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.
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"I chose to read this book because it was recommended to me by my parents. Out of the three recent books I have read (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Ox-Bow Incident, and All the King's Men) I rate this as my second favorite book. What i liked about this book was how the author wrote about topics that are relative to today's world; such as power and politics. What i disliked about this book was that the ending was that there were not many twists thrown in to bring extra suspense for the readers. I would recommend this book to adults or college students."
— Crd (4 out of 5 stars)
“This landmark book is a loosely fictionalized account of Governor Huey Long of Louisiana, one of the nation’s most astounding politicians…A play of politics, society, and personal affairs, all wrapped in the cloak of history.”
— Amazon.com, editorial review" classic f-ed up politics plus the dirty south "
— Caroline, 2/12/2014" I thought this book was extremely well written, but I had to read this book for school. I don't agree with reading this book because I have no idea why the characters respond to certain things the way they do because I have no experience in that area. Especially the adult romance etc. "
— Teresa, 2/8/2014" An American tragedy. I had a hard time getting into the run on sentences, but once past that, I really enjoyed the story. Well done. "
— Cynthia, 2/7/2014" Worst book EVER! This author made took a horribly bland and tedious plot, and made it even worse by adding some of the least necessary details in every space possible. I mean come on, he took multiple pages to describe a road, it wasn't even important at all to the story. Not to mention that he gave the ending away in the first chapter, then it wasn't even a suprise when anyone died. If you have a copy of this book please burn immediatley. "
— Matthew, 1/11/2014" The single best book I've read in quite a while. Wait, is that why it won the Pulitzer? "
— Lee, 1/9/2014" This is one of my all-time favorites. A great American classic. "
— Dave, 1/3/2014" beautiful prose. you have to give this book a bit of time to grow on you. it's not really about willie stark, the governor, it's about jack burden, history, and blue eyes. "
— Sloan, 1/2/2014" Fuck the movie. I loved this book eve though it made me wince that the leader who abused power was such a fervet populist. "
— Caty, 12/28/2013" One of the best books that I have ever read "
— Brian, 12/9/2013" I wasn't expecting much and it was really rather good. "
— Suzie, 11/9/2013" Southern lit at it's finest. All I remember is the historian talking about the spider's web of history, how it sucks you in and never lets go. Reminds me of Walter Benjamin. "
— Isaac, 8/23/2013" ....night swimming.... "
— Mary, 7/28/2013" A fascinating story and not what I was expecting, but some of the author's digressions are hard to slog through. Worth the effort. "
— Gini, 6/26/2013" I read this when I was in a particularly jaded phase of adolescence and it greatly influenced my political outlook. It would be interesting to re-read now... "
— Martina, 5/26/2013" I hated this book. To be honest, I have no good reason for disliking it so thoroughly. It was a chore to read, and maybe I was too young and too northern to get it. "
— Kenneth, 3/25/2013" This is one of my favorite books. It is beautifully written and has the ability to pull the reader into the mind of the characters. "
— Caitlin, 2/4/2013" I loved this book and Warren's writing style. Must read. "
— Gina, 12/17/2012" This book has one of the most well-thought plots I have had the pleasure to read. The opening passage of the book is vivid and sets the pace. "
— Philip, 5/4/2012" One of the great American novels. Terrifically fun and smart. "
— Alex, 3/4/2012" I read it long before I moved to the south. It was my teenage introduction to this kind of politics. "
— Kathryn, 1/7/2012" Read this years ago....enjoyed it again. "
— Aunttammie, 9/25/2011" A timeless examination about the nature and evolution of political corruption. "
— Rich, 5/23/2011" This book has amazing imagery. I'm going to have to read it again sometime to catch a little more of the subtlety in regards to Jack's philosophy on life and some of the less direct connections (how Cass Mastern relates to the Judge). Overall an excellent book. "
— Patrick, 5/19/2011" phenomenal.. but that could have just been the professor I had a crush on.. no, second though-it's just a killer read. "
— Nicole, 5/10/2011" It may be a classic, but it took too long to say too little. Not a style I enjoy. "
— carl, 5/3/2011" It took me a while to get into this book, but once I did, I found it incredibly intriguing. "
— Ericagholson, 5/2/2011" Politics and family at its best "
— Riodelmartians, 4/20/2011" The only negative I can come up with here is the somewhat jarring use of the "n" word. Now that they're done with Huckleberry Finn, they will no doubt work this one over as well. "
— John, 4/16/2011" A great writer in my book, well, actually in his book. "
— Richard, 4/4/2011Robert Penn Warren (1905–1989) won three Pulitzer Prizes, the National Book Award, the National Medal for Literature, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 1986 he was named the country’s first poet laureate.
Michael Emerson is an American actor who has starred in some of television’s most popular shows, including Lost, Person of Interest, and The Practice. He is known for his distinctive voice. A graduate of the prestigious Professional Actor Training MFA program run by both the Alabama Shakespeare Festival and the University of Alabama Department of Theater and Dance, his passion is acting on stage.