Woodrow Wilson’s presidential campaign in 1912 marked the beginning of a remarkable personal and political collaboration between Wilson and Colonel Edward M. House. The book traces the complexities of Wilson’s life and career along with his relationship with House, who for almost a decade was his closest behind-the-scenes advisor and confidant. Through the early years of Wilson’s boyhood, his rise to prominence in the academic world, to the presidency of Princeton University and the governorship of New Jersey, the authors analyze the forces and events that shaped Wilson’s character and his actions in the political arena: Wilson’s first administration, his struggles with Congress, American participation in World War I, the Paris Peace Conference, the formation of the League of Nations, the battle with the Senate over the Versailles Peace Treaty, Wilson’s appeal to the nation, and the eventual collapse of his health and his great dream. “Probably tomorrow’s biographies will continue the present tendency toward raiding the social sciences for new research techniques... The fascinating dual biography of Woodrow Wilson and Colonel House by Alexander and Juliette George shows what can and will be done in this field.” John Garraty, The New York Times “The first completely satisfactory account of this strange relationship... excellent and beautifully written.” — Bernard Brodie, World Politics “Fascinating as a study in human relations, important because of the destiny the two men held in their hands.” — Saturday Review “It has never before been told so well... Highly recommended.” — Newsday “Woodrow Wilson and Colonel House: A Personality Study may be counted among the classics in political psychology... it helped to establish a new methodological standard for psychobiography, signaling a significant step in the discipline’s maturation. Additionally, the Georges’ account has become a resource for a number of scholars, particularly political scientists, interested in a psychological perspective on Wilson or on the presidency itself... Woodrow Wilson and Colonel House has remained over the years a vital part of a number of continuing, substantive scholarly debates on Wilson and on the psychobiographical endeavor generally.” — William Friedman, Political Psychology “[A]n interesting and suggestive biography... two historians have nicely drawn upon psychoanalytic principles without in any way doing an injustice to their own responsibilities” — Robert Coles, The New York Review of Books “It is one of the best attributes of this well-written and interesting volume that the authors have managed to set down, as no one has done so well before, the way in which Colonel House coolly took the measure of Wilson’s personality and undertook to ingratiate himself... [T]he authors are thoroughly aware of the vagaries of human nature. The impression throughout the book is one of careful analysis and insight... There is a refreshing unwillingness, on the part of the authors, to bury their narrative in detail, and hence the high points of Wilson’s career come out clearly, and the judgments are likewise sharp and pointed... All in all, a first-rate volume of history.” — Robert H. Ferrell, The Review of Politics “The authors have done their research thoroughly, have presented their arguments convincingly, and have drawn logical conclusions... [They] are to be congratulated upon a job well done.” — George C. Osborn, The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science “The study is well documented and carefully written. It should have enduring value.” — Rupert N. Richardson, The Southwestern Historical Quarterly “The authors have made a valuable contribution to the literature on Woodrow Wilson and opened new possibilities in historical study.” — J. Chal Vinson, The Georgia Historical Quarterly “A commendable little book which should take high place among the one-volume biographies of Woodrow Wilson. It is a well-balanced, smartly-paced work, maturely organized and presented in an engaging... manner. For the general reader interested in good biography well told, the book should have a special and richly deserved appeal.” — Charles Jellison, The American Historical Review

A man who lived his life mostly in the shadows, Edward M. House is little known or remembered today; yet he was one of the most influential figures of the Wilson presidency. Wilson's chief political advisor, House played a key role in international diplomacy, and had a significant hand in crafting the Fourteen Points at the Paris Peace Conference. Though the intimate friendship between the president and his advisor ultimately unraveled in the wake of these negotiations, House's role in the Wilson administration had a lasting impact on 20th century international politics. In this seminal biography, Charles E. Neu details the life of "Colonel" House, a Texas landowner who rose to become one of the century's greatest political operators. Ambitious and persuasive, House worked largely behind the scenes, developing ties of loyalty and using patronage to rally party workers behind his candidates. In 1911 he met Woodrow Wilson, and almost immediately the two formed what would become one of the most famous friendships in American political history. House became a high-level political intermediary in the Wilson administration, proving particularly adept at managing the intangible realm of human relations. After World War I erupted, House, realizing the complexity of the struggle and the dangers and opportunities it posed for the United States, began traveling to and from Europe as the president's personal representative. Eventually he helped Wilson recognize the need to devise a way to end the war that would place the United States at the center of a new world order. In this balanced account, Neu shows that while House was a resourceful and imaginative diplomat, his analysis of wartime politics was erratic. He relied too heavily on personal contacts, often exaggerating his accomplishments and missing the larger historical forces that shaped the policies of the warring powers. Ultimately, as the Paris Peace Conference unfolded, differences appeared between Wilson and his counselor. Their divergent views on the negotiations led to a bitter split, and after the president left France in June of 1919, he would never see House again. Despite this break, Neu refutes the idea that Wilson and House were antagonists. They shared the same beliefs and aspirations and were, Neu shows, part of an unusual partnership. As an organizer, tactician, and confidant, House helped to make possible Wilson's achievements, and this impressive biography restores the enigmatic counselor to his place at the center of that presidency.