Kane (1820-57) was an anxious, driven, sickly, brilliant, adventurous, and insecure young man who turned himself into a national icon, says Sawin (US history, Eastern Mennonite U., Virginia), and though no single individual can be a perfect archetype for an entire nation, he deeply reflected the life of antebellum America and he and the nation struggled to make a name for themselves in the world. A physician from an aristocratic Philadelphia family, he traveled through Asia, the Americas, Europe and Africa; fought it the Mexican-American War; led Arctic expeditions; had a turbulent affair with famous spirit-rapper Margaret Fox; and wrote one of the most successful books of the period. All this in 37 years, before he died suddenly. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Here is the cultural biography of Elisha Kane, a sickly physician, who transformed himself into an internationally celebrated Arctic explorer and author before his untimely death in 1857. This book is an important reinterpretation of the life of a prototypically American figure. Following Kanes exploits from the Mexican War through his arctic adventures and ill-fated romance with the Spiritualist medium Margaret Fox, author Sawin ties this Kane into the main currents of mid-19th cent. popular culture, opening a new vista on the meanings of masculinity, celebrity, and heroism. This is an exhaustive research work into the life and accomplishments of a remarkable adventurer, and a sociological analysis of popular perceptions of Kanes work and feats. Illus.
