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The Statesman and the Storyteller: John Hay, Mark Twain, and the Rise of American Imperialism
In a dual biography covering the last ten years of the lives of friends and contemporaries, writer Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain) and statesman John Hay (who served as secretary of state under presidents William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt), The Statesman and the Storyteller not only provides an intimate look into the daily lives of these men but also creates an elucidating portrait of the United States on the verge of emerging as a world power.
And just as the narrative details the wisdom, and the occasional missteps, of two great men during a tumultuous time, it also penetrates the seat of power in Washington as the nation strove to make itself known internationally--and in the process committed acts antithetical to America’s professed ideals and promises.
The country’s most significant move in this time was to go to war with Spain and to eventually wrest control of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. In what has to be viewed as one of the most shameful periods in American political history, Filipinos who believed they had been promised independence were instead told they were incapable of self-government and then violently subdued in a war that featured torture and execution of native soldiers and civilians. The United States also used its growing military and political might to grab the entirety of the Hawaiian Islands and a large section of Panama.
As secretary of state during this time, Hay, though a charitable man, was nonetheless complicit in these misdeeds. Clemens, a staunch critic of his country’s imperialistic actions, was forced by his own financial and family needs to temper his remarks. Nearing the end of their long and remarkable lives, both men found themselves struggling to maintain their personal integrity while remaining celebrated and esteemed public figures.
Written with a keen eye--Mark Zwonitzer is also an award-winning documentary filmmaker--and informed by the author’s deep understanding of the patterns of history, The Statesman and the Storyteller has the compelling pace of a novel, the epic sweep of historical writing at its best, and, in capturing the essence of the lives of Hay and Twain, the humanity and nuance of masterful biography.
And just as the narrative details the wisdom, and the occasional missteps, of two great men during a tumultuous time, it also penetrates the seat of power in Washington as the nation strove to make itself known internationally--and in the process committed acts antithetical to America’s professed ideals and promises.
The country’s most significant move in this time was to go to war with Spain and to eventually wrest control of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. In what has to be viewed as one of the most shameful periods in American political history, Filipinos who believed they had been promised independence were instead told they were incapable of self-government and then violently subdued in a war that featured torture and execution of native soldiers and civilians. The United States also used its growing military and political might to grab the entirety of the Hawaiian Islands and a large section of Panama.
As secretary of state during this time, Hay, though a charitable man, was nonetheless complicit in these misdeeds. Clemens, a staunch critic of his country’s imperialistic actions, was forced by his own financial and family needs to temper his remarks. Nearing the end of their long and remarkable lives, both men found themselves struggling to maintain their personal integrity while remaining celebrated and esteemed public figures.
Written with a keen eye--Mark Zwonitzer is also an award-winning documentary filmmaker--and informed by the author’s deep understanding of the patterns of history, The Statesman and the Storyteller has the compelling pace of a novel, the epic sweep of historical writing at its best, and, in capturing the essence of the lives of Hay and Twain, the humanity and nuance of masterful biography.
608 pages, Hardcover
First published May 10, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
November 7, 2016
This biography (or pair of biographies) was certainly informative and well researched, but I felt like it would have been better as two separate biographies. The weaving of the two men together was rather contrived. Yes, the were both small town boys from Missouri, historically contemporary, and even acquainted, but their friendship was fairly distant, and their correspondence intermittent. What results is a fairly choppy back and forth history that seems too forced in any attempts to pull these two highly individual and very important Americans together into a single narrative. It was well worth reading; both men were amazing, but it was wearysome to continually be switching between the two when their stories didn't intersect enough to make it worthwhile.
November 24, 2019
This book underwhelmed me.
I am not sure where to begin with my critique of the book, but I have to start somewhere.
First, the book is over 500 pages, but does not cite a source. While the author discusses his methodology and approach at the end, it was a little disconcerting that there was not a single inline or even chapter summary cited source. Now, I’m not expecting every quote or item to be sourced, but the utter lack of a citations is a concern.
Second, while the two characters covered in the book are both individually significant, there is but the flimsiest rationale to cover both individuals in the same book. Yes, they grew up close together. Yes, they lived at the same time. And yes, they may have interacted with each other on occasion as both rose to prominence. But beyond being significant figures at the same time there seems to be little reason to include them in the same book. People who are interested in Samuel Clemens are probably going to find the chapters on John Hay boring and vice versa. They didn’t really interact enough or parallel each other’s lives enough to tie them together.
Third, while the book was about Clemens and Hay, Teddy Roosevelt was the best developed historical figure in the book. Zwonitzer provided a nominal introduction to Clemens and Hay, and then focused on a 10 years period of their lives without going outside of that period much.
Fourth, the book focused on a 10 year period (1895-1905). Why? Because they both lived during this time period and it was the end of Hay’s distinguished career. Besides that it was hard to figure out why this period was the focal point. Zwonitzer could have made the period the thread that connected them, but he did not. I would have preferred a more general biography of each---or better yet, two separate books for them.
I was excited when I saw this book. John Hay is an unrecognized American hero who deserves his own biography. Clemens goes without saying is one of the icons in American literature.
The good news is that the writing was solid and interesting. Unfortunately, the book did not deliver.
I am not sure where to begin with my critique of the book, but I have to start somewhere.
First, the book is over 500 pages, but does not cite a source. While the author discusses his methodology and approach at the end, it was a little disconcerting that there was not a single inline or even chapter summary cited source. Now, I’m not expecting every quote or item to be sourced, but the utter lack of a citations is a concern.
Second, while the two characters covered in the book are both individually significant, there is but the flimsiest rationale to cover both individuals in the same book. Yes, they grew up close together. Yes, they lived at the same time. And yes, they may have interacted with each other on occasion as both rose to prominence. But beyond being significant figures at the same time there seems to be little reason to include them in the same book. People who are interested in Samuel Clemens are probably going to find the chapters on John Hay boring and vice versa. They didn’t really interact enough or parallel each other’s lives enough to tie them together.
Third, while the book was about Clemens and Hay, Teddy Roosevelt was the best developed historical figure in the book. Zwonitzer provided a nominal introduction to Clemens and Hay, and then focused on a 10 years period of their lives without going outside of that period much.
Fourth, the book focused on a 10 year period (1895-1905). Why? Because they both lived during this time period and it was the end of Hay’s distinguished career. Besides that it was hard to figure out why this period was the focal point. Zwonitzer could have made the period the thread that connected them, but he did not. I would have preferred a more general biography of each---or better yet, two separate books for them.
I was excited when I saw this book. John Hay is an unrecognized American hero who deserves his own biography. Clemens goes without saying is one of the icons in American literature.
The good news is that the writing was solid and interesting. Unfortunately, the book did not deliver.
March 4, 2019
This book is a fascinating blend of storytelling, history, and biography; one that weaves together the lives of two influential thinkers and leaders of the 19th century, Samuel Clemens and John Day. They were born only several years apart into the same muddy grit of the Mississippi River Valley. They didn't actually meet face to face until the post Civil War years, as hungry young writers on the East Coast, and only after each had tasted some measure of fame. Clemens alter ego, Mark Twain, was just beginning his rise to national prominence. John Hays was already there, rising to national prominence as one of personal secretaries to President Lincoln during the Civil War years. Each one had far to go...
Their evolving beliefs and political values would become polar opposites. It was a fascinating time, an era that has become known in retrospect as The Gilded Age. The USA rose to its prominence as a world power on the heels of the collapsing Spanish empire. Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines came within the umbrella of US territorial expansion. The Hawaiian islands, too. Secretary of State John Hay was the architect for the expansion, which under President Roosevelt morphed again to claim ownership of the Panama Canal Zone.
In the Philippines the native peoples wanted independence. The USA demanded dominion and control. The fighting that resulted was brutal and protracted. Samuel Clemens became a prominent and vocal opponent of the war. It was a position that did not win him any readers.
John Hays and Sam Clemens never lost their mutual respect and admiration for each other. The author, Mark Zwonitzer, artfully weaves the parallel trajectories of these pre-modern American heroes into a fascinating story line. For lovers of Mark Twain or fans of American History, this book is a five.
Their evolving beliefs and political values would become polar opposites. It was a fascinating time, an era that has become known in retrospect as The Gilded Age. The USA rose to its prominence as a world power on the heels of the collapsing Spanish empire. Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines came within the umbrella of US territorial expansion. The Hawaiian islands, too. Secretary of State John Hay was the architect for the expansion, which under President Roosevelt morphed again to claim ownership of the Panama Canal Zone.
In the Philippines the native peoples wanted independence. The USA demanded dominion and control. The fighting that resulted was brutal and protracted. Samuel Clemens became a prominent and vocal opponent of the war. It was a position that did not win him any readers.
John Hays and Sam Clemens never lost their mutual respect and admiration for each other. The author, Mark Zwonitzer, artfully weaves the parallel trajectories of these pre-modern American heroes into a fascinating story line. For lovers of Mark Twain or fans of American History, this book is a five.
June 25, 2023
The Statesman And The Storyteller tells intriguing tales about two notable Americans and their roles in, and reactions to the startling, frenetic period of America's emergence onto the world stage as an imperial power. John Hay was Secretary of State through most of the notable events of this period, and Mark Twain, the period's most famous celebrity, was an opponent of his country's increasingly violent imperialism. These two men, one an architect of the imperialism, and the other a vehement opponent of it, also happened to be old friends.
I enjoyed this book, but also feel that its title and premise are deceptive. It is true that Mark Twain and John Hay were old friends, but, as is stated in the text numerous times, they had not had an active friendship for over twenty years, having grown apart, likely because of Mrs. Hay's disapproval of the friendship. Therefore, there is really nothing in the fact of the two being friends that makes a natural fit for this dual treatment. Also, while the sections that cover Hay are rich with information about the political machinations behind this period of American history, the sections on Mark Twain are nearly all about his personal life (material that has already been well trodden by Mark Twain himself and by numerous biographers) and only a small segment of the Twain material even touches on his anti imperialism writings and speeches. The Mark Twain sections, therefore, feel like superfluous interludes that break up the compelling history of the ruthless emergence of the United States as an imperial power - charming, but unnecessary.
The author states in his introduction that he had originally set out to write a history of John Hay and his role in these events, and only came to add Mark Twain after the project was begun. I suspect that this became a dual biography because Mark Twain is so much better known than John Hay, and a book that contains him in its title will likely sell better than one focused on Hay alone.
I enjoyed this book, but also feel that its title and premise are deceptive. It is true that Mark Twain and John Hay were old friends, but, as is stated in the text numerous times, they had not had an active friendship for over twenty years, having grown apart, likely because of Mrs. Hay's disapproval of the friendship. Therefore, there is really nothing in the fact of the two being friends that makes a natural fit for this dual treatment. Also, while the sections that cover Hay are rich with information about the political machinations behind this period of American history, the sections on Mark Twain are nearly all about his personal life (material that has already been well trodden by Mark Twain himself and by numerous biographers) and only a small segment of the Twain material even touches on his anti imperialism writings and speeches. The Mark Twain sections, therefore, feel like superfluous interludes that break up the compelling history of the ruthless emergence of the United States as an imperial power - charming, but unnecessary.
The author states in his introduction that he had originally set out to write a history of John Hay and his role in these events, and only came to add Mark Twain after the project was begun. I suspect that this became a dual biography because Mark Twain is so much better known than John Hay, and a book that contains him in its title will likely sell better than one focused on Hay alone.
March 30, 2016
Thorough A lengthy examination of American history at the turn into the twentieth century. The author chose to narrate the period through the eyes of two American legends, Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) and John Hay (President Lincoln's secretary). Both men were seeking to secure their places in history, during this period, the twilight of their lives. The amount of ground covered is immense. The two main characters are sometimes tangentially connected, but the author manages to explore different viewpoints as to America's role using them as his windows into the period. The device works well, succeeding in pulling together difficult points. This is not a book to be rushed through, rather one that should be read a bit at a time, giving the reader the chance to determine his own opinions.
July 3, 2017
A lot of it wasn't new to me. Not that much of it involved both of them either in the scene or in juxtaposition. Not that much of it involved their differences over foreign policy, but the part that did were powerful and prophetic of the century ahead.
The author says in the preface that he wanted to write about the last 10 years of John Hay's career and that Mark Twain kept intruding as a major character. It seems more likely that only a specialist with one to read about the last 10 years of John Hay's career and that including Twain as a purported equal in the book's title would sell more of them.
The author says in the preface that he wanted to write about the last 10 years of John Hay's career and that Mark Twain kept intruding as a major character. It seems more likely that only a specialist with one to read about the last 10 years of John Hay's career and that including Twain as a purported equal in the book's title would sell more of them.
September 7, 2023
It is very difficult to know where to begin with a review of The Statesman and the Storyteller. But I will give it a whirl…
I was drawn to the book because I find John Hay — Abraham Lincoln's private secretary and biographer; ambassador to the Court of St. James; Secretary of State under two presidents — and Sam Clemens — America's foremost humorist and author whose works still resonate in the 21st century — to be two of the most compelling public figures of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Both were products of backwater towns along the Mississippi River frontier. Both were men of letters. Both were men of great accomplishments and both were driven to greater accomplishments.
And they were friends.
Mind you, they were unlikely friends. Hay married into money; Clemens was in and out of debt many times due to his speculative nature. Hay was always reserved and chose his words and actions carefully; Clemens could often be a bull in a china shop. And throughout this biography, they only saw each other once, principally because Clara Stone Hay found Clemens to be coarse and vulgar. As a result, Clemens was not welcome in the Hay household. But the affection between the two men remained and was evident in their infrequent letters and other writings.
So… why a double biography? The author says that he could not write about Hay without writing about Clemens. And vice versa. At first, I was unsure about the success of that approach, but as I drew deeper into the chapters, I discovered that Mr. Zwonitzer had stumbled onto a gold mine. His writing style is not academic; he himself is also a wonderful storyteller. And I grew to love John Hay and Samuel Clemens all the more, not because Mr. Zwonitzer gilded them, but because he did his best to show their weaknesses as well as their strengths. These are two men that I would have dearly liked to know.
Mr. Zwonitzer also included the cast of characters that surrounded both men. Their families. Their friends. Their enemies. The public figures that they had to work with or (at least) endure. Leading the way in the latter category were Presidents William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt. And Teddy does not fare well in Mr. Zwonitzer's estimation.
The book itself covers 15 years, starting in 1895 and extending through the deaths of Hay in 1905 and Clemens in 1910. These were years when America started to swagger to the forefront of world history and politics. Hmmm… and the Rise of American Imperialism. I guess we should have seen that coming. The Spanish-American War with its prize of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. The annexation of Hawai'i. The Panama Canal Treaty. The Philippine War. Throughout all of those events, Hay was at the center of the action as ambassador to England and Secretary of State. Clemens was nowhere near the center, and was in fact among the loudest critics of every move towards imperialism. Polar opposites. And wonderful characters to follow in order to get a more rounded sense of the age in which they lived than one would have derived from a biography of one man or the other.
There is also a side benefit to these stories. Even those of us steeped in American history seem to have only a vague sense of what happened in the Philippines after we took the archipelago from Spain. Mr. Zwonitzer helps to fill in some of those gaps and does so with an informal (and sometimes slightly snarky) style.
In the end, I found that this biography — one about which I had my doubts — had morphed into one that I am glad I read and one that will adorn my bookshelf as part of the permanent collection, if only so that I can go back and read it again at some point. As such, I recommend it without reservation because it talks about two men whom I had admired who have now become my friends.
I was drawn to the book because I find John Hay — Abraham Lincoln's private secretary and biographer; ambassador to the Court of St. James; Secretary of State under two presidents — and Sam Clemens — America's foremost humorist and author whose works still resonate in the 21st century — to be two of the most compelling public figures of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Both were products of backwater towns along the Mississippi River frontier. Both were men of letters. Both were men of great accomplishments and both were driven to greater accomplishments.
And they were friends.
Mind you, they were unlikely friends. Hay married into money; Clemens was in and out of debt many times due to his speculative nature. Hay was always reserved and chose his words and actions carefully; Clemens could often be a bull in a china shop. And throughout this biography, they only saw each other once, principally because Clara Stone Hay found Clemens to be coarse and vulgar. As a result, Clemens was not welcome in the Hay household. But the affection between the two men remained and was evident in their infrequent letters and other writings.
So… why a double biography? The author says that he could not write about Hay without writing about Clemens. And vice versa. At first, I was unsure about the success of that approach, but as I drew deeper into the chapters, I discovered that Mr. Zwonitzer had stumbled onto a gold mine. His writing style is not academic; he himself is also a wonderful storyteller. And I grew to love John Hay and Samuel Clemens all the more, not because Mr. Zwonitzer gilded them, but because he did his best to show their weaknesses as well as their strengths. These are two men that I would have dearly liked to know.
Mr. Zwonitzer also included the cast of characters that surrounded both men. Their families. Their friends. Their enemies. The public figures that they had to work with or (at least) endure. Leading the way in the latter category were Presidents William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt. And Teddy does not fare well in Mr. Zwonitzer's estimation.
The book itself covers 15 years, starting in 1895 and extending through the deaths of Hay in 1905 and Clemens in 1910. These were years when America started to swagger to the forefront of world history and politics. Hmmm… and the Rise of American Imperialism. I guess we should have seen that coming. The Spanish-American War with its prize of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. The annexation of Hawai'i. The Panama Canal Treaty. The Philippine War. Throughout all of those events, Hay was at the center of the action as ambassador to England and Secretary of State. Clemens was nowhere near the center, and was in fact among the loudest critics of every move towards imperialism. Polar opposites. And wonderful characters to follow in order to get a more rounded sense of the age in which they lived than one would have derived from a biography of one man or the other.
There is also a side benefit to these stories. Even those of us steeped in American history seem to have only a vague sense of what happened in the Philippines after we took the archipelago from Spain. Mr. Zwonitzer helps to fill in some of those gaps and does so with an informal (and sometimes slightly snarky) style.
In the end, I found that this biography — one about which I had my doubts — had morphed into one that I am glad I read and one that will adorn my bookshelf as part of the permanent collection, if only so that I can go back and read it again at some point. As such, I recommend it without reservation because it talks about two men whom I had admired who have now become my friends.
September 21, 2024
The author here really takes non-fiction writing to a new level. Constant tangents and deep dives into inconsequential topics had me frustrated - multiple chapters on Mark Twain's financial struggles and dying wife for example, or the British and American dispute over the seal trade in Canada/Alaska in the late 19th century. Easily a hundred pages could have been omitted.
Still learned a thing or two thankfully. Tragic was the acquisition of the Philippines by the U.S. and treatment of its people. Ironic that while forcibly occupying one place, they championed Panama's independence (all for the sake of the canal of course). Just the genesis of the next century of American foreign policy, it seems.
Also interesting was this book's detail of Teddy Roosevelt, or at least the opinion of him through the 2 protagonists. I can't help but juxtapose this book (arrogant, bit a blowhard) with The Bully Pulpit (earnest, visionary). Maybe just missed it in prior reading. Nice to get a fuller picture of the man still.
Still learned a thing or two thankfully. Tragic was the acquisition of the Philippines by the U.S. and treatment of its people. Ironic that while forcibly occupying one place, they championed Panama's independence (all for the sake of the canal of course). Just the genesis of the next century of American foreign policy, it seems.
Also interesting was this book's detail of Teddy Roosevelt, or at least the opinion of him through the 2 protagonists. I can't help but juxtapose this book (arrogant, bit a blowhard) with The Bully Pulpit (earnest, visionary). Maybe just missed it in prior reading. Nice to get a fuller picture of the man still.
Read
August 8, 2018It is OK, but a tad boring. I think I am about 60% through it, and aside from the fact that the two men were born about 50 miles apart and lived in the nineteenth century, there is nothing about the two of them together. Maybe it is a long build up. Oh, and there is someone named Clara in each of their immediate families. There's a connection
They don't meet. They don't correspond. One is dealing with bankruptcy and family tragedy and the other is at the top of his game as an American diplomat. And...?
Hay, of course, was a player in the State Dept and part of the imperialistic age. So, that connects.
Why in heavens name this is a book about the two of them, I have yet to figure out.
They don't meet. They don't correspond. One is dealing with bankruptcy and family tragedy and the other is at the top of his game as an American diplomat. And...?
Hay, of course, was a player in the State Dept and part of the imperialistic age. So, that connects.
Why in heavens name this is a book about the two of them, I have yet to figure out.
December 23, 2021
An ambitious and engrossing dual biography of two of the more celebrated and interesting public figures in late 19th century America. The biographies are set within the context of the United States as it began to emerge as a world power, with the Spanish-American War, the annexation of Hawaii, and the suppression of independence fighters in the Philippines—the author vividly and effectively documents a period of unprecedented chauvinism, hubris, and hypocrisy. John Hay was part of the government that carried this out; Samuel Clemens was the gadfly who became the social conscience of the country. Highly recommended!
January 23, 2023
I started this book a few years ago and now I finally finished it. It was an interesting book but tended to only tell the bad side of American foreign policy.
April 5, 2022
Could Have Been A Good History
I had never heard of Mark Zwonitzer when I began reading this book. I didn’t know what to expect. However, as I read further and further into this book that I thought would be interesting history, I realized it was not really pure history at all, but rather history from the typical Liberal Democrat mindset. It’s a history with the author’s comments and point of view, a history that judges men who lived over one hundred years ago by the standards of the modern liberal's twisted world view. When I got to the acknowledgment section I understood why the book contained its Liberal bent. I was not surprised to learn of his long association with Joe Biden, the congenital liar who now is America's commander in chief. Don't get me wrong, it is obvious Mark Zwonitzer put tremendous effort into the research and writing of this book. It's just too bad that all of the output of that research was filtered through a political outlook so heavily influenced by the greatest liar of our time.
I had never heard of Mark Zwonitzer when I began reading this book. I didn’t know what to expect. However, as I read further and further into this book that I thought would be interesting history, I realized it was not really pure history at all, but rather history from the typical Liberal Democrat mindset. It’s a history with the author’s comments and point of view, a history that judges men who lived over one hundred years ago by the standards of the modern liberal's twisted world view. When I got to the acknowledgment section I understood why the book contained its Liberal bent. I was not surprised to learn of his long association with Joe Biden, the congenital liar who now is America's commander in chief. Don't get me wrong, it is obvious Mark Zwonitzer put tremendous effort into the research and writing of this book. It's just too bad that all of the output of that research was filtered through a political outlook so heavily influenced by the greatest liar of our time.
September 15, 2023
At first the structure of the The Statesman and the Storyteller seems artificial. John Hay and Samuel Clemens are old friends, but Hay's wife has forbidden him to carouse with Clemens and at the opening of this narrative in 1895, they have not seen one another for 15 years. What bound them together in the first place is their shared origins along the muddy and uncivilized banks of the Mississippi, Clemens in Missouri and Hay in Illinois. Hay, however, went off to Brown University, while Clemens knocked around out west. As a result, they have quite different politics.
Mark Zwonitzer seems to respect both men, even though both can be difficult to like and for very different reasons. He has dived deep into archives of letters and other private papers and produced very intimate portraits of a somewhat chilly and formal man and a explosively profane and funny man. Hay's life is one public struggle or ceremony after another; we learn very little about his home life and get the idea that he doesn't really have one that we would recognize. Clemens, on the other hand, spends most of his time with his wife and three daughters, traveling from one hotel or rented villa to another.
Only his wife and two of the daughters accompany him on an around-the-world tour intended to get him out debt. As the book opens his finances are in ruins because of his foolish obsession with a revolutionary but unworkable printing press. Hay, on the other hand, is wealthy through his marriage to an heiress, and is being talked into rejoining public life as the ambassador to England. At one point they are even in London at the same time for several months and never meet.
It doesn't really spoil too much to say that Hay is in poor health much of the time and dies of a heart ailment in 1905. He suffers at least one personal calamity along the way, but Clemens suffers several. It is puzzling for a modern reader to find that these two men, only in their 60s, feel old, worn out, and at the end of their lives. Both of them have been working very, very hard since they were boys and have fit a lot into about a half century each.
Zwonitzer is a good writer and moves between his two subjects very smoothly. He is very even-handed about the personal behavior of Hay and Clemens, but it is very clear where his politics lie. For his time, Hay's prejudices were probably fairly typical, but because he had a great deal of power, those prejudices affected millions of lives. The climax of this history is the Spanish-American War, which by Zwonitzer's lights was nothing but a racist, imperialist power and territory grab, brought off with brutality and not particularly legal in any way shape or form. The imperialism in the title refers to the U.S. seizure of Hawaii, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines through bald aggression.
While Hay is a blithe prosecutor of this war, Clemens rails against it, sometimes in front of audiences and in print but more often in private, writing that was released after his death or only in letters or journals. In Clemens we see a forward looking and progressive perspective albeit a depressed one, but a person who makes the modern reader dare to be proud to be an American. Hay, by contrast, is a relict of an embarrassing past, a white supremacist who occasionally feels regret for racism's effects but never its rationales. That you don't really, really dislike John Hay by the end of this book is a credit to Zwonitzer's own fair-mindedness.
Mark Zwonitzer seems to respect both men, even though both can be difficult to like and for very different reasons. He has dived deep into archives of letters and other private papers and produced very intimate portraits of a somewhat chilly and formal man and a explosively profane and funny man. Hay's life is one public struggle or ceremony after another; we learn very little about his home life and get the idea that he doesn't really have one that we would recognize. Clemens, on the other hand, spends most of his time with his wife and three daughters, traveling from one hotel or rented villa to another.
Only his wife and two of the daughters accompany him on an around-the-world tour intended to get him out debt. As the book opens his finances are in ruins because of his foolish obsession with a revolutionary but unworkable printing press. Hay, on the other hand, is wealthy through his marriage to an heiress, and is being talked into rejoining public life as the ambassador to England. At one point they are even in London at the same time for several months and never meet.
It doesn't really spoil too much to say that Hay is in poor health much of the time and dies of a heart ailment in 1905. He suffers at least one personal calamity along the way, but Clemens suffers several. It is puzzling for a modern reader to find that these two men, only in their 60s, feel old, worn out, and at the end of their lives. Both of them have been working very, very hard since they were boys and have fit a lot into about a half century each.
Zwonitzer is a good writer and moves between his two subjects very smoothly. He is very even-handed about the personal behavior of Hay and Clemens, but it is very clear where his politics lie. For his time, Hay's prejudices were probably fairly typical, but because he had a great deal of power, those prejudices affected millions of lives. The climax of this history is the Spanish-American War, which by Zwonitzer's lights was nothing but a racist, imperialist power and territory grab, brought off with brutality and not particularly legal in any way shape or form. The imperialism in the title refers to the U.S. seizure of Hawaii, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines through bald aggression.
While Hay is a blithe prosecutor of this war, Clemens rails against it, sometimes in front of audiences and in print but more often in private, writing that was released after his death or only in letters or journals. In Clemens we see a forward looking and progressive perspective albeit a depressed one, but a person who makes the modern reader dare to be proud to be an American. Hay, by contrast, is a relict of an embarrassing past, a white supremacist who occasionally feels regret for racism's effects but never its rationales. That you don't really, really dislike John Hay by the end of this book is a credit to Zwonitzer's own fair-mindedness.
June 24, 2018
(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)
In a dual biography covering the last ten years of the lives of friends and contemporaries, writer Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain) and statesman John Hay (who served as secretary of state under presidents William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt), The Statesman and the Storyteller not only provides an intimate look into the daily lives of these men but also creates an elucidating portrait of the United States on the verge of emerging as a world power.
And just as the narrative details the wisdom, and the occasional missteps, of two great men during a tumultuous time, it also penetrates the seat of power in Washington as the nation strove to make itself known internationally--and in the process committed acts antithetical to America’s professed ideals and promises.
The country’s most significant move in this time was to go to war with Spain and to eventually wrest control of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. In what has to be viewed as one of the most shameful periods in American political history, Filipinos who believed they had been promised independence were instead told they were incapable of self-government and then violently subdued in a war that featured torture and execution of native soldiers and civilians. The United States also used its growing military and political might to grab the entirety of the Hawaiian Islands and a large section of Panama.
As secretary of state during this time, Hay, though a charitable man, was nonetheless complicit in these misdeeds. Clemens, a staunch critic of his country’s imperialistic actions, was forced by his own financial and family needs to temper his remarks. Nearing the end of their long and remarkable lives, both men found themselves struggling to maintain their personal integrity while remaining celebrated and esteemed public figures.
Big book - little surprise...this is, effectively, two biographies of two very influential people of their time. Mark Twain and John Hay. That alone is reason enough for 600+ pages...but when you consider their backgrounds, their friendship and their seemingly opposing viewpoints on America's emergence on the world stage as an imperial force - that makes it a sensational story.
Driven by immaculate research, I was drawn deeply (and quickly) into the childhoods of these two Missouri men and the connections they made as kids. The one thing that I really liked was the way the biographies differed from each other - Hay's covers more of the political machinations of the time (and his place in that), where Twain's was more of a personal biography. That certainly gave the feeling to the reader of two distinct stories.
As others have said, I think the title was misleading - the fact that these two didn't talk for more than 20 years certainly doesn't lend itself to the belief that these two were ever involved together in this period of Imperialism. The connection was strenuous at best...
However, putting that aside, I still think that his was a very well-worthy read and something I have no trouble recommending for the historical aspect, if nothing else.
Paul
ARH
In a dual biography covering the last ten years of the lives of friends and contemporaries, writer Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain) and statesman John Hay (who served as secretary of state under presidents William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt), The Statesman and the Storyteller not only provides an intimate look into the daily lives of these men but also creates an elucidating portrait of the United States on the verge of emerging as a world power.
And just as the narrative details the wisdom, and the occasional missteps, of two great men during a tumultuous time, it also penetrates the seat of power in Washington as the nation strove to make itself known internationally--and in the process committed acts antithetical to America’s professed ideals and promises.
The country’s most significant move in this time was to go to war with Spain and to eventually wrest control of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. In what has to be viewed as one of the most shameful periods in American political history, Filipinos who believed they had been promised independence were instead told they were incapable of self-government and then violently subdued in a war that featured torture and execution of native soldiers and civilians. The United States also used its growing military and political might to grab the entirety of the Hawaiian Islands and a large section of Panama.
As secretary of state during this time, Hay, though a charitable man, was nonetheless complicit in these misdeeds. Clemens, a staunch critic of his country’s imperialistic actions, was forced by his own financial and family needs to temper his remarks. Nearing the end of their long and remarkable lives, both men found themselves struggling to maintain their personal integrity while remaining celebrated and esteemed public figures.
Big book - little surprise...this is, effectively, two biographies of two very influential people of their time. Mark Twain and John Hay. That alone is reason enough for 600+ pages...but when you consider their backgrounds, their friendship and their seemingly opposing viewpoints on America's emergence on the world stage as an imperial force - that makes it a sensational story.
Driven by immaculate research, I was drawn deeply (and quickly) into the childhoods of these two Missouri men and the connections they made as kids. The one thing that I really liked was the way the biographies differed from each other - Hay's covers more of the political machinations of the time (and his place in that), where Twain's was more of a personal biography. That certainly gave the feeling to the reader of two distinct stories.
As others have said, I think the title was misleading - the fact that these two didn't talk for more than 20 years certainly doesn't lend itself to the belief that these two were ever involved together in this period of Imperialism. The connection was strenuous at best...
However, putting that aside, I still think that his was a very well-worthy read and something I have no trouble recommending for the historical aspect, if nothing else.
Paul
ARH
June 11, 2018
A much longer book than I anticipated. As one reviewer mentioned, this could have been made into two books. The men did not closely interact. They were contemporaries. They respected each other, having known each other in their younger days and occasionally corresponding in later days. I often wondered if Clements was added to keep people reading about Hays.
This book taught me what I had not learned in school. It opened my eyes and changed my opinion of many people I knew primarily by name. Hays came out one of the few politicians who remained honorable, a gentleman and a diplomat , dedicated to serving his country and his president. And I certainly gained a richer understanding of “Mark Twain”
Historical books, so meticulously researched and so well written, often leave me with two feelings: hope and depression. Depression that our country has suffered through the politics of so many white men, vested in their own drive for monetary gain or political power. Hope that we have lived through these moments since the earliest days of our nation and America might yet survive its current problems.
This book taught me what I had not learned in school. It opened my eyes and changed my opinion of many people I knew primarily by name. Hays came out one of the few politicians who remained honorable, a gentleman and a diplomat , dedicated to serving his country and his president. And I certainly gained a richer understanding of “Mark Twain”
Historical books, so meticulously researched and so well written, often leave me with two feelings: hope and depression. Depression that our country has suffered through the politics of so many white men, vested in their own drive for monetary gain or political power. Hope that we have lived through these moments since the earliest days of our nation and America might yet survive its current problems.
July 7, 2019
The Author had an interesting idea of intertwining two public figures of the early 1900's. Most People have heard of Mark Twain (Sam Clemmens) and probably few have heard of John Hay. Even though they may have been friends I felt this was a stretch to lump them together in the same book. I went from one chapter about Mark Twain then one about John Hay. John Hay had been President Lincoln's secretary during the Civil War and Also President McKinley then President Roosevelt's Secretary of State. John Hay had a very strong loyalty to public service and should have declined Roosevelt's offer to stay on as Secretary of State. Mark Twain (Sam Clemmens) was an American author and he and Hay had a friendship that lasted over 40 years. I think a better concept would have been Mark Twain with General US Grant.
December 13, 2019
This is a fantastic book, hard to put down. It is about John Hay, who started his career as Abraham Lincoln's secretary and ended it as Teddy Roosevelt's Secretary of State, and Mark Twain. They knew each other, having come from the same Mississippi area, but their connection is somewhat tenuous in this book. However, their activity and relationship gives the reader a different view of history--from 1895 to 1905. The Spanish American War, our dealings with the Philippines, and Panama Canal were important events--John Hay had to represent the view of the administrations (McKinley and Roosevelt), while Mark Twain was decidedly anti-imperialist.
If this is your "period," you'll enjoy this view of history from the sidelines. Certainly, Mark Twain is an admirable character whom I would like to know better.
If this is your "period," you'll enjoy this view of history from the sidelines. Certainly, Mark Twain is an admirable character whom I would like to know better.
June 14, 2017
Like Zwonitzer, I am awfully fond of both John Hay and Sam Clemens, but I fear here we have one of those tales of a family bringing back just too many slides and 8mm films back from vacation - - no one, but no one can sit through all of them! Zwonitzer is a fine writer, full of neat and illustrative images, but the reader literally drowns in them. Ah, for the services of a better editor to have shaped and pruned this fine piece as it needed. That said, if you have the time, Zwonitzer brings Hay and Twain back to us, along with the perfectly titled "Gilded Age", in their full colour and vigour!
May 22, 2019
Great book on a time in American and world history about which I know little, dealing primarily with America's expansion into world politics and imperialism (annexation of Hawaii, Spanish American war, the Philippines, Panama canal treaty, Alaska boundaries, etc.). The lives of John Hay as ambassador to England and Secretary of State and the family of Samuel Clemens ("Mark Twain") lend intimacy and personal and poignant perspective on these complex and turbulent times. Cast of characters is broad and fascinating- William McKinley (the Major), Teddy Roosevelt, Henry Adams, Henry Cabot Lodge, and many others.
June 13, 2017
Enjoyed every page.
This was a very enlightening history. John Hay has been largely forgotten in our history or at least remembered as "one of the Lincoln boys". How would history have been different if He had run for higher office and McKinley had survived. I wasn't aware that John Sherman had dementia while he served as Secretary of State. What an impressive person Samuel Clemens was. I am glad that He spoke out about American's condescending attitude toward the Philippine people. What a tragedy. Perhaps, Theodore Roosevelt does not deserve that place on Mount Rushmore.
This was a very enlightening history. John Hay has been largely forgotten in our history or at least remembered as "one of the Lincoln boys". How would history have been different if He had run for higher office and McKinley had survived. I wasn't aware that John Sherman had dementia while he served as Secretary of State. What an impressive person Samuel Clemens was. I am glad that He spoke out about American's condescending attitude toward the Philippine people. What a tragedy. Perhaps, Theodore Roosevelt does not deserve that place on Mount Rushmore.
January 27, 2018
A good dual biography, although a bit long-winded in parts. This book helps show the human side of politics and should be required reading for any would-be politicians. The author writes in a style that engages the reader throughout the story. I would have finished it sooner if it hadn't been started over the holidays. Anyway, a solid book about one of America's leading political luminaries, and also about the humorist Mark Twain.
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February 19, 2020Excerpts from the book:
Page xi: (John) Hay was the United States of America's ambassador in London when that city was the seat of the most impressive empire the world had ever known, and then US secretary of state from 1898 until his death in 1905.
page 426 - (Elihu Root's comment about US"s colonization of Philippines): "Yes, as far as I can make out the Constitution follows the flag, but it doesn't quite catch up with it."
Page xi: (John) Hay was the United States of America's ambassador in London when that city was the seat of the most impressive empire the world had ever known, and then US secretary of state from 1898 until his death in 1905.
page 426 - (Elihu Root's comment about US"s colonization of Philippines): "Yes, as far as I can make out the Constitution follows the flag, but it doesn't quite catch up with it."
July 18, 2023
This was a well-written and well-researched book. It has a lot of detail and covers a lot of ground in U.S. history. The book title is a little deceptive because it makes it sound like John Hay and Samuel Clemens drank beer together frequently. This is not the case. They knew each other and corresponded occasionally. An interesting look at their personal lives.
October 15, 2019
Not a page turner...it's a history book. But I learned a lot. I love Samuel Clemens! I was really surprised to find out how cruel we were to the Filipinos. And the blatant racism and white supremacy in our government was very disappointing.
December 7, 2021
I have to give it 5 stars, it was written specifically for me. I've read all around the 1895 to 1920 period trying to figure out what sent the US on the course that we stubbornly adhere to today. This book puts one into the decision making process.
November 25, 2017
Clever Dual Biography
This is well written biography of two lives in the post Civil era, linked by respect, circumstance, mutual experiences. Cleverly done!
This is well written biography of two lives in the post Civil era, linked by respect, circumstance, mutual experiences. Cleverly done!
December 31, 2021
Solid read.
November 12, 2022
Interesting book about 2 men who weren't really close but who shared a space in time and a mutual respect. I most enjoyed the historical perspective and insight into their personal lives.
October 20, 2025
Reading this and comparing what is going on today in politics and war convinces me more than ever that there is nothing new under the sun. Racism and war atrocities then continue to this day.
February 25, 2022
Very interesting book but overly long. Both protagonists become alive again. I hold some of the other historical figures in this book in lesser regard.
Good thing I read this on Kindle; the built-in dictionary was consulted numerous times.
Good thing I read this on Kindle; the built-in dictionary was consulted numerous times.
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