About the Author

WARREN TREST is a former United States Air Force senior historian. A combat reporter, writer, and air power historian in the Korean, Vietnam, and Cold Wars, he has published numerous articles and authored and coauthored more than 50 histories and studies. His book Air Commando One was nominated for the Bancroft Prize for distinguished works in American history. Other recent works include Wings of Denial, Nobody But the People, and Once a Fighter Pilot, and the hard-boiled Jake Falcon mystery novels Missing in Paradise and Requiem for a Flower Child.

Reviews

In Nobody but the People: The Life and Times of Alabama's Youngest Governor, Trest demonstrates deep research and a natural talent for storytelling. Humorous anecdotes, poignant details, and revealing glimpses of both Patterson and peripheral characters, such as George C. Wallace, amplify the context and provide a pleasurable reading experience.-- "The Journal of Southern History"

In Nobody But the People, Warren Trest has given us a thoroughly readable and fair-minded account of John Patterson's career, which was one of the most important in Alabama's recent history. As governor of the state from 1959-63, Patterson's inclinations on issues ranging from public education to the building of roads were noble and progressive. But on the issue of race, he was caught in the tragic time warp of his place, and Trest explores those failings with honesty and heart. The result is a subtle portrait of a complicated man, who has had the courage to admit his mistakes. In telling this important and multi-layered story, Trest has given us a history that is vivid and alive.--Frye Gaillard "author of Cradle of Freedom: Alabama and the Movement That Changed America"

The book Nobody But the People is actually written by Warren Trest, but Patterson worked closely with Trest and has been on the circuit promoting its release. From his role in cleaning up organized crime in Phenix City, to a tumultuous term as governor, to the transition to a respected jurist Patterson's political career has had many acts and Nobody But the People chronicles them all.-- "Doc's Political Parlor"