basted eisenhower, and let you run in the republican party will take over and will be handed the isolations the victors that you want in europe with a great cause during the war will be undone. that's what god grant into politics. >> my question is for john. your book deals with a long period of time and kind of behind the scenes of history and politics. i was wondering what percentage of across in your research and work that most surprised you or intrigue you? and also, what event that perhaps is not very well-known? >> the girlfriends. [laughter] but maybe that's not surprising. it's often been said about john hay backing everybody in the gilded age -- that he knew everybody in the gilded age of the presidents, the major robber barons, every significant author, mark twain, william dean howells, who wrote the first significant review of portrait of a lady for his great friend, henry james. and i guess the point is he wasn't collecting friends so much as they were collecting him. and john hay, i quickly realized was regarded as everybody's favorite guy. they all wanted to be around him. the