| Book Review | The Journal of American History, 92.2

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| Book Review | The Journal of American History, 92.2 | The History Cooperative

Book Review

Franklin Pierce: New Hampshire's Favorite Son. By Peter A. Wallner. (Concord: Plaidswede, 2004. xiv, 321 pp. $29.95, ISBN 0-97552161-6.)
It might be difficult to prove that Franklin Pierce was New Hampshire's favorite son, but a group of loyal Pierce fans in that state are certainly trying. They have long labored to rescue New Hampshire's only president from obscurity and what they consider an unfair evaluation. Peter A. Wallner's biography is about as sympathetic to Pierce as any scholarly work is likely to be, though it covers only the years before Pierce's election to the White House. The presidential years will be the subject of a second volume.	1
Wallner has included details of Pierce's early life with considerable skill and impressive research based on many previously unused sources. In describing Pierce's patriotism, party loyalty, personal charm, natural talent for leadership, and oratorical skills, he paints a picture of a likable young man whose talents made him the youngest speaker of the New Hampshire legislature, youngest United States senator, and, in 1853, the youngest president. While much of the evidence is from friendly sources, Wallner includes some that are more critical.	. . .

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