Customer Reviews

Fighting Bob La Follette: The Righteous Reformer

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is an excellent biography of a most worthy subject. Nancy Unger provides readers with a vivid and often entertaining account of one of the most important American political figures of the early twentieth century. Crucial to Unger's effectiveness is her dedication to balanced histocial writing. Her portrayal of La Follette is multifacted. It is political and personal. La Follette comes to life for the reader, not only enroute to his many political successes but also amid his failures and personal shortcomings. Unger's lauditory praise of her subject is deserving and her sharp criticisms are valid and substantiated. La Follette was an influential and flawed champion of democacy and social equity, and interested readers will thoroughly enjoy this insightful retelling of his life story.

Nancy Unger has written an outstanding and insightful biography of one of turn-of-the-century America's most influential political figures. Indeed, it is the first full-scale biography of Robert M. La Follette of Wisconsin. For anyone seeking to understand the Progressive Era this book is a must read, for Unger's subject was at the center of the defining reform struggles of the age - from women's rights and corporate regulation, to labor and political reform. Drawing upon a vast collection of private papers and primary sources, Unger brings to life not only the public persona of "Fighting Bob" but also the private La Follette that few people know about. We learn, for example, how his early life struggles shaped his personality (for good and for ill), as well as how much he relied upon his wife, suffragist and reformer Belle Case La Follette, for advice and strength. Written in a lively yet balanced style, this book greatly adds to our knowledge of a complex and fascinating man and era.

As a public library director with a special interest in the Progressive era, I found Fighting Bob LaFollette by Unger exactly what I seek in history writing. It has the strengths of all solid history in its sources but the author draws on other fields, in particular medicine, to broaden our understanding.

More than a century ago, LaFollette said "We are one people" and recognized the importance of minority groups shaping their own future. Before the mass media and big money took over political campaigns, Progressive reformers focused on the needs of average people. In three-hour speeches, LaFollette fought for what was needed and was the right thing for the nation to do. The author's direct and clear prose brings the reformer and the times to life. We can learn much from the book for our time.

Nancy C. Unger's "Fighting Bob La Follette - The Righteous Reformer" makes a timely and valuable contribution to the biographical record of one of America's greatest Senators and Statesmen. Unger's work easily stands on its own among other great biographies of Senator La Follette, including Belle Case and Fola La Follette's two-volume "Robert M. La Follette" and David Thelen's "The Early Life of Robert M. La Follette 1855 - 1884," among others. A refreshing reminder of what is possible when a politician becomes a Statesman and fights for what is right for all Americans. The book also provides a valid and insightful analysis of the strong influence La Follette's mother, extended family, and wife had on the development of his character, and on the values and motivation which compelled La Follette to an extraordinarily effective and selfless career in public service. America is long overdue for another such beneficent "shaper of democracy," and this book will provide effective food for thought for any true patriot willing to lay down his life for the good of his country. An important book, inspiring, and enjoyable.

Coming from the heart of La Follette territory, the story of the Progressive movement is not unfamiliar to me. Fightin' Bob remains the most favorite of Wisconsin's favorite sons and seemingly every party on the political spectrum lays claim to his legacy. Often it seems, however, that most know little more about La Follette than a few platitudes and a general feeling. Nancy Unger's book provides a much needed popular biography of one of the central figures in American political history - a man who altered nearly everything about our system, but never came within sniffing distance of the presidency.

Bob La Follette grew up in the shadow of the Civil War, a rapidly growing and modernizing time. Young Bob growing up as essentially a farm boy in rural Southern Wisconsin was largely untouched by these changes. Bob, though, was given an opportunity shared by few of his contemporaries - a college education at the University of Wisconsin. Much of La Follette's future work is presaged by the time he spent at Madison - particularly his emergence as a fine speaker and the development of a strong belief in public service. Bob's time in college was followed by dabbling in journalism and his marriage to his lifelong companion Belle. It was after his training as a lawyer, however, that La Follette's political ambitions took center stage. First as a District Attorney, then as a United States Congressman, then a Governor, then a United States Senator, La Follette spent substantially his entire adult life as a Republican politician. Were he to do no more, his life would have been notable. La Follette, however, and to an increasing extent as he advanced in age, sought to remedy perceived injustices to the American citizen and voter with a fury and doggedness unmatched in his time or ours. Before his movement was through, the process for selecting U.S. Senators had been radically changed, the American electorate was invited into the process of selecting the nominees of political parties for elected offices, the power of corporate titans was curbed, and various nefarious dealings had been uncovered.

Not everything about Bob Lafollette, though, was a great success. La Follette never suceeded in becoming President. Indeed, he never came close. Much of this had to do with his manner, off-putting to many, to say the least, borderline paranoid, in the opinion of many. His tendency to keep grudges likely led to his inability to accomplish more. Moreover, on several issues of great import to La Follette, he saw little or no success. His opposition to World War I made him a veritable pariah. Likewise, his support of equal rights for African-Americans brought no important advances. Still, when La Follette passed away, he was, perhaps, the greatest political leader in Wisconsin's history and largely responsible for a great era in United States political development.

Nancy Unger, for the most part, tells the story quite well. No doubt this is the best short, popular treatment of La Follette's life and an important contribution to the public's understanding of 20th century American governance. Unfortunately, portions of the book are burdened with unnecessary and poorly supported ruminations on La Follette's mental health. I, for one, rarely read a biography of a major historical political figure for amateur assessments of the figure's potential psychological disorders. Thankfully, these discursions do not effect the entire book and by the middle portion of La Follette's life we are free to consider his actions and words without the metaphorical psychologist's couch. In my inexpert opinion, the material may be appropriate for a forward or an afterword or a treatise, but detracts from the basic story here. That quibble aside, the book is well written and engaging particularly the second half where La Follette takes on a strong national role. One might, perhaps, ask for a bit more detail on La Follette's senatorial accomplishments. For a popular history, though, this book does a great job of introducing the subject to the uninformed reader and bringing his vibrant personality, once more, to light.

I found Dr. Unger's book on Bob LaFollette to be insightful and thorough. In a provocative way, the author challenges some of the common beliefs about LaFollette, and creates a new awareness of his contributions to political history.

Nancy Unger's biography of Robert M. LaFollette, Sr. partially fills the need for a full length biography of one of our country's greatest statesmen.
However, a longer book by a LaFollette admirer is still needed. Unger's work is a psycho-biography, short on fact, but long on personal judgements and quotations from LaFollette's critics.
LaFollette's life and work do not need such judgement. They do merit a more lengthy and better organized work than this.