POLK'S FOLLY

Ever since one of the author's ancestors landed at Chesapeake Bay in 1680, the story of the Polk family has been intertwined with the story of America. Polks fought at Valley Forge. They held important positions in the early days of the democracy. James K. Polk, the 11th President, founded the Smithsonian and the Department of the Interior. There were Polks in the Civil War, the First and Second World Wars, and the Cold War. Unfortunately, the writing verges on the academic, and all those Polks blend into each other after a while. It leaves you wishing that history professor Polk had leavened the facts with some family lore. B -- Vanessa V. Friedman