As a longtime leader of the Democratic Party and key member of Woodrow Wilson's cabinet, Josephus Daniels was one of the most influential progressive politicians in the country, and as secretary of the navy during the First World War, he became one of the most important men in the world. Before that, Daniels revolutionized the newspaper industry in the South, forever changing the relationship between politics and the news media. Lee A. Craig, an expert on economic history, delves into Daniels's extensive archive to inform this nuanced and eminently readable biography, following Daniels's rise to power in North Carolina and chronicling his influence on twentieth-century politics.
A man of great contradictions, Daniels--an ardent prohibitionist, free trader, and Free Silverite--made a fortune in private industry yet served as a persistent critic of unregulated capitalism. He championed progressive causes like the graded public school movement and antitrust laws even as he led North Carolina's white supremacy movement. Craig pulls no punches in his definitive biography of this political powerhouse.
Industry Reviews
For those who study southern progressives and the Wilson administration Josephus Daniels will be an essential text."" - The Journal of American History
""Excellent. . . . Mr. Craig's judgments are fair, and his prose is clear, vigorous and free of jargon."" - Wall Street Journal
""The definitive biography."" - Rocky Mount Telegram
""A good biography of Daniels is long overdue, and North Carolina State University professor Lee A. Craig has filled that need."" - StarNewsOnline.com
""Superb. . . . Craig's effort is the one that will stand as the definitive account of Daniels' life. . . . A thoroughly researched work that will satisfy scholars and is also a cracking good yarn for the engaged reader."" - Rob Christensen, Raleigh News and Observer
""I am more than happy to recommend Craig's thought-provoking and meticulously researched biography to all those interested in the evolution of journalism, the growth of the U.S. Navy, the politics of the 'New South,' and the continuing influence of southerners in the national Democratic Party throughout the Progressive Era."" - H-SHGAPE
""There have been several biographies of Daniels. . . [but] none of them do as thorough a job as Craig. . . . Provides a fascinating glimpse into the mind and actions of a truly American newspaper editor, progressive businessman, politician, and incontrovertibly the most influential Secretary of the Navy in [the] 20th century."" - Daybook
""A compelling narrative that allows the reader to better understand Daniels's world, and still perceive the possibilities for a different American future that were foreclosed by his actions."" - Journal of the North Carolina Association of Historians
""Craig has produced an excellent book. . . . [He] writes gracefully, forcefully, with sly humor and appropriate criticism but humane tolerance of Daniels' many failings. The book covers all aspects of Daniels' multi-faceted life."" - EH.Net
""Craig's exhaustively researched and highly readable biography of a complicated and interesting man. . . . should be fascinating to the general reader. In Craig's hands, the story of a very complex man living in the tumult of war and depression becomes a clear and intriguing page-turner."" - John Lehman, Washington Post
""Ably-written. . . . Illuminates important aspects of Daniels' life. . . and provides a valuable understanding of why Daniels remains worth knowing."" - Proceedings Magazine
""An important contribution to the already rich discussion about the place of evangelicalism and Pentecostalism in American religious life."" - Journal of Southern History
""[An] excellent work"" - The Historian
""A splendid biography."" - The News & Observer
""A first-rate biography."" - North Carolina Historical Review
