Ebook: American Demagogues: Twentieth Century

American Demagogues: Twentieth Century is an American history book which was originally published in hardcover in 1954 by The Beacon Press. This is a scan of the 1959 hardcover reprint by the Peter Smith reprint company.

"The shortest way to ruin a country is to give power to demagogues."—Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Antiquities Of Rome, VI, c. 20 B.C.

From the 1954 Kirkus Reviews review:
"Proof that ""It can happen here"" in some ten portraits of men who have achieved commanding roles in American politics. With two exceptions, these have been at state and city level; Huey Long and Joe McCarthy alone have aspired higher. Vignettes of careers, the majority of the principals men ""of the people"" who used that as part of their ammunition to persuade voters they were also ""for the people"", these analyses bring to light many basic similarities. Most of the demagogues have exploited race and religion, most have played up emotional appeal, all have been talented exhibitionists, the majority have been basically anti-intellectual and used educational institutions as political footballs. Intolerance of the press has been another common factor (though some of them established their own organs). Brilliant political strategy has counterbalanced fundamental ignorance, and the oversimplified explanations have appealed to the lowest common denominator of voters. McCarthy, more than any of the others, has deviated from the appeal to plain folks by being friendly to the ""interests"" (from whom much of his financing has come). A revealing -- and a depressing-picture of melodramatic figures in the American scene:- Curley, Bilbo, ""Alfalfa Bill"", Frank Hague, The Fergusons, Eugene Talmadge, Big Bill Thompson, Marcantonio (some will question his inclusion as a demagogue), Huey Long and Joe McCarthy. The author has an impressive series of writings under his name."

From the 1955 Yale Law Journal review:
"Of the eleven demagogues discussed by Luthin, five are furnished by the South (Long, Bilbo, Talmadge, and the two Fergusons), one by the Southwest (Murray), three by the East (Hague, Curley, and Marcantonio), and two by the Middle West (Thompson and McCarthy). Of course, in the first half of this century the nation produced many others who could stand toe to toe with this team and match demagogueries - Tom Hefflin, Cotton-Ed Smith, Gerald L. K. Smith, Father Coughlin, to name a few who first come to mind. But the author's list is as good as any, and his selections, individually and collectively, disclose about all of the trade equipment. The list represents just about every evil in American political life: lying, cheating, corruption, quackery, melodrama, ham-acting, buffoonery, and the degradation of political processes."

About The Author:
Reinhard Henry Luthin (1905 – November 24, 1962) was a historian best known for his contribution to the history of President Abraham Lincoln. He was a noted professor of history at Columbia University, with a lifelong interest in facts regarding Lincoln's life and times.

Dr. Luthin, a Fulbright Scholar, graduated from Columbia University with honors in History in June 1934. Later he received his doctoral degree from Columbia University where he co-authored Lincoln And The Patronage with the Dean of Columbia University (1943-1950), Harry Carman. New York Times writer,Theodore Mack, was quoted as saying "the conclusion of the authors at the end of this enlightening and scholarly work does credit to the time and energy that must have gone into it."

As a Fulbright Scholar, he studied and taught as a Professor of American and European history at the University of Decca, Pakistan, for one year. In 1947, Columbia University received a $1.5 million bequest from Frederic Bancroft, a former librarian, author and lecturer. He requested that this money be used for the expansion of Columbia University's research resources in American history. Through this bequest, Dr. Luthin was hired to the library staff. It was here, in the position of bibliographer, that he expanded the collection of American books and other literary items.

In addition to his teaching at Columbia University, Dr. Luthin taught as a visiting lecturer at Trinity College (Connecticut), the College of William & Mary and before retirement taught at the University of Pittsburgh. He was a former fellow in history at Duke University. President John F. Kennedy, in his 1955 book Profiles In Courage, referenced Luthin's American Demagogues as one of his sources.

Luthin died of cancer at age 57 at his home in New York City.