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A Puritan in Babylon: The Story of Calvin Coolidge
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460 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1938
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About the author
William Allen White
132 books8 followersWilliam Allen White was a renowned American newspaper editor, politician, author, and leader of the Progressive movement. Between 1896 and his death, White became the iconic spokesman for middle America.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 17, 2015
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“A Puritan in Babylon: The Story of Calvin Coolidge” is William Allen White’s 1938 biography of the 30th U.S. president. White was the owner and editor of the Emporia Gazette, a leader of the Progressive movement, a political commentator and author. White died in 1944 at the age of 75.
At first glance White’s book appears to be a comprehensive biography of Calvin Coolidge, but it quickly proves more a review of the economic and political climate of Coolidge’s era. And to the extent this is a book about Coolidge and not merely his times, it is more a character study than a pure biography.
White’s book often exudes the aura of a great work built upon significant research. But coming so soon after Coolidge’s death it appears to have been restrained by the limited number of sources available at the time…and, possibly, by White’s own biases. And while the author apparently knew Coolidge personally, the relationship appears to have been superficial and not deeply instructive.
Approaching eighty years of age, “A Puritan in Babylon” sometimes feels dated and dense, with paragraphs routinely approaching a full page in length. Nonetheless, the book is very well written and often features descriptive flourishes that might make an accomplished screenwriter jealous. But one quickly senses this could easily be the work of a poet writing history rather than a historian trying to write good prose.
Judged not as poetry but as a study of Coolidge’s character, White’s book is clearly imperfect. Insights into Coolidge’s personality are often limited to those which support the view of him as a narrow, disagreeable and increasingly paranoid misanthrope. And in underscoring Coolidge’s worst tendencies, White relies too heavily on hearsay, gossip and speculation – much of it his substitute for knowledge of what Coolidge was actually thinking at a particular moment.
The book is more successful observing and describing the personalities in orbit around Coolidge during his years of political ascendancy: Frank Stearns, Henry Cabot Lodge, Warren Harding and William Howard Taft, to name a few. And while the reader may disagree with White’s detailed (and possibly stale) analysis of the fiscal events which contributed to the Great Depression, his examination of Coolidge’s era is often thought-provoking.
But for many readers, White’s book will frequently prove frustrating. While the historical context he provides is interesting it comes at the expense of a deeper understanding of Coolidge’s personality, family life, political evolution and philosophies. Readers of this book who are new to Coolidge can be forgiven for missing the fact that he had two sons – or that one died during his presidency. And anyone attempting to construct a timeline of key dates and events from this book will quickly find the exercise futile.
Overall, William Allen White’s “A Puritan in Babylon” proves both fascinating and frustrating. Although it is well-stocked with valuable nuggets of wisdom and insight, it provides far better prose than analysis and is more useful as a window into Coolidge’s era than as a biography or an assessment of the man himself.
Overall rating: 2¾ stars
“A Puritan in Babylon: The Story of Calvin Coolidge” is William Allen White’s 1938 biography of the 30th U.S. president. White was the owner and editor of the Emporia Gazette, a leader of the Progressive movement, a political commentator and author. White died in 1944 at the age of 75.
At first glance White’s book appears to be a comprehensive biography of Calvin Coolidge, but it quickly proves more a review of the economic and political climate of Coolidge’s era. And to the extent this is a book about Coolidge and not merely his times, it is more a character study than a pure biography.
White’s book often exudes the aura of a great work built upon significant research. But coming so soon after Coolidge’s death it appears to have been restrained by the limited number of sources available at the time…and, possibly, by White’s own biases. And while the author apparently knew Coolidge personally, the relationship appears to have been superficial and not deeply instructive.
Approaching eighty years of age, “A Puritan in Babylon” sometimes feels dated and dense, with paragraphs routinely approaching a full page in length. Nonetheless, the book is very well written and often features descriptive flourishes that might make an accomplished screenwriter jealous. But one quickly senses this could easily be the work of a poet writing history rather than a historian trying to write good prose.
Judged not as poetry but as a study of Coolidge’s character, White’s book is clearly imperfect. Insights into Coolidge’s personality are often limited to those which support the view of him as a narrow, disagreeable and increasingly paranoid misanthrope. And in underscoring Coolidge’s worst tendencies, White relies too heavily on hearsay, gossip and speculation – much of it his substitute for knowledge of what Coolidge was actually thinking at a particular moment.
The book is more successful observing and describing the personalities in orbit around Coolidge during his years of political ascendancy: Frank Stearns, Henry Cabot Lodge, Warren Harding and William Howard Taft, to name a few. And while the reader may disagree with White’s detailed (and possibly stale) analysis of the fiscal events which contributed to the Great Depression, his examination of Coolidge’s era is often thought-provoking.
But for many readers, White’s book will frequently prove frustrating. While the historical context he provides is interesting it comes at the expense of a deeper understanding of Coolidge’s personality, family life, political evolution and philosophies. Readers of this book who are new to Coolidge can be forgiven for missing the fact that he had two sons – or that one died during his presidency. And anyone attempting to construct a timeline of key dates and events from this book will quickly find the exercise futile.
Overall, William Allen White’s “A Puritan in Babylon” proves both fascinating and frustrating. Although it is well-stocked with valuable nuggets of wisdom and insight, it provides far better prose than analysis and is more useful as a window into Coolidge’s era than as a biography or an assessment of the man himself.
Overall rating: 2¾ stars
March 4, 2021
William Allen White was a brilliant, witty writer -- and a contemporary of President Coolidge himself, so he offers a special vantage-point for this biography. Its style is clever and at times very entertaining. He understands Coolidge as rooted in his New England character/heritage, a bit out of place in the political high circles in an ironic way, very trusting in the economic authority of laissez-faire, and very deliberate/cautious in his whole approach to life. More recent biographies can give a deeper picture than this one, and it's been criticized for not being entirely reliable. Some of this is visible in a quick comparison. Part of it may be his sources; he relies heavily in parts on the correspondence of former President Taft. But it's a good work that complements the other biographies that are out there. I'm glad I read it.
November 29, 2024
White covered the political and economic areas of Coolidge's life. Made me wonder if Coolidge was happy or if his Puritanism wouldn't let him show emotion.
September 12, 2015
This biography of Calvin Coolidge, written in the early 1930’s, carries a lot of beliefs about the economy of the early 20th century that have been modified to some extent looking back from a clearer perspective. However, the perspective given in the book adds to our understanding of Coolidge, who lived and reacted to the knowledge available at the time. Coolidge was brought up in a small town with heavy religious training that stayed with him all his life. His life motto was live within your means and save a little every year. When he moved into politics, he worked for the approved salary of his position and eschewed all perks that others would take in the form of travel expenses, etc. He took no bribes, no honorariums, no form of extra funds. While many of his cohorts were living high on the hog, he was just getting by, but always managing to save a little at the same time.
He believed that the rich who earned their money were entitled to it. He used the statement, “the business of America is business,” and was always the friend of business. Generally, when a crisis came, he would stand back and watch it develop, seeming to know just when to insert his influence to solve the problem and win accolades.
White gives a great deal of interesting information about Coolidge, his background, and the things he did. The story was well researched and professionally told.
Unfortunately, the conversion to eBook format was unprofessionally done. In many places the formatting errors made it impossible to read. For instance, there were times when the words were &(7$0*< )*#&(*&MM o*)#(uht>. Footnotes, some of them several paragraphs long, always appeared in the middle of sentences and the only way to find out where the footnote ended was to try and find where the sentence continued.
He believed that the rich who earned their money were entitled to it. He used the statement, “the business of America is business,” and was always the friend of business. Generally, when a crisis came, he would stand back and watch it develop, seeming to know just when to insert his influence to solve the problem and win accolades.
White gives a great deal of interesting information about Coolidge, his background, and the things he did. The story was well researched and professionally told.
Unfortunately, the conversion to eBook format was unprofessionally done. In many places the formatting errors made it impossible to read. For instance, there were times when the words were &(7$0*< )*#&(*&MM o*)#(uht>. Footnotes, some of them several paragraphs long, always appeared in the middle of sentences and the only way to find out where the footnote ended was to try and find where the sentence continued.
March 22, 2010
Very well written but so detailed that I stopped caring mid-way. White's prose is superb.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews