Customer Reviews

Grover Cleveland: A Study in Character

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Despite the vast number of professors of American History in our colleges and universities, it's hard to find biographies of many of our presidents. Therefore, we must be grateful for Brodsky's "Grover Cleveland." It is a readable, but not scholarly treatment of Cleveland and his presidencies. Brodsky, almost always sympathetic to Cleveland, effects a good balance between the personal and political, and is especially good in dealing with Cleveland's retirement years. His treatment of the presidencies concentrates on several principal issues like the tariff and silver controversies, and the Pullman strike. I would have wished for greater detail of the presidential years, the election campaigns, and fuller sketches of Cleveland's allies and competitors. I don't want to be too harsh about the book's comprehensiveness because I don't think Brodsky had any pretensions about writing a full academic biography. Accepting the book as a popular biography, I wish Brodsky were a more elegant writer. The book would have benefitted from tighter editing, if only to curb some of Brodsky's graceless metaphors. Nonetheless, it can be recommended in view of the dearth of available biographies of President Cleveland.

A first rate biography of the only man to win two non-consecutive terms as U. S. president and one who captured the popular vote three consecutive times. Brodsky has struck a good stylistic balance between the readable and the informative, between bringing to an engaging personality to life and rendering an accurate historical narrative. It is the finest Cleveland biography since Allan Nevins' definitive work of nearly seventy years ago. I anxiously await his forthcoming work on Cleveland's wife, Frances, one of the more remarkable first ladies who figures predominantly in the current work.

Let's not make more of this than it is: as sturdy and stolid as its subject, it's a lengthy paean to a clearly above-average President and a round condemnation of the Gilded Age in which he so earnestly labored. If you take this 'biography' on its terms, you may be charmed by Alyn Brodsky's plain spoken affinity for the man, his very young wife, and those generally fine men around him. But this is no true biography, it is a popular history and a mid-length life and times. To the author's credit, he makes no pretense otherwise. Here even Cleveland's surreptitious jaw cancer surgery, a well-kept secret for a quarter century, is not a malicious deception, but virtually the cross the great and good man deems right to bear in silence. The President's firm stands, fist slammed down on his desk, on the thorny issues of the day - high tariffs, gold standard, Hawaiian misadventure, veteran pensions, monopolistic practices, treatment of minorities - are all placed in a context of good civic ethics. This would be too much puffery were it not for Brodsky's sound defense, well researched, of Cleveland's thoughtful positions and sincerity as contrasted with his rivals'. Of course, in relation to such virtual or literal crooks and fools as Arthur, Blaine ('Continental Liar from the State of Maine'), Harrison ('is he as small as all that?'), Hanna ("king maker"), McKinley ("a bronze statue looking for his pedestal"), Tammany Hall, the robber barons, and Bryan, Cleveland is every inch (and pound) the hero. In sum, a worthy read, always absorbing, at times elevating.

The City of Buffalo is much like its most famous historical figure, Grover Cleveland. Both were at their peak prominence a little more than a century ago, though maybe just a little forgotten by the rest of the world today. Both are conservative but Democratic. And words like "character" apply to both. Alyn Brodsky's 2000 biography, which focuses on that quality of Cleveland is as good a place as any for Buffalonians to find out a little more about the only elected president to emerge from the Queen City.

Cleveland is probably the least-written about two-term president. Though he is remembered largely as being the only chief executive to serve two non-consecutive terms, only history buffs remember much about what he actually did. This is largely due to the fact that he served in between two great American crises, the Civil War and World War I. At first blush, the issues of the day - bimetallism, tariff reform, the Pullman's strike to seem like the most inaccessible types of ancient history...at first. Upon closer inspection, the past has much to say about the present.

The story of Cleveland and his presidency seem for all the world like the story of Bill Clinton: Both were elected to the presidency as governors after surviving sex scandals and enduring charges of draft dodging (Cleveland famously fathered a child out of wedlock and paid a substitute to serve in his place during the Civil War). Three of the biggest issues for both presidents were free trade (Cleveland had the tarrif, Clinton had NAFTA and GATT), imperialism, recession, and what to do with a big budget surplus. Both presidencies ended with Republican candidates winning the White House without winning the popular vote (that's how Cleveland lost his first bid for a second term).

While readers might be struck by the similarities, author Brodsky doesn't see them. He writes that Cleveland has "absolutely nothing in common" with Clinton (or for that matter Nixon, Reagan or the first President Bush). That's the kind of overstatement that mars this book's all-too-frequent editorial side-comments. But what Brodsky had in mind had less to do with the obvious historical parallels and more to do with his reading of Cleveland's character. Cleveland was principled to the point of stubbornness-actually way past that point. Brodsky writes that Cleveland "opposed just about everything that was finding favor with the majority of American people." He opposed the free coinage of silver, favored a more humane and respectful Indian policy than was popular at the time, did not believe in manifest destiny and at key moments helped big business management crush labor protests. Still, Cleveland, along with Andrew Jackson and Franklin Roosevelt was one of only thee men in history to win more popular votes than his rivals in three consecutive races.

Cleveland's most endearing trait was his honesty. It is this quality that separates him, in Brodsky's view, from modern presidents. Rather than denying rumors about an "illegitimate" child, Cleveland admitted the truth and the potentially negative campaign issue became a positive. To Republican refrains of, "Ma ma, where's my pa?" Victorious Democrats chanted, "Gone to the White House, ha ha ha!"

Of course Cleveland is remembered in Buffalo because he lived here. A former Erie County Sheriff, Cleveland was also the last Buffalo mayor to subsequently get elected to higher office. Amazingly, within the two years after being first elected mayor, Cleveland was elected governor and then president. From the one of the fastest rises in American political history, Cleveland came to dominate American politics for 12 years.

Cleveland had no great war for which he is remembered. He was more a manager of government than innovator with it and thus is not especially remembered for a legislative program. Nor did his somewhat staid personality - in stark contrast to that of his contemporary, Theodore Roosevelt-leave a larger than life impression. But Cleveland is Buffalo's president: an honest, competent chief executive who worked hard on behalf of his community and nation. Though sometimes a bit too effusive in his praise, Brodsky does right by Cleveland and reminds us Western New Yorkers another story from our proud heritage.

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Cleveland's story itself is very interesting, but unfortunately this author butchers the concept of biography so badly that it interferes with the story. This is an excellent example of several things to not do when writing a biography, and serves as a great reminder for why we should appreciate the great ones when they come along. The author excessively editorializes (and very simplistically so at that), inserts his own self into the book too frequently (why at all, I ask?), and often contradicts his own interjected opinions with evidence that a few pages later proves the exact opposite. It gets so muddled on occasion that it is hard to understand how the author came to hold such strong opinions (that for some reason he felt were necessary to include) in the first place. My advice: look elsewhere...I do NOT recommend this book.

The author seems to have two primary purposes for the book: 1. To justify everything that Cleveland did throughout his political career (Cleveland could do no wrong); and 2. To use Cleveland as a vehicle to editoralize on how bad of persons and presidents that Nixon, Reagan, and Bush (first) were.

It is a work that will prove to be disappointing to anyone seeking an objective account of an important president who had strengths and weaknesses as expected for any true leader.

I read this book as part of my continuing project of reading a biography of every president. This one got me to the 1/4-pole in my pursuit. While I can say I admire Cleveland as "mostly" a man of character, the book was just a touch above average.

The author did a good job of detailing the issues and events that surrounded both Cleveland's terms. He actually made some of them exciting, namely his recap of the Pullman strike, but I did think he took some liberties by editorializing/including his thoughts on present day politicians. I think he did it because he wanted to make it more relative to today's reader, but at times it appeared to be self-serving politically.

Let's face it, tariff reform, free silver, annexation of Hawaii, etc., aren't that exciting. However, they were the key issues that Cleveland dealt with and the author did a nice job of relaying most of the facts surrounding these key events.

I can't help but wonder how much better a biography of Cleveland would have been if the author had access to Cleveland's own thoughts and feelings. I find it truly amazing that Cleveland never wrote a book about his years in the White House. To me that is the best example of what type of person he was. President Clinton couldn't wait to get out of office to sign a million dollar book deal, while Cleveland retired to his family and peace and quiet. That is remarkable and to me is the best indicator that Cleveland truly viewed himself as a public servant that wanted to profit in no way from serving as President. The author was at his best in relaying Cleveland's steadfast desire to serve the public and not himself, which to me is the most important thing about the book and something the public and hopefully some of today's politicans could learn from.

I looked forward to this book from the time I saw Mr. Brodsky on C-Span. In fact, I started reading a bio on every president starting with Washington in order, looking forward to my fellow New Jersey boy. WHAT a disappointment. I can't believe Cleveland's actions on African- and Chinese-Americans are hidden away in appendices, for example, like some dirty secret. Not only did I find the author contradicted what he had said in interviews, but he was constantly slipping in references to our recent presidents and current politics. This is using Mr. Cleveland's name for his own selfish ends, and puts me in mind of the snake oil salesmen who used Francis's image to sell their wares. I have read many bios as I said, and this was the worst. The idea you'd refuse to include any analysis of the relationship with his much younger wife as "psychobabble," is idiotic. Not all psychology is "psychobabble," and certainly people want to know and a biographer has an obligation to present such stories "warts and all." Leaving the reader to figure it out on his/her own, and dismissing the mere asking of the question as wrong, does a disservice to the president and his wife. I could go on and cite many more examples, but you get the point.

Alyn Brodsky did an outstanding job in this biography of a relatively little known, but interesting president. He did a great job in not only describing the events of Cleveland's life in great detail, but also gave us a fascinating look at the man's character and personality.

One thing that is particularly enjoyable about the book is that it doesn't seem to drag on any useless details. The pace is nearly as rapid as the speed at which Cleveland rose through the ranks of the political hierarchy to become President of the United States.

Brodsky shows in detail all of Cleveland's enemies and difficulties ranging from James G. Blaine to the Panic of 1893-1897 that would mark his second term. Throughout the book Brodsky continually shows the steadfast nature of Cleveland through all of these troubles. Brodsky shows how Cleveland would defy even his own party to do what he believed was the right thing to do no matter what the cost. A constant theme throughout the book is the Cleveland did not seem to care much about his own popularity in his decisions. He believed above all else that his loyalty was the the U.S. and not to any political party as Brodsky pointed out so clearly.

Particularly well done, aleast in my opinion, were the detailed series of passages describing Cleveland's handeling of the Depression of 1893-1897. In particular the passages about the Treasury crisis and the process by which the Wilson-Gorman Tariff came into being were extremely fascinating in their detail.

Overall, I would reccomend this book to anyone who is interested in presidential history and in particular more obscure presidents such as Grover Cleveland.

There have been two recent biographies of Cleveland taking the same tack: he was a man and a president who shames the recent incombents of the White House. The other is An Honest President: Library Edition by H. P. Jeffers. I thought that this one focused a little more on the issues and Jeffers a little more on the person, although it may be simply that having read this second, the historical details made more of an impression. Despite this generalism, Frances Cleveland is more vividly portrayed in this book. Certainly I thought that Brodsky did a better job of explaining the issues, although Jeffers was a bit more readable.

My history courses in school rarely made it past the Civil War in any detail. We once expended an entire WEEK on the 20th century. Consequently, the last half of the 19th is a particularly vague time for me of robber barons, dollar princesses and nonentity presidents in the East, taking a back seat to the Indian Wars in the West. Cleveland to me was the one who's terms weren't consecutive. I am very pleased to have made his acquaintance in these two books.

Both Brodsky and Jeffers use Cleveland's life to bash recent presidents, a tactic which I don't really approve of, although I must admit to chortling in this case. Jeffers primarily goes after Clinton, which does get a bit repetitious. Brodsky is bipartisan in his complaints, although anything of the sort dates the book rapidly. In a few decades, a new edition would need footnotes explaining the peccadillos to which the authors allude. Of course, it could be argued that books become dated anyway. The readers should consider their own taste.

Brodsky certainly thinks highly of Cleveland, but he is not uncritical, even characterizing him as foolish or self-defeating at times. Brodsky includes appendixes on Cleveland's views on Black Americans and Chinese immigrants and visitors. He concludes that by our standards, he doesn't look good in either case. Brodsky thinks that although he was no better than he should be on these subjects, he did at least have a lack of malice and a sense of fair play even towards people he regarded as inferior. I would have liked a bit more about the Native Americans.

Brodsky's style is occasionally a bit quaint, as though he has picked up the speaking and writing patterns of the time. At other times it is informal, as he throws in various maxims. I mean neither to praise or blame here: it's just how he writes.

Reading this has convinced me that the Republican and Democratic parties are more historically consistent than I thought, despite the swings between what is considered to be liberal and what conservative. This isn't necessarily the good news.

The other current biographies that I am aware of are from series on all the presidents.

I am very glad, and somewhat more optimistic for making Cleveland's acquaintance. Of course, now I suppose we need the debunking bio. Still, I find Cleveland well worth learning about, and I am glad to have more history about a period that I understand too little.