Standing on a volcano

the long version

"David Rowland Francis was a brash, plain-spoken politician and businessman who was a major figure in America life a century ago. After he made his fortune in the risky commodities markets of post-Civil War St. Louis, Francis became the youngest governor in the nation, and for a time seemed destined for the White House. When he ran the St. Louis World's Fair on 1904, he was said to be the most photographed man in America.". "Standing on a Volcano: The Life and Times of David Rowland Francis is a biography of a fascinating man, and a long-needed major reassessment of a controversial and important figure in U.S.-Soviet Relations."--BOOK JACKET.