THE SENATOR FROM MAINE: Margaret Chase Smith

Covering the more controversial aspects of her career--sometimes with sugar--an uncritical, openly admiring biography without much bite. From happy child to ringding switchboard operator (for husband-to-be Congressman Smith she'd tell time ""to the second"") to Washington, Margaret is energetic and ambitious--as wife, Congresswoman, Senator, and candidate for President. Once there she continues to win friends (and a very few enemies) and establishes herself as a political figure to reckon with: ""I came here as a United States Senator, not as a woman."" Some of the contentions are dubious (""the first member of the Senate to stand up to Joe McCarthy in public"") and the chirping is distracting, but she is the only female senator at present and her life should find an audience.