MORGENTHAU
POWER, PRIVILEGE, AND THE RISE OF AN AMERICAN DYNASTY
By Andrew Meier
“A majestic, authoritative multigenerational saga.”
A New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice
A New Yorker Book of the Year
NOW in paperback
After arriving in America from Germany in 1866, the Morgenthaus made history in wartime diplomacy, presidential politics, and the U.S. criminal justice system.
Drawing on more than a decade of research, hundreds of interviews, and exclusive access to archives, Andrew Meier's MORGENTHAU reveals the power of this American family — and chronicles how, over four generations, from a foundation of private wealth, they built a dynasty of public service.
“A fascinating family portrait on the grandest scale.”
“This is the story of four generations of an American family and of the America they served and built. The Morgenthaus span one hundred fifty years of American history. They were New Yorkers through and through, yet they looked to the national political horizon.
“The saga of the Morgenthau family has lain half-hidden in the American shadows for too long. At heart a family history, it is also a far-flung epic, as big and improbable as the country itself.”
— Prologue, MORGENTHAU
“An epic of vast scope and bravura research, opening a window into one of the twentieth century’s most influential families.”
“Morgenthau is the rare writerly accomplishment that manages to tell a tale that is both epic and intimate…. Exhaustively researched, vividly written, and a welcome reminder that even the most noxious evils can be vanquished when capable and committed citizens do their best.”
“Magisterial . . . a vivid retelling of critical domestic and world events over two centuries.”
About the Author
Andrew Meier is the author of two previous award-winning works of nonfiction: Black Earth: A Journey Through Russia After the Fall and The Lost Spy: An American in Stalin’s Secret Service.
Photo: Brigitte Lacombe
A former Moscow correspondent for Time, he has contributed to numerous national and international publications for more than two decades, including Harper’s, the Financial Times, National Geographic, and The New York Times Magazine.
Meier is the recipient of fellowships from the Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers at the New York Public Library, the Leon Levy Center for Biography, and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. An Associate Professor of Writing at the New School in New York City, Meier lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife and their two daughters.
Other Books
Black Earth
A Journey Through Russia After the Fall
The Lost Spy
An American in Stalin's Secret Service
Chechnya
To the Heart of a Conflict