by Dan Abrams
First published 2019
Theodore Roosevelt stands accused of libel by William Barnes, the powerful Republican party leader he once called friend and ally. Roosevelt had publicly charged Barnes with political corruption, a accusation that sparked Barnes to file suit for damages large enough to destroy Roosevelt financially. The former president must now defend himself in court while the entire nation watches. More than fifty newspapers dispatch reporters to cover every moment of the proceedings. Roosevelt takes the stand in his own defense, his words preserved in trial transcripts that reveal his fighting spirit. The case unfolds as America teeters on the edge of entering the Great War. Dan Abrams reconstructs this courtroom drama using primary sources including court records, newspaper accounts, and testimony from witnesses. The trial becomes a referendum on Roosevelt's ideals and his willingness to speak truth about corruption in American politics, even when it threatens his personal fortune.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, biography-memoir, political-thriller, legal-thriller, american-history
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, legal-drama, underdog
Period: Great War, World War I
400 pages · Hardcover · Hanover Square Press