The Man On Whom Nothing Was Lost: The Grand Strategy of Charles Hill

Psychologically astute and passionately written, Molly Worthen’s remarkable debut charts the intricate relationship between student and teacher, biographer and subject. As a Yale freshman, Worthen found herself deeply fascinated by worldly-wise professor Charles Hill, a former diplomat who had shaped American foreign policy in his forty-year career as an adviser to Henry Kissinger, George Shultz, and Boutros Boutros-Ghali, among others. Hill was never afraid to tell students how to think or what to do, and the Grand Strategy seminar he co-taught had developed a cult following.

The Man on Whom Nothing Was Lost is at once the biography of a political insider and the story of how its author evolved as she wrote it. In a moving, highly original work, Worthen conveys the joy and the heartache of uncovering the human being behind one’s idol. |

"This is one of the most artful biographies I've read....compelling...told with the language and sensitivity of a novelist." --John B. Judis, Senior Editor of The New Republic and author of The Folly of Empire and The Paradox of American Democracy

"Engrossing...I highly recommend it." --Henry Kissinger

"What a fascinating and compelling book!" --Walter Isaacson, author of Benjamin Franklin: An American Life

"Worthen deftly describes the impact that [Charles Hill] had on U.S. foreign policy. . .[with] skill, psychological insight and compassion." --Anne Bartlett Bookpage

"Worthen is a beautiful writer, always clear and comprehensive....[her] work is nuanced, reasonable, and thoughtful." --Michael D. Langan Buffalo News

"The Man on Whom Nothing Was Lost...is a laudable and illuminating achievement." --Trey Popp The San Francisco Chronicle

"[A] subtle, penetrating, and completely absorbing portrait." --Daniel Akst Boston Globe

"[A] portrait of a fascinating, deeply human man and a girl grown up." --Karen R. Long Cleveland Plain Dealer

"History buffs will delight...Worthen [has] a good sense for metaphor and a tangible zest for her subject." --Sarah Bramwell, National Review

"Fascinating...It is a story that often reads like a combination of Philip Roth's 'Ghost Writer' and A.S. Byatt's 'Possession.'" --Michiko Kakutani The New York Times

"Strangely passionate...an oddly touching and rewarding read." --Christopher Willcox New York Sun