Alfred E. Smith, with his characteristic brown derby, was one of the most striking personalities and best-loved figures in modern politics. Born under the shadow of Brooklyn Bridge, he grew up among New York's poor and learned to love the crowded streets and raucous cries of the lower East Side.

Here young Al sold newspapers on a corner, worked in the Fulton Fish Market, and got his start in politics. Then exciting things began to happen to him. One was his meeting with Katie Dunn, his future wife. Another was his success as an amateur actor. But politics was Al's first love, and when Tom Foley, his political mentor, talked him into running for the State Assembly, his future was assured.

Once in the Legislature, Al began to struggle for equitable labor laws. He succeeded so well that experienced politicians decided to back him first for Sheriff of New York County, then for the governorship. When in 1918 Al Smith was elected Governor of New York, the chain of events that led to the turbulent presidential campaign of 1928 was set in motion.

The story of the "Happy Warrior" is one of politics in action a rousing biography whose appeal to young people lies as much in the integrity and personal worth of its hero as in the gusto with which it is written.

From the dust jacket