"History is filled with the stories of prominent individuals who were lauded in their day,
only to drop off the radar screen when they died. Such was the fate of Alabamian Hobson, who was
one of THE heroes of the Spanish-American War, a "Progressive" congressman, and a man of ideas
that were years ahead of their time .This complicated and often contradictory man is given some
of his due in this biography."AudioFileMagnolia Grove: The Story of Rear Admiral Richmond Pearson Hobson concerns a charismatic
American whose colorful life at the beginning of the twentieth century reflected the rapidly changing
politics and romance of his time.

In 1898, when the Spanish American War was not going well for the US, Hobson survived a "suicide
mission", sinking the Merrimac in an ironically failed attempt to block Santiago Harbor in Cuba, and
was instantly hailed as a hero. But unlike a stereotypical hero, he proved to be a complicated man,
with controversial political beliefs and attracted as much criticism as praise.

For one thing, he was a Southerner involved with highly controversial issues, such as civil rights, women's
suffrage, and prohibition. His personal life was filled with romance and disillusionment. To many he was a
naive political geniusan American Nostradamus, predicting political changes well before they became
reality. To others, he was an egoist who stepped on more than a few toes (including two President
Roosevelts') to push his causes and his own political career.

Richmond Pearson Hobson was highly honored, yet he is unknown to the majority of Americans.