Michael WolraichReseñas

Loved this. From a historians point of view, this book did a great job of keeping such a complicated topic under control and in a reasonable amount of pages. From a biography-lovers point of view, this book keep the narrative interesting and readable. Recommended!

I'm grateful to have received an early reader copy of this book (although, I'm not early any more...)

You can tell you're reading a good narrative history when, despite knowing in broad terms how the story turns out, you find your heart pounding as you read. Author Michael Wolraich draws that kind of tension out of a story of political campaigns and legislative maneuvering between Progressive Republicans (Sen. Bob La Follette and, ultimately, former President Teddy Roosevelt) and Standpatter Republicans (above all, Sen. Nelson Aldritch), between 1904 and 1913. Wolraich provides enough context and detail to understand the major policy issues, but the story really focuses on the repeated clashes between the main characters. One of the pleasures of the book is the series of cynical epigraphs, at the start of each chapter, by 'Uncle Joe' Cannon, the Speaker of the House, who had no use for the idealism of the various Progressives and was shameless in his use of his authority to dominate the legislative agenda. These epigraphs serve as an excellent ground and counterpoint to the passionate rhetoric of justice, fairness, and wisdom invoked by the other major figures in the book.

A great look at two interesting and important American historical figures from the transitional period of the late 19th, early 20th centuries. Weaving the strikingly different progressive story of Theodore Roosevelt and Senator La Follette, Michael Wolraich has created an enjoyable read for anyone interested in these two people, or the progressive movement they were both a large part of.

I've read quite a few books about Theodore Roosevelt and Michael Wolraich has done a remarkable job here with the birth of the Progressive Movement and Roosevelt's changing attitude towards reform.

Rather than a traditional historical narrative of the Progressive Movement, Michael Wolraich gives us a book of incidents, each at a specific time and place occurring between 1904 and 1913. The incidents are described in as little as a paragraph or as much as half a dozen pages. The reader thus has the impression of watching a documentary composed of scenes--many dramatic, some of obvious importance, and some seemingly mundane. Together these scenes tell the story of how Theodore Roosevelt and allies created, sustained, controlled, and tried to limit the Progressive Movement, and how, in the end, many public policy goals of the Progressives were brought to fruition not by Roosevelt's Republicans or his "Bull Moose" third party, but by Woodrow Wilson and the Democrats.

This is a story with much relevance to America today. The Progressives believed that America's largest business combines--Standard Oil, the railroads, the meat packers, the sugar importers--schemed and colluded to limit competition, gouge the public with monopolistic pricing, and endanger public health, all the while buying the legislation they wanted from Congress and state legislatures. How such practices were curbed, at least in part, makes for a book that is all the more interesting due to its striking parallels with contemporary American politics. How little American corporate capitalism has changed in a century!

Between this book and the Ken Burns' documentary on the Roosevelts, I know far more about Teddy Roosevelt than I did a month ago. The book deals mostly with Roosevelt's time as president, and details his changing attitude to reform. Senator La Follette is almost as important to the story as Roosevelt is. The book portrays them as men who often wanted the same things, but who didn't like each other and didn't trust each other. I think the book points out some of Roosevelt's weaknesses more strongly than the film did.

One of the amazing things about the book is how much it reads like a discussion of modern politics at the beginning of the 21st century instead of a history of politics at the beginning of the 20th century. It shows that in 100 years we have pretty well cycled back to the same place where money rules. Corporations are out of control and lives of the middle class are getting worse instead of better.

It highlights the rise of the progressive movement as a response to the greed of the very rich who ran the country as their own personal piggy bank. The level of graft and corruption in government during the late 19th and early 20th centuries was staggering.

I would highly recommend this book to anybody interested in politics, the environment or economic policy.

I am encouraged to find that another reviewer stated that " Unreasonable Men" was one of the best books he had read this year. I am of the same opinion. Micheal Wolraich is a very fine author and I look forward to more of his works. I found that this book was well investigated, and that the results were delivered to us in a meaningful writing. This is a good study guide to that era and to the men who ran this country. The author gives us a report of the politics of that time and the rise of the progressive movement of that time. As you read you can see the then and now of politics and come away wondering if anything has changed. The book not only takes you into that era but causes you to think about the now, and all that has happened to this country. It is a great history book when it can make you want to learn more.

One of the best books I've read this year. Although the events in Michael Wolraich's "Unreasonable Men" took place over 100 years ago, the political and historical discussions are engaging and feel very current. I was particularly interested in how Theodore Roosevelt is portrayed, because although I've generally thought of him as one of our great(est) presidents, he comes off here (at least to me) as very opportunistic, someone who jumps to the forefront after others have done the heavy lifting. Indeed, Wolraich has perhaps aided Teddy posthumously, by selecting him for the front cover over all the other compelling participants we read about, including Robert La Follette, Joe Cannon, Nelson Aldrich, and William Howard Taft. While none of these people struck me as especially likeable, the political junkie in me thoroughly enjoyed reading about all of them. Highly recommended.½

A superb narrative about the rise of the Prgressive movement of the early 1900's and how it similarly matches the Tea Party movement of today. I liked the way he divided his sections which lent to an easy read. Thoroughly enjoyable.½