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the
universit y
of
wisconsin
press
•
F
all
2013
BIOGRAPHY / POLITICS / WISCONSIN & MIDWEST
An intimate portrait of the Progressive movement and the revealing,
poignant story of an American political family
The La Follettes of Wisconsin—Robert, Belle, and their children, Bob Jr., Phil,
Fola, and Mary—are vividly brought to life in this collective biography of an
American political family. As governor of Wisconsin (1901–06) and U.S. Sena-
tor (1906–25), “Fighting Bob” battled relentlessly for his Progressive vision
of democracy—an idealistic mixture of informed citizenry and enlightened
egalitarianism.
By contrast, the private man suffered from intense, isolated periods of depres-
sion and relied heavily on his family for survival. Together, “Old Bob” and his
beloved wife, Belle Case La Follette—a lawyer, journalist, and Progressive leader
in her own right—raised their children in the distinctly uncompromising La Fol-
lette tradition of challenging social and political ills. Fola became a campaigner
for women’s suffrage, Phil was governor of Wisconsin, and “Young Bob” became
a U.S. senator.
“Highly readable, judicious in tone, aware of the La Follettes’ limitations while
insistent upon their manifest accomplishments, committed in its admiration
of reform values and goals, and long overdue. Its attention to love and affection
within the [La Follette] family demonstrates how important these values and rela-
tionships can be to any family, including political ones.”—John E. Miller,
Reviews
in American History
Bernard A. Weisberger
is a contributing editor for
American Heritage
. In his
distinguished career, he has published seventeen books and countless articles on
Americana. His television and film credentials include collaborations with Bill
Moyers and Ken Burns.
FIRST PAPERBACK EDITION
NOVEMBER
LC: 93–032286 E
384 PP. 6 × 9 24 B/W PHOTOS
E-BOOK $15.95 T ISBN 978-0-299-14133-2
• 1994 CLOTH, UWP, ISBN 978-0-299-14130-1
“Focusing on the intense personal
relationships that bound the
state’s first family together in
the pursuit of the public good,
Weisberger’s account breaks fresh
ground in its analysis of the origins
and development of Wisconsin
Progressivism and enhances our
understanding of Midwestern
insurgency.”
—James J. Lorence,
Journal of American History
Of re l at ed int e re s t
William H. Thomas Jr.
“Thomas pushes deeper than many pre-
decessors into Justice Department files,
beyond the court cases and into the less
understood campaign to silence dissent
through ‘cautionary visits on suspected
opponents of the war.’”—David Luhrssen,
Shepherd Express
PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 2008
LC: 2008011973 D 264 PP. 6 × 9
13 B/W ILLUS.
E-BOOK $24.95 T ISBN 978-0-299-22893-4
Studies in American Thought
and Culture
