New York, NY, July 16, 2015—Simon & Schuster will publish The Triumph of William McKinley: Why the Election of 1896 Still Matters by Karl Rove, author of the bestseller Courage and Consequence. The book will be published in November 2015 to coincide with the beginning of the 2016 primary season in which at least 16 candidates are vying for the Republican nomination. Priscilla Painton, Vice President and Executive Editor, acquired world, audio and first serial rights from Robert Barnett of Williams & Connolly.

The book offers a fresh look at President William McKinley, whose 1896 campaign defeated William Jennings Bryan. McKinley’s election ended a bitter period of political gridlock and reformed and modernized his party, thereby creating a governing majority that dominated American politics for the next thirty-six years. Rove argues that the 1896 political environment resembles that of today: A rapidly changing electorate affected by a growing immigrant population, an uncertain economy disrupted by new technologies, growing income inequality, and contentious issues the two parties could not resolve. McKinley found ways to address these challenges and win, which is why his campaign is so relevant to our politics now.

“The 1896 election is a compelling drama in its own right—larger than life characters, violence, betrayal, backstabbing and ambition,” says Karl Rove. “But McKinley’s transformative political strategies and campaign tactics offer important lessons for both political parties today who face a similar landscape and many of the same challenges.”

“Karl Rove understands elections with the depth and brilliance of a scholar,” adds Jonathan Karp, President and Publisher of Simon & Schuster. “He brings such deep personal understanding of politics to his description of William McKinley that his book is certain to be a template for thinking about historic Republican leadership as we head into the 2016 presidential campaign.”

Karl Rove served as Senior Advisor to President George W. Bush from 2000-2007 and Deputy Chief of Staff from 2004-2007. He now writes a weekly op-ed for The Wall Street Journal and is a Fox News contributor. Before he became known as “The Architect” of President Bush’s 2000 and 2004 campaigns, Rove was president of Karl Rove + Company, an Austin-based public affairs firm that was involved in over 75 campaigns for Republican candidates for president, governor and senator, as well as handling non-partisan causes and non-profit groups.

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Contact: Julia Prosser, Simon & Schuster, 212-698-7529, Julia.Prosser@simonandschuster.com