One of the few complaints, if not the only one, about the 1979 biography Dear Alben: Mr. Barkley of Kentucky was that people wanted more. And in 1979, author Dr. James Libbey agreed, setting out to provide a more comprehensive look at the Commonwealth's most prominent political icon of the 20th century.
But, as it sometimes can, life got in the way.
"In 1981," Libbey said, "I was an academics administrator, so my plate was full, and I then had major surgery which, at the time, just knocked the stuffing out of me." However, in 1986, Libbey returned to the classroom and decided to resume work on the biography of the man he calls "one of the most popular politicians of his time."
Libbey describes Barkley as integral to the process of getting President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal legislation from proposal to passed law. He says the Kentucky Senator could be heard advocating the programs on as many media outlets as FDR himself.
Libbey's new biography, Alben Barkley: A Life in Politics is due out April 8 from the University Press of Kentucky. He speaks with Todd Hatton about the process of writing the book and Barkley's significance.
