About this item

"As Michael Wolraich argues in his sharp, streamlined new book, Unreasonable Men, it was 'the greatest period of political change in American history.'" -Washington Post, 50 Notable Works of NonfictionAt the turn of the twentieth century, the Republican Party stood at the brink of an internal civil war. After a devastating financial crisis, furious voters sent a new breed of politician to Washington. These young Republican firebrands, led by "Fighting Bob" La Follette of Wisconsin, vowed to overthrow the party leaders and purge Wall Street's corrupting influence from Washington. Their opponents called them "radicals," and "fanatics." They called themselves Progressives.President Theodore Roosevelt disapproved of La Follette's confrontational methods.



About the Author

Michael Wolraich

Michael Wolraich is a journalist and historian who writes about historical events to illuminate modern politics. He founded the political blog dagblog.com, and his writing has appeared at The Atlantic, The Daily Beast, New York Magazine, CNN, Reuters, TalkingPointsMemo.com, and Pando Daily. Wolraich grew up in Iowa City and now lives in New York.



Read Next Recommendation

Report incorrect product information.