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American Dreamer

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Oliver Stone spends a lot of time of Henry Wallace in the first half of the second episode of The Untold History of the United States, capping off Wallace's lost 1944 nomination for Vice President with Jimmy Stewart's famous "Lost Causes" speech from Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.  There is some resemblance.  One can only speculate what it might have been like if Wallace had won the nomination over Truman in 1944, and as Stone noted became president upon FDR's death.   I'm not sure what his source information was, but here is a book from 2000 entitled American Dreamer: The Life and Times of Henry A. Wallace.  Unfortunately, the book is no longer in print and is quite pricey.

Comments

  1. James FergusonDecember 15, 2012 at 12:59 PM

    Maybe Stone's passion for Wallace will result in the reprinting of past biographies like this one,

    http://www.amazon.com/The-Rise-Fall-Peoples-Century/dp/0029200903/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1355569091&sr=8-10&keywords=henry+a.+wallace

    or inspire someone to write a new book on Wallace.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rick DiguetteDecember 16, 2012 at 3:54 PM

      Wallace sounds like a true mixed-bag: progressivist views and bad political instincts. He neither was nor is alone in this.

      Delete
    2. avrdsDecember 16, 2012 at 4:04 PM

      Alas, that could describe most progressives.

      Delete
  2. Rick DiguetteDecember 16, 2012 at 3:53 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  3. avrdsDecember 16, 2012 at 4:04 PM

    It's pricey, but looks like it's still in print:

    http://www.amazon.com/American-Dreamer-Life-Henry-Wallace/dp/0393322289

    ReplyDelete

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