...‘king whisperer’ to ‘king’...so going from....‘king whisperer’ to ‘court jester’... and still others going from... King whisperers to ....the chopping block.
Professor Swint poses many rhetorical questions throughout his book, from the origins of government and civilizations to the nature and definition of ‘evil’. It's not his intent to answer these questions and he doesn't attempt to. Rather, he lays them out for the reader as if setting a table for thought when discussing his examples of those who embodied such things while 'whispering' from behind the curtain. And like the great Wizard in the Land of Oz, it turns out, when the curtain is pulled aside, they too were not wizards, but were just people with the same drives, fears and biases we have, only they had the power to appease them.
Professor Swint delves into the backgrounds and personal histories of his examples; their childhoods, successes and failures, pains and joys, providing the reader with identify, making them human, thereby bringing them out of the’ dusty, yellowed' pages of 'history' into the light of modern-day analysis, not to condone or condemn, but to understand.
The representatives he's chosen are good examples in showcasing the motivations discussed in each of the ten categories and establish a cross-timeline slice of history supporting his thesis. The reader can easily insert examples of their own in each of the ten categories across international and political lines. (The use of recent persons by Professor Swint may be hurrying the definition of ‘history’ somewhat, being a little early for historical analysis of events still unfolding.)
The quest of humanity should always be to improve ourselves and our world. Only by learning from the actions of those who’ve gone before are we able to do so. There are many historical figures – good and bad – credited with things they did or didn’t do and there are many unknown persons who really shaped events and history who are not known. Many of these heroes and villains, were the 'whisperers' behind the spotlights. And there’s the rub – for in that informational void people cannot discern truth and therefore cannot learn. This is the true role of the historian, to bring to light those behind the scenes forces that shape events and Professor Swint doesn’t let the reader down in fulfilling that role and presenting a case for further study and reflection.
Using a style and format that is easy on the eyes and appealing to novice and academia alike, The King Whisperers cracks open the door, inviting us to look at history from a different perspective and does so in an entertaining manner urging the reader to look deeper and further for themselves. This is not only a book for historians and students but is a must read for anyone with any interest in the whys of what we do and the hows of history, past, present and yet to be.
Those persons who have the ear of the king are the ones we need to know more about and need to watch carefully. Yesterday's world was able to absorb the mistakes and whims of kings and queens (and of their 'whisperers'). Today's world - cannot.
Whether our future moves towards paradise....or Darkness......it behooves us to be vigilant to the temptations of power.
Only by studying those who have come before us can we be vigilant.
April 22, 2011
Review of The King Whisperers by Dr. Kerwin Swint
A few weeks back, I was privileged enough to twitterview* Dr. Kerwin Swint, author of The King Whisperers.
*Twitterview – what a cool word, huh? Even cooler concept. Following along with a Twitter hashtag (#emlyn) and creating a real-time, online dialogue, audience members from around the world can peek in, see Q&A, and even throw in a question or two. I had a blast in March doing several!
Going into it, before taking a look at his work and the overview of his book, I had read that he was a professor of politics at Kennesaw State University in Atlanta. So…thinking back to a poli-sci course I had in college, with possibly the most droll and monotone professor I had in my four (well, four and a half) years there, I was hesitant. Perhaps this wasn’t such a good idea…how interesting could a professor of politics be, and would anyone care enough to ask questions?
Just a few minutes into the twitterview, I found Dr. Swint incredibly engaging, personable, knowledgeable, and really down-to-earth. At the end of the standard questions, audience members jumped in with some great questions, and Dr. Swint had some equally top notch answers. After it was over, I had to (a) rethink my bias towards poli-sci professors, and (b) make it a point to get a copy of The King Whisperers. The first was easy, since I’m not sure how many more professors I’ll run into in the future, but the second took a couple of weeks. Once I received it, I dove into it, and my goodness, it turned out to be a truly fascinating book.
Before I give a little summary of the book itself, I thought I’d pull out some of the most interesting Q&A’s from the twitterview:
Q: What do you write?
A: Mostly politics and history: The King Whisperers tells the stories of some of the greatest power brokers and manipulators in history.
Q: Who were the most fascinating ‘evil geniuses’ you found when researching the book?
A: My favorites are the really bad guys, the young Stalin, Hitler’s right hand, but also today’s power brokers like Cheney and Rove.
Q: There are so many “whisperers” for every leader nowadays. does this, and pollsters especially, diminish the power of the electorate?
A: The messages get clouded up with partisanship and ideology, which is too bad.
Q: When it comes to writing political, historical fiction, how soon is “too soon” when covering an event?
A: Great question, cause over time the details and interpretation can change, can’t they. Usually it takes 5 or 10 years for context.
Q: Sooo…. how is Obama doing?
A: Toughest job in the world. would probably be reelected today, but who knows about 2012!
As for the book itself, I found it to be an incredible peek behind the scenes of some of the most famous and most powerful leaders in history. Machiavelli, Che Guevara, Rasputin, and dozens more, all arranged by “type” – whether they be Fixers, Schemers, Kingmakers, Empire Builders, Rebels, or Silver Tongued Devils.
This non-fiction book never read like a history text, which could be how it appears from the cover, book jacket, and overall theme. It was very well-written, done in layman’s terms, easy to read, and actually hard to put down. The fact that this figures existed, and the stories are so fascinating, makes it an excellent read.
I’ve never been a history reader, but I can absolutely recommend The King Whisperers just from the standpoint of a reader in general.
A few weeks back, I was privileged enough to twitterview* Dr. Kerwin Swint, author of The King Whisperers.
*Twitterview – what a cool word, huh? Even cooler concept. Following along with a Twitter hashtag (#emlyn) and creating a real-time, online dialogue, audience members from around the world can peek in, see Q&A, and even throw in a question or two. I had a blast in March doing several!
Going into it, before taking a look at his work and the overview of his book, I had read that he was a professor of politics at Kennesaw State University in Atlanta. So…thinking back to a poli-sci course I had in college, with possibly the most droll and monotone professor I had in my four (well, four and a half) years there, I was hesitant. Perhaps this wasn’t such a good idea…how interesting could a professor of politics be, and would anyone care enough to ask questions?
Just a few minutes into the twitterview, I found Dr. Swint incredibly engaging, personable, knowledgeable, and really down-to-earth. At the end of the standard questions, audience members jumped in with some great questions, and Dr. Swint had some equally top notch answers. After it was over, I had to (a) rethink my bias towards poli-sci professors, and (b) make it a point to get a copy of The King Whisperers. The first was easy, since I’m not sure how many more professors I’ll run into in the future, but the second took a couple of weeks. Once I received it, I dove into it, and my goodness, it turned out to be a truly fascinating book.
Before I give a little summary of the book itself, I thought I’d pull out some of the most interesting Q&A’s from the twitterview:
Q: What do you write?
A: Mostly politics and history: The King Whisperers tells the stories of some of the greatest power brokers and manipulators in history.
Q: Who were the most fascinating ‘evil geniuses’ you found when researching the book?
A: My favorites are the really bad guys, the young Stalin, Hitler’s right hand, but also today’s power brokers like Cheney and Rove.
Q: There are so many “whisperers” for every leader nowadays. does this, and pollsters especially, diminish the power of the electorate?
A: The messages get clouded up with partisanship and ideology, which is too bad.
Q: When it comes to writing political, historical fiction, how soon is “too soon” when covering an event?
A: Great question, cause over time the details and interpretation can change, can’t they. Usually it takes 5 or 10 years for context.
Q: Sooo…. how is Obama doing?
A: Toughest job in the world. would probably be reelected today, but who knows about 2012!
As for the book itself, I found it to be an incredible peek behind the scenes of some of the most famous and most powerful leaders in history. Machiavelli, Che Guevara, Rasputin, and dozens more, all arranged by “type” – whether they be Fixers, Schemers, Kingmakers, Empire Builders, Rebels, or Silver Tongued Devils.
This non-fiction book never read like a history text, which could be how it appears from the cover, book jacket, and overall theme. It was very well-written, done in layman’s terms, easy to read, and actually hard to put down. The fact that this figures existed, and the stories are so fascinating, makes it an excellent read.
I’ve never been a history reader, but I can absolutely recommend The King Whisperers just from the standpoint of a reader in general.
June 13, 2018
April’s non-fiction pick (YES I KNOW). Pretty cool! The writing and research was great. I really like the concept, I love these kinds of figures in fiction and I love the complexities of when politics and the individual intersects. WHICH IS WHY I CANT DEAL WITH IR REALISM. There is no way international politics at ANY POINT in history can have been determined solely by prescribed behavior from large polities ie empires and nation-states. Individual action absolutely has something to contribute to history, we are not insignificant forces in a chaotic universe, the wants and needs and desires and writings and words and actions of humanity IS important, we are a force to behold. ANYWAY. I loved that, and the breakdown of how power is wielded outside of the throne, so to say - the different goals being worked towards, the manner in which these figures did. Those who worked tirelessly for an idea larger than themselves vs those who schemed and rose through the ranks in their own self interest. It made for a really interesting structure and thoughtful comparisons.
However it didn’t unfold exactly how I wished. Firstly, I wish more dates were utilised, just so I have more context and can parse the stories through my own understanding of history, instead of having them often suspended in this 'a long long time ago' sense of the past. I don't think the chapter on Empress Theodora mentioned a year once, so I had to google when in Byzantine history she came into power... which, really should be information I should be getting from the damn history book itself lmao.
Second, this was more ‘people who were extremely powerful throughout history but were never actually rulers’ rather than strictly ‘powers behind the throne who had the ruler’s trust’. Some barely brushed upon their relationship with the rulers of the day, some barely had substantial relationships, whereas some like Cromwell… directly executed their ruler by… his own agenda… and pretty much ruled. And Stalin, who... did rule. I know the chapter stopped before he came into power, focusing on how he wielded power under Lenin, but we could basically write this book about every historical figure if the net is cast that wide. I would have liked to cut a few of these out to focus on figures like Talleyrand or Walsingham, because I picked this up BECAUSE I wanted to read about rulers and their thorny, complicated, often symbiotic relationships with those powerful figures around them. Also, an ENTIRE CHAPTER dedicated to US election fixers… very very revealing of author/audience bias.
But, they were all interesting figures to learn about, so that’s the payoff with making your book cover a broader subject area I guess!!
However it didn’t unfold exactly how I wished. Firstly, I wish more dates were utilised, just so I have more context and can parse the stories through my own understanding of history, instead of having them often suspended in this 'a long long time ago' sense of the past. I don't think the chapter on Empress Theodora mentioned a year once, so I had to google when in Byzantine history she came into power... which, really should be information I should be getting from the damn history book itself lmao.
Second, this was more ‘people who were extremely powerful throughout history but were never actually rulers’ rather than strictly ‘powers behind the throne who had the ruler’s trust’. Some barely brushed upon their relationship with the rulers of the day, some barely had substantial relationships, whereas some like Cromwell… directly executed their ruler by… his own agenda… and pretty much ruled. And Stalin, who... did rule. I know the chapter stopped before he came into power, focusing on how he wielded power under Lenin, but we could basically write this book about every historical figure if the net is cast that wide. I would have liked to cut a few of these out to focus on figures like Talleyrand or Walsingham, because I picked this up BECAUSE I wanted to read about rulers and their thorny, complicated, often symbiotic relationships with those powerful figures around them. Also, an ENTIRE CHAPTER dedicated to US election fixers… very very revealing of author/audience bias.
But, they were all interesting figures to learn about, so that’s the payoff with making your book cover a broader subject area I guess!!
April 20, 2011
Just when you thought that royalty, politicians and history were boring, along comes Kerwin Swint and The King Whisperers.
http://youtu.be/twAAgRK12fI
The King Whisperers breaks upon our senses at the right moment. Whilst at one and the same time we are growing tired of rulers and politicians, yet being excited by films about a stuttering King who swept up all the Oscars and the most exciting Royal weddings of all time between Prince William and Kate Middleton - The King Whisperers imposes itself as a worthy contender for our attention.
To be honest, when the book arrived by courier, I thought to myself, this is going to be a dry read. How wrong I was. Once opened I could not put it down and was soon recommending it to all my colleagues and friends. The King Whisperers turned out to be an engrossing insight into the lives of charismatic, shrewd, masterful, cruel and downright devious puppet-masters who have shaped the course of events in palaces, parliaments and nations throughout history. Never was history and the lives of schemers so interesting and exciting to read.
Chronicling the lives of some of the most powerful and devious individuals who would stop at nothing to ensure their own ends, Kerwin Swint shows us human-nature at its darkest and most selfish, yet sometimes at its most altruistic. Here is shameless cruelty and sometimes sheer love; often devotion and commitment to a person, nation or cause and for which the reward is cruel and premature death. Could you have the person you had loved and shared half a lifetime with, murdered for uttering one word out-of-place? Such was the fate of Ibrahim Pashar, known as the 'most beautiful man in the state'.
The reader will be familiar with many of the characters throughout the book. However, preconceptions will be swept away as the author demonstrates that these puppet-masters were not simply motivated by personal ambition, the struggle for power or greed as we may assume, but also by a sense of altruism, ideology and devotion that transcended any sense of personal gain. In some cases readers will discover a sympathy with elements in a character's personality who before may have been despised, such as the She-Wolf Isabella of France whose love and compassion for Mortimer at his end, ("Fair son, have pity on gentle Mortimer,") softens the devious and scheming harshness that caused her to rise against her husband Edward II.
Kerwin Swint presents his characters in a lively and engaging format, making this book an exciting read. Unlike the turgid flow of many histories - The King Whisperers sparkles with the pace and interest of a CNN or BBC report. In spite of the one negative review on Amazon, this is a book that will appeal to everybody, from the biography tourist to the serious academic in search of new information and sources. The langauge is accessible to all and stimulates enquiry. By the end of the book you will be heading to Amazon to purchase biographies of the favourites you have bookmarked through almost 300 pages of ruthless self-serving and compassionate demise.
The only disappointment for me was that I was left wanting to know more. Now! I didn't want to have to run off and order copies of the lives I had read about; I was engrossed in certain characters such as Bernard of Clairvaux and Francis Walsingham. I wanted to see them in action; to see the twists and turns as they played with their masters and the affections of followers and nations. I realise however, that with 47 distinct individuals to discuss, such in-depth treatment was not possible in a single book. One thing is certain, Kerwin Swint has ensured that there will be more biographies of some interesting, though often disturbing shakers and movers on my bookshelf.
The book itself is a whisper. Each vignette is like a secret whispered in our ear, stirring the imagination and our own devious need to inform as we discover something new about one of the players. I found myself meeting with a poet friend who had written a piece about the Battle of Towton; I had come across a little known snippet in the chapter on Kingmakers...did my friend know it I thought? He didn't! I felt for a moment a little of what it was like to be a Richard Neville or a Francis Walsingham...I had passed the whisper on, and in so doing, became part of that history of shaping thought and controlling outcomes that is part of all of us.
The King Whisperers will entice, excite, educate, stimulate and motivate to further reading. I've already decided that Clairvaux, Walsingham and Isabella will be on my bookshelf. I am hoping that Kerwin Swint will be the author of one or more of these lives. I wonder whose schemings you will rush to read after observing The King Whisperers at work?
Tour Notes:
Please vote for my blog in the traffic-breaker poll for this tour. The blogger with the most votes wins a free promotional twitterview and a special winner’s badge. I want that to be me! You can vote in the poll by visiting the official King Whisperers blog tour page and scrolling all the way to the bottom.
The next word for the book give-away is (PUBLICITY). Learn more about the give-away and enter to win 1 of 3 copies on the official King Whisperers blog tour page. The other 2 copies are being given-away courtesy of the GoodReads author program, go here to enter. And don’t forget to stop by the Q&A with Kerwin Swint Group to discuss the King Whisperers (including questions from the official book club guide), the author, and his previous works.
http://youtu.be/twAAgRK12fI
The King Whisperers breaks upon our senses at the right moment. Whilst at one and the same time we are growing tired of rulers and politicians, yet being excited by films about a stuttering King who swept up all the Oscars and the most exciting Royal weddings of all time between Prince William and Kate Middleton - The King Whisperers imposes itself as a worthy contender for our attention.
To be honest, when the book arrived by courier, I thought to myself, this is going to be a dry read. How wrong I was. Once opened I could not put it down and was soon recommending it to all my colleagues and friends. The King Whisperers turned out to be an engrossing insight into the lives of charismatic, shrewd, masterful, cruel and downright devious puppet-masters who have shaped the course of events in palaces, parliaments and nations throughout history. Never was history and the lives of schemers so interesting and exciting to read.
Chronicling the lives of some of the most powerful and devious individuals who would stop at nothing to ensure their own ends, Kerwin Swint shows us human-nature at its darkest and most selfish, yet sometimes at its most altruistic. Here is shameless cruelty and sometimes sheer love; often devotion and commitment to a person, nation or cause and for which the reward is cruel and premature death. Could you have the person you had loved and shared half a lifetime with, murdered for uttering one word out-of-place? Such was the fate of Ibrahim Pashar, known as the 'most beautiful man in the state'.
The reader will be familiar with many of the characters throughout the book. However, preconceptions will be swept away as the author demonstrates that these puppet-masters were not simply motivated by personal ambition, the struggle for power or greed as we may assume, but also by a sense of altruism, ideology and devotion that transcended any sense of personal gain. In some cases readers will discover a sympathy with elements in a character's personality who before may have been despised, such as the She-Wolf Isabella of France whose love and compassion for Mortimer at his end, ("Fair son, have pity on gentle Mortimer,") softens the devious and scheming harshness that caused her to rise against her husband Edward II.
Kerwin Swint presents his characters in a lively and engaging format, making this book an exciting read. Unlike the turgid flow of many histories - The King Whisperers sparkles with the pace and interest of a CNN or BBC report. In spite of the one negative review on Amazon, this is a book that will appeal to everybody, from the biography tourist to the serious academic in search of new information and sources. The langauge is accessible to all and stimulates enquiry. By the end of the book you will be heading to Amazon to purchase biographies of the favourites you have bookmarked through almost 300 pages of ruthless self-serving and compassionate demise.
The only disappointment for me was that I was left wanting to know more. Now! I didn't want to have to run off and order copies of the lives I had read about; I was engrossed in certain characters such as Bernard of Clairvaux and Francis Walsingham. I wanted to see them in action; to see the twists and turns as they played with their masters and the affections of followers and nations. I realise however, that with 47 distinct individuals to discuss, such in-depth treatment was not possible in a single book. One thing is certain, Kerwin Swint has ensured that there will be more biographies of some interesting, though often disturbing shakers and movers on my bookshelf.
The book itself is a whisper. Each vignette is like a secret whispered in our ear, stirring the imagination and our own devious need to inform as we discover something new about one of the players. I found myself meeting with a poet friend who had written a piece about the Battle of Towton; I had come across a little known snippet in the chapter on Kingmakers...did my friend know it I thought? He didn't! I felt for a moment a little of what it was like to be a Richard Neville or a Francis Walsingham...I had passed the whisper on, and in so doing, became part of that history of shaping thought and controlling outcomes that is part of all of us.
The King Whisperers will entice, excite, educate, stimulate and motivate to further reading. I've already decided that Clairvaux, Walsingham and Isabella will be on my bookshelf. I am hoping that Kerwin Swint will be the author of one or more of these lives. I wonder whose schemings you will rush to read after observing The King Whisperers at work?
Tour Notes:
Please vote for my blog in the traffic-breaker poll for this tour. The blogger with the most votes wins a free promotional twitterview and a special winner’s badge. I want that to be me! You can vote in the poll by visiting the official King Whisperers blog tour page and scrolling all the way to the bottom.
The next word for the book give-away is (PUBLICITY). Learn more about the give-away and enter to win 1 of 3 copies on the official King Whisperers blog tour page. The other 2 copies are being given-away courtesy of the GoodReads author program, go here to enter. And don’t forget to stop by the Q&A with Kerwin Swint Group to discuss the King Whisperers (including questions from the official book club guide), the author, and his previous works.
February 7, 2019
If you're familiar with some of the subjects in this book, it might feel a bit old hat...but it's a very readable, very informative, and very pointed grouping of some amazing and infamous power brokers throughout history. A great read, and a great research tool.
February 28, 2024
This book really shows how second in command is very influencing. If you like 48 laws of Power,you will love this book.
May 13, 2011
Seldom do I review nonfiction, but certain topics are the flint stone to story making, the greatest of these being history, the elemental roots of literary magic in so much of my favorite fiction. In my world, history can make sparks fly so, you'd have seen me waving my hand eagerly in the air like a schoolgirl when Novel Publicity Blog Tours asked for participants to review Kerwin Swint's, The King Whisperers. Though I'm certainly not a schoolgirl anymore, I adore historical facts and any opinion, treatise, viewpoint or art form that stands on them.
As the byline of the title says, The King Whisperers explores the "power behind the throne, from Rasputin to Rove" and that's just the R's. Kerwin Swint, professor of political science at Kennesaw State University, offers a lightening hot approach to history by zapping together a compendium of historical figures, each in the context of their roles as political strategists, manipulators of every ilk and historical era.
The King Whisperers serves as an encyclopedia of political figures all while offering a system of categorizing them into ten different types, certainly no small feat considering these figures range from the ancients to modern day politicians and on every continent. Such a huge undertaking may be criticized for the surface treatment given to each figure, that quantity trumps quality, but it is this very aspect of The King Whisperers that makes it invaluable. How else could one present the totality of political history in one volume of 328 pages than by a method geared to the modern click-switch mentality of 2011? It's a patchwork, if you will, woven beautifully with the common thread of Swint's classification system.
The King Whisperers is an indispensable reference tool to be valued for years to come. Academics, writers and curious minds in general will find the ten classifications of the power players to be a telling lens, a sort of prismatic lodestone through which to reflect upon history, both in our past and in the making. The ten classifications are:
The Machiavellians (ex: Machiavelli, Catherine de Medici, Alexander Hamilton, Dick Cheney)
Empire Builders (ex: Otto von Bismarck, Bernard of Clairvaux)
King Makers (ex: Sir Richard Neville, James "Big Jim" Farley)
Spies (ex: Cardinal Richelieu, Lawrence of Arabia, Omar Suleiman)
Silver-Tongued Devils (ex: Cicero, Talleyrand, Leon Trotsky)
The Generals (Charles Martel, Oliver Cromwell, Hideki Tojo)
The Rebels (ex: Zhou Enlai, Che Guevara, Sakamoto Ryoma)
The Truly Evil (ex: "Young" Joe Stalin and Hermann Goering, Hitler's Right Hand)
The Fixers (ex: Larry O'Brien, Roger Ailes, Karl Rove)
Schemers (ex: Haman the Agagite, Grigori Rasputin)
Even if some of the classifications may provide fodder for debate, The King Whisperers will be a standard to hold onto long after you've finished reading it. If you find that the carpet ride Swint takes you on through history is too fast-paced, not a stitch of it comes without an invitation to delve deeper with a comprehensive set of endnotes, bibliography and index that will keep you in happily-ever-after cross-referencing mode, especially if you are a perpetual student like me...still a school girl at heart.
As the byline of the title says, The King Whisperers explores the "power behind the throne, from Rasputin to Rove" and that's just the R's. Kerwin Swint, professor of political science at Kennesaw State University, offers a lightening hot approach to history by zapping together a compendium of historical figures, each in the context of their roles as political strategists, manipulators of every ilk and historical era.
The King Whisperers serves as an encyclopedia of political figures all while offering a system of categorizing them into ten different types, certainly no small feat considering these figures range from the ancients to modern day politicians and on every continent. Such a huge undertaking may be criticized for the surface treatment given to each figure, that quantity trumps quality, but it is this very aspect of The King Whisperers that makes it invaluable. How else could one present the totality of political history in one volume of 328 pages than by a method geared to the modern click-switch mentality of 2011? It's a patchwork, if you will, woven beautifully with the common thread of Swint's classification system.
The King Whisperers is an indispensable reference tool to be valued for years to come. Academics, writers and curious minds in general will find the ten classifications of the power players to be a telling lens, a sort of prismatic lodestone through which to reflect upon history, both in our past and in the making. The ten classifications are:
The Machiavellians (ex: Machiavelli, Catherine de Medici, Alexander Hamilton, Dick Cheney)
Empire Builders (ex: Otto von Bismarck, Bernard of Clairvaux)
King Makers (ex: Sir Richard Neville, James "Big Jim" Farley)
Spies (ex: Cardinal Richelieu, Lawrence of Arabia, Omar Suleiman)
Silver-Tongued Devils (ex: Cicero, Talleyrand, Leon Trotsky)
The Generals (Charles Martel, Oliver Cromwell, Hideki Tojo)
The Rebels (ex: Zhou Enlai, Che Guevara, Sakamoto Ryoma)
The Truly Evil (ex: "Young" Joe Stalin and Hermann Goering, Hitler's Right Hand)
The Fixers (ex: Larry O'Brien, Roger Ailes, Karl Rove)
Schemers (ex: Haman the Agagite, Grigori Rasputin)
Even if some of the classifications may provide fodder for debate, The King Whisperers will be a standard to hold onto long after you've finished reading it. If you find that the carpet ride Swint takes you on through history is too fast-paced, not a stitch of it comes without an invitation to delve deeper with a comprehensive set of endnotes, bibliography and index that will keep you in happily-ever-after cross-referencing mode, especially if you are a perpetual student like me...still a school girl at heart.
May 10, 2011
I wasn't sure what to expect of Swint's book when I first started reading it. I'm not much of a fan of politics or history unless it is in the form of ficticious intrigue, gripping the reader and taking them to and fro. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised by what I found.
The author paints amazing pictures of the past (and present in come cases), allowing the reader to get a true feel for the "Whisperer" being described. The text was definitely informative and will teach the reader a great deal about political powers throughout the centuries. I was very glad to discover that Swint had a lighter note/style to his writing, keeping the reader interested as well as informed.
I believe that if I found it as well written and interesting as I did, I can only imagine that someone with a true interest in history and/or politics will find it extremely enlightening.
Tour Notes:
Please vote for my blog in the traffic-breaker poll for this tour. The blogger with the most votes wins a free promotional twitterview and a special winner’s badge. I want that to be me! You can vote in the poll by visiting the official King Whisperers blog tour page and scrolling all the way to the bottom.
The next word for the book giveaway is ( TODAY ). Learn more about the giveaway and enter to win 1 of 3 copies on the official King Whisperers blog tour page. The other 2 copies are being given away courtesy of the GoodReads author program, go here to enter. And don’t forget to stop by the Q&A with Kerwin Swint Group to discuss the King Whisperers (including questions from the official book club guide), the author, and his previous works.
The author paints amazing pictures of the past (and present in come cases), allowing the reader to get a true feel for the "Whisperer" being described. The text was definitely informative and will teach the reader a great deal about political powers throughout the centuries. I was very glad to discover that Swint had a lighter note/style to his writing, keeping the reader interested as well as informed.
I believe that if I found it as well written and interesting as I did, I can only imagine that someone with a true interest in history and/or politics will find it extremely enlightening.
Tour Notes:
Please vote for my blog in the traffic-breaker poll for this tour. The blogger with the most votes wins a free promotional twitterview and a special winner’s badge. I want that to be me! You can vote in the poll by visiting the official King Whisperers blog tour page and scrolling all the way to the bottom.
The next word for the book giveaway is ( TODAY ). Learn more about the giveaway and enter to win 1 of 3 copies on the official King Whisperers blog tour page. The other 2 copies are being given away courtesy of the GoodReads author program, go here to enter. And don’t forget to stop by the Q&A with Kerwin Swint Group to discuss the King Whisperers (including questions from the official book club guide), the author, and his previous works.
October 23, 2011
This book falls victim to the risk that authors take when they try to compare current political figures with those of the past. Not enough time has passed to evaluate the impact of figures like Omar Suleiman. Perhaps there was not enough time to edit the information on Suleiman before it went to press, but it is sorely lacking in information about his involvement in a secret service that routinely kidnaps citizens and journalists who speak out against the government. And there is a tendency throughout the book to downplay the sins of contemporary figures.
His treatment of Dick Cheney is a case in point. It comes across as rather one sided. His argument that Cheney had a significant impact on government policy of the day is plausible, but not quite convincing.
The historical portions of the book are far more convincing, as the facts can be substantiated. I also liked the way he classified the types of behind the scenes operators, their techniques, and their philosophies. It is highly readable and avoids coming off as a textbook while. Yet, it would be a good starting point for further research.
Overall, it lacks a strong thesis. Although each chapter is clearly laid out and there are some interesting comparisons between the different whisperers, There is no really strong statement as to why they matter. Is it inevitable? What is the reader to do with this information? Should we be watching the company our politicians keep?
It's not a book I would normally bother to finish. But I felt obligated because I received it as a Goodreads giveaway. Three stars, just ok.
His treatment of Dick Cheney is a case in point. It comes across as rather one sided. His argument that Cheney had a significant impact on government policy of the day is plausible, but not quite convincing.
The historical portions of the book are far more convincing, as the facts can be substantiated. I also liked the way he classified the types of behind the scenes operators, their techniques, and their philosophies. It is highly readable and avoids coming off as a textbook while. Yet, it would be a good starting point for further research.
Overall, it lacks a strong thesis. Although each chapter is clearly laid out and there are some interesting comparisons between the different whisperers, There is no really strong statement as to why they matter. Is it inevitable? What is the reader to do with this information? Should we be watching the company our politicians keep?
It's not a book I would normally bother to finish. But I felt obligated because I received it as a Goodreads giveaway. Three stars, just ok.
June 5, 2011
I sat down and read this book practically cover to cover in a sitting. This doesn't happen to me with history books. Most of this book reads like a good pirate tale, and indeed several of the people mentioned could be considered pirates.
He divides the book into 10 sections covering 10 different kinds of powerful people. He recounts the history of both men and women, behind the scenes, and in the open.
This book was fast paced, varied within the themes, and kept things informative but usually funny as well. He covered some historical figures that were well but not always correctly known, as well as some more obscure figures that fit the bill but either lived to long ago to be much remembered, or hid themselves pretty well.
A really good read for anyone who is interested in the history of politics, government, or just general history. Figures from all over the world and BC to present are covered. I would especially recommend this book to people who think they don't like history, or youngish men.
He divides the book into 10 sections covering 10 different kinds of powerful people. He recounts the history of both men and women, behind the scenes, and in the open.
This book was fast paced, varied within the themes, and kept things informative but usually funny as well. He covered some historical figures that were well but not always correctly known, as well as some more obscure figures that fit the bill but either lived to long ago to be much remembered, or hid themselves pretty well.
A really good read for anyone who is interested in the history of politics, government, or just general history. Figures from all over the world and BC to present are covered. I would especially recommend this book to people who think they don't like history, or youngish men.
September 16, 2011
If you're a history buff, you probably won't like this book - it's interesting, but there are so many historical figures that are highlighted that the author is only able to give a brief overview of each one and explain some of the major accomplishments and character traits that make them the particular category of "king whisperers" that are featured in this book. It was interesting, but at times I found the classifications a little random - many of the historical figures could fit under many of the categories like rebel, schemer, silver tongues (i think that was one?) etc. and there wasn't much cohesion to bring the entire analysis together. It was still an interesting read and history lesson for people (like me!) who aren't familiar with all the people featured in the book.
May 7, 2011
I read this book from a different angle than others, I think. I'm a novelist, and I often have issues creating a multidimensional antagonist. This book is an incredible resource for authors in that it gives several real-person profiles of ten different types of behind-the-scenes manipulators throughout history. It's a must-read for anyone creating this type of character for a novel.
For a more in-depth review by yours-truly as well as an INTERVIEW with the author himself regarding creating believable antagonists using these historical figures as templates, check out my blog post: http://mesummer.wordpress.com/2011/05...
For a more in-depth review by yours-truly as well as an INTERVIEW with the author himself regarding creating believable antagonists using these historical figures as templates, check out my blog post: http://mesummer.wordpress.com/2011/05...
June 3, 2011
Please read my very favorable review on my blog - posted May 13, 2011. The link to this review is here:
http://paulatohlinecalhoun1951.wordpr...
Hope you choose to read the book, and enjoy it as much as I did!
http://paulatohlinecalhoun1951.wordpr...
Hope you choose to read the book, and enjoy it as much as I did!
December 1, 2011
A very interesting book. The books is a series of biographies, divided by the type of power behind the throne "general", "fixer" etc. The biographies were a good length and flowed very well together. There were people from around the world, some familiar and some new, and I learned quite a bit, even about those I already knew something about.
December 27, 2015
Very interesting historical look at the power in politics. There were several people discussed in the book that I had no knowledge of, which is one of the points of the book: these people are the power behind the person the public sees.
May 1, 2011
Loved this book - my review is here on my blog: http://bit.ly/mzcKLP
November 16, 2012
An enchanting collection of personalities.
July 15, 2011
My full review is here: http://traceybaptiste.wordpress.com/2...
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews