Fighting Son: A Biography of Philip F. La Follette

As the second son of the most famous Wisconsin progressive, Philip La Follette’s own political journey was incontrovertibly marked by his father’s legacy. Growing up in the shadow of a major political figure like Fighting Bob La Follette made for a politically charged childhood - and laid the groundwork for Phil and his older brother, Young Bob, to make their own marks on the progressive political scene in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. Like his father’s, Phil’s political personality was fiery, confrontational, and unwavering, and his efforts led to the passage of the country’s first unemployment compensation act, aid programs for workers and farmers, and the reorganization of state government. Phil La Follette’s is a history of continuing progressivism, of innovative solutions to social problems, and of loyalty to a political ethos that goes far beyond love of country. Jonathan Kasparek examines La Follette’s path from political origins through public office, active duty in the Pacific, return to law practice, and the end of the Progressive era. His treatment of this Fighting Son is a monument not only to La Follette but to progressive politics in Wisconsin.