All the King's Men - Softcover

Warren, Robert Penn

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0553204548 ISBN 13: 9780553204544

Publisher: Bantam Books, 1981

Synopsis

Willie Stark, a political demagogue of the American thirties, corrupts himself and everything around him with his all-consuming passion for power

About this title

Review:

This landmark book is a loosely fictionalized account of Governor Huey Long of Louisiana, one of the nation's most astounding politicians. All the King's Men tells the story of Willie Stark, a southern-fried politician who builds support by appealing to the common man and playing dirty politics with the best of the back-room deal-makers. Though Stark quickly sheds his idealism, his right-hand man, Jack Burden -- who narrates the story -- retains it and proves to be a thorn in the new governor's side. Stark becomes a successful leader, but at a very high price, one that eventually costs him his life. The award-winning book is a play of politics, society and personal affairs, all wrapped in the cloak of history.

From the Back Cover:

Set in the '30s, this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel traces the rise and fall of demagogue Willie Stark, a fictional character who resembles the real-life Huey "Kingfish" Long of Louisiana. Stark begins his political career as an idealistic man of the people but soon becomes corrupted by success and caught between dreams of service and an insatiable lust for power. The model for 1996's best-selling novel, Primary Colors, and as relevant today as it was fifty years ago, All the King's Men is one of the classics of American literature.

About this edition

• Publisher: Bantam Books
• Publication date: 1981
• ISBN 10: 0553204548
• ISBN 13: 9780553204544
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 448