The autobiography of Lincoln Steffens

The Autobiography of Lincoln Steffens was originally published in 1931, chronicling the life and observations of one of America’s most prominent muckraking journalists. Steffens, a central figure in the Progressive Era, rose to fame through his exposés of municipal corruption in works like The Shame of the Cities. His autobiography serves as both a personal memoir and a critical examination of the American socio-political landscape during the turn of the century.

The 1958 Harcourt Brace Jovanovich edition represents the enduring legacy of the text as a cornerstone of American journalism education and historical study. The book is lauded for its candid, often disillusioned perspective on the efficacy of reform movements and the inherent power dynamics of government. Critics have long valued the work for its literary quality and its honest, if controversial, introspection into the life of a man who spent his career unmasking the hidden machinery of power.