The LA Follettes of Wisconsin: Love and Politics in Progressive America

Rating:
Summary: An unusual political biography
Review: Ordinarily political biography is long on the public lives of its subjects, and skimpy on the private lives, no doubt because when a political figure deposits his or her "papers" with some library or institution he or she deposits only those papers pertaining to the public or political life. This entrancing study relies on the personal letters of not only Fighting Bob LaFollette and his wife but the letters of their four children. The book follows their private lives and reflects their public lives as they affected their private lives. Thus we get a much more intimate look at the lives of the famed LaFollette family, including all four of the children: Senator Robert F. LaFollette, Jr., Governor Phil LaFollette, and the two daughters. This is a study of a very political family from a standpoint such as I never have read before. It is a highly interesting work

Rating:
Summary: An unusual political biography
Review: Ordinarily political biography is long on the public lives of its subjects, and skimpy on the private lives, no doubt because when a political figure deposits his or her "papers" with some library or institution he or she deposits only those papers pertaining to the public or political life. This entrancing study relies on the personal letters of not only Fighting Bob LaFollette and his wife but the letters of their four children. The book follows their private lives and reflects their public lives as they affected their private lives. Thus we get a much more intimate look at the lives of the famed LaFollette family, including all four of the children: Senator Robert F. LaFollette, Jr., Governor Phil LaFollette, and the two daughters. This is a study of a very political family from a standpoint such as I never have read before. It is a highly interesting work

Rating:
Summary: a well researched piece
Review: Weisberger's book is well researched and politically accurate. A wonderful portrait of the La Follettes. Captivating.