(Ebook) Battleground 1948 : Truman, Stevenson, Douglas, and the Most Surprising Election in Illinois History by Robert E. Hartley ISBN 9780809332687, 080933268X

(Ebook) Battleground 1948 : Truman, Stevenson, Douglas, and the Most Surprising Election in Illinois History by Robert E. Hartley ISBN 9780809332687, 080933268X

The election year of 1948 remains to this day one of the most astonishing in U.S. political history. During this first general election after World War II, Americans looked to their governments for change. As the battle for the nationOCOs highest office came to a head in Illinois, the state was embroiled in its own partisan showdownsOCoelections that would prove critical in the course of state and national history. In "Battleground 1948," Robert E. Hartley offers the first comprehensive chronicle of this historic election year and its consequences, which still resonate today. Focusing on the races that ushered Adlai Stevenson, Paul Douglas, and Harry Truman into officeOCothe last by the slimmest of marginsOCo"Battleground 1948" details the pivotal events that played out in the state of Illinois, from the newspaper wars in Chicago to tragedy in the mine at Centralia. In addition to in-depth revelations on the saga of the American election machine in 1948, Hartley probes the dark underbelly of Illinois politics in the 1930s and 1940s to set the stage, spotlight key party players, and expose the behind-the-scenes influences of media, money, corruption, and crime. In doing so, he draws powerful parallels between the politics of the past and those of the present. Above all, "Battleground 1948 "tells the story of grassroots change writ large on the American political landscapeOCochange that helped a nation move past an era of conflict and depression, and forever transformed Illinois and the U.S. government.