In this accessible, informative biography, Campbell presents the tragic story of one of the brightest stars on the 20th century American political scene. A man of acknowledged genius, fragile ego, and an almost childlike attitude, Prichard was seen by many as the most gifted and promising of the new generation of liberal politicians that arose out of the New Deal. Though his hopes for political office were ended by J. Edgar Hoover's irrational vendetta against him, Campbell makes it clear that the person who ultimately brought about Prichard's downfall was Prichard himself. This is an excellent book about the lofty heights and tragic depths that a man could sink to, and I highly recommend it to any history buff or political wonk. ( )

3390 Short of the Glory: The Fall and Redemption of Edward F. Prichard, Jr., by Tracy Campbell (read 14 Jan 2001) Prichard was born Jan 21, 1915 in Paris, KY. His was a life of high pomise and an awesome fall. He was a graduate of Princeton and Harvard Law (same class as Phil Graham of Washington Post fame, and a lawyer in Sioux City I knew well). Prichard was Felix Frankfurter's first law clerk at the Supreme Court, and Phil Graham also clerked at the Court at the time. Prichard went on to hold important jobs in wartime Washington, but went back to Kentucky after the war and in 1948 was caught stuffing ballot boxes! He spent 8 months in prison, and his life thereafter was beset by awesome difficulties. This book is a fascinating tour thru wartime Washington and Kentucky politics. The book is well-researched, and is "favorable" to Prichard though unsparing in detailing his faults. ( )