GUEST OF HONOR : BOOKER T. WASHINGTON, THEODORE ROOSEVELT, AND THE WHITE HOUSE DINNER THAT SHOCKED A NATION
by Deborah Davis

1901 was a pivotal year in the United States. Movies had just come into the fray, steam power was converted to electricity, photographs could be taken with the Kodak "Brownie," and the syncopated rhythms of ragtime music created by Scott Joplin brought people to their feet.
The most startling event, though, was the White House dinner on October 16. President Theodore Roosevelt invited Booker T. Washington to dine with him and his family. The next day, news about a former slave eating with the president sent shock waves throughout the country. It was unprecedented. People were outraged and considered the whole thing scandalous.
Guest of Honor is much more than a dinner. Deborah Davis writes about the aftermath of the Civil War (the rampant racism in the South), politics, American history and the lives of these two men. They actually had quite a lot in common by pursuing high goals, being involved with public service, and becoming leaders. They had the greatest respect for one another and kept up a running correspondence advising each other on different matters.
This is a terrific book about a little-known part of history. It's an engrossing tale and extremely readable. There's some great tidbits of trivia thrown in, such as the coinage of the phrase "good to the last drop" for Maxwell House coffee. Roosevelt drank tons of coffee and when he had a cup of it in Nashville, Tennessee, he drank it down in one gulp and said, "My, that was good to the last drop." In 1917, the slogan was born.
The book was well-researched and just a delight.
Highly recommended.