George Graham Vest
The Life and Times of Dog's Best Friend
Retail Price: $26.95
Although the saying “Dog is man’s best friend,” is well known, the man who originally coined the phrase is less celebrated in modern times. However, in the late 1800s, George Graham Vest was a distinguished attorney and politician widely admired for his skills in oration and debate.
George Graham Vest—The Life and Times of Dog’s Best Friend provides a detailed look at Vest, who was born and raised in Frankfort, Kentucky but later practiced law in central Missouri, serving the “Show Me State” in the Missouri House of Representatives, the Confederate Congress, the Confederate Senate, and later the U.S. Senate, with more than 30 years in public office.
Vest was known as a champion for the rights of Native Americans, helped establish Yellowstone National Park, and was called a man of genius by his contemporaries whose skill in debate was never equaled.
Written by Stephen M. Vest, a descendant who is also known for his command of the English language, George Graham Vest—The Life and Times of Dog’s Best Friend is a fitting biography to one of America’s best statesmen, long overdue.
About The Author
Photographer
Reviews
“Steve Vest, editor and publisher of Kentucky Monthly Magazine for the past quarter century, has spent three decades researching his cousin, George Graham Vest. Steve’s honored ancestor was born in Frankfort, Ky., served in Jefferson Davis’ Confederate Congress and was a United States senator from Missouri. At last, we have the full story of the man credited with the phrase “Dog is man’s best friend.”
-Russ Hatter, Frankfort’s long-time city historianReviews
“He [G.G. Vest] is one of the most remarkable and picturesque men this country has produced. His remarkable and original genius, his conspicuously independent intellect, and his absolute fearlessness have placed him peculiarly in a class by himself.”
-Henry M. Rose, Chief Clerk of the U.S. Senate (1905-1932)Reviews
“The one absolutely unselfish friend that a man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him and the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous, is his dog … faithful and true even to death.”
-George Graham Vest, “Eulogy of the Dog”, 1870Illustrator
Book Details
Author: Stephen M. VestProduct Dimensions: 6" x 9"
ISBN: 978-1-956027-79-2
Cover Type: Hardcover
Case Quantity:
Book Tours
Kentucky Crafted the Market, Alltech Arena, Kentucky Horse Park, LexingtonSteve Vest will be selling & signing his new book, George Graham Vest: The Life and Times of Dog’s Best Friend, at the Kentucky Crafted the Market, Sunday March 9. Location: Alltech Arena, Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, KY.
Book Tours
Boyle County Genealogical SocietySteve Vest will be speaking about his new book, George Graham Vest: The Life and Times of Dog’s Best Friend, at the Boyle County Public Library in Danville, KY.
Books will be available for purchase.
Book Tours
Daviess County Public Library POSTPONEDSteve Vest will be speaking about his new book, George Graham Vest: The Life and Times of Dog’s Best Friend, at the Daviess County Public Library in Owensboro, KY.
Books will be available for purchase.
Book Tours
Spring Fling Arts and Crafts FestivalSteve Vest will be selling and signing his new book, George Graham Vest: The Life and Times of Dog’s Best Friend. Downtown Lawrenceburg, KY (with the Bluegrass Writers Coalition).
Book Tours
Kentucky Gateway MuseumSteve Vest will be speaking about his new book, George Graham Vest: The Life and Times of Dog’s Best Friend, at the Kentucky Gateway Museum in Maysville, KY.
Books will be available for purchase.
Book Tours
Northern Kentucky History DaySteve Vest will be selling and signing his new book, George Graham Vest: The Life and Times of Dog’s Best Friend, at the Boone County Public Library in Burlington, KY.
Book Tours
Frankfort Women’s ClubSteve Vest will be speaking about his new book, George Graham Vest: The Life and Times of Dog’s Best Friend, at the Frankfort Women’s Club in Frankfort. KY.
Books will be available for purchase.
Book Tours
First Families of KentuckySteve Vest will be speaking about his new book, George Graham Vest: The Life and Times of Dog’s Best Friend, at the Louisville Boat Club in Louisville, KY.
Books will be available for purchase.
Book Tours
Hopkins County Historical SocietySteve Vest will be speaking about his new book, George Graham Vest: The Life and Times of Dog’s Best Friend, at the Hopkins County Historical Society in Madisonville, KY.
Books will be available for purchase.
Book Tours
Kentucky Bookfair: Louisville EditionSteve Vest will be selling and signing his new book, George Graham Vest: The Life and Times of Dog’s Best Friend, at the Parishtown Center in Louisville, KY.
Book Tours
The National Civil War MuseumSteve Vest will be speaking about his new book, George Graham Vest: The Life and Times of Dog’s Best Friend, at the The National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Books will be available for purchase.
Book Tours
Garrard County DAR ChapterSteve Vest will be speaking about his new book, George Graham Vest: The Life and Times of Dog’s Best Friend, at the Garrard County DAR Chapter, Lancaster, KY.
Books will be available for purchase.
Book Tours
Evenings Upstairs PresentsThe Life & Career of George Graham Vest led by Stephen M. Vest, editor and publisher of Kentucky Monthly
Thursday November 13, 2025
5:30-6:30 PM
Stephen M. Vest’s new book, George Graham Vest – The Life and Times of Dog’s Best Friend provides a detailed look at Vest, who was born and raised in Frankfort, Kentucky, but later practiced law in central Missouri, serving the “Show Me State” in the Missouri House of Representatives, the Confederate Congress, the Confederate Senate, and later the U.S. Senate, with more than 30 years in public office.
Vest was known as a champion for the rights of Native Americans, helped establish Yellowstone National Park, and was called a man of genius by his contemporaries whose skill in debate was never equaled. Written by Stephen M. Vest, a descendant who is also known for his command of the English language, this book serves as a fitting biography to one of America’s best statesmen, long overdue.
Stephen M. Vest is the editor and publisher of Kentucky Monthly, a Governor Award in the Arts (Media) honoree. Founded in 1998, Kentucky Monthly has more than 100,000 readers. He is the author Unexpected Inheritance, (Butler Books, 2014), two collections of his columns, and the publisher of the 2012 anthology Kentucky’s Twelve Days of Christmas. Vest holds degrees from the University of Louisville and Murray State University.
For additional information contact :
Bobbie Wrinkle, Adult Programming Coordinator bwrinkle@mclib.net
McCracken County Public Library
555 Washington Street
Paducah, Kentucky
270-442-2510