Fighting Son : A Biography of Philip F. La Follette

A very political beginning -- Apprenticeship -- The ghost at the banquet -- Republican victory -- The Progressive Party -- A stolen utopia -- Third term controversies -- Strange bedfellows and failed crusades -- Epilogue : the legacy of the great experiment.

Former Wisconsin governor Philip F. La Follette forged a political path characterized by his progressive, innovative vision. Growing up in the shadow of revered senator "Fighting Bob" La Follette made for a politically charged childhood and laid the groundwork for Phil's emergence as a powerful figure in Wisconsin politics. A gregarious and fiery politician, Phil's efforts led to the passage of the country's first unemployment compensation act, aid programs for workers and farmers, and the reorganization of state government.

This approachable, comprehensive book traces La Follette's journey through public office as well as his life after the waning of the Progressive era. Phil La Follette’s is a history of continuing progressivism, of innovative solutions to social problems, and of loyalty to a political ethos that goes far beyond love of country. Kasparek's treatment of this Fighting Son is a monument not only to La Follette but to progressive politics in Wisconsin.

Former Wisconsin governor Philip F. La Follette forged a political path characterized by his progressive, innovative vision. Growing up in the shadow of revered senator "Fighting Bob" La Follette made for a politically charged childhood and laid the groundwork for Phil's emergence as a powerful figure in Wisconsin politics. A gregarious and fiery politician, Phil's efforts led to the passage of the country's first unemployment compensation act, aid programs for workers and farmers, and the reorganization of state government. This approachable, comprehensive book traces La Follette's journey through public office as well as his life after the waning of the Progressive era. Phil La Follette's is a history of continuing progressivism, of innovative solutions to social problems, and of loyalty to a political ethos that goes far beyond love of country. Kasparek's treatment of this Fighting Son is a monument not only to La Follette but to progressive politics in Wisconsin. Phil La Follette's political journey was incontrovertibly marked by the legacy of his father, "Fighting Bob" La Follette. Like his father, Phil was fiery, confrontational, and unwavering, and his efforts led to the passage of the country's first unemployment compensation act, aid programs for workers and farmers, and the reorganization of state government. His controversial effort to forge an alternative course of action to Roosevelt's New Deal was at once his greatest contribution to American politics and his greatest failure. Phil's is a history of continuing progressivism, of innovative solutions to social problems, and of loyalty to a political ethos that goes far beyond love of country As the second son of the most famous Wisconsin progressive, Philip La Follette's own political journey was incontrovertibly marked by his father's legacy. The author examines La Follette's path from political origins through public office, active duty in the Pacific, return to law practice, and the end of the Progressive era. Jonathan Kasparek examines La Follette's path from childhood through three terms as Wisconsin governor, active duty in the Pacific, return to law practice, and the end of the Progressive era. His treatment of this Fighting Son is a monument not only to La Follette but to progressive politics in Wisconsin