James Grant (1) (1946–)

A look at the short and sharp deep recession/depression that hit the United States in the aftermath of World War I, covering the last months of the Wilson administration and the first portion of Harding's administration. The thesis appears to be that the government took a back seat in handling the matter, and that the market took care of the situation, in sharp contrast to the way the government would handle the Great Depression a decade later. I say "appears to be," because in something of a surprise, given Grant's reputation as an investor and as a thinker, the book is something of a muddle, and appears to wander all over the place. I blame bad editing.… (mer)

Thomas Reed (R-ME) is now a generally forgotten figure, though during the last quarter of the 19th century, he was a key player in Republican Party power politics, serving as Speaker of the House and minority leader. This biography tells his story, and the climax of it is also the climax of Reed's career, when he (temporarily) changed the rules of the House of Representatives to ban the filibuster in that chamber. The change was reversed when the Democrats came back into power the next term, but eventually "Reed's Rules" were put into permanent effect. Very colourful anecdotes liven up the book, though in a number of spots, I found that the author repeated himself, and there's a lot of "gosh, this looks odd to a 21st century reader," which can get mildly irritating after a few repeated usages. The book does give a little insight into dilatory parliamentary tactics, of some relevance today with regard to the Senate. Fairly decent book, though probably only political junkies will get true enjoyment out of it.… (mer)