Continental Liar from the State of Maine: James G. Blaine [Paperback]

Neil Rolde (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 30, 2007

In 1884 Republican James G. Blaine came within 1,047 votes of becoming the President of the United States. This was the margin by which he lost New York State—and thus the election—to Grover Cleveland in what has been called "the dirtiest campaign in American history." Yet his career—arguably the most sensational of any American politician of the so-called Gilded Age—did not end there. He was twice U.S. secretary of state, credited with having started our country on the path to acting like a world power, a powerful speaker of the house in Congress, and a United States senator from his adopted State of Maine.

He was also, in the eyes of his opponents, "The Continental Liar From the State of Maine" or "Slippery Jim"—a sort of "amiable Tricky Dick Nixon," as he's been later called. He was hated by certain members of his own party, yet loved by millions of others, including some of his enemies in the Democratic Party. The press called him "The Magnetic Man," due to his charisma, and another nickname was the "Plumed Knight." Blaine and his wife, the former Harriet Stanwood of Augusta, knew most of the important Americans of the time—Lincoln, Harrison, Garfield, Carnegie, Roosevelt, and many others. This is the fascinating biography of a man who dominated the American political stage, starting just before the Civil War and continuing almost until the twentieth century.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"... Rolde is becoming Maine's most prolific pop historian...well researched... sturdy, balanced portrait of one of the historical giants of American politics." -- DownEast Magazine, April 2007

"...Learning about Blaine has never been so entertaining and easy to digest...Even in today's headlines, Blaine's name is associated with controversy..." -- Bangor Daily News, February 5, 2007

"...Maine's Own Schemer and Dreamer of Yesteryear...knockout job turning a figure from yesteryear into a person who would fit right at home in today's political wheeler-dealer world..." -- The Courier Gazette, June 28, 2007

"...fascinating story of politics, big business, and behind-the-scenes wheeling and dealing...first full-fledged biography of Blaine in 75 years..." -- Maine State Society Newsletter, February 2007

"A modern Blaine biography is, to say the least, long overdue...Rolde serves it up with style and substance." -- Maine Sunday Telegram, January 14, 2007

"...marvelous biography...masterful job portraying the best and worst of Republicans and Democrats in the Gilded age..." -- Kennebec Journal, October 28, 2007

About the Author

A former Maine politician himself, Neil Rolde is a prize-winning historian and the author of Unsettled Past, Unsettled Future: The Story of Maine Indians; The Interrupted Forest: A History of Maine's Wildlands, and many other books.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Tilbury House Pub (January 30, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0884482863
• ISBN-13: 978-0884482864
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #894,194 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A singularly fascinating biography of a shrewd, powerful, charismatic politician, March 5, 2007

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Continental Liar from the State of Maine: James G. Blaine (Paperback)

Written by prize-winning historian and former Maine politician Neil Rolde, Continental Liar From the State of Maine: James G. Blaine is the true story of the American presidential campaign of 1884, the so-called "dirtiest campaign in American history", when Republican James G. Blaine came within 1,047 votes of becoming president. Yet his career, as spectacular as any of the "Gilded Age", did not end there; he served twice as U.S. secretary of state, became a Speaker of the House of Congress, and a U.S. senator for his adopted state of Maine. Credited with initiating America's progression down the path to acting like a world power, Blaine's unofficial nicknames ranged from "The Plumed Knight" to "Slippery Jim" to "The Continental Liar from the State of Maine." A singularly fascinating biography of a shrewd, powerful, charismatic politician who dominated the American stage from just before the Civil War to nearly the turn of the century, Continental Liar From the State of Maine is a fascinating read from cover to cover, offering insights into political leadership, scandal, and backdoor dealing that are as applicable today as they were over a hundred years ago.