A real-life Dead Poets Society, with a cast of characters that would be improbable in a work of fiction.
–– G. Bruce Boyer, former editor Town & Country, author

A towering story of a humble, towering man whose influence touched generations of students, colleagues, and contemporaries. With Professor Finley at its center, the book brings fresh insight into a unique period of Harvard history, as well as that of the country. It is difficult to put down.
–– Cynthia Wight Rossano, RPP ’73, author

The Master of Eliot House is a celebration of Harvard –– the university's long history inseparable from that of the United States; the ideals of academic inquiry, service, and responsible stewardship; and above all, the wry New England humor. The book has a natural audience in those who knew Finley and his Eliot House, but also a larger audience in those fascinated by the school’s mythopoeic aura. It feels especially timely given that Finley retired as house master in 1968, just before the campus protests culminated in the occupation of University Hall.
––  John Bethell AB’54, former editor Harvard Magazine, author

I confess that when you [Constantine] first approached me I thought to myself, Now why on earth would anyone write a biography of John Finley? But now it has come and I congratulate you with my whole heart. I sat down, opened it at random, and was completely fascinated. You have reconstructed an era and brought it all back to life.
— Alice Sedgwick Wohl, COL’58, author

There was a Mr. Chips as a fictional teaching star. Aldrich and Valhouli have given us the real thing in their brilliant portrayal of John Finley, one of the defining figures of Harvard College. Not only did Finley teach, but as master of Eliot House, he inspired all who fell under his magic spell.
–– John Spooner AB’59, author

Constantine’s books immerse us in a vanishing world that exists at the very edge of living memory. The stories he has chosen to tell elevate overlooked figures, are deeply rooted in the history of New England, and focus on the intersection of the Brahmin and bohemian. The Master of Eliot House, written with Nelson Aldrich, offers a deep look at Harvard during one of its most storied eras, through the life of one of its defining figures, John Finley. The core questions of Finley’s life –– what is the purpose of education, and what does it mean to be truly educated? –– remain as relevant as his work to use education to prevent the rise of authoritarianism in the United States.
–– Shaula Clark, former editor Boston magazine

Nellie Aldrich and Constantine Valhouli have given a magnificent gift to those of us who knew and loved my grandfather and so much more as well.
–– John Finley IV, AB’92