The History Book Club discussion

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by Michael Wolraich

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We are more than half way through the book and one of the t's and c's is for all free book recipients to post their independent review on this thread.

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I received the book for free through the History Book Club on Goodreads, and I am very grateful to the publisher for this opportunity and gift.

(I must apologize profusely to Bentley and the rest of the group for being so negligent in keeping up with the assignments and discussions. I thought I would be able to handle it, but with extended travel, hosting a large family wedding and gathering, and then followed by surgery, I became totally snowed under. Very sorry.)

The book was exceptionally researched and written...highest praise to the author. What could have been a dry recounting of old history was instead presented to us as a living, gripping tale that we were able to enter into as we read along with it. Some things surprised about politics of 100 years ago, such as the flip flopping of candidates on their positions as well as the acrimony which seemed so prevalent. At the same time, it was fascinating to realize that in many ways those days very closely resemble the days we are living in this year's el vroom. An interesting and timely subject. It is interesting to speculate how TR might have done in this year's election! Would he have been embraced as a visionary with fresh ideas...or a crackpot who was out of touch with all reality... A powerful man who landed on the scene an a critical moment, but one who also had some blind spots which eventually defeated him in his last election. But what a great man, and the author did a wonderful job of making TR and his times come alive to us. Thank you all!

What can I say? I simply loved this book which is well written and researched. I think one of the things that intrigued me was that the author did not worship at the throne of Roosevelt but presented him as an ambitious man with a desire for power and who thrived on recognition. He was not hesitant to point out his flaws but also gave TR the credit he deserved.

I was also fascinated by LaFollette.......I knew little about him and again, the author painted a vivid picture of a man who was kicked from pillar to post but just kept coming back based on his principles. It would have been interesting to see LF in another time when he was not bucking the machine and the popularity of TR.

Taft is treated a bit harshly but may have deserved it as he rather stumbled through his Presidency with his eye on the SCOTUS instead of what he was elected to do. Without TR's support in the beginning, he would have been pretty much a cipher in political history.

I would highly recommend this book to any reader who has even the slightest interest in American politics as it rises above the usual political history.

I received this book gratis from the History Book Club and our friends at St.Martin's Press

A wonderful and in-depth look at the progressive era of Teddy Roosevelt. I learned a lot about TR and the campaign environment of this time. I'm glad I read this book. If you are interested in these personalities or the progressive movement, this is a book you should read. It is well written and moves fast. I took my time reading it as it was part of a book club.

I received this book free from the History Book Club and St.Martin's Press.

Unreasonable Men was a very interesting look into the political structure of the United States during the years prior to World War 1. A great deal of the focus of the book was that of Theodore Roosevelt as President and his approach to achieving legislation he found important. In the early portion of the book, Roosevelt had to deal with a very strong faction of "Stand patters". It was quite challenging to get any legislation through without first having the blessing of the powers in this faction. Roosevelt was very savvy about this and was willing to compromise on smaller issues in order to accomplish some of his agenda. At the other side of the spectrum from the Stand patters would be Senator Bob Follette. His agenda was progressive and compromise was not a part of his vernacular. While he and Roosevelt saw eye to eye on many issues, their ways to go about obtaining their goals was quite different. As we move on in the book, we proceed from Roosevelt to his hand picked successor William Howard Taft. While Taft and Roosevelt may have seemed similar at first, it became apparent over the course of Taft's administration that they saw things quite differently and as Follette's progressives gained more and more support, Taft choose to stay with the Stand patters. Roosevelt couldn't stand on the sidelines any further and made a return to politics. Although now firmly invested in the progressive platform, he and Follette could still not coexist and it let to a third party run for Roosevelt and loss of the election to the Democratic Woodrow Wilson.

I really enjoyed this book as other than Roosevelt, most of the politicians from this era were unfamiliar to me. I always find it amazing how similar different eras can be to our modern one. We feel like we've never seem something before but it's happened repeatedly throughout history.

I'd like to thank the History Book Club and St. Martin's Press for providing me a free copy of the book. It was an enjoyable journey.

The 20th century begins and the American people are infuriated with their government after the Panic of 1907. The ruling Republican party, with President Teddy Roosevelt at the helm, cannot stem the tide of national outrage as a new group of progressive politicians come to Washington led by "Fighting Bob" La Follette. This is where Wolraich starts us off in his fascinating, well-researched tale of a country demanding change and the men who step up to answer (or try to stop) the call. In some ways, the historical figures in the book get swept up in a storm that they cannot control, constantly battling the opposing parties and each other for the New American vision they hold as individuals.

Wolraich does a great job at juggling complicated historical information with descriptive characterization and stylistic writing. I liked the sub-dating within the chapters because I like to know the order in which things happen. It is a useful book for those researching the time period and for those looking for an interesting read of the times. For those curious about the politicized word ‘progressive’ and to see a political arena fraught with conflict and questioning like the current 2016 president election, this is a book for you. I would recommend to both heavy and light historical readers.

Note: I received this book for free through the History Book Club on Goodreads and our friends at St. Martin’s Press.

It's so heartwarming and humbling to read these reviews. I'm very glad that so many people appreciated the book, and it's wonderful to read everyone's thoughts on the subject matter.

I'm grateful to Bentley for featuring the book and to St. Martin's Press for donating the copies. I'd also like the thank the assisting moderators, Bryan, Jill, Samanta, Teri, and Vicki (I hope I didn't miss anyone) for all their hard work. Finally, thank you to the readers for taking the time to read, discuss, and review the book. This has been a tremendous experience.

One last request. If you enjoyed the book, I hope that you will tell your friends about it and take the time to post your review at Goodreads or Amazon or review site of your choice. The publishing biz is all about sales numbers, and my ability to publish another book depends on how well this book sells. So I hope you will consider going the extra mile to let people how much you liked it.

Gratefully, Michael

This is a very good book telling the story of the beginning of 20th century progressive politics in America. It is well written and informative and character well known, such as Teddy Roosevelt, and those less well know such as Robert LaFollette (from still progressive Wisconsin - except for their current governor) a star of the beginning of the turn of the century progressive movement and other important players, both positive and negative ones, are illustrated and explained.
Their intrigues and beliefs and struggles are presented in an understandable way with adequate explanation of the environments - political - social - etc. and causes and results.
Well written and a good read for history and politics and economic interests. And for personality interests too - such as Taft's wife.
This book was provided to me via the History Book Club and I very much appreciate it and the experience I have had reading it with the club.

This is a fine book. It is my second time, and after the first, I kept going back to it, so that is a good sign.

What fascinated me most was the political story of the Republican Party. It had internal fights which led TR running as an independent. Well-written an most enjoyable.

Note: I have received the book for free through the History Book Club on Goodreads.

The following is my 4-star review that I gave for this book when I finished it. This book also elicited some interest from people when I mentioned it at a recent book club event for Book Riot in Los Angeles this past weekend:

(Full Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in order to take part in an online discussion with the History Book Club group on Goodreads. However, the views expressed below are mine and do not reflect those of the author, the publisher, Goodreads, or the History Book Club.)

A lot has been written about the Progressive era in American history, which typically spans the presidencies of Theodore Roosevelt, Taft, and Woodrow Wilson. However, non of them have been as holistic in its approach than this one. Others have just been biographies of one or two of the big figures from this era, particularly Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson. This book presents a history of the Progressive era from the election of Bob La Follette to the U.S. Senate in 1904 to the election of 1912. In Mr. Woolraich's capable hands, many lesser known figures from this era such as Sen. Nelson Aldrich and House Speaker Joseph Cannon, a major figure from this era, Sen. La Follette, is reappraised, and another figure, Pres. Theodore Roosevelt, is cast in much more critical light than usual. In short, it is a political history of the country that shows how Progressive ideals overthrew the conservative ideals of the Republican party over eight years and transformed the country. Many landmark laws, such as the Clayton Anti-Trust Act and the Federal Reserve Act, would not have been possible without this political revolution and certainly none of the Progressive laws of the New Deal and the Great Society would've been possible without it either. Thus, not only is it a great history of the period, but it also has clear parallels to our current politics, particularly Sen. Bernie Sanders' run for the presidency. The only downside to this history is that it never quite settles on who is the major figure of this period. Certainly Sen. La Follette pioneered many of the issues of the Progressive era, but he isn't nearly as featured in this book as I thought he was going to be. Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and William Taft take up a large chunk of the narrative, but Mr. Wolraich is critical of many of their leadership qualities throughout. However, this is a rather small complaint compared to how good this book is. I would recommend this book as an introductory text for people unfamiliar with the period, but I think it would also be of great benefit to those who know more about the period too.

I had so much fun reading this book and following along with the discussions, and delving into the supplementary material, as well as the great opportunity of interacting with the author. Thanks Bentley, as usual!

Here is my "review:"

I greatly enjoyed this book. I had heard about it on NPR or read something about it in the paper so when I had the opportunity to receive a copy for free via the History Book Club and the folks at St. Martins Press, I jumped at it. I am very glad I did.

This book is about a tumultuous time in our nation’s history. It was a time when the word “progressive” was evolving. The author depicts with great clarity and wit the workings of congress in that time, fist fights and all. We are also treated to an intimate look at the kinds of shenanigans that took place on the floor of congress and during the presidential campaigns, following such well-known figures as Teddy Roosevelt, William H. Taft, and Woodrow Wilson, as well as a variety of lesser know people, including Bob La Follette, Nelson Aldrich, and Joe Cannon (known as “Uncle Joe.”) We learn about “Stalwarts,” “Standpatters,” and “Half-breeds,” colorful terms to describe the different species of the Republican party. We also are shown how the Democratic party was originally quite rowdy and what the author calls “a volatile soup.”

Michael Wolraich depicts the events in this book with such vivid language that one feels as if one is right there. I do not follow politics very closely but this book opened my eyes to the politics of a hundred years ago and what a reflection of that was in shaping the country we live in today, and it does it with such seeming ease that it is a joy to read. Meticulously researched and annotated, I highly recommend this great book to anyone interested in history, politics and our world today.

I got a free copy of this book from the publisher via the History Book Club on Goodreads.

I very much enjoyed the book. It was well written and organized. I had already read considerably about this era, but I still learned some more.

Disclaimer: I received this book free from the publisher as a participant in the discussion here on the History Book Club on Goodreads.

I enjoyed this book very much; I rated it 5 stars. Wolraich has a real flair for narrative history and bringing not only the main characters but also the issues of the time to life (yes, even that pesky tariff :-). I especially appreciated the author's participation in answering our questions on the board.

I received a new understanding of Theodore Roosevelt. I knew he was a man larger than life, but, as a reformer, he was much more conservative than I had realized. For me, the big hero of this book was Robert La Follette. I had a great deal of respect for his steadfastness, detailed knowledge of the issues, and the way he presented them. I loved the way he toured and read out the names of the senators and their votes on controversial issues. If only our present day senators and congressmen would be courageous enough to actually vote on issues like gun control, someone could do the same.

The writer did a very good job showing how personal clashes interfered with political relations between Roosevelt, LaFollette, and Taft and eventually made it impossible for them to work together. They were all decent men, but that wasn't enough.

Finally, this book made me think a lot about parallels with our own political deadlock and the fracturing of the Republican Party. The Standpatters and Joe Cannon held sway for so long, but eventually, they were defeated. That helped me see the present in perspective.

I received a free copy of this book through the History Book Club on Goodreads.

Unreasonable Men is a well researched, wild ride through a tumultuous period in American politics that saw the rise of the Progressive movement, the split of the Republican Party, the destruction of a close friendship and, briefly, a burst of legislation that placed more power in the hands of ordinary Americans.

The book gives a "top down" view of the period, focusing on Presidents (Teddy Roosevelt, Taft and Wilson) as well as legislative movers and shakers (including Sen. "Fighting Bob" LaFollette and House Speaker "Uncle Joe" Cannon). Author Michael Wolraich's use of quotations from speeches, letters and press accounts, his recreation of dramatic moments (such as an attempt to assassinate Roosevelt) and his presentation of the narrative in short, digestible sections create a page-turner without sacrificing historical accuracy or analysis.

I had the vaguest of impressions of this period in American politics and am grateful to the author and our HBC group for the opportunity to take part in this group read!

Unreasonable Men covers the rise of progressive politics at the turn of the century from the end of Teddy Roosevelt's tenure as President, during Taft's tenure and through the election of Woodrow Wilson. Roosevelt often butted heads with the likes of "Fighting Bob" La Follotte who led the progressive movement. This was an era of a decisive split among Republicans that certainly echo's today's political environment. So much can be compared to the 2016 election season.

Wolraich does a wonderful job of bringing the reader into the times and understanding the political climate of the Taft era when the unreasonable man tries to adapt the world to himself rather than adapt to the world. Definitely worth the read for anyone interested in politics today.

I received this book gratis from the History Book Club and our friends at St.Martin's Press

Folks - all participants please post your review here - my father has been ill over the past three years but has taken a turn for the worse and I have had to travel to the Boston area and be involved with his care. I will post back as soon as I am able.

Bentley, I'm so sorry to hear about your father's illness. Thank you again for honoring Unreasonable Men at the History Book Club. I hope for the best for you and your family.

Best regards,
Michael

Thank you Michael - it has been a pleasure - your books was quite a special discussion here and was very well received.

Michael Wolraich’s Unreasonable Men is a fast and enjoyable read that chronicles the events in US political history between 1904 and 1913 that launched the progressive movement.

Highly relevant to today’s political environment, the author touches on early 20th century public anxieties over issues including corporate greed, income inequality, Wall Street manipulation, and environmental degradation. Voters had a sense that political and economic frameworks were manipulated to benefit a few powerful men at the expense of the majority of the country.

The book focuses on two presidents – Theodore Roosevelt and William Taft – and three members of Congress – Robert LaFollette, Joseph Cannon, and Nelson Aldrich. Written in concise and clear language, Wolraich effectively conveys what made these men tick – their personality traits, their strengths, their interests, and their influencers. Throughout the book, the serendipity of politics is on display. Decisions are made that don’t turn out as planned, and suddenly a brilliant political career is over. And yet, despite giant egos and subservience to corporate leaders, some important legislation came to life.

Wolraich is an excellent storyteller, and does a wonderful job informing readers about messy political processes including conflicts, alliances, and competing interests. The book is not an in-depth examination of the issues but rather highlights the key triggers and people behind legislative and regulatory outcomes. Highly recommended for a quick dive into the politics and players of the Gilded Era.

I received a free copy of the book as a member of an online discussion for the History Book Club.

Michael Wolraich’s book was a very enjoyable read which took place between 1904 and 1914. Unreasonable Men occurs during a dynamic period of time and it was responsible for the Progressive movement. It started Robert La Follette and was during the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt, William Taft and the beginning of the presidency of Woodrow Wilson. La Follette was the progressive Senator during this movement that split the Republican Party.

The author did a very good job immersing us in the personal and political clashes between Roosevelt, LaFollette, and Taft and showed us how their lives clashed in such a way that they could not work together. I could see many parallels of today. This book is highly recommended to anyone interested in politics today and also anyone interested in how the Progressive movement came about.

I received this book free from the History Book Club and the publisher St Martin’s Press.

This was a wonderful book highlighting the tumultuous changes in politics at the turn of the twentieth century featuring the rise of progressive and conservative politics set forth in a riveting narrative fashion. Michael Wolraich has done a commendable job in the comprehensive research for this book as it unfolds in chronological order primarily featuring Theodore Roosevelt, William Taft and Robert La Follette with many of the same issues that are playing out on the political stage today. In addition, it was particularly interesting to see how the press played a key role in that era and in the shaping of the American political system. What I enjoyed too about this book was the thought and research that went into creating the historical context which added to the richness of the book.

Please note that I received a copy of this book from the publisher as part of my participation in the History Book Club. Thank you to all.

Great book. Recommended it to several of my friends. This book did not just state facts, it gave an in depth treatments of the emotions of the men of power in that era.

Unreasonable Men: Theodore Roosevelt and the Republican Rebels Who Created Progressive Politics by Michael Wolraich is an interesting look at a chapter in the early period of national progressive politics. The book covers the efforts of Senator Bob LaFollete and his efforts at reform in national politics and government at all costs, and conflict that he runs into with President Teddy Roosevelt, who is presented as more willing to compromise to achieve what he believed was needed. The book treads over both much more familiar areas as well, including Taft, the Bull Moose moment, but where it does the most good is to bring LaFollete to the fore, a figure much less known among the average American. Wolraich has an engaging, journalistic style to his prose. There were some stylistic choices, like the repeated use of dates as section headings, jumping back and forth in the narrative, but that is much more a matter of my own preference - it tended to be more abrupt in the narrative than I would have liked. Also, while this and other books that focus on elections and "watershed moments" in history and proclaim them to be the "birth" or "beginning" of their topic, I find that to be overstated. Progressivism had a longer climb and has its roots among economists, academics and scientists before taking hold in national politics. But readers tend to like to point at any moment and time and start from there, observing that a tree starts at its trunk rather than its roots, because we can plainly see the trunk of the tree. Publishers and editors also tend to have an eye towards marketing with such things in mind. Regardless, I appreciate the more unvarnished look at TR, a figure to be admired, but like every historical figure, not one to be placed on a pedestal. The author has a clear admiration for LaFollete, an interesting person indeed, but at times it seems he is less a chronicler and more of a booster when it comes to the energetic Senator. Progressivism is a mixed bag. Surely reform is need in all eras in history. We are mortal and fallible after all. But is giving the government more control and less checks the answer. The movement itself has had a checkered tenure, and too often we want to make heroes out of politicians. A fatal flaw of democracy perhaps. The Greeks and Romans thought so. But we don't have to look back that far to see the danger inherent in having an unjaundiced view of both Reformers and the promise of perfect solutions. Maybe TR was correct - maybe he took the long view. Maybe he was wrong in being unwilling to turn his back on some others who had more invested in the status quo. But then, maybe LaFollete was too fast and too inflexible. I believe that may depend on your point of view. Whatever view that would be, one would do well to read Wolraich's book to reacquaint or get to know LaFollete to understand him better, and to read with both an open mind and grounded feet.
I am grateful to the Publisher and to the History Book Club and Goodreads for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

John wrote: "Unreasonable Men: Theodore Roosevelt and the Republican Rebels Who Created Progressive Politics by Michael Wolraich is an interesting look at a chapter in the early period of national progressive p..."Excellent commentary. Some interesting ideas presented. Do we really tend to make heroes out of politicians in a democracy? I am doubtful of that. I think that occurs more in an monarchy or oligarchy. And the debate about the level of government controls is what essentially separates conservatives from liberals. I think that in a technologically complex society and one where we often live in a community of semi-strangers that the government must exert more control than it needed to exert at the time of our founding. Farmers did not need to be highly educated and people knew their neighbors. There were no massive, indifferent corporations. And the actions of one community rarely could affect the entire country. I like to think that future presented in the Star Trek series is a good approximation to how society will be in in the next 500 years or so, that is, if we don't obliterate the planet before that time.

Corruption and abuse of power, opportunism, demagoguery, third party campaigns, rowdy mobs, Unreasonable Men has them all. Given the chaos of the current US presidential election cycle, a timely read.
Wolraich has a wonderful voice. The details are there, documented, but so are the metaphors--Taft's smile, Roosevelt's hips, La Follette's pompadour. Wolraich, like all great historians, understands that the most compelling history is that written through biography.
This book is the cure for popular America's amnesia regarding the origins of the Progressive Movement.
Thank you Mr. Wolraich for a wonderful read.

Mel wrote: "Corruption and abuse of power, opportunism, demagoguery, third party campaigns, rowdy mobs, Unreasonable Men has them all. Given the chaos of the current US presidential election cycle, a timely re..."

I did NOT receive a free copy of this book, and my library system did NOT have it. :) I bought it and it was a great read. I gave it 5 stars but couldn't figure out how to add that in the banner as the above reviews did.

I am a Theodore Roosevelt devotee, but Michael Wolraich also writes about lesser-known figures of the Progressive era in an engaging, informative manner. It was wonderful how he participated in the Book Club discussion, which I thoroughly enjoyed (it was my first Book Club experience).
Overall, the book is accessible to the general public but reliable enough to assign for undergraduate courses as well.
I remain a TR aficionado, so Wolraich managed to augment my knowledge without leaving me disillusioned.
GoodReads Disclosure: I received the book gratis from the History Book Club. Opinions are my own.

Savannah - absolutely people make heroes out of politicians. I'm not even sure how you can not see it in the threads of the coverage of this book and others in the HBC. JFK, TR, Ronald Reagan, FDR - all heroes to people, some of whom refuse to find fault in any of them. There are those who do the same with out current President. Conversely people make villiains out of the same folks. And as far as corporations go - the "soulless corporation" is more politicized descriptor, but large companies have been around for a long time. The Founders would have been familiar with the East India Tea Company, South Seas Co. and the financial bubble that one of them found themselves in, and the fact that members of Parliament were invested in it, and that smuggling was undercutting the bottom line, were several of the reasons the sought the tea tax.

Thanks to everyone who posted their review

Michael wrote: "Bentley, I'm so sorry to hear about your father's illness. Thank you again for honoring Unreasonable Men at the History Book Club. I hope for the best for you and your family.

Best regards,
Michael"

You are welcome Michael - unfortunately I had to leave the state to travel to where he lived and handle the situation - as you know it ended sadly.

But your book and the discussion were stellar and we all enjoyed the discussion immensely - there is one last question for you on the Q&A thread from Mary Ellen.

Bentley wrote: "Michael wrote: "Bentley, I'm so sorry to hear about your father's illness. Thank you again for honoring Unreasonable Men at the History Book Club. I hope for the best for you and your family."

Bentley, I'm very sorry for your loss, and I wish you well.

Thank you for reminding me about Mary's question. And thank you again for inviting me to participate in this wonderful discussion.

You are most welcome Michael - it was our pleasure.

Thank you for your kind words

Of interest - I am in the midst of reading the Chernow biography of Rockefeller and found that chapter 22 Avenging Angel covers in an interesting way Tarbell and the others attacking Standard Oil including TR a bit - probably available from your library if you are interested - only about 40 pages

Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.

Thank you Vincent - remember to place the author's photo before the author's link. But good info