Pulitzer Prize Fiction Winner

All the King's Men

by Robert Penn Warren

Summary

A fictionalized account of the rise and fall of a populist Southern politician named Willie Stark, loosely based on Huey Long. It is a profound study of power, corruption, and the loss of innocence.

Historical Context & Significance

Warren was a poet-laureate and a key member of the "New Criticism" movement; the novel remains the definitive American book on political demagoguery.