Rarely have I read such a well-written political biography of a major figure. AMERICAN DREAMER very ably traces the trajectory of Henry Wallace's career from relative obscurity in the Iowa farm belt to its pinnacle in the Vice Presidency, then the fall from grace from Truman's firing of him as Commerce Secretary through the debacle of the 1948 Progressive Party candidacy for President. Especially fascinating are the parts which trace the reasons for FDR's dumping Wallace in favor of Truman in 1944 and Wallace's increasing distance from the American political mainstream, especially after that point. Viewed from the perspective of post-Cold War America, Wallace's views toward the Soviet Union and World Communism seem to have more validity than they did when he expressed them between the end of World War II and the outbreak of the Korean War; but the authors maintain objectivity about Wallace in this regard and rightly suggest how naive or downright subversive some of his political stances seemed at the time. The book is not without its appreciation of the ironies of Wallace's life and career in politics--how a "rock-ribbed Republican" evolved into one of the most radical national politicians of his generation, and how a scientist and businessman who made a minor fortune from the new hybrid strains of corn which he developed came to be regarded as a closet Communist.

The main thing that is lacking from this biography is a full picture of Henry Wallace the man. There are a number of hints that his family life following his marriage was rather troubled and unhappy, but his wife, children, and siblings remain on the periphery of the authors' presentation. (For example, it mentions that his oldest son never forgave him for one particular disagreement, but never elaborates or returns to their relationship. His wife was obviously uncomfortable with his entrance into electoral politics, but the book never explores this in any depth.) The book also seems to compress its account of the final 15 years of his life to a snapshot at best; it would have been nice to know more about how he viewed American politics--both national and international--in the years preceding his death, how he felt about his relative anonymity, and whether he ever felt fully vindicated for taking the rather lonely political path he took.

As a result, the portrayal of his later life in particular seems to be a bit one dimensional. But these are minor flaws in what is otherwise a captivating biography of a very intricate individual. Most people will learn a lot from this book; I certainly did.

John C. Culver and John Hyde have written a fascinating biography of Henry A. Wallace, who profoundly influenced the presidencies of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman. Wallace's influence on FDR was personal, close and positive throughout FDR's presidency. His influence on HST was indirect, which, until Culver and Hyde, has not been revealed to the public so dramatically, clearly and in such detail before.

For too many, their memory of Wallace is limited to one year, 1948, when Wallace was defeated as the Progressive Party candidate for president. Culver and Hyde write how Wallace was a genuine renaissance man, a scientist, businessman, writer, philosopher, and prophet. Throughout his 13 and a half year career as a cabinet member and Vice President, he was extraordinarily successful, innovative, effective and dynamic. In keeping the long view, he was guardian of the heart and soul of our democracy. He forsaw much of what has come to pass and is still yet to be done. Culver and Hyde give us the unvarnished story, which, in sum, leaves the reader with the feeling of being blessed that such a courageous man lived and fought for us. Readers owe a huge debt of gratitude to Culver and Hyde for condensing into one volume such a multi-faceted life. The times alone would have drowned most writers. Synthesizing many sources, some not known before, the authors give us a full portrait of a great and courageous man whose life defined the best of what is a liberal.

Culver and Hyde have produced a beautifully written account of the life and times of Henry A. Wallace. Their fresh account of this brilliant, enigmatic man rescues Wallace from the smears that so tarnished his reputation during the 1948 campaign.

Had I been alive in the 1940s, I would most likely not have voted for Wallace because of his views on foreign policy, but I hope I would have had the sense to admire him for the man of principle and courage he was. He was a rare character in American politics, a figure who was interested in ideas more than power. Sadly, it is usually those with the opposite priorities who prevail in electoral contests, as is amply demonstrated in the book's discussions of the 1944 vice presidential campaign.

I finished "American Dreamer" a fan of Henry Wallace. As was the case when I began the book, I still do not agree with many of his positions. However, I now have a profound respect for this decent, honorable American. This is a very inspirational book, one to be enjoyed during what is shaping up to be a disappointing election year.

This is one of the most insightful books you can find about one of the wisest American political leaders of the last century, in great part because Henry A. Wallace (like his father, Henry C.) was never really a politician as much as an agrarian activist, writer and organizer -- all of which stemmed from his interest in plants as a scientist.

Biographer Russell Lord gets inside the workings of Wallace's Department of Agriculture and his other Washington venues as Vice President during the FDR years with brilliant inclusion of comments by both Franklin and Eleanor as well, recognizing Wallace as a pragmatic, thoughtful scientist rather than the red-baited 1948 Progressive Party presidential candidate he is seemingly only remembered by in history. Lord's review of the fateful 1944 Democratic National Convention, and Wallace's stirring speech on equal rights and equal pay in quite moving.

Mr. Lord also delves deep into the family roots of this fascinating progressive thinker who proved to be so many decades ahead of his time, detailing the early symbiotic relationship he shared with fellow scientist George Washington Carver, whom Wallace credited for his own remarkable scientific achievements in hybridizing sweet corn, etc. Mr. Lord also clearly maintains an objectivity which makes this, in my opinion, one of the best written political biographies (about any politician) in critically analyzing Wallace within the context of his times and challenges.

Henry A. Wallace has been so scouraged by his ill-fated 1948 run as an independent candidate for the United States presidency that he is often forgotten for his key role in many, many other greater causes and efforts. The McCarthy era which decimated so many other careers may have been the great undoing of Vice President Wallace, but Russell Lord does a great job in getting inside the history and lives of the three generations of Wallaces in Iowa -- with a beautiful inset story of George Washington Carver's time with them -- while remaining remarkably objective in the days, perhaps, of a more honorable vintage of insider journalism. There is probably not a better life history of the intriguing young inventor of hybred seed corn as we know it today.