Lariat: Besides McKinley, who do you think is the most fascinating American president? There was of course the Spanish-American War, but more important was all the new territory we acquired as a result – Cuba, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico. Miller: McKinley was a natural vehicle to describe America’s coming of age as so much happened during the five years he spent in office. What made you decide to focus a book on President McKinley? Lariat: You’ve mentioned in interviews previously that William McKinley is often not focused on in historical works as much as other assassinated presidents. belonged in the club of great powers like Britain. Average Americans were also becoming very patriotic and anxious to show the U.S. The economy was rapidly becoming more industrial and consumer driven. The period covered by the book – essentially the 1890s – marks a crucial turning point in American history on a number of levels. Miller: I was interested in a story with which I could describe America’s rise as a global power. Lariat: What led you to write this book specifically?
Reading also helps and I was, even back then, a big fan of narrative historians like Barbara Tuchman. But writing, like any skill, is something that gets better with practice. I recently came across an article I wrote back then, and it was pretty painful to read. Miller: Like a lot of people, I began on my high school newspaper. Lariat: How did you initially get into writing? This will be part of an ongoing Q&A series with artists and authors interviewed by the Lariat. The book highlights the conflict between two very different men, one of whom was President of the United States. Scott Miller is the author of “The President and the Assassin: McKinley, Terror, and Empire at the Dawn of the American Century” and was a recent guest on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart”.
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