The Strange Genius of Ignatius Donnelly: The Populist Who Debunked Shakespeare and Found Atlantis

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Synopsis
The Strange Genius of Ignatius Donnelly sheds light on the inimitable life of a neglected figure in US political and literary history. The father of American Populism, lieutenant governor of Minnesota, People's Party candidate for vice president, popularizer of the Shakespeare authorship controversy, proponent of the Atlantis theory, and author of bestselling speculative fictions, Ignatius Donnelly (1831–1901) positively defies categorization. Called a crank and a pseudoscientist by some and a genius by others, Donnelly broke all the rules. When skeptics said he was too green for politics, he got elected Minnesota's youngest-ever lieutenant governor. When they said a politician who prized his Irish heritage could never ascend to national office in a state dominated by conservative Scandinavians, he proved his critics wrong again. As Zachary Michael Jack' shows, in the latter half of Donnelly's remarkable life, he generated more fame and infamy than he had as a combative congressman. In an uncanny reversal of the usual midcareer doldrums, Donnelly turned political defeat into an opportunity for personal and professional reinvention, remaking himself as a visionary author and a champion of people-first third-party politics. The man known by enemies and friends alike as the Sage of Nininger pushed through poverty and ignominious defeat to introduce the masses to surprising theories about ancient civilizations, world-ending comets, and cryptograms purported to reveal the true authorship of Shakespeare's plays. At root, The Strange Genius of Ignatius Donnelly reveals the story of a man unafraid to speak truth to power, consequences be damned.
Copyright:
2024

Book Details

Book Quality:
Publisher Quality
Book Size:
248 Pages
ISBN-13:
9781501776946
Related ISBNs:
9781501776939, 9781501776953
Publisher:
Cornell University Press
Date of Addition:
Copyrighted By:
Cornell University,
Adult content:
No
Language:
English
Has Image Descriptions:
No
Categories:
History, Nonfiction, Biographies and Memoirs, Politics and Government
Grade Levels:
Graduate Student
Submitted By:
Bookshare Staff
Usage Restrictions:
This is a copyrighted book.

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