I read this book years ago, keep a copy for reference, and buy copies for friends. For anyone who believes that Southern politicians started and continue with Strom Thurmond or consisted of the progeny and colleagues of George Wallace, then you should read this book. Unfortunately, you will then be forced to revisit your ill-conceived notions of the South and its leadership from the founding of the Country. Therein lies the key to why this book is an excellent source. What most books lack is the ability to give you a great appreciation for the political dynamics of the founding of this country; what motivated the individuals who fled persecution in search of a new start only to confront those same forces here in this country. Mr. Chandler places you in the place and time, so that you can see how the Southern politician was able to develop a style that allowed for the achievement of his goal, while passing on the more obvious, yet less important victories to his opponents from the North. With this template, he takes the reader through the progeny of these early politicians and provides an enlightening and unfortunately previously untold story of some of the most brilliant leaders the country has ever known, which leaves the only difficult part of the book - regardless of political skill, the agendas of certain of these geniuses are less than impressive; however, if you can enjoy a study of political tactics, this is a great book!

Too bad it's out of print, I'd love a copy! I read this book 20 years ago and cannot find a copy. I highly reccommend it for it's intense mystery and the lure of a treasure hunt. Steeped in the early history of the desert southwest. It is an excellent read!

In his final book, David Chandler attempts the impressive feat of rewriting a small part of Revolutionary War history. His style is very popular, and frequently fleshes out details to make them more real for the reader. His thesis -- that Meriwether Lewis (of the Lewis & Clark expedition) was murdered in a conspircy that involved several great men, is necessarily stitched together with facts abetted by circumstantial evidence and conjecture.

It's hard not to like the spirit of the book. it's also hard to ignore that much of the author's case is undocumented and only partially substantiated by footnotes and specific historical detail. What he proposes may very well be correct. Certainly there's enough other interesting information here to make the read worthwhile. (His information on the details of period life is fascinating, like the informal early days of the White House.) One only wishes that the author would have had a chance to buttress is arguments.

One wonders why Meriweather Lewis is buried in a forlorn grave, out of public's sight, just off the Natchez Trace Parkway south of Nashville instead of Arlington Cemetary. Lewis was the John Glenn (the astronaut) of his day! Chandler, the author, broke historical ground in pulling together the intrigues of an intriguing era. The author persuasively shows the possible motives several powerful men may have had in quietly disposing of Lewis. It is significant that the only mention of Lewis being prone to melancholy (suicidal) was a statement by Jefferson. Great reading: International intrigue (Spain), a corrupt General of the Army (Wilkinson), frontier murder, and retired President concerned about his public legacy.