Standing on a Volcano: The Life and Times of David Rowland Francis

by Harper Barnes

David R. Francis was a brash, plain-spoken man whose political savvy guided him to positions of prominence at all levels of American government. He served as both mayor of St. Louis and governor of Missouri, and later entered national and international politics as ambassador to Russia from 1916 to 1918.        Appointed to that post by President Woodrow Wilson, Francis possessed a background in agricultural trade and banking and also impressed Wilson with his experience wooing heads of state as president of the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition. As U.S. Ambassador to Russia, Francis went on to confront the impossible task of hammering out a trade treaty with the country while revolutions and World War I raged.    This challenge and others are recounted in the biography, Standing on a The Life and Times of David R. Francis , by accomplished St. Louis journalist Harper Barnes. In this fascinating book, Barnes discusses how Russia’s internal volatility frustrated the diplomatic efforts of Francis, a maverick statesman who sympathized with Russia’s poor and sought to stall the Bolshevik uprising. Though criticized by some historians for bold, unthinking calls for American intervention—advice President Wilson dismissed—Francis showed an unflagging commitment to Russia and to the hope of ushering in a democratic government.    Despite his mixed legacy, that Francis remains a figure of great historical significance locally, nationally, and internationally is evidenced at the Museum of the Diplomatic Corps in Vologda, Russia, where he is the primary subject. St. Louisans and U.S. history buffs alike will marvel at the man and his story.

Genres: Nonfiction

528 pages, Paperback

First published November 7, 2001

Reviews

[K. Blaha · Rating 5 out of 5]

In its first half, Standing on a Volcano details Francis’ family life and career in Missouri; in its second half, it details his service in Russia. In Missouri, Francis is a man in his element, a man who knows how the machine whirs; in Russia, we see Francis struggle to grasp the mechanisms of a society whose machine has gone haywire. It’s a fascinating biography and a fascinating history of St. Louis and the Russian revolution.

THE GOOD

-Volcano discusses why Chicago boomed and St. Louis didn’t. Ask a native St. Louisan about this topic today and you will still get an earful. His arguments were interesting and persuasive.

-Philip Jordan was a light-skinned black man from Jefferson City, an orphan or something close to it, a street fighter with a drinking problem. He became Francis’ indispensable companion, accompanying him to Russia. We so rarely learn about the support staff of our famous antecedents, and Jordan is fascinating. He became fluent in Russian, expertly navigating the food shortages of conflict-ravaged Russia.

-Volcano indirectly reveals how women and people of color get written out of history. Francis wrote little of Jordan, his companion, caregiver, and even partner of many years. A Russian woman, Matilda de Cramm, also occupies much of the book, and was a close friend to Francis during his time in Russia. Francis mentions her once in his book about the revolution. If we were to use only documents from Francis, we would see very little of Jordan or Madame de Cramm.

THE BAD

-The book includes dozens of contemporary speculations and frettings about Matilda de Cramm. It was a big part of Francis’ time in Russia, but ultimately, there is very little of substance. She doesn’t seem to have been a German spy. It was hard to track and boring after a while.

-Francis’ Kentucky childhood and family genealogy was dull and I would have preferred less of it. Still, there's only about a chapter of it.

OVERALL

If you have an interest in St. Louis history or Russian history, at least half of this book is worth your while. I’ve never read a nonfiction book with such contrasting halves, but I really enjoyed it. The contrast made for an interesting human study as well. We see a man working in his element, and the same man struggling to tread water. We see 19th century American wheeling and dealing, and we see foreign policy. Francis was a free-market enthusiast, but saw the argument for socialism in Russia. The reader sees Francis’ thinking evolve with his experiences; he wasn’t an ideologue. I enjoyed Standing on a Volcano as a history and as a biography.

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[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

From my work in St. Louis history, I know the outlines of Francis' life and work. Barnes has filled in the blanks magnificently, although I did get a bit bogged down in the Russia section with its enormous cast of characters and abundance -- overabundance -- of diplomatic materials.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually really fascinating page turner.