Crusader Nation: The United States in Peace and the Great War, 1898-1920

Crusader Nation is a fine book to give one a good, albeit fairly shallow, understanding of the forces at work in the Progressive movement of the first two decades of the twentieth century. From the frenetic absolutism of TR to the revolutionary fervor of the IWW to the righteousness of purpose of Wilson, Traxel's writing deftly conveys a feel for the personalities and people of the age. This is especially true of his writing about the interesting life of John Reed. This is a shining part of the book, giving good depth to the topic of the first American Communists and fellow travelers. My only criticism is the lack of details in many of the topics being argued. For example, the famous fourteen points that Wilson abandoned--much to the dismay of his stateside leftist following--is not covered in any detail. Why then did the Greenwich Village set get so angry about the modifications, whatever those were? In the same vein Traxel barely mentions the reasoning for any opposition to the League of Nations. Overall I recommend this for someone looking for a feel for the age but doesn't long for the fine detail.