Rating: 
Summary: Early Praise for Scandalmonger
Review: "There's nothing like a vivid historical novel to bring to life the human reality of other times, and that's certainly what happens in SCANDALMONGER. William Safire not only knows whereof he speaks, concerning politicians and the press, he's done the necessary reading, he's caught the temper, the vocabulary, of the vanished era of the Founders in a way equivalent to perfect pitch. His portrait of the little-known, much-scorned James Callender is one few readers will forget."- DAVID MCCULLOUGH, AUTHOR OF TRUMAN and THE PATH BETWEEN THE SEAS and WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE "Safire's portrayal of the rough and tumble world of politics in the early American republic is a deft blend of historical truth and reasoned imagination. Meticulously researched, SCANDALMONGER is historical fiction at its best." - ANNETTE GORDON-REED, PROFESSOR OF LAW, NEW YORK LAW SCHOOL "SCANDALMONGER is one of the few works of fiction or non-fiction that I have encountered that is willing to confront the seamy and sleazy underbelly of the political life of America's founders. SCANDALMONGER is a story of real political hardball by America's founders in a period when the survival of the American Republic was at stake. SCANDALMONGER is a must read for anyone who wants to really understand the politics of America's founders." -GERARD W. GAWALT, CURATOR, EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS "Maybe it takes one to know one. Whatever, who else but William Safire could tell the story of a scandalmonger (that's one word, please)? It's a gripping tale of scandal and sex and skullduggery, starring some of our history's best-loved Founding Fathers and Mothers. Safire is a superb novelist and it shows ever so clearly and entertainingly in this book." - JIM LEHRER "Safire has done it again. SCANDALMONGER is a page-turner from beginning to end. The characters ring true and the setting is precisely drawn. This is historical fiction (not fictional history) at its finest." - JEAN EDWARD SMITH, AUTHOR OF JOHN MARSHALL: DEFINER OF A NATION "Bill Safire has long been first in the class in writing about politics and corruption. In SCANDALMONGER, he offers a delectable historical novel about a less-than-savory journalist exposing less-than-virtuous statesmen--Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson, no less!--that is, at one and the same time, rooted in historical truth and strikingly contemporary. The visage of public figures who stray from accepted moral standards being all but devoured by rapacious, is often accurate, journalists is not a new one in American life. Safire's depiction of our first notorious political scandals in gripping." - FLOYD ABRAMS, FOREMOST FIRST AMENDMENT ATTORNEY "SCANDALMONGER is a rattling good read, and excellent history, too. It paints an unforgettable portrait of the reptilian, turncoat scandalmonger James Callender, one of American journalism's all-time rebarbative personalities. With scrupulous fidelity to the historical record, Safire also re-creates the astonishingly venomous political atmosphere of the early American republic--and deftly probes some still-urgent questions about freedom of the press." - DAVID M. KENNEDY, AUTHOR FREEDOM FROM FEAR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE IN DEPRESSION AND WAR, 1929-1945 "Readers addicted to historical fiction should walk briskly to their nearest bookstore for a copy of William Safire's SCANDALMONGER. His novel, supported by extensive research, recounts the scandals of 200 years ago, notably those involving Alexander Hamilton's self-confessed affair with Maria Reynolds, and Thomas Jefferson's alleged sexual relationship with the slave Sally Hemings." - ARNOLD A. ROGOW, AUTHOR OF A FATAL FRIENDSHIP: ALEXANDER HAMILTON AND AARON BURR "Like all of Safire's novels, SCANDALMONGER has a surefooted timeliness about it, finding in one of the first great political scandals of our national life, a telling premonition of the turmoils of our own time. Americans of today have but to read it to be reminded that however much times may change, the verities of men, women, sex, and politics, are eternal. In this stately narrative, rooted firmly in solid historical research, and informed by an integrity that never conceals from the reader what is fact and what is fiction, Safire lays open the rivalries and intrigues that came close to shattering a new republic still in its infancy." - WILLIAM C. DAVIS, HISTORIAN "Every chapter was a fresh delight and contained new insights revolving about the immediate post-Revolutionary period in America's history. Whether it was about the press or politics or policy or the individual leaders who are icons in our history and the way the press responded to all of them, this book compelled my interest and joy throughout. What is amazing is the texture of politics as Bill Safire described it, especially the intensity even then of the relationship between the press and their involvement in the personal lives of our earliest national leaders." - MORTIMER, B. ZUCKERMAN, CHAIRMAN & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT "William Safire has fully mobilized his monumental talents as novelist, columnist and scholar of history to bring us this breathtaking and instructive tale of how a tangled series of seductions and betrayals, involving some of the greatest names in our pantheon, changed American history. So sure is Safire's mastery of historical fiction that as you race through these pages, you will have a hard time believing that he was not really there in the center of the drama when (almost) all of this happened." - MICHAEL BESCHLOSS
Rating: 
Summary: One word - WOW!
Review: A MUST READ! Safire's use of the English language left me humbled and exhilarated! This book is brilliantly written. NOTE: To enjoy this novel to it's fullest extent keep a dictionary handy AND follow Safire's NOTES with each chapter. This allows you to separate fact from fiction and actually gives you more detail in some cases about the background of the particular dialog/scene in the novel. Safire's NOTES also explain his use of certain "period" terms and spelling of certain words. What might seem as incorrect in terms of spelling or use of a word today was actually correct for the time. Enjoy!
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Summary: Times change, but people don't!
Review: A popular, charismatic politician cannot be proven guilty of financial misdeeds. His enraged enemies keep digging and digging until they find personal dirt. No, this was not the Clinton scandal. It was what happened to Alexander Hamilton during Washington's presidency - and he was forever barred from higher office thereafter. That is just the beginning of the story. John Adams looses a chance for a second term after a diplomatic scandal, but that's nothing compared to the skeletons that will arise from Thomas Jefferson's closet. Will all be revealed? After reading this book, one truly believes it's a miracle that our country survived it's infancy. Think about it - this mudslinging was going on before anyone even knew if England was going to invade anytime soon. After all, the Revolution was only a generation old. The story is riveting from beginning to end, and these are not your elementary school founding fathers. James Madison comes off likable, if weak willed; and you feel bad for Adams, who for all his faults stayed on the straight and narrow. But most of the rest are a veritable viper's den. Monroe is the ultimate Machiavellian; and Jefferson is much, much worse - at least Monroe knows what he is - Jefferson doesn't even realize what he has become. The shocking ending is based on fact, but much is Safire's conjecture. It's up to each reader to decide how close to the truth he's hit - but you leave with the uneasy feeling that he may be uncomfortably close to home.
Rating: 
Summary: fun, historical entertainment
Review: Based on real people and actual events, but with a lot of Safire thrown in. Safire does a great job of capturing the era, both in its speech and, more importantly, in its political divisions. For those who like to complain (often justifiably) about media bias nowadays, it helps to realize that it used to be about 10 times worse. This is a good book, but not great. I was not so much captivated by the personal elements of the story as I was by all the political maneuvering that occurred. Frankly, I couldn't get enough of that part of the story, and the story's premature ending was frustrating, though true to history.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent depiction of past political scandals; no less mind
Review: boggling than todays... A presidential hopeful, with a beautiful mistress; his rival with even more sensational secrets, and the journalist who uncovers their intimate lives. A dramatized account of the lives of Alexander Hamilton and Maria Reynolds, Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings and James Thomson Callender, the journalist who exposed them and was jailed for sedition.
Rating: 
Summary: Fascinating! But...
Review: Give it five stars for story and character, but...Subtract one star for self-described "word maven" Safire's (or careless editor's) numerous grammatical errors: e.g., "...for she and I".Subtract another star forthe author's overlooking the constitutional requirement that a President must have been born within the geographical area making up the United States. Thus, Hamilton could never have been considered - perhaps the reason for that particular inclusion? This oversight is a blot on his otherwise extensive research.Nevertheless, a truly fascinating book!
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Summary: I have to finish it
Review: I checked "Scandlemonger" out of the library and didn't get to finish it. I decided I had to buy the book because I enjoyed it so much. Safire does such a good job of making history come alive. He doesn't loose the context of the time as he tries to make the situation comprehensible to modern readers. True, this may not be the most flowing novel I have read, but it does get one involved. Safire vividly shows the reader that it is not only our modern leaders who have feet of clay.
Rating:
Summary: Safire does it again!
Review: I have long been a fan of William Safire and he did not let me down with this book. He is a master of the English language and uses it with such descriptive ease. I could not put this book down. Safire effortlessly weaves this historical tale with yarns of fact, humor, and tradegy. The book is obviously well researched and brilliantly compiled. I recommend this to anyone who is interested in history. I have lent out my Safire books to many people and have made life long fans out of each. My only complaint was that I could not read it fast enough.
Rating:
Summary: Safire does it again!
Review: I have long been a fan of William Safire and he did not let me down with this book. He is a master of the English language and uses it with such descriptive ease. I could not put this book down. Safire effortlessly weaves this historical tale with yarns of fact, humor, and tradegy. The book is obviously well researched and brilliantly compiled. I recommend this to anyone who is interested in history. I have lent out my Safire books to many people and have made life long fans out of each. My only complaint was that I could not read it fast enough.
Rating: 
Summary: Vacuous
Review: I love history reads, and particularly so when it seems relevant to me in some way. I'm probably related to Thomas Callender, so I doubly expected to be glued to this book for a weekend. Sadly, this book was so dry and devoid of historical value in the first 5-10 pages that I just couldn't keep enough interest to pay attention after that and sent it to another relative, who I hope won't hold that against me too much.
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