The Newspaper that Captured a State: A History of the Des Moines Register, 1849-1985

William B. Friedricks provides an overview of the history of the Des Moines Register from its origins as a typical, small, partisan weekly newspaper in a frontier community to its status as 'the newspaper Iowa depended upon' and its sale to the Gannett organization in 1985. Friedricks's account focuses on business and editorial practices that contributed to the paper's expanded circulation. In some ways, the Register was a pioneer in the newspaper business; at other times, it was quick to adopt practices that had been successfully pioneered by other papers. Along the way, Friedricks notes the key roles played by some of the major figures at the Register, including the Clarksons, the Cowles family, George Gallup, and 'Ding' Darling." Marvin Bergman, editor of the Annals of Iowa.