author
George R. (George Ross) Kirkpatrick
1867–1937
Best remembered as an anti-militarist writer and Socialist Party activist, this Ohio-born author brought sharp political conviction to books like War: What For? and Is Plenty Too Much for the Common People?. His work blends reform-era argument, public speaking, and a strong belief that ordinary people deserved more from society.
1 Audiobook
War—What For?
by George R. (George Ross) Kirkpatrick
About the author
Born in Ohio in 1867, George Ross Kirkpatrick was an American educator, writer, and political activist whose career moved through teaching, lecturing, and reform politics. He studied at Albion College and became known as a forceful speaker as well as an outspoken critic of war and inequality.
Kirkpatrick wrote in a direct, argumentative style aimed at a broad public. He is especially associated with War: What For? and Is Plenty Too Much for the Common People?, books that reflect his anti-militarist views and his sympathy for socialist ideas. Beyond his writing, he was active in the Socialist Party of America and was the party’s vice-presidential nominee in 1916.
He died in 1937, but his books still offer a vivid window into the political debates of the early twentieth century. Readers interested in American radical thought, peace activism, and reform writing of that era may find his work especially revealing.