Sons of Wichita is my first book, and when I began this project, in the fall of 2011, my editor John Brodie cautioned me that the process would feel a bit like summiting Everest. There’s no question that there were times in the two years that followed when I wished someone would hand me an oxygen mask. Thankfully, John was with me every step of the way, spurring me on with advice, insight, and encouragement. This book is better in every way because of him, and he has my gratitude for seeing the promise in this project and in me. Thanks also to John’s wonderful colleagues, in particular Grand Central Publishing’s president and publisher, Jamie Raab; Hachette’s senior vice president of legal and business affairs, Karen Andrews; production editor Yasmin Mathew; production associate Melissa Mathlin; plus the marketing and PR team including Brian McLendon, Amanda Pritzker, Amanda Brown, and Andrew Duncan, who were fantastic to work with from start to finish. Thanks, as well, to Liz McNamara.
Equally vital to this endeavor was my agent, Howard Yoon, who helped me transform a kernel of an idea into a biography and was key to shaping the vision for this book. Howard’s partner, Gail Ross, was indispensable, and I feel extremely fortunate to have both of them in my corner. I’m also indebted to my friend Bruce Falconer, who read an early draft of the book and provided feedback that greatly improved the final product, sparing readers some terrible clichés.
A number of outstanding young journalists assisted me, and they have my sincere appreciation. Ryan Brown, now an author in her own right, contributed research and conducted a handful of interviews. Andy Kroll, my Mother Jones colleague, pitched in with some great reporting that appeared in “Out of the Shadows” and “The Mother of All Wars”; I hope our bull sessions about the Byzantine workings of Charles and David Koch’s political network continue long into the future. Molly Redden tracked down hard-to-find court records—some stored in a literal salt mine—and arranged for me to view them. Noah Shannon helped with fact checking. Thanks, as well, to Matt Corley, Victoria Rossi, Perry Stein, and Chris Heller.
David Corn is Mother Jones’s Washington bureau chief, and I’m lucky to have him as a boss and to count him as a friend. David was the first person I consulted when I was considering writing a book, and he introduced me to my agent. Along with my thanks, I owe David an orca platter at the Old Ebbitt Grill. Monika Bauerlein and Clara Jeffery, the magazine’s brilliant, indefatigable, and award-winning co-editors-in-chief, were incredibly supportive of this project from the outset and gave me the time to see it to fruition. Special thanks to Nick Baumann, who did double duty when I took book leave—and a shout-out to the rest of the MoJo family.
There were many fellow journalists who helped me at various stages of the reporting process. Among them is the phenomenal Leslie Wayne, formerly of The New York Times, who was one of the first reporters to pull back the curtain on the Koch clan. Her previous work was an incredible resource, and Leslie herself was a source of invaluable insight. She also generously shared with me her research materials, which this book benefited from greatly. Thanks to Carol Ann Whitmire, editor of the Quanah-Tribune Chief, for her hospitality when I visited Fred Koch’s birthplace on an early reporting trip. At The Wichita Eagle, Sherry Chisenhall and Jean Hays provided me with access to the paper’s “morgue”; the Eagle has done a tremendous job of covering Koch Industries and the Koch family over the years, and its archives were an important source of background material. The work of Bryan Burrough, who profiled Bill Koch for Vanity Fair in 1994, was another great resource, and I thank him for indulging my questions about obscure matters nearly two decades in the past. Last, a hat tip to Jeff Riggenbach, who patiently dug through old audiotapes and photos to unearth some gems from the early days of the Libertarian Party.
This book simply could not have been written without the participation of the scores of people I interviewed along the way. To anyone who returned my call; replied to my e-mail; agreed to meet for coffee or a drink; contributed insights and anecdotes; or pointed me in the right direction—you have my deepest appreciation. Thanks to each of you for being so generous with your time.
I also could not have done this without the support of my friends and family, who provided encouragement and inspiration throughout the process. My parents, Bernard and Linda Schulman, have been behind me at every step during my career, never more so than during the writing of this book. I owe them more than they know. My gratitude as well to the Schulman, Cooke, Silverman, and Zell families, as well as to my wonderful in-laws, Ray and Marilyn Pieczarka, and my sister- and brother-in-law, Kate and Greg Skouteris. Thanks, most of all, to my wife, Stacey, who was a beacon of confidence when I was overcome by doubt, who buoyed me with love and levity when I needed it most, and who gave me the strength to put one foot in front of the other and climb.