Brian Lewis Crispell incorporates lively anecdotes and personal descriptions, in addition to details culled from research in newspapers, interviews, and the archives of Kennedy, Johnson, Truman, and Smathers himself, to bring the largely unstudied senator to life. The work traces Smathers's political path from the forming of his "statewide collection of loyal men," a gathering of supporters from the University of Florida who formed his political base, through his election to the House, his successful 1950 Senate campaign against Claude Pepper, and his Senatorial career during the beginning of the civil rights movement and the early Cold War. Crispell highlights the senator's moderate civil rights record, role in the 1960 presidential election, and his internationalist position on aid to Latin America. This thoroughly researched account presents Smathers as the quintessential "Cold Warrior"--a man who significantly influenced his political world.
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Book Description
A Floridian who served as a U.S. Senator from 1950 to 1968, George Armistead Smathers is generally regarded as a playboy politician who wasted his opportunities to achieve legal and political brilliance, abandoning his constituency to represent business, industry, and other wealthy interests in Florida. This detailed chronicle of Smathers's life and career reveals that his reputation was sensationalized and largely undeserved.
Editorial Reviews
Review
"[Crispell] skillfully uses anecdotal and personal descriptions to bring the senator and those around him to life. . . . George Smathers is an important figure worthy of study, and Testing the Limits will fill a large gap in the historiography of Florida, the South, national politics, and the two decades after World War II."--R. Hal Williams, coauthor of America: Past and Present
About the Author
Brian Lewis Crispell teaches history and geography at the Thomas County Schools of Thomasville, Georgia. He lives in Tallahassee, Florida.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Book is in excellent condition.,
By Paul Chartrand (BONITA SPRINGS, FL, US) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Testing the Limits: George Armistead Smathers and Cold War America (Hardcover)
Book arrived promptly and in excellent condition. I highly recommend the seller and would not hesitate to use them again in the future. This book is the definitive work on Senator George Smathers and is a must for students and scholars interested in Smathers or Florida history. It is well researched and well written.
2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must-have for history and political buffs,
By A Customer
This review is from: Testing the Limits: George Armistead Smathers and Cold War America (Hardcover)
This book is great for anyone interested in Florida political history, JFK, and LBJ. Very talented author, and very enjoyable reading.
2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
george was a great senator,
By A Customer
This review is from: Testing the Limits: George Armistead Smathers and Cold War America (Hardcover)
This book was excellent, it had alot of details about george smathers and his time in office.
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