Politician, evangelist, and reformer William Jennings Bryan was the most popular public speaker of his time. In this acclaimed biography–the ...
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Feb 02, 2009
Tom
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A pretty slow book and it is, at times, hard to get into the story of a guy who never actually won anything. I definitely came away with a much more negative opinion of Bryan than I had prior. His tacit racism (specifically his utter non-effort to denounce the KKK), his somewhat two-facedness (taking money from saloon-keepers when it served his purpose), and his inability to understand that sometimes entering a war 'saves' lives, well, I got sort of soured on him despite all the good he did purs
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Feb 08, 2011
Steven
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William Jennings Bryan is often portrayed as something of a naive fool. The Scopes Trial, to a large extent, defines what people think about Bryan. And, he is also defined as a "loser," having failed in his presidential bids.
This book is a welcome corrective. Despite what some reviewers have said of the volume, it does not appear to me to slight his unfortunate views on race (although such views were not out of the mainstream for the time, needless to say).
Bry More...
This book is a welcome corrective. Despite what some reviewers have said of the volume, it does not appear to me to slight his unfortunate views on race (although such views were not out of the mainstream for the time, needless to say).
Bry More...
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Feb 18, 2010
Andy
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This is a well researched, well written biography of William Jennings Bryan that shows him to be a more complex and more influential man than history typically gives him credit for.
The author, Michael Kazin, notes that most of today's perception of him stems from the depiction of his role in the Scopes trial and does not recoginize the passion and the influence of the younger Bryan when he entered political life in the 1890s. I was especially interested in the book's inclusion of com More...
The author, Michael Kazin, notes that most of today's perception of him stems from the depiction of his role in the Scopes trial and does not recoginize the passion and the influence of the younger Bryan when he entered political life in the 1890s. I was especially interested in the book's inclusion of com More...
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Nov 14, 2011
Read1000books
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Although he is mainly remembered today as the defender of creationist ideology at the 1925 Scopes Trial, Bryan was much more than that and this bio is both well rounded and fascinating. A true Christian statesman, he was powerful enough to run for president on the Democratic ticket multiple times, yet at the same time possessed the humility and fraternity with the common man to teach large Bible classes which were always well attended. The play "Inherit The Wind" presents a faulty, fic
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Apr 25, 2010
Stuart
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William Jennings Bryan is most remembered as 3 time presidential loser and for attacking evolution being taught in schools in the Scopes Monkey trial. His most lasting contribution though is transforming the Democratic party from one of states right and against Federal power in the 19th century to the party of using the Federal government to protect the little guy in the 20th century. The one commonality between the 19th and 20th century versions of the party is standing up for the common man.
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Dec 20, 2010
Dan
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This was a good biography of The Great Commoner. Kazin is forthright about his own biases that tilt towards Bryan's economics and against Bryan's social policy, and his sourcing is first rate. Make sure to check his footnotes; he's quite thorough.
In my mind, if you want to understand modern American politics, a survey of William Jennings Bryan's life is a great place to start. The economic policy of the modern Democratic Party is the direct descendant of Bryan's policies and argument More...
In my mind, if you want to understand modern American politics, a survey of William Jennings Bryan's life is a great place to start. The economic policy of the modern Democratic Party is the direct descendant of Bryan's policies and argument More...
Dec 11, 2011
Bryan
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Well-written, well-researched biography of one of the United States' most fascinating political figures. Kazin traces Bryan's life through his family, education and many public speaking engagements to show the development of this politician and eventual Scopes trial prosecutor. Kazin shows how Bryan's intertwining ideas of Thomas Jefferson and Jesus made him a populist figure and father of the Christian Left.
Feb 05, 2009
No critics holler to add Bryan's bust to Mount Rushmore, yet they agree that this new biography is long overdue and relevant to 21st-century American politics (just reverse the parties' philosophies). Kazin, professor of history at Georgetown University, places Bryan's successes and failures in historical context and examines why Bryan argued so vociferously against Darwinism in the famous Scopes trial. A few critics thought that Kazin was too soft on Bryan and let his clear admiration for the m
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Apr 30, 2011
Paul
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If you only know Bryan as the bumpkin religious fundamentalist who argued against evolution - think again! A fascinating account of how Bryan played a vital role in making the Democratic Party a more progressive force, particularly on issues of economic inequality. Bryan is a flawed, fascinating individual.
Jun 12, 2010
Kazin is arguing that WJB had a lot of good to him--and was a thinker ahead of his time--before he turned all fundamentalist on liberals. The strangeness of the assumptions embedded in this argument were some of the main provocations to my dissertation. In short, it really could have used some religious history.
Dec 17, 2009
Jacob
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This book is Michael Kazin's attempt to redeem the legacy of William Jennings Bryan from those who sullied him after his death. WJB had plenty of flaws, and certainly I found myself disagreeing with several of his stances (especially his racism and fundamentalist religious beliefs). All in all though, Bryan spent by far most of his career working as a progressive reformer and someone who dared to stand up for the common laborer against the big corporations. This is how he should really be rem
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Jul 05, 2008
Alisa
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Helped me understand the beginnings of populism, and why this thought process can still be relevant to the Democrats. Also exposed some of Bryan's greatest flaws, as well as his legacy.
Dec 16, 2009
Andrew
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Decent bio. Not much dedicated to Scopes Monkey Trial. Need to find a Darrow biography.
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