The autobiography of Lincoln Steffens

The Autobiography of Lincoln Steffens was originally published in 1931, chronicling the life of one of the most prominent muckraking journalists of the Progressive Era. Steffens wrote the work during his later years in Europe, intending it to serve as a comprehensive reflection on his experiences exposing municipal corruption in American cities and his eventual disillusionment with capitalist political structures. The narrative captures his evolution from a reporter for McClure's Magazine to a radical observer of global political movements, offering a critical lens on the American social landscape at the turn of the 20th century.

This specific 1958 edition was issued by Harcourt, Brace & World, reflecting the book's enduring status as a staple of American journalism history and political autobiography. As a designer of social thought, Steffens aimed to provoke his audience into re-evaluating the systemic roots of graft and inequality rather than merely blaming individual bad actors. Upon its release, the autobiography was received as both an engaging personal story and a significant historical document, praised by critics for its candid, often unflinching, assessment of the era's power dynamics.