Fighting for the Forty-Ninth Star
C.W. Snedden and the Crusade for Alaska Statehood
For depression-era America, there was probably no more beloved character than Will Rogers. Dubbed the cowboy philosopher, he was a top attraction in movies, a star on the radio, and a much-quoted newspaper columnist. His wryly humorous observations on ordinary life, especially politics, endeared him to millions.
Then suddenly in the summer of 1935 came the shocking news -Will Rogers was dead. Only 55, at the height of his immense fame, he was killed in the crash of a small plane on the shore of the Arctic Ocean in northernmost Alaska.
Drawing on extensive original research, the author recounts the tragic story with a wealth of new detail. In addition to a full discussion and analysis of the crash, this compelling narrative provides a moving portrait of the unfortunate Mary Rogers, Will's daughter, whose life was greatly undone by her father's untimely death.
