Reinhard H. Luthin (1905–1962)

4282 American Demagogues Twentieth Century, by Reinhard H. Luthin (read 4 Mar 2007) On Nov. 7, 1954, I read the review of this book in the New York Times Book Review, and noted that I would like to read it. So now I have. It has a chapter on each of the following: James M. Curley, Boston mayor; Theodore G. Bilbo, Mississippi senator; William Hale Thompson, Chicago mayor; Alfalfa Bill Murray, Oklahoma governor; Frank Hague, Jersey City mayor; Mr. & Mrs. James E. Ferguson, Texas governors; Eugene Talmadge, Georgia governor; Vito Marcantonio, New York Congressman; Huey Long, Louisiana Governor and Senator; and Joe McCarthy, Wisconsin Senator. The book is written journalistically by a history professor, and he read a lot of newspapers, magazine articles, and the Congressional Record, but still the chapters are kind of haphazardly thrown together. I suppose the most revelatory for me was what a nut Alfalfa Bill Murray was--I think my Dad was for him for President in 1932! Also the account of the Fergusons was mostly new to me--Texas politics were really wild during the twenty years they were a factor therein. The book suffered a bit for being so old. I would like to see the same people studied in the light of subsequent to 1954 research. But no political junkie could help but be interested in these weird characters.… (meer)