Ohio's Kingmaker

William T. Horner is a professor and the director of undergraduate studies in the Department of Political Science at the University of Missouri. He is the author of Showdown in the Show-Me State: The Fight over Conceal-and-Carry Gun Laws in Missouri.

"A must-read for anyone interested in Gilded Age politics: this myth-busting book sets the record straight with sharp, well-researched prose. Horner shows how Democratic cartoonists attacked McKinley by depicting Hanna as master and McKinley as puppet, obscuring McKinley's political skills and ignoring Hanna's honorable public service." "Horner's biography of Hanna is unquestionably the most thorough analysis to date. It is fresh, balanced, and the author's reliance on personal papers, memoirs, newspapers, and mounds of secondary literature makes for a compelling argument and a fine study of Gilded Age politics." (West Virginia History: A Journal of Regional Studies) "William Horner tells this...story in detail, with some shrewd insights into American politics. The book will appeal to students of the period, politics, and biography. It should end the stereotypes of the people involved." (The Historian) "In writing the first modern biography of Mark Hanna, Professor Horner has provided historians of Gilded Age politics with a useful survey that complements the earlier work of H. Wayne Morgan and Lewis L. Gould. In his comparison of Hanna and Karl Rove, the author suggests that modern journalists should study their history more carefully." (Northwest Ohio History) "Horner…successfully strives to provide a more balanced portrait of the man. Hanna was wealthy, and he saw nothing wrong with using his wealth and the wealth of others who agreed with Republican policies to support McKinley. However, he was no ravenous capitalist in his business practices, and he generally took a moderate approach in dealings with organized labor. Horner illustrates how a concentrated campaign by segments of the media, even a century ago, can create a distorted impression which, for many, is easily mistaken for reality." (Booklist) Ohio's Kingmaker is a well-written and engaging book, and the central theme—comparing the nearly unknown Hanna to the very familiar Rove—makes for an effective hook. Scholars will be deconstructing and critiquing the Bush presidency for years to come; the author has made a valuable contribution to understanding an important facet of both the Bush presidency and its century-old precursor. (Trinity University)