"Swingin Round the Cirkle." His Ideas Of Men, Politics, And Things, As Set Forth In His Letters To The Public Press, During The Year 1866.

Swingin Round the Cirkle by David Ross Locke crackles with sharp satire and rural wit, delivered through the celebrated persona Petroleum V. Nasby. These 1866 letters to the public press skewering post–Civil War politics, public figures, and everyday follies offer a lively window into Reconstruction-era America. Locke’s humor-laden essays and sketches—often delivered in folksy dialect—take aim at political hypocrisy, the Presidency of Andrew Johnson, the Freedmen’s Bureau, and the tangled debates over citizenship and power after the war. Part political satire, part social commentary, the collection blends literary charm with historically grounded observations, capturing the anxieties and ironies of 1866. Thomas Nast’s illustrations amplify the biting tone and period flavor. Readers will find vivid portraits of Kentucky life, partisan convulsions, and the strategies of a writer who used comedy to confront serious national questions. Ideal for fans of historical humor, political satire, and 19th-century American literature, this audiobook will appeal to listeners interested in Reconstruction history and the roots of political caricature. Note: it reflects period dialects and viewpoints; listening offers both entertainment and a chance to reckon with a complicated past.