Dagger John - by John Loughery (Hardcover)

About the Book

Acclaimed biographer John Loughery tells the story of John Hughes, son of Ireland, friend of William Seward and James Buchanan, founder of St. John's College (now Fordham University), builder of Saint Patrick's Cathedral on Fifth Avenue, pioneer of parochial-school education, and American diplomat. As archbishop of the Archdiocese of New York...

Book Synopsis

Acclaimed biographer John Loughery tells the story of John Hughes, son of Ireland, friend of William Seward and James Buchanan, founder of St. John's College (now Fordham University), builder of Saint Patrick's Cathedral on Fifth Avenue, pioneer of parochial-school education, and American diplomat. As archbishop of the Archdiocese of New York in the 1840 and 1850s and the most famous Roman Catholic in America, Hughes defended Catholic institutions in a time of nativist bigotry and church burnings and worked tirelessly to help Irish Catholic immigrants find acceptance in their new homeland. His galvanizing and protecting work and pugnacious style earned him the epithet Dagger John. When the interests of his church and ethnic community were at stake, Hughes acted with purpose and clarity.

In Dagger John, Loughery reveals Hughes's life as it unfolded amid turbulent times for the religious and ethnic minority he represented. Hughes the public figure comes to the fore, illuminated by Loughery's retelling of his interactions with, and responses to, every major figure of his era, including his critics (Walt Whitman, James Gordon Bennett, and Horace Greeley) and his admirers (Henry Clay, Stephen Douglas, and Abraham Lincoln). Loughery peels back the layers of the public life of this complicated man, showing how he reveled in the controversies he provoked and believed he had lived to see many of his goals achieved until his dreams came crashing down during the Draft Riots of 1863 when violence set Manhattan ablaze.

To know "Dagger" John Hughes is to understand the United States during a painful period of growth as the nation headed toward civil war. Dagger John's successes and failures, his public relationships and private trials, and his legacy in the Irish Catholic community and beyond provide context and layers of detail for the larger history of a modern culture unfolding in his wake.

Review Quotes

[A] magnificent biographical study of Hughes, one that plumbs the depths of his character, situates his own ethnic self-identity, and skillfully fits him into the lives of his contemporaries.... A fair and even-handed presentation of an important ecclesiastic of the nineteenth-century church, a man who served his adopted land well and to the end.

-- "The Journal of Religion"

A comprehensive, insightful, and robust biography of a transcendent but neglected figure.

-- "The New York Times"

A timely insight into the man who founded St. Patrick's cathedral, providing a fascinating glimpse of the world of Irish America in the 19th century.

-- "The Irish Times"

Excellent.

-- "Catholic New York"

In this superb biography by Loughery, Hughes takes his place among the movers and shakers of nineteenth century New York City.

-- "The Bowery Boys"

Loughery deftly narrates a life spent in defense of immigrants and as an imperfect advocate for tolerance and, yes, diversity.

-- "Wall Street Journal"

Loughery has convincingly painted a portrait of both Catholic New York as well as the larger American culture of the mid-nineteenth century, while also weaving into his tapestry the strengths and weaknesses, triumphs and failures, of the prelate who led the archdiocese for over two decades.... Dagger John is a considerable contribution to United States Catholic history, the role of the Irish in it, and the character of one who never shied from controversy.

-- "Catholic Historical Review"

Loughery has written an engaging contribution to the field of Irish American history that wears its erudition lightly and ought to be appreciated by scholars and general readers alike

-- "Journal of American History"

Loughery's work deftly portrays a key period in US history and the role of one of the figures who helped to define that era.

-- "Library Journal"

This full, informative, and sympathetic treatment is written in an accessible style and will be required reading for anyone interested in the contribution of the Irish to 19th-century America.

-- "Choice"

About the Author

John Loughery is the author of three books, Alias S. S. Van Dine, John Sloan, and The Other Side of Silence, the last two of which were New York Times Notable Books. His biography of John Sloan was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Biography.