About the Book
Politician, evangelist, and reformer William Jennings Bryan was the most popular public speaker of his time. In this acclaimed biography-the first major reconsideration of Bryan's life in forty years-award-winning historian Michael Kazin illuminates his astonishing career and the richly diverse and volatile landscape of religion and politics in which he rose to fame. Kazin vividly re-creates Bryan's tremendous appeal, showing how he won a passionate following among both rural and urban Americans, who saw in him not only the practical vision of a reform politician but also the righteousness of a pastor. Bryan did more than anyone to transform the Democratic Party from a bulwark of laissez-faire to the citadel of liberalism we identify with Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1896, 1900, and 1908, Bryan was nominated for president, and though he fell short each time, his legacy-a subject of great debate after his death-remains monumental. This nuanced and brilliantly crafted portrait restores Bryan to an esteemed place in American history. From the Trade Paperback edition.
Review :
" Splendid. . . . A must-read. . . . It would be difficult to imagine a biography of any early 20th-century political leader more relevant to the early 21st century than this one."
-- "The Washington Post Book World"
" A superb biography and a challenging reconsideration of Bryan's place in U.S. political history."
-- "Los Angeles Times Book Review"
" Instructive, illuminating- engagingly written. . . . Bryan emerges from Kazin's new biography as the founding father of the modern Democratic Party and maybe even of modern American politics."
-- "The Boston Globe"
" A powerful, timely re-evaluation."
-- "The New Yorker"
"Splendid. . . . A must-read. . . . It would be difficult to imagine a biography of any early 20th-century political leader more relevant to the early 21st century than this one."
--"The Washington Post Book World"
"A superb biography and a challenging reconsideration of Bryan's place in U.S. political history."
--"Los Angeles Times Book Review"
"Instructive, illuminating-engagingly written. . . . Bryan emerges from Kazin's new biography as the founding father of the modern Democratic Party and maybe even of modern American politics."
--"The Boston Globe"
"A powerful, timely re-evaluation."
--"The New Yorker"
"Kazin brings a politically complex Bryan to life and vividly re-creates the political milieu in which his supporters and opponents operated... Kazin leaves no doubt as to his pivotal role in the forging of modern American politics."
--Eric Arnesen, "The Chicago Tribune"
"Bryan emerges from Kazin's new biography as the founding father of the modern Democratic Party and maybe even of modern American politics... Kazin's attempt to see him in a modern light is instructive, illuminating -- and engagingly written."
--David M. Shribman, "The Boston Globe"
"Kazin, a superb political historian, trains a powerful searchlight on Bryan's career and the social and political trends of the time."
--Richard Lingeman, "The New York Times Book Review"
"A must read... Michael Kazin, already our leading scholar of populism, is now our best interpreter of its greatest practitioner. It would be difficult to imagine a biography of any early 20th century political leader more relevant to the early 21st century than this one."
--Alan Wolfe, "The Washington Post Book World"
"A superb biography and a challenging reconsideration of Bryan's place in U.S. political history."
--Matthew Price, "The L.A. Times Book Review"
"A powerful, timely re-evaluation... Kazin argues that Bryan's faith-based liberalism reshaped the Democratic party and made the New Deal possible."
--"The New Yorker"
"Most Americans, when they think of Bryan, think of the fictional character rather than the real person. In his excellent biography, Michael Kazin... portrays the real William Jennings Bryan, a politician beloved by millions." --Leonard Boasberg, "The Philadelphia Inquirer"
"One ofthe finest political biographies I have read in many years. It might be called the passion of Bryan: a shrewd chronicle of triumph, rejection, wandering, and finally triumph again -- although Bryan would not live to see the victory of his most influential ideas in the New Deal. There is no better way to begin understanding the politics of the turn of the last century than to read this book."
--Sean Wilentz, Dayton-Stockton Professor of History and Director of the Program in American Studies, Princeton University, and author of "The Rise of American Democracy: Jefferson to Lincoln"
"Michael Kazin's William Jennings Bryan is far more than the best biography ever written about this titanic figure in American history. It is a window into the aspirations, the passions, the ideals, and the resentments of millions of rural and working-class people for whom Bryan was, for many decades, a shining champion. It is also a brilliant portrait of the slow evolution of populism from a democratic vision to a defense of exclusive traditions."
--Alan Brinkley, author of "The End of Reform: New Deal Liberalism in Recession and War"
"To understand the politics of our own time we must first understand William Jennings Bryan. Michael Kazin gives us an elegant study of this forgotten but seminal figure, a hero to liberals and evangelicals alike." --Thomas Frank, author of "What's the Matter with Kansas"
"At a time of national retreat from leaders devoted to the common good and a faith in government to advance social justice, Michael Kazin's William Jennings Bryan is a superb reminder of the virtues of the American populist tradition. Despite Bryan's flaws, which Kazin thoughtfullyanalyzes, the "Great Commoner" remains an inspiration to those who believe that we may yet fulfill the promise of American life. "
--Robert Dallek, author of "An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy" (1917-1963)
"Kazin's vivid prose brings Bryan vibrantly to life as a tireless progressive and old-school gospel evangelist. This lucid biography gives us gripping back-story for current science-religion warfare and suggests a possible future for religiously-inspired reform. Must-reading for all students of American politics yesterday or today."
--Richard Wightman Fox, author of "Jesus in America: Personal Savior, Cultural Hero, National Obsession"
"Kazin traces the life of this brilliant, charismatic, and flawed giant from his boyhood in Illinois to his exciting, if futile, campaigns for the presidency... This superbly written biography greatly enhances our knowledge of the man and a recurring movement in American politics."
--Jay Freeman, "Booklist" (starred)
"History that remains solidly relevant today, and a real eye-opener for anyone who thinks that fierce debates over tax reform, corporate power, imperialism and evolution are recent developments in American politics and culture." --"Kirkus" (starred review)
"Strongly recommended for public and academic libraries." --"Library Journal," (starred review) "From the Hardcover edition."
