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Great White Fathers: The Story of the Obsessive Quest to Create Mount Rushmore
Gutzon Borglum is as ambivalent a character as the environmental desecration, cultural insult, or beacon of freedom that he carved out of the Black Hills of South Dakota, says magazine editor and biographer Taliaferro. He tries to look at the four presidential heads as an archaeologist might millennia in the future. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
464 pages, Hardcover
First published November 30, 1990
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137 people want to read
About the author
John Taliaferro
17 books30 followersA graduate of Harvard College, John Taliaferro is a former senior editor at Newsweek.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
July 23, 2022
In the company of crowds, where conversations tend to blend together, I sat down at the foot of Mount Rushmore to finish the last 100 pages of Great White Fathers and heard three distinct comments. One involved a husband telling his wife that the figure to the right of Washington was Benjamin Franklin (that’s Jefferson, buddy). The second was a man complaining that the soap in the restroom smelled bad (certainly serious and contradictory, I suppose). And the third was a woman who snobbishly told her beau that a single guy with a book shouldn’t be sitting at a table with seven seats because it was rude to those with big families (she thought I didn’t hear her, but either way, I got up within five minutes, inviting a family of eight to use the table while I found a single seater in the sun). As I worked through those last 100 pages, I found myself looking up and studying the faces every few minutes, noting the descriptions of smooth scalps and varied scars that I might not have noticed without the text in front of me.
But in the 300 pages or so that preceded that moment, as well as some of the last 100, I couldn’t help but wrestle with the inherent contradictions that Taliaferro must have intended his readers to understand. For this is a monument displaying two warring elements of America’s history, that we are tireless, optimistic, and adventurous idealists and that we are also vile, arrogant, and often cruel stewards of every space we inhabit. For most white Americans, Mount Rushmore is a grand symbol of the nation’s best leaders, those who were self-sacrificing figures, liberating the masses from tyranny and oppression. But underneath the granite is a mountain in the Black Hills that once belonged (and arguably still belongs) to the Lakota Tribe whose descendants are now mostly relegated to big city anonymity or the worst kind of small town poverty south of the South Dakota Badlands. For the Lakota, that mountain is a brazen reminder of what their generations have lost without reasonable reparations. On the surface, it’s easy to rationalize the four presidents carved into the mountain as the best of the best, but Washington killed natives during the 1760s, Jefferson saw them as an uncivilized scourge of the new nation and purchased the land where they would soon be pushed out, Lincoln oversaw the single largest execution in American history (yes, indeed), and Roosevelt instituted new policies and ignored old treaties that brought about the inevitable demise of the Lakota.
And then there is the sculptor, a man as hard to accept sometimes as the nation he was working for. His associations and comments relating to the KKK are by now common knowledge, but his arrogant and brash personality are lesser known, which could be plenty enough to hate the man. But then you discover he also loved, admired, and believed in the spirit of the Lakota People, which further murks up the waters, since he offered to build a memorial for them even more grand than the one at Rushmore, then died before he could start. Add to that the disparity and irony of a man trying to build a memorial that the government would barely fund for 20 years, then afterward spent millions to protect and market.
Sitting at the foot of the Mount, taking in the artistry and the grandeur, I am simply reminded that we are a nation riddled with attributes both honorable and disgusting.
But in the 300 pages or so that preceded that moment, as well as some of the last 100, I couldn’t help but wrestle with the inherent contradictions that Taliaferro must have intended his readers to understand. For this is a monument displaying two warring elements of America’s history, that we are tireless, optimistic, and adventurous idealists and that we are also vile, arrogant, and often cruel stewards of every space we inhabit. For most white Americans, Mount Rushmore is a grand symbol of the nation’s best leaders, those who were self-sacrificing figures, liberating the masses from tyranny and oppression. But underneath the granite is a mountain in the Black Hills that once belonged (and arguably still belongs) to the Lakota Tribe whose descendants are now mostly relegated to big city anonymity or the worst kind of small town poverty south of the South Dakota Badlands. For the Lakota, that mountain is a brazen reminder of what their generations have lost without reasonable reparations. On the surface, it’s easy to rationalize the four presidents carved into the mountain as the best of the best, but Washington killed natives during the 1760s, Jefferson saw them as an uncivilized scourge of the new nation and purchased the land where they would soon be pushed out, Lincoln oversaw the single largest execution in American history (yes, indeed), and Roosevelt instituted new policies and ignored old treaties that brought about the inevitable demise of the Lakota.
And then there is the sculptor, a man as hard to accept sometimes as the nation he was working for. His associations and comments relating to the KKK are by now common knowledge, but his arrogant and brash personality are lesser known, which could be plenty enough to hate the man. But then you discover he also loved, admired, and believed in the spirit of the Lakota People, which further murks up the waters, since he offered to build a memorial for them even more grand than the one at Rushmore, then died before he could start. Add to that the disparity and irony of a man trying to build a memorial that the government would barely fund for 20 years, then afterward spent millions to protect and market.
Sitting at the foot of the Mount, taking in the artistry and the grandeur, I am simply reminded that we are a nation riddled with attributes both honorable and disgusting.
April 29, 2011
Decent. The biggest problem I had with this book is that it isn't just the story of Mt. Rushmore. John Taliaferro covers the conception, execution and life of America's most recognizable mountain with enthusiasm and affection. He pops off interesting bits of trivia with ease and charm, going just a bit deeper than the standard tour you are likely to find in any guide book. He deftly gives some measure of the monument's scope, good insight into the difficulties faced in making it, and a brisk history of the contemporary reaction to it. A job well done, for the first part.
But then he feels compelled to dig into the connected issues a little more deeply than I cared to read about. Of course, the Native reaction to the monument is relevant; is a sketch of "Dances With Wolves" also necessary? I didn't think so. There's a half-dozen of these tangents scattered throughout, and I thought them a bit irritating. The book might have been a bit on the scanty side without these bunny trails, but what's left would have been much more effective and useful.
With a little patience, this is worth the read, but the fault lies with the author, not the reader.
But then he feels compelled to dig into the connected issues a little more deeply than I cared to read about. Of course, the Native reaction to the monument is relevant; is a sketch of "Dances With Wolves" also necessary? I didn't think so. There's a half-dozen of these tangents scattered throughout, and I thought them a bit irritating. The book might have been a bit on the scanty side without these bunny trails, but what's left would have been much more effective and useful.
With a little patience, this is worth the read, but the fault lies with the author, not the reader.
July 14, 2024
This was an interesting and thorough read on the entire history of Mount Rushmore and its Consummate Creator/Sculptor Gutzon Borglum, from conception to completion and beyond.
Appropriately, Borglum is the focus of the book as he should be. An extensive background of Borglum is given, and in my opinion perhaps too much minute detail that distracts from the narrative of the creation of Mt. Rushmore. I retracted one star from my rating of the book, as the background on Borglum seemed long and somewhat irrelevant and unnecessary. This is the only criticism I have of the author’s work. I realize the author desired to include every relevant detail in his research, but in my opinion it was too much detail, facts and names unrelated to the creation of Mount Rushmore.
I appreciated that the story did not end with the completion of Mt. Rushmore in 1941. The author continues to tell the story of the Black Hills and the effect of Mount Rushmore on tourism, movies (North by Northwest and Dances With Wolves), and South Dakota. The author also gives the critical reaction of the Black Hills Native Americans to Mount Rushmore, and how the Native Americans believe the entire Black Hills was stolen from them by the U.S. government.
There is also a chapter dedicated to the Crazy Horse monument and what that means to Native Americans and the Black Hills in general.
This is a good source of information for anyone intrigued by how Mount Rushmore was conceived and completed. While one or two chapters about Borglum’s background seemed long, the author writes the majority of the book in an interesting fashion. I recently read a similar book on Borglum and Mount Rushmore, which I believed to be thorough; yet, I learned even more through this book.
James C. Koenig
Appropriately, Borglum is the focus of the book as he should be. An extensive background of Borglum is given, and in my opinion perhaps too much minute detail that distracts from the narrative of the creation of Mt. Rushmore. I retracted one star from my rating of the book, as the background on Borglum seemed long and somewhat irrelevant and unnecessary. This is the only criticism I have of the author’s work. I realize the author desired to include every relevant detail in his research, but in my opinion it was too much detail, facts and names unrelated to the creation of Mount Rushmore.
I appreciated that the story did not end with the completion of Mt. Rushmore in 1941. The author continues to tell the story of the Black Hills and the effect of Mount Rushmore on tourism, movies (North by Northwest and Dances With Wolves), and South Dakota. The author also gives the critical reaction of the Black Hills Native Americans to Mount Rushmore, and how the Native Americans believe the entire Black Hills was stolen from them by the U.S. government.
There is also a chapter dedicated to the Crazy Horse monument and what that means to Native Americans and the Black Hills in general.
This is a good source of information for anyone intrigued by how Mount Rushmore was conceived and completed. While one or two chapters about Borglum’s background seemed long, the author writes the majority of the book in an interesting fashion. I recently read a similar book on Borglum and Mount Rushmore, which I believed to be thorough; yet, I learned even more through this book.
James C. Koenig
July 7, 2018
If you have been to Mount Rushmore, then you know what a beautiful sight it is. Looming up out of the western South Dakota prairie, it is the main tourist attraction in the enchanting Black Hills region. However, this is exactly what the sculptor of Mount Rushmore, Gutzon Borglum, did not want. He did not want his creation (and he was vain enough to think that only he created it) to be made into a tourist trap, causing the area to become commercialized. The story that John Taliaferro tells is highly entertaining, and almost reads like fiction given Borglum's out-sized personality and the mystique of this unique region of America.
Taliaferro begins and ends the book with his own travels to and away from Mount Rushmore. In between, he interweaves the story of its creation along with a biography of Borglum. It does not take too long to recognize that Borglum was 1) incredibly talented, and 2) a grade-A jerk. He did not come up with the idea for the carvings, nor did he come up with all of the funds needed to finance the project – although he would repeatedly try to lead people to believe otherwise. What he did do was to help create a national treasure: a memorial to four revered, though by no means flawless or even close to it, American Presidents.
For several chapters, Mount Rushmore is barely mentioned as Taliaferro launches into a lengthy biography of Borglum. While this was somewhat unexpected, given that the book is ostensibly about only Mount Rushmore, one quickly sees that in order to under the monument one needs to have an understanding of the sculptor behind it. Taliaferro traces Borglum's beginnings, early career, and turbulent personal life up to when he was chosen to be the sculptor for Mount Rushmore. I was not aware that, immediately before Rushmore, he had been working on Stone Mountain in Georgia and had been summarily fired for basically running his mouth and causing trouble. He literally fled the state of Georgia to avoid arrest after physically destroying the models in his studio. Thus Borglum came to Mount Rushmore with a reputation and a lot of baggage, but also with an unending imagination and willingness to work hard at creating a magnificent monument. I actually found Borglum's biography more fascinating than the parts about Mount Rushmore, though many of those are also good. A side-note to this story is that Calvin Coolidge played more of a role in the formation of Rushmore than is commonly known, helped by considerable attention paid to him by Borglum.
The bulk of the book is about Borglum, then interweaving his life into the story of Mount Rushmore. At the same time as he was working on Rushmore, Borglum was also working on a sculpture in San Antonio, TX. Oddly, Taliaferro basically forgets about this despite focusing so heavily on Borglum. This seemed odd given the detail provided about his earlier works. Also, once Borglum dies (his death more or less coincides with the conclusion of work at the site), Taliaferro turns to discussing the issues that the Native Americans have with both the land and with Mount Rushmore itself. Coming towards the end of the book, it seems a bit late to be doing so. I think he should have included that throughout the book. Also, he starts to go a little far afield: writing about Indian protests at the site in the 1970s and some of the filming that has taken place there over the decades. He also goes really far out by talking about Joseph McCarthy and the Communist scare tactics that he used in the early and mid-1950s. But he mentions on page 336 that McCarthy was “in disgrace” by 1959. Actually, no; McCarthy was dead by 1959, having died in 1957.
While there are a few flaws with the book (Taliaferro spends a bit too much time discussing the general commercialization of the region and his travels over it while doing his research, for example), overall this is an interesting and relatively easy book to read. Taliaferro would have done better to have cut most of the last few chapters as they somewhat take away from the story of the building of the monument. Mount Rushmore, like any big project undertaken, has a complicated past. Borglum, though not a likeable person, is nonetheless an entertaining one to read about. Human greed is apparent throughout the story, and unfortunately is not surprising. Anyone that is planning on going to visit Mount Rushmore, or anyone who has visited and wondered how it was built, would do worse than to read Taliaferro's engaging tale.
Grade: B
Taliaferro begins and ends the book with his own travels to and away from Mount Rushmore. In between, he interweaves the story of its creation along with a biography of Borglum. It does not take too long to recognize that Borglum was 1) incredibly talented, and 2) a grade-A jerk. He did not come up with the idea for the carvings, nor did he come up with all of the funds needed to finance the project – although he would repeatedly try to lead people to believe otherwise. What he did do was to help create a national treasure: a memorial to four revered, though by no means flawless or even close to it, American Presidents.
For several chapters, Mount Rushmore is barely mentioned as Taliaferro launches into a lengthy biography of Borglum. While this was somewhat unexpected, given that the book is ostensibly about only Mount Rushmore, one quickly sees that in order to under the monument one needs to have an understanding of the sculptor behind it. Taliaferro traces Borglum's beginnings, early career, and turbulent personal life up to when he was chosen to be the sculptor for Mount Rushmore. I was not aware that, immediately before Rushmore, he had been working on Stone Mountain in Georgia and had been summarily fired for basically running his mouth and causing trouble. He literally fled the state of Georgia to avoid arrest after physically destroying the models in his studio. Thus Borglum came to Mount Rushmore with a reputation and a lot of baggage, but also with an unending imagination and willingness to work hard at creating a magnificent monument. I actually found Borglum's biography more fascinating than the parts about Mount Rushmore, though many of those are also good. A side-note to this story is that Calvin Coolidge played more of a role in the formation of Rushmore than is commonly known, helped by considerable attention paid to him by Borglum.
The bulk of the book is about Borglum, then interweaving his life into the story of Mount Rushmore. At the same time as he was working on Rushmore, Borglum was also working on a sculpture in San Antonio, TX. Oddly, Taliaferro basically forgets about this despite focusing so heavily on Borglum. This seemed odd given the detail provided about his earlier works. Also, once Borglum dies (his death more or less coincides with the conclusion of work at the site), Taliaferro turns to discussing the issues that the Native Americans have with both the land and with Mount Rushmore itself. Coming towards the end of the book, it seems a bit late to be doing so. I think he should have included that throughout the book. Also, he starts to go a little far afield: writing about Indian protests at the site in the 1970s and some of the filming that has taken place there over the decades. He also goes really far out by talking about Joseph McCarthy and the Communist scare tactics that he used in the early and mid-1950s. But he mentions on page 336 that McCarthy was “in disgrace” by 1959. Actually, no; McCarthy was dead by 1959, having died in 1957.
While there are a few flaws with the book (Taliaferro spends a bit too much time discussing the general commercialization of the region and his travels over it while doing his research, for example), overall this is an interesting and relatively easy book to read. Taliaferro would have done better to have cut most of the last few chapters as they somewhat take away from the story of the building of the monument. Mount Rushmore, like any big project undertaken, has a complicated past. Borglum, though not a likeable person, is nonetheless an entertaining one to read about. Human greed is apparent throughout the story, and unfortunately is not surprising. Anyone that is planning on going to visit Mount Rushmore, or anyone who has visited and wondered how it was built, would do worse than to read Taliaferro's engaging tale.
Grade: B
April 28, 2011
An interesting book with some flaws. There seem to be many compelling stories involved in the creation of Mount Rushmore: history of the South Dakota Black Hills with it's heartbreaking stories of settler vs. native violence, biography of the men who chose to build a grand monument on that spot, biography of the man who managed to create great American art, and the story of a monument itself and it's impact on American history.
I'll give John Taliaferro full credit: all of these are important, interesting subjects and deserve to be discussed. But unfortunately, stories of equal importance aren't always relatable in equal numbers of pages, so the book seems to break down as:
40%: Biography of Gutzon Borglum, arrogant, impossible-to-work-with genius sculptor.
40%: The building of the monument (starring Gutzon Borglum).
05%: Biography of other people vital to making the project happen.
10%: Story of Native American experience in South Dakota and its impact on history.
05%: Nature of the monument in today's terms...the epilogue.
It feels lopsided, because it is. You start off hearing about what the monument is today, then hearing the history of Custer, Crazy Horse and the Lakota Sioux. Then it naturally evolves into discussing the men who wanted to build a monument/tourist attraction. It's a fine read up until then. But then the larger-than-life personality of Gutzon Borglum is introduced, and, as with many other things in his life, he hijacks the entire story.
All told, this is a good book for learning about Mount Rushmore, public art in America, history of the American west, and one of the most interesting artists in American history. And what there is here is well written...it just wasn't a very well planned book and that can make for some frustration.
I'll give John Taliaferro full credit: all of these are important, interesting subjects and deserve to be discussed. But unfortunately, stories of equal importance aren't always relatable in equal numbers of pages, so the book seems to break down as:
40%: Biography of Gutzon Borglum, arrogant, impossible-to-work-with genius sculptor.
40%: The building of the monument (starring Gutzon Borglum).
05%: Biography of other people vital to making the project happen.
10%: Story of Native American experience in South Dakota and its impact on history.
05%: Nature of the monument in today's terms...the epilogue.
It feels lopsided, because it is. You start off hearing about what the monument is today, then hearing the history of Custer, Crazy Horse and the Lakota Sioux. Then it naturally evolves into discussing the men who wanted to build a monument/tourist attraction. It's a fine read up until then. But then the larger-than-life personality of Gutzon Borglum is introduced, and, as with many other things in his life, he hijacks the entire story.
All told, this is a good book for learning about Mount Rushmore, public art in America, history of the American west, and one of the most interesting artists in American history. And what there is here is well written...it just wasn't a very well planned book and that can make for some frustration.
April 14, 2011
It's enlightening to read a book that causes you to break out your Webster's app every now and then. This is definitely one of those books. Taliaferro is an excellent writer and is able to successfully give you a front row seat in one of the more fascinating stories of American Monuments. He jumps around a little bit in time, which is moderately confusing, but makes up for it with his vast knowledge of the topic. The author leads you through explanations of the political climate of the time as well as personal relationships which all come into play as you begin to understand the complex turn of events that enabled Mount Rushmore to reach it's present state and not end up another Stone Mountain debacle. Reading this book is a must for anyone contemplating a pilgrimage to visit the Great White Fathers.
January 29, 2010
Perhaps the most definitve look at one of American's most-visited symbols, this book examines Gutzon Borglum and his single-minded obsession with the Mount Rushmore carving.
As the book jacket says, this is a biography of both man and monument. A great read for anyone!
As the book jacket says, this is a biography of both man and monument. A great read for anyone!
July 5, 2022
If you are taking a trip to Mr. Rushmore, the book Great White Fathers by John Taliaferro will enhance your experience. All that went into creating those faces, artfully sculpted over years by Gutzon Borglum, a troublesome fellow but with a great cause. He cared to get Lincoln's eyes exactly right (they aren't the same). The indention in Jefferson's lip.
Watch Cary Grant one more time in North By Northwest, and your trip will be even better.
Watch Cary Grant one more time in North By Northwest, and your trip will be even better.
August 11, 2020
This is not the best written book but it is crammed full of great info, stories, history and lots of context. I found it fascinating from front to back. Recommended to all who don’t know the backstory of Rushmore, its sculptor or how American Indian claims to the Black Hills and native activists have intersected with the monument and national park.
August 21, 2018
Way more than simply a book about Mount Rushmore. Written as if the author were there with Gutzon Borglum through his life listening and watching. I learned a lot.
October 20, 2022
An engrossing tale that could have been more so had Hampton Sides written it.
February 21, 2025
Interesting story about the creation of Mt. Rushmore. I recommend this book if you're going to visit the park. It'll give you a good perspective.
July 20, 2014
Prepare to have your eyes opened by TRUE history. This is a great example of how flawed genius can hide dark purpose. And STILL not take away from an astounding set of achievements.
This book should make most thoughtful Americans wrestle with preconceived notions of patriotism and hidden history.
This book should make most thoughtful Americans wrestle with preconceived notions of patriotism and hidden history.
September 28, 2010
Answered a lot of questions from our recent trip, but I was sorry the book seemed to have a negative tone.
May 16, 2013
"...when cannibals crop up in a story, however incidentally, they deserve a front-row seat."
July 30, 2014
A bit of a tough read but at least by the end you will know more than you ever needed to about Mt. Rushmore.
March 5, 2016
Last 1/4 of book could have been cut out. Not as good as his seminal work on John Hay
July 5, 2017
This was a perfect read to prepare for my Black Hills trip. I'm so glad I read it before actually seeing Mount Rushmore - and the Crazy Horse Memorial - for the first time. It put them both into context that makes so much sense.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews