Book review: Guest of Honor by Deborah Davis

Guest of Honor: Booker T. Washington, Theodore Roosevelt And the White House Dinner That Shocked A Nation by Deborah Davis

Guest of Honor gives a great look into the lives of Booker T. Washington and Theodore Roosevelt way before they become the two extraordinary men sitting together at dinner. The reader gets a glimpse of both Booker's and TR's childhoods and the affect of Emancipation and the assassination of Lincoln on their lives. Then we get to read about the events leading up to their dinner and the backlash that happens after.

Davis' research is very thorough and it is very evident that she enjoyed learning and writing about these two very interesting men. She has taken great care to make this book accessible to all readers interested in learning more about this small but significant even on our history. It's written in a very readable narrative that pulls you in to their story.

If you like history you will enjoy this book and even if you don't regularly read histories this one will most certainly keep you reading despite that.

4/5

Source: publisher/author for review

Mailbox Monday

I am really excited to read this one. It just came in the mail on Friday for review. What an incredible story this must be!

Guest of Honor: Booker T. Washington, Theodore Roosevelt and the White House dinner That Shocked a Nation by Deborah Davis

"In this revealing social history, one remarkable White House dinner becomes a lens through which to examine race, politics, and the lives and legacies of two of America’s most iconic figures.


In 1901, President Theodore Roosevelt invited Booker T. Washington to have dinner at the executive mansion with the First Family. The next morning, news that the president had dined with a black man—and former slave—sent shock waves through the nation. Although African Americans had helped build the White House and had worked for most of the presidents, not a single one had ever been invited to dine there. Fueled by inflammatory newspaper articles, political cartoons, and even vulgar songs, the scandal escalated and threatened to topple two of America’s greatest men.


In this smart, accessible narrative, one seemingly ordinary dinner becomes a window onto post–Civil War American history and politics, and onto the lives of two dynamic men whose experiences and philosophies connect in unexpected ways. Deborah Davis also introduces dozens of other fascinating figures who have previously occupied the margins and footnotes of history, creating a lively and vastly entertaining book that reconfirms her place as one of our most talented popular historians."


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