MR. BARUCH

by Margaret L. Coit ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 21, 1957

A successor to the Pulitzer Prize-Winning John C. Calhoun (1950) is a massive, impressive portrait of the financier-statesman who-if not a great man- has certainly been a man of great influence through the last sixty years. Following as it does one day after the publication of the first volume of Baruch's own story, there is no question that Miss Coit has been able to bring a vitality to Baruch which he failed to do in his own words. And if Baruch's self-portrait- at any rate the first half of it -- is largely a biography of Baruch, the business man, Miss Coit, while covering the years when he ""made his potatoes"", has been most interested in, and gains the greatest interest from, Baruch the presidential adviser and behind-the-scenes negotiator. So that although he started as a shoestring trader on the Street and became one of the most successful speculators of his generation, the hard-headed realist is an idealist too as he works with Wilson through World War I and the disillusionment of its aftermath; his love and respect for Wilson is an overwhelming influence and bring him to the height of his achievements. Under Roosevelt, the relationship was a capricious one, harmed by the similarities in the men, so that while Roosevelt was to turn to him for advice- he never gave him the authority which made him more than the Professor Emeritus of the brain trust, the Elder Statesman without portfolio. The last years which saw the Baruch Plan, the break with Truman, close a career of great service, importance, principle and dedication. Miss Colt, critical of her subject, evaluates as she records both the man and the complex affairs in which he was concerned; ultimately this dynamic man transcends them- in his deep family attachments, his convictions, and his ubiquitous activities. Between the subject and the author, a substantial market.

Pub Date: Nov. 21, 1957

ISBN: 1587980215

Page Count: -

Publisher: Houghton, Mifflin

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1957

Categories: FICTION