Why 'All the King’s Men' Remains the Blueprint for Understanding America’s Political Dynamics—Uncover the Stats That Keep It Relevant Today

By: Govind Tekale By: Govind Tekale

Why is All the King’s Men still considered the ultimate guide to American political dynamics? Swipe to uncover the key insights that keep it relevant.

[{"selector":"#anim-48121825-6a3f-4424-8bba-066b9b79ff37","keyframes":{"opacity":[1,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c398417b-51c4-46a1-899f-6c7619300b3f","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(3)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-89613758-a4ed-4ecd-aade-68e2cbcd8153","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":800,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: Google Photo Source: Google

Can you spot the messianic leader in today’s politics? All the King’s Men shows how power can corrupt even the most well-intentioned figures.

[{"selector":"#anim-20ef1e18-db31-4ff0-98d8-47ee1b91557c","keyframes":{"opacity":[1,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0551f935-6254-4074-b767-c2ec18ac45b7","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(3)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e266d433-0e06-4d1f-951c-2c1a0990de51","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":800,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: Google Photo Source: Google

What do political opportunists really seek? This classic novel lays bare the ruthless ambition driving those who jockey for power.

[{"selector":"#anim-a68af573-e7d6-40a0-94ab-cb977b40b415","keyframes":{"opacity":[1,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4985f50a-3007-48ba-a8df-7ad0ee007eb8","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(3)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d22fc3e5-8b5f-423e-83d5-4959cc591d5b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":800,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: Google Photo Source: Google

From idealists to the easily swayed—discover the different faces in the political arena as depicted in All the King’s Men.

[{"selector":"#anim-bed57e56-343d-497e-90e9-a5e472d43319","keyframes":{"opacity":[1,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-01dd0d3a-6b58-4f4c-bc69-9a44ad3a74b7","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(3)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7d7b804b-5e0c-4f9c-800b-ac2da7421365","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":800,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: Google Photo Source: Google

Did you know that The Last Hurrah offers a biting look at political machines that’s eerily relevant today? Swipe to find out how.

[{"selector":"#anim-5b2bab3e-827c-49eb-b6be-8b482dfb638c","keyframes":{"opacity":[1,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9faa2d02-a56e-4913-bb40-ad4b412be86f","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(3)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b9d53b92-9ac4-48f3-8631-1c2b11d6b23b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":800,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: Google Photo Source: Google

Ever wondered how upstarts can beat incumbents? Learn the strategies that make political underdogs victorious in The Last Hurrah.

[{"selector":"#anim-79abfb01-ce10-4b13-831b-98cb7c7317f3","keyframes":{"opacity":[1,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d8054249-40f9-4c18-85a4-40ee7f1eb747","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(3)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-21bc412f-1c1e-45cf-a6a9-45832dfbc9dc","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":800,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: Google Photo Source: Google

What makes The Making of the President 1960 a must-read for understanding modern political campaigns? Get the inside scoop on its long-lasting influence.

[{"selector":"#anim-2855fa9b-3831-4f6d-87e1-76c94c12480e [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-22.00956920814558%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fac070b0-46dd-4967-918d-826f6aa707ee","keyframes":{"opacity":[1,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2aafcce1-3f6b-43b3-83db-7bf6097b5124","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(3)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-632f6b4c-2415-4bae-8bf2-d94be727088f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":800,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: Google Photo Source: Google

How did a sweeping biography of an urban planner expose the hidden forces behind New York’s development? The Power Broker reveals all.

[{"selector":"#anim-743f9d64-70aa-4493-9a1f-58b2aa7f2b69 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(26.204127992576474%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ade9a6f8-19ab-4898-a849-6103dc5126e8","keyframes":{"opacity":[1,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-847e7be9-1923-4ff9-b495-dab60c486812","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(3)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c7cd5132-1007-4079-8900-3c59191f4ce6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":800,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: Google Photo Source: Google

What happens when power faces a crisis it doesn't want to solve? And the Band Played On dives deep into the politics of the AIDS epidemic.

[{"selector":"#anim-155dc010-5d65-4a1e-8aef-52fd0a5bd97e [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(8.93749975083434%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-343fdec3-4725-442b-8e4b-359758a01ff0","keyframes":{"opacity":[1,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fd0f4ffe-60dd-45e9-b965-84f1ba2c5fb9","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(3)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2d579930-04be-4d5e-b6ec-cc57407dcc46","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":800,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: Google Photo Source: Google

[{"selector":"#anim-e601a45b-6bda-46b6-8969-fff844e748d3","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-da838f43-8407-43fa-b4e0-990cd59201cf","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-117.58242%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-34fc39e6-e84b-4263-b893-0d61eeacb4a1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-19993396-2c19-4436-a4ef-bb66c17eb73e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.87301%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-933c9b68-9d73-4d3a-8114-1df2fa4fa6af","keyframes":{"opacity":[1,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a1b6653b-503c-45a1-9820-932b7b333a78","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(3)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Great Britain and USA Triumph in Wheelchair Basketball Openers, Leading with 76 and 66 Points Respectively at Paris Paralympics Learn more