The Age of Acrimony

Reviews

It’s not every day — it’s not every year — that a book appears that upends all the guiding historical views of the age. Then again, Jon Grinspan’s The Age of Acrimony is that rare disturbance in the waters of the historiography of 19th-century America. It is an engaging, inviting, and ultimately disruptive story of what happened between the assassination of Lincoln and the sinking of the Lusitania. The portrait of a time—not so unlike our own—when partisan discord dominated American life … In the manner of David McCullough, [Grinspan] captures many of his themes in the story of a single figure whose career … ranged across a broad spectrum of not just political but also cultural issues … [Today] both parties behave like enemies in a cultural civil war, fighting it out on social media rather than torchlight parades. Where will it all end? To judge by Mr. Grinspan’s account, only when old causes and divisions are replaced by those of new generations—after another decade or two of acrimony. For those that love the messy politics of the Gilded Age or the complicated history of industrial capitalism, this book will prove fascinating … Grinspan’s history is wonderfully nuanced and balanced ... will give you hope that today’s problems are not as apocalyptic as they sometimes feel. After all, the nation survived. A welcome addition to the vast body of historical interpretations of what the Gilded Age meant for the erratic quest to fulfill the American nation’s democratic promise…Grinspan excels at teasing out the deeply rooted (and long-enduring) backstories that propelled the landmark confrontations of Gilded Age politics. Brisk, edifying . . . Grinspan enlists a large cast of tenacious optimists and mercurial opportunists. Together, their biographies illuminate a half-century of strife and grudging reform . . . Grinspan has skillfully assembled a roster of memorable personalities who embody some of the era's vicissitudes. The people in these pages didn't ‘fix’ the republic's problems, of course…Frequently, though, they prodded America to fulfill its founding promises, stepping into starring roles in this admirable portrait of a nation enduring a prolonged identity crisis. Not all historians write with the verve and dash of Grinspan. [His] history of the era does not despair for democracy…Grinspan contends that 20th-century democracy has grown more reasonable, more enlightened, and more transparent. Think the present-day politics of hate and fear are bad? It’s all child’s play compared to the half-century following the Civil War . . . In a highly readable narrative, Grinspan also forges some unexpected connections . . . If today’s political divisions are frightening, Grinspan’s lucid history soothes by recounting when it was far worse. [A] raucous history of Gilded Age electioneering . . . Grinspan vividly recreates the period’s tumults and personalities ... while shrewdly analyzing its evolving culture of civic engagement, conveying it all in snappy, evocative prose. This immersive study shows how the form of politics profoundly shapes its content. A thought-provoking narrative of how American democracy can and does reinvent itself. This compelling history of a time that mirrors our own will be enjoyed by readers interested in American history and politics. American history is dominated by father-son duos, but in the archives Jon Grinspan saw the powerful story of a forgotten political dynasty: Congressman William Kelley and his daughter, influential labor activist Florence Kelley. We have so much to learn from this compelling account of a family and democracy in crisis, unearthed by Grinspan just in time. Jon Grinspan's dazzling The Age of Acrimony conjures for readers a swirling American panorama—the agitation of the bosses, cranks, crusaders, and legions of voters who fervently debated the direction of democracy. Tracing how the convulsive campaign culture of the Gilded Age gave way to a more managed, restrained politics, Grinspan deftly assesses what was gained and lost in this transition. In captivating prose, he offers insight into the abiding tension between campaigning and governing—and a timely reminder of the resilience of our political system. You might imagine that a book called The Age of Acrimony is about our politics right now. But the genius of Jon Grinspan’s work is that he brings to life, with spirit and sensitivity, an earlier era of deep political engagement and division to help us understand, as he puts it, ‘how we got that “normal” twentieth-century democracy to begin with.’ This is a brilliantly researched, beautifully written, ground-level portrait of what politics felt like during a crucial era that is largely lost to us. Jon Grinspan’s account of a critical era of American politics is fresh, compelling, and important. His skillful narrative reveals the origins of conflicts that echo in our own time. The Age of Acrimony arrives at the perfect moment, reminding Americans that we have survived political dysfunction before. Jon Grinspan is one of our most talented historians, with a great eye for detail. His book is clear-eyed about our peccadilloes, but also offers an uplifting message about our tendency to find our way back to democracy. Grinspan’s engaging narrative takes us from the chaos of post-Civil War America to the progressive era, showing parallels to today. Come to this book for the history lessons, but you'll leave delighted by the remarkable story of William and Florence Kelley, the stars of this show. This is history at its very best: vivid, propulsive storytelling about the past and, at the same time, a vigorous and persuasive argument about the present, for anyone seeking to understand today’s political landscape. Expand reviews