Wrath – the life and assassination of a United States Governor Reviews
Wrath – the life and assassination of a United States Governor
He was a man who needed killing. He destroyed lives, usurped power, undermined democracy and was a murderer. He was William Goebel, the 34th Governor of Kentucky, a man unafraid to turn the Bluegrass blood red in his pursuit of power. Goebel is still the only governor in United States history to be put in the ground by an assassin’s bullet. Wrath – the life and assassination of a United States Governor is the tale of the people and forces that shaped William Goebel into a autocrat, Kentucky into an armed state and the man who delivered the final act of retribution from the barrel of a muzzle.
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Price: $ 15.00
You’ll love hating William Goebel,
You can only hope that modern-day politicians aren’t (as a rule, anyway) quite as power-hungry or egomaniacal as William Goebel. Accepting that they can be, Wrath could just as easily be written about today’s political world – except that it isn’t. Somehow, Howard McEwen is able to take the reader on a fascinating voyage in time and place, down the Ohio River to Covington, Kentucky (much to the disappointment of Goebel) where we accompany a would-be governor from childhood through adolescence and adulthood. As if we were in the room with him (indeed, in his mind with him) we are treated to authentic dialogue and the twisted beliefs of Goebel, who proclaims that “[t]he American dream is bunk” and that “happiness comes from having power over yourself and then others.” Want him as your governor yet?
Set in a period following the Civil War, where Kentuckians were expected to return to “business as usual,” McEwen sets a scene that is remarkably attuned to the times. Railroads and toll roads, bankers and newspapermen, politicians and mountain men all complete the story of a Commonwealth rich in history and personalities. The novel’s Mountain Man (and potential assassin?) grows up in the background while Goebel’s emotional, mental and physical attraction to power takes an appropriate center stage. Anticipation of their inevitable “meeting” makes Wrath an exhilarating read – and an adventure absolutely worth taking.
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|I might shoot him myself.,
I might shoot him myself. While the rise to power by the main character is relentless and unstoppable, the development of the Mountain Man is profound.
From the opening line in the kitchen to the closing when everything goes black, Wrath kept me going and going and reading and reading. This is one of those books that will keep all readers involved through the end. A great read.
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|fascinating ride through the dark side,
As someone that lives near where this book takes place I could immediately understand a lot of the background. I could also understand how little things have changed! The author does an excellent job of describing the area, the times, and the emotional feelings of the characters. The characters, especially William Goebel are so real that you feel like you would recognize them on the street, and know what they would be like to share a drink with. He also does an amazing job of describing the dirty side of politics, the shady back room deals, how politics actually gets done, how short the memories of the average voter is, etc. It is an interesting and riveting read and I highly recommend it!
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