Upcoming EventsYankee Quill Award - Crowne Plaza Hotel in Natick, MA on Thursday, October 8, 2015
Pierce Brigade Lecture Series - The Pierce Manse in Concord, NH on Thursday, October 22, 2015 at 7:00PM EST New Hampshire State Organization Daughters of the American Revolution hosted talk on Faith On Trial - Holiday Inn in Concord, NH on Friday October 23, 2015 at 5:30PM EST Reviews, Interviews & Other Medianhmagazine.com by Rich Broussard on March, 2015 - Faith on Trial: A late-in-life ordeal for the founder of the Christian Science Church
Concord Monitor on December 4, 2014 - My Turn: Mary Baker Eddy and a ‘Faith on Trial’
New Hampshire Public Radio with Brady Carlson on November 3, 2014 - The Courtroom Challenge To Mary Baker Eddy And Christian Science
Bestpresidentialbios.com with Steve on February 14, 2014 - Review of “Franklin Pierce: Martyr for the Union” by Peter Wallner
Bestpresidentialbios.com with Steve on February 8, 2014 - Review of “Franklin Pierce: New Hampshire’s Favorite Son” by Peter Wallner
Laurel and Elmo by Rick Segal on July 21, 2013 - Franklin Pierce: New Hampshire’s Favorite Son, and Martyr for the Union, Two Vols., by Peter A Wallner
Our War by Mike Pride on May 16, 2013 - Why couldn't Franklin Pierce just keep his mouth shut?
BOOKISH on February 16, 2013 - Book Review: Franklin Pierce - Martyr for the Union by Peter Wallner
nhmagazine.com by Darren Garnick on February, 2013 - America's Worst PEZident?
Dead Presidents with Anthony Bergen on May 28, 2011 - REVIEW: Peter A. Wallner’s two-volume Franklin Pierce biography
boston.com by Holly Ramer on May 21, 2010 - N.H. can now bank on one of its own
mental_floss by David Holzel on November 19, 2007 - Five Amazing Facts About Franklin Pierce (in honor of his 203rd birthday)
fosters.com by John Koziol on October 28, 2007 - Author takes fresh look at Pierce
C-SPAN with Brian Lamb on October 25, 2004 - Book Discussion on Franklin Pierce: New Hampshire's Favorite Son
NBCNEWS.com on February 16, 2004 - Giving a former president a second look
NETSTATE - Franklin Pierce (1804-1869)
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Add a Review or Request an Author InterviewTestimonials"Wallner's admirable first volume is the best treatment of Pierce's pre-presidential years to appear in print." "The highly readable narrative of New Hampshire politics, Washington social life, and the personal lives of leading politicians rests on sound scholarship." "This important biography finally introduces us to Pierce the man, and gives us the context we lacked to understand the enigma of Franklin Pierce." "Peter Wallner's Faith on Trial is the best and most detailed account of one of the twentieth century's most sensational trials, whereupon Mary Baker Eddy and her Christian Science Church were placed under unprecedented scrutiny. Using a rich and in many cases untapped array of original sources, Peter Wallner unveils not only the details of the courtroom contests, but the hidden and sometimes confused motivations of the many participants. In the end, this was not a trial about the competency of one woman, but about the legitimacy of her faith and that of her many followers. On the surface, the "next friends case" m,ay have seemed to be about Mary Baker Eddy, her family, and her money, but in reality, it was an attack upon the right of Americans to freely exercise their religion. Mrs. Eddy, her church, and our right to relate to God in any way we choose emerged victorious." "Peter Wallner, former director of the New Hampshire Historical Society library, has given readers a beautifully crafted book about an important New Hampshire legal event... In Faith on Trial, Wallner adds a large amount of detailed information about the words and activities of those who brought the suit and of the lawyers who successfully defended against it. Most importantly, he draws from his research insightful conclusions about the motives involved in bringing the suit. The book... is easy to read and hard to put down." "Peter Wallner's Faith on Trial will appeal to students of New Hampshire history, the courtroom and politics, the era of 'yellow journalism,' faith and healing, and up-from-nothing, only-in-America stories, of which Mary Baker Eddy's is certainly one." "Mary Baker Eddy was a fraud. She was dead. She was secretly married to this or that man, said her many detractors. Eddy herself feared the 'malicious animal magnetism' - the evil thoughts - of her enemies. She was often in court, and at age 85 fought a titanic battle to defend her beliefs and her considerable wealth. Peter Wallner's diligent research delivers us into the thick of that courthouse drama, a cause celebre of the day, and one with enough wattage that it would light up the Twittersphere today." |