Incredible Era

Samuel Hopkins Adams was one of the original muckrakers. More importantly for today's reader his writing is still engaging and often quite funny. Sometimes picking up a work by other writers of the same era can be a slog. I am looking as you William Allen White. But Adams' writing is lively.

In this book, Adams takes a detailed look at the career of President Harding from his time as local newspaper editor until his aborted term as president. Adams makes Harding's hail fellow, well met character come alive. It was this personality that ultimately was Harding's downfall. Adams puts Harding's complete incompetence to hold the highest office in the land on full display. However the author also takes time to point out Harding's kindliness and general bonhomie.

The book does address the existence of Nan Britton, Harding's mistress and baby mama. However, Adams finds the facts unimportant and certainly not unique. Much more time is spent on the ugliness of the political campaigns that hounded Harding with allegations of black relatives. Harding faced these allegations throughout his entire career, from local office to White House.

Much of the book related to the group of grafters the Harding was surrounded with when he reached the White House. Adams really makes the level of corruption clear. Interestingly, the only person who seems not to have reaped ill gotten pelf from the Harding administration is Harding himself. He is never linked ot the amazing array to graft. In the end Harding lucks out by passing away before the full scope of the corruption was revealed.

Adams book gives a full view of Harding and his cronies. While Harding might have been an awful judge of character and mediocre president, Adams makes you feel real sympathy for a man who had no business reaching beyond Marion, Ohio.