At Last, A Nearly Definitive Biography of George Mitchell

In 2015, former Senator George Mitchell, released his first book in 16 years, The Negotiator. It was his first and so far his only multi-subject memoir. In it, he wrote, “This is not a complete biography.” Instead, it was merely a “telling of some favorite stories about my very fortunate life.”

Now, just over a year later, noted columnist and former newspaper editor Douglas Rooks, has filled much of this void in his own first book, Statesman: George Mitchell and the Art of the Possible.

At nearly a quarter of a million words and some 532 pages it will likely be the lengthiest book ever written by or about the Waterville native who rose from humble origins to become one of the more towering leaders of the last 50 years. Rooks should be commended for the prodigious research, analysis and skillful writing. It’s certainly a subject that deserves the recognition this work affords him.

In effect, it will likely be a Gone With the Wind among popularly published studies of the former U.S. Senate Majority leader and Northern Ireland peacemaker. It does not have quite the drama and sensation of the 1939 epic, however, but like the nearly four-hour-long Civil War movie, there are some portions Rooks that might well have left on the cutting room floor. (Though there some broadcast documentaries and similar portrayals of Mitchell, there has not been a filmed dramatization of his life, one for which the likes of Dustin Hoffman would be suited for the lead role.) Read more at The Daily Bulldog.