Josephus Daniels: His Life and Times

by Lee A. Craig

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781469653235
Publisher:	The University of North Carolina Press
Publication date:	02/01/2019
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	512
Sales rank:	1,080,853
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Lee A. Craig is Alumni Distinguished Professor at North Carolina State University. He is author of six books and numerous scholarly articles, essays, and reviews on U.S. and European economic history.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

For scholars as well as for citizens with serious interest in history and journalism, Professor Craig's biography of Josephus Daniels opens windows of insight into key moments in American history: the rise of the white supremacist "redeemers" in the post-Reconstruction South, the presidencies of Grover Cleveland and Woodrow Wilson, and the conduct and outcome of World War I. The book also tells the story of a fascinating, ambitious newspaper editor in politics.—Ferrel Guillory, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Recent political events have rekindled interest in the formative years of progressivism, in which Josephus Daniels played a large role—before, during and after his close relationship with Woodrow Wilson. Professor Craig's briskly written biography rescues from undeserved obscurity a Southern and national politician of great consequence and fascinating contradictions.—George F. Will

Editorial Reviews

The definitive biography.—Rocky Mount Telegram

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

Excellent. . . . Mr. Craig's judgments are fair, and his prose is clear, vigorous and free of jargon.—Wall Street Journal

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

A splendid biography.—The News & Observer

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

An important contribution to the already rich discussion about the place of evangelicalism and Pentecostalism in American religious life.—Journal of Southern History

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

A first-rate biography.—North Carolina Historical Review

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

From the Publisher