Robert W. Johannsen (1925–2011)

Robert Johannsen's biography of Stephen Douglas offers a detailed account of the life and career of the "Little Giant." Born in Vermont, Douglas migrated westward, eventually settling in Illinois where he rapidly transition from law to politics. Johannsen charts a rise that can only be described as meteoric, as he rose from his initial appointment as state's attorney for Morgan County to the United States Senate in only twelve years. His ascent in the Senate proved just as rapid, as he emerged as a champion for the west and an effective compromiser. His tenure in the Senate coincided with the emerging controversy over slavery in the western territories. Johannsen sees Douglas's embrace of popular sovereignty as a sincere one which he held to even as it ultimately cost him the support of the South in the critical election of 1860 and denied his the presidential prize he seemed so close to attaining.

Given his importance in antebellum politics and his role in the events that led to the war, Douglas has never wanted for biographers. Yet Johannsen ranked above them all, thanks to his extensive work on Douglas's papers. His command of the material is impressive, and his use of it effective, Though weaker for a relative lack of analysis, this is by far the best biography of Douglas, one that should be read by anybody to understand this fascinating political figure and his role in the politics of a controversial era.… (meer)