"The book is an outstanding piece of historical research and writing. The history of this key state building is in many ways a history of the whole state. The narrative covers many episodes of general interest, such as conflicts among early settlements, the colorful career of Henry Cordes Brown, the rise of the KKK, political and social impacts of the Progressive Era and Great Depression, numerous political high-jinks and scandals at top levels over time, and the consequences of the protest movements and terrorist threats of recent times."- Charles T. Goodsell, author of The American Statehouse: Interpreting Democracy's Temples
