“John A. Kirk’s incisive new biography overturns the familiar view of Winthrop Rockefeller as an outsider who decamped from a world of incomparable privilege to an underdeveloped state where he forged an unlikely political legacy. Kirk demonstrates through dogged research and astute judgment that Rockefeller’s landmark service in Arkansas extended from his engagement in a broad range of undertakings from youth to adulthood. A readable and intriguing portrait of a figure whose prelude to power distinguished him from other southern leaders of the era.”
—Ben F. Johnson III, author of Arkansas in Modern America since 1930
“In this authoritative biography, Kirk delves into Rockefeller’s ‘prehistory,’ illuminating what forged the spirit of the man who left New York high society behind for the outskirts of Little Rock, and then changed Arkansas politics almost completely.”
—Barbara Shubinski, Rockefeller Archive Center, Sleepy Hollow, New York
“Winthrop Rockefeller’s lineage presented him with high expectations and responsibilities. While Winthrop’s path was unconventional, his unwavering resolve made a lasting difference in the world around him. In this definitive biography, John A. Kirk stitches together a treasure trove of family letters and other significant documents to depict Winthrop’s important place in history.”
—Marta M. Loyd, Winthrop Rockefeller Institute, Morrilton, Arkansas