The President Is a Sick Man: Wherein the Supposedly Virtuous Grover Cleveland Survives a Secret Surgery at Sea and Vilifies the Courageous Newspaperman Who Dared Expose the Truth [Hardcover]

Matthew Algeo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2011

On July 1, 1893, President Grover Cleveland vanished. He boarded a friend’s yacht, sailed into the calm blue waters of Long Island Sound, and--poof!--disappeared. He would not be heard from again for five days. What happened during those five days, and in the days and weeks that followed, was so incredible that, even when the truth was finally revealed, many Americans simply would not believe it.

The President Is a Sick Man details an extraordinary but almost unknown chapter in American history: Grover Cleveland’s secret cancer surgery and the brazen political cover-up by a politician whose most memorable quote was “Tell the truth.” When an enterprising reporter named E. J. Edwards exposed the secret operation, Cleveland denied it. The public believed the “Honest President,” and Edwards was dismissed as “a disgrace to journalism.” The facts concerning the disappearance of Grover Cleveland that summer were so well concealed that even more than a century later a full and fair account has never been published. Until now.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Riveting and engrossing as the best detective novel, The President Is a Sick Man is an exceedingly well-documented and overdue account of one of the great presidential cover-ups of all time.” —James McGrath Morris, author of Pulitzer: A Life in Politics, Print, and Power

“In seemingly effortless prose, Matthew Algeo tells the intricate story of one of the most unusual operations in American history. . . . Delightfully entertaining and informative.” —Mary Cappello, author of Swallow: Foreign Bodies, Their Ingestion, Inspiration and the Curious Doctor Who Extracted Them

"[A] brilliantly written historical perspective .  . . . Readers will be fascinated by this must read for anyone interested in presidential medical history.” —Dr. Connie Mariano, White House Doctor (1992–2001), author of The White House Doctor

"Author Matthew Algeo takes a little known part of presidential history and creates a page-turning ride in The President Is a Sick Man." —The Associated Press

"The President Is a Sick Man is a lively, cautionary tale—and one with a lesson for leaders that recalls Cleveland's own words of wisdom: Tell the truth." —The Wall Street Journal

"Algeo paints a colorful portrait of political intrigue and journalism during the Gilded Age." —Publishers Weekly

"Recommended for those who enjoy popular presidential histories and biographies, the history of U.S. newspaper reporting, and popular medical nonfiction." —Library Journal

"Algeo is a determined researcher and fine stylist, and the story of presidential illness serves as an effective connecting thread through a somewhat broader account of the United States during the hard economic times of the 1890s. A memorable lesson in how journalists can dig out the truths beneath official lies." —Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Matthew Algeo is a public radio reporter. He is the author of Harry Truman’s Excellent Adventure: The True Story of a Great American Road Trip, which was one of the Washington Post’s Best Books of 2009, and Last Team Standing: How the Steelers and the Eagles--“The Steagles”--Saved Pro Football During World War II, which won the 2006 Nelson Ross Award for best pro football historiography.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Chicago Review Press; 1St Edition edition (May 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 156976350X
• ISBN-13: 978-1569763506
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 1 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (72 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #310,039 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

When he's not writing his own biography in the third person, Matthew Algeo writes about unusual and interesting events in American history.

His latest book is The President Is a Sick Man (Chicago Review Press, 2011).

His previous book, Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure, was named one of the best books of 2009 by the Washington Post. It is now available in paperback.

Algeo is also a journalist. He has reported from four continents, and his stories have appeared on some of the most popular public radio programs in the United States.

In addition to reporting and writing, Algeo has held jobs as a convenience store clerk, a gas station attendant, a Halloween costume salesman, and a proofreader. He also worked in a traveling circus (as a hot dog vendor; no acrobatics involved).

His wife, Allyson, works for the United States government as a Foreign Service officer. They currently reside in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 49 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Grover Cleveland's Secret Surgery Revealed May 4, 2011

By Dr. Watson

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

The author, Matthew Algeo, a reporter for public radio, and probably not well known in historian/academic circles, and not a Medical Doctor, has yet, brought us a thoroughly researched and noteworthy book about Grover Cleveland's secret oral surgery. I especially liked this book because the author, a reporter, has written about another reporter (E.J. Edwards) who broke the story about Grover Cleveland's surgery, but was castigated by other reporters and publishers, until the lead Doctor, W.W. Keen, decided to write the definitive medical story himself, and contacted that reporter, who had had his reputation previously ruined. Algeo also gives excellent background of the historical period, including the desperate economic times, the labor and union movement, and the Silver vs. Gold standard controversy. This provides an excellent contextual background for the author's discussion of the oral surgery, and why Cleveland wanted it kept secret.

As an academic, I wished the author had included footnotes for the voluminous quotes made throughout the book. But the Acknowledgements section shows that Mr. Algeo has done his homework on this well-researched book. The only other drawback was the advertisement pages following the Index, somewhat reminiscent of the old Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew books of the 20th century, which included like-advertisements about forth-coming books in the series. In this case, Algeo has included 5 1/2 pages of advertisement for his other noteworthy book, "Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure." He has even included an excerpt from the Truman book. While I commend the author for the Truman book, it is a distraction from the Cleveland work. Otherwise, the Cleveland book is filled with pictures, diagrams, new information about the oral surgery, it's result, and the subsequent forensic testing of the material which was removed from his mouth. I especially appreciated Algeo's full treatment of what happened to the principal characters in the case. A page-turner which I highly recommend.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Excellent Book From Matthew Algeo June 29, 2011

By Brevort

Format:Hardcover

I have been a (public school) history teacher for the past twenty-three years. I am not a writer and rarely take the time to sit down and compose a review. Having just finished reading "The President Is A Sick Man" I find myself motivated to do just that. The book is outstanding. I've taught The Gilded Age and Progressive Era periods for many years. President Cleveland's 1893 operation was not unknown to those interested in Presidential history. What Matthew Algeo has done (as he did in "Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure") is to conduct extensive research into the personalities involved, the connected issues of the day and the political and cultural context in which the event occurred....and to then write about it all in a way that enlightens and entertains. One does not have to be a history nerd to enjoy this book.

Steve Cleveland (yes, that's right, Grover's first name was Steve....unusual for that period) apparently possessed a dual personality that both served him well and got him in trouble....and made possible one of the great presidential deceptions. On the one hand Grover Cleveland was serious, disciplined and dedicated and on the other he was a gregarious "hail fellow well met" who enjoyed nothing more than sitting in a bar serving as raconteur whilst eating and drinking too much.

Algeo goes into some detail about the severe economic downturn (depression) that occurred in the early 1890's, it's causes and effects and especially the influence it had on Cleveland's insistence that his major health crisis be kept absolutely secret. Who knew that the impending vote to repeal the Silver Purchase Act could have motivated one of the greatest presidential conspiracies?

Anyone interested in presidential history, political conspiracies, medical history, or learning more about the culture of the Gilded Age/Progressive Era will enjoy this book. Matthew Algeo has taken the time and has devoted the effort to do the research and the writing that make for (another) wonderful book. I hope he continues to explore, and write about, these lesser known but important events from our history.

27 of 31 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent story, but too many digressions May 19, 2011

By Robert C. Scudder

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Matthew Algeo gives an excellent account of the events surrounding Grover Cleveland's secret surgery for jaw cancer in July, 1893. But, as in Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure -- which I thoroughly enjoyed -- he goes off in too many directions, spending pages on matters which are of historical interest but are of little if any relevance. It is important to describe the depression and money crisis which gripped the country, in order to understand the reasons for the secrecy surrounding Cleveland's illness, but too many other issues are introduced, taking the reader's attention far afield. Overall a very good book, but in the future Mr. Algeo should stick more to the topic and not digress so much.