Talmadge: A Political Legacy, A Politician's Life: A Memoir

by Herman E. Talmadge, Mark Royden Winchell

In this important political and personal memoir, Senator Herman Talmadge writes candidly about power, politics, his personal life and hundreds of powerful--and sometimes pitiful--political figures he has known and worked with. It is the story of what used to be, of what is and of what lies ahead. It is history from one who made it.

Genres: History, Politics

371 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1987

Reviews

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating read for any Georgia history buff. Though it reads as one giant "I'm really not racist, I swear," the book offers great insight into a complex individual. Insightful look at a man who was at the height of GA politics during a tumultuous period, when GA was not only struggling with its racial identity but also playing a pivotal role on the national stage.

[SallyStenger]

I decided to read this book by Herman Talmadge after having read one about his father called Wild Man of Sugar Creek, which leaves off at Gene Talmadge's death and doesn't cover the three-governor affair that followed. As a native Georgian, I was interested in this important figure in Georgia history. However, I believe the book would have been better if he would stick to the facts and spend less time on expounding his philosophies, "making speeches" so to speak.

The plot: Herman Talmadge was the son of Eugene Talmadge, a former governor of Georgia. They came from a modest farming background back when the South was largely rural and largely poor. Herman came to prominence when his father died after winning the governor's election. Herman later became Governor and then Senator. He was in the national limelight during the Watergate hearings. The book also discusses some of his later problems, such as his divorce from Betty Talmadge, his alcoholism, and allegations of financial misconduct.