American Red

In his accomplished debut novel, Fortunate Son, David Marlett introduced readers to a fresh take on historical fiction, built around the transcripts of one of the most momentous legal trials in history. Now he returns with a dramatic new story and an equally dramatic trial.

In 1907, deadly, one-eyed union boss "Big Bill" Haywood was accused of ordering the successful assassination-by-bombing of the governor of Idaho – the first such assassination in American history. The trial, with Haywood represented by a young Clarence Darrow, was front-page news from coast to coast and across the globe. As it played out, it would present in vivid detail America's doomed thrust toward radical socialism, a "red" revolution that was gaining traction in Russia and other parts of the world.

American Red brings the story of the events leading up to this trial – and the trial itself – to dramatic life. It is a sweeping tale of murder, adultery, corruption, mountain Mafia, the Pinkertons, domestic terrorism, government-sanctioned kidnapping, the last gunslingers, mining unions, and perhaps the greatest train race ever. It is both breathless entertainment and an unforgettable portrait of a younger America at the precipice of great change.