David O. Stewart
David O. Stewart is the author of several works of history, including Madison’s Gift: Five Partnerships That Built America, which have been awarded the Washington Writing Award and the Society of the Cincinnati History Prize.
His latest new novel is The Wilson Deception.
From Stewart's Q & A with Deborah Kalb:
Q: What are some of the most common perceptions and misperceptions about Woodrow Wilson?Learn more about the book and author at David O. Stewart's website and blog.
A: Wilson was a highly idealistic and moralistic person, the son of a Presbyterian preacher who loved to sing hymns. Surviving photographs tend to emphasize the grim, somewhat constipated side of his character.
But he also was a vigorous fellow who liked women a lot and relished telling bad jokes and reciting limericks. I tried to convey a more complex picture of him.
Q: When you mix historical figures and fictional creations, how much do you stick to the actual facts?
A: The basic events of history, the basic traits of historical figures – I respect all of those. In The Wilson Deception, the sequence of the peace negotiations provides the timeframe for the story and I follow it very closely.
The assassination attempt on French Premier Georges Clemenceau, the death of British diplomat Mark Sykes (architect of the Sykes-Picot agreement carving up the Middle East), and President Wilson’s health crises are...[read on]
My Book, The Movie: The Wilson Deception.
Writers Read: David O. Stewart.
The Page 69 Test: The Wilson Deception.
--Marshal Zeringue
