Robert G Ingersoll (1833-1899) was a complex figure - a brilliant lawyer and orator who courageously advanced the concept of free-thought; a magnetic extrovert whose public esteem, eagerly sought, never earned him the private favours he so generously bestowed on others. Ingersoll was a staunch republican in the great tradition of Abraham Lincoln, and he vigorously championed such progressive causes as equal rights for blacks, women, and children; liberal divorce laws; and better wages and conditions for workers. Perhaps Ingersoll's greatest legacy derives from his daring rejection of religious superstition (during an era which saw a tremendous revival of spiritualism and religious fundamentalism) and his ardent belief in humanity.Ingersoll is considered one of the most prominent figures of the 19th century. From about 1880 to his death in 1899, he probably spoke to more Americans in person than anyone before or since; he had daily audiences of as many as three thousand people while he was on tour, several months a year for many years. Despite this, Ingersoll's career has not yet received the attention it clearly merits. In this comprehensive work, Frank Smith explores the life and thought of this charismatic figure, using newspaper accounts of the time and extensive quotations from Ingersoll's correspondence. Ingersoll's words provide a vivid portrait of 19th-century America from the stormy antebellum period to the beginnings of modern industrialism. His life reflects the great current of his age and speaks forcefully to the problems of our own.
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Very Uplifting and Informative.,
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This review is from: Robert G. Ingersoll: A Life (Hardcover)
Mr. Smith is one author who knows how to do his homework. He captures the wit, charisma, and sheer magnetisim, of a great man to little know in our day. In a time where the Religious Right attempts to make the United States a "Christian Nation". And uses threats of hell on those who does not bend to their whims. He tells us of the man who freed millions of minds, and to make God into a honest man. He makes one appreciate the glories of the past and the promises of the future. This book is a must read for anyone with questions about the world and man's place in it
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