Book Description

Reviews (2)

An engaging look at a forgotten president
Ted Widmer's new biography of Martin Buren sets out to rescue this forgotten president from obscurity and give him much of the credit for creating the modern Democratic party. The book that emerges is a solid, engaging introduction to a president most of us know nothing about. (Were you aware, for example, that he grew up in Kinderhook, NY speaking Dutch before he ever spoke English?)

Widmer sketches Van Buren's rapid rise from poverty to power in New York, his unlikely alliance with Andrew Jackson, and his own one-term presidency cursed by the 19th century version of the Great Depression (The Great Panic of 1837) and the increasingly rancorous national debate over slavery. He paints a compelling picture of Van Buren trying to stake out the middle ground, a hated by both sides as he clings to a center that will not hold.

One thing that seems to stand out 150 years after Van Buren's death is the irrational intensity of the hatred directed against him, seemingly all out of proportion to his deeds or alleged misdeeds. Widmer worked for another centrist president who inspired a good deal of hatred-Bill Clinton-and one senses that the parallels there may be part of the reason he was drawn to Van Buren as a subject.

His thesis that Van Buren almost singlehandly gave birth to the modern political party is intriguing, but perhaps a bit of a stretch.His arguments reminded me of a prosecutor who makes a bold opening statement about the defendant's guilt, but then can't quite back it up with the evidence.He may well be right, but I'm not entirely convinced. Still, it is a thought provoking idea that helps readers get a handle on Van Buren.

Widmer's style incorporates a bit of the speechwriter and a bit of the scholar, and benefits from both. He throws in numerous modern political and pop culture references (from George Bush to Vito Corleone) that are only occasionally annoying, and he keeps the story moving forward at a good pace. (At 208 pages, the book is anything but a heavy tome). There are some amusing anecdotes-my favorite is a wonderful story of Van Buren as a former president stuck in a small town on a national tour and spending a hilarious evening of storytelling in the company of a young politician on the rise named Abraham Lincoln.

Ultimately, Van Buren remains elusive, hard to know. Was he an idealist trying to steer a moderate course, or a politician adept at being all things to all people?(Again, the echoes of Bill Clinton).One thing we know for sure:he is the president who popularized the expression "O.K." in his 1840 re-election bid (one of his many nicknames was "Old Kinderhook") and he deserves to be remembered. This book is a good way to do so.

An Introduction to An Obscure Political Genius
Martin van Buren is one of those forgotten one term American Presidents, trapped between Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln. As the political boss of New York, he worked himself into the presidency with an impressive resume: secretary of state, ambassador to England, senator, vice president. Then his career came to a screeching halt.

As a conservative who believed in the supremacy of states' rights over federal intervention, President Van Buren played a minimum role in the depression of 1837 or the disputes over slavery. He was a politician who did not led and lost the 1840 election as a result.

This brief book (200+ pages) has the refreshing advantage of being written by a political operative (Mr. Widmer was a member of the Clinton Admnistration) who understands the practice of politics. It is well-written and to the point. However this is not the definitive biography of Martin Van Buren -- for that honor, the reader is directed to the 700+ pages biography by John Niven (1983). ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Jefferson: The Virginian
Jefferson: The Virginian by Dumas Malone is a masterful work on Thomas Jefferson's early years, from birth to being appointed as an ambassador to France.

This work is one of the first comprehensive biographies of Jefferson's life. This is the first of six in the complete set. Malone is a distinguished historian so you will read about Jefferson's ancestry, along with Jefferson's youth, education, legal career, his marriage, the construction of Monticello. Not that was enough for one man's life, but we see the writing of the Declaration of Independence and Jefferson's work on the "Notes on Virginia."

We get an insight as to how Jefferson conducted his highly successful legislative career and his governorship. But what we do NOT see is the soul of Jefferson... the man, the human being. We get facts and more facts about a very complex individual and a monumental man. But the richness of the breath of life is left out.

Nonetheless, the book is a very scholarly work, one of the first to complete a comphensive work on a mulitfarious man. I enjoyed reading this volume for its historical importance and significance. This volume lays the ground work on which all of the other volumes set.

This work being well documented is a good start into reading about the life and times of Thomas Jefferson. One fact the comes through loud and clear... Jefferson is a Virginian foremost and always... there is no mistaking that fact.

Excellent, if one sided.
Mr. Malone's description of Mr. Jefferson is detailed and encompassing. It is well organized and brings the reader in touch with this American Icon and his times. The only failing of this work and its subsequent volumes is that we really only see the best of Mr. Jefferson. His failures, faults and weakeness are dealt with as if they were unimportant or at least only a minor footnote in development of this man. Only in his last volume does Mr. Malone start to deal with the more complex parts of Mr. Jefferson's life. Regardless of this shortcoming this work should be required reading by all students of American History.

Detailed account
VERY detailed account of Jefferson during the his life in Virginia. Although it had in depth description of the political structure, the people, and Jefferson's involvement in the politics of the United States and Virginia, it did not include a very detailed account of his personal life as is best depicted through letters. Surprisingly, despite Jefferson's extensive correspondence during the 41 years that the book covers, this correspondence was not used sufficiently to shed further light on Jefferson's personal life and intimate thoughts. Additionally, Dumas Malone did not focus enough on one of Thomas Jefferson's greatest contribution - the drafting of the Declaration of Independence.

One of the hallmarks of American scholarship
What can be said about this monument to Jefferson scholarship? I am sure that somewhere in universities around the United States there are "scholar squirrels who want to put down this invaluable resource in Jefferson studies. It is always the way that mice attempt to gnaw at lions. This is not a perfect work (and my remarks refer to all of the books in the series as a whole), there are somethings, namely Sally Hemmings references which are wrong and will not sit well with American 21st century mores. There is the issue of slavery which was handled much differently 50 years ago than it is now.
Jefferson is not worthy of our interest because of Sally Hemmings and because he kept slaves. Jefferson is great because of the Declaration of Independence and his fight for the rights of man. While it may have been hypocritical to preach liberty and keep slaves, it is doubtful that slavery ever would have been abolished if Jefferson had never gained the prominence that he did. This book and the others that follow show why we should continue to honor the public man even though his private side may have been wanting.

At the Threshold of Greatness
Malone, once called "the greatest Jeffersonian of them all", originally conceived this biography in four volumes. By the time he published the last book in 1982, at age 89, it had grown to six volumes. It remains the standard life of Jefferson, an indelible and important portrait of a great man, flaws and all, by a great scholar.

JEFFERSON THE VIRGINIAN begins things with Jefferson's birth into a family of much distinction. His father Peter was a noted surveyor and a man of inordinate physical strength who nevertheless died fairly young (in his fifties). The book covers Jefferon's education at William and Mary (at a time when formal education was not a widespread thing, even among the gentry), his law practice, his beginning the construction of Monticello (which would preoccupy him right up until the time of his death), his terms in the Virginia House of Burgesses (one of which was served after his governorship), his writing of the Declaration of Independence (his initial version, a scathing indictment of King George, had to be toned down by his compatriots), and his controversial governorship (in which he sustained much of the blame for the British army's inroads into the Old Dominion state). It ends with his appointment as an American ambassador to France.

Obviously this is no primer on Jefferson. Malone spares no detail. His prose is fastidious, elegant, and easy to read, although you may find yourself putting the book down from time to time to absorb what you have just read. Overall, Jefferson emerges here as a man naturally scholarly and reclusive, content to build his home, pursue his studies, and tend to his family, who is pushed into action by the obligations of his caste and by his own fervent patriotism.

Malone has been criticised for writing a virtual hagiography of Jefferson, ignoring the "darker" aspects of the man's personality. In other words, unlike Fawn Brodie, Malone did not reduce his subject to some psychological cripple and sex deviate. The charges are balderdash. Malone DOES recognize Jefferson's flaws (e.g., his lack of a sense of humor and his sometimes indecision in taking action). He simply refuses to turn Jefferson into a whipping boy for his own ideological preoccupations.

This is as complete a contemporary biography as we will probably ever get of this great man. ... Read more

Book Description

Upon Jacque Lowe's death, commentators credited his pictures with creating the myth of Camelot. Lowe's photographs of the Kennedys, taken during his span as JFK's personal photographer, have become the iconic imagery of a time that remains vividly etched in the national psyche. Of Lowe's 40,000 photographs of the Kennedys, only a few hundred have ever been seen. Authorized by the Lowe estate, REMEMBERING JACK--which is being published to coincide with the 40th anniversary of JFK's death--features more than 600 pictures, half of which are previously unpublished. All of Lowe's original negatives were housed in a bank vault in the World Trade Center and were destroyed on 9/11/01. The book includes an introduction by Tom Wolfe, Lowe's friend and photo subject for 40 years. Hugh Sidey, who was traveling with Kennedy when he was assassinated, writes the commentary, while Thomasina Lowe chronicles her father's work and legacy. The focus, however, remains on the pictures--a poignant evocation of the charm, youth, high spirits, and legend of the Kennedys, all tinged with a sense of loss. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

very intimate photographs of the whole kennedy clan
A real treasure of intimate photographs of the entire kennedy clan by the photographers who was granted access to them before jfk became president. this book is a treasure.

A Heartfelt Tribute to a Great Kennedy
The "intimate and unseen photographs of the Kennedys" taken by the family's entrusted photographer Jacques Lowe starts off as just another photo album dedicated to a great president whose charismatic glow is still alive today.

But as one intimate sequence of photographs builds up on another, and through a series of brief but perceptive chapter commentaries provided by Hugh Sidey, the veteran journalist who covered the Kennedy presidency like perhaps no one else did, we are pulled into an emotional time-warp which makes us privy to many crucial moments in JFK's life and career. We become privileged witnesses to many public and private moments in a world leader's life.

At the end of the book one can't help but wonder if it was indeed some sort of divine providence that saved Lowe's contact sheets from the ravages of the Sept 11 attack that destroyed the original negatives kept at a safe inside the World Trade Center.

These photographs reproduced after Lowe's death in May 2001 by his daughter from those contact sheets are a wistful testimony to a time when everything looked possible under the energetic leadership of the 45-year-old JFK.

There are two aspects of this album that I really loved.

1) Besides the individual single B&W frames of JFK, RFK and many other family members in never-before-seen settings, the album also provides the original contact sheets from which the individual frames were selected.

These sheets, besides carrying the artist's original red markings and thus providing us with a visual commentary on Lowe's uncompromising aesthetic standards, also do present us a fascinating sequence of snapshots, each showing JFK or another Kennedy with a slightly different facial gesture, with an immediately related but different interaction in the same setting, thus providing us with an unedited kaleidoscopic feel for a moment long vanished in time.

Those series of unpublished and "discarded" frames make the viewer the proverbial fly-on-the-wall who can judge the true context of the situation for him/herself.

They take us one step beyond the polished and well-balanced press photos and enter the back-stage of many unforgettable moments from American political history.

2) We all remember JFK for his spectacular rise to power, his election as the youngest President in U.S. history, his memorable words and vision, and the great tragedy of November 22, 1963.

But how many of us remember "Jack" early in his career, when perhaps he also had his own doubts about whether he could pursue the path that he and his family set for himself?

Those early campaign trail photos that depict a lonely JFK, sometimes lost in his thoughts, sometimes braving his predicament with his trademark thousand-watt smile, were my favorites in the whole album.

For example: JFK visiting Ona, West Virginia (p.111), talking to miners on a mid-night shift change (p.107), welcomed in Portland, Oregon by only three supporters in 1959 (p.85), eating breakfast unnoticed at a diner in Oregon with Mrs. Kennedy and brother-in-law Steve Smith (p.79), and staring into the water in Coos Bay, Oregon (p.75) are some of my favorite "private JFK" photos. In my judgment, they alone are worth the cover price of this unique historic compilation. Makes a perfect gift for any history buff at any time of the year.

one of the best book i ever seen!!
to all kennedy fans, buy it!
there are a lot of pictures that are very rare, we can see the all family particularly rfk jfk and jackie kennedy.
I loved the pictures of rfk and kids, there are very touching, and we can how much he loved his children.
there is a good introduction too.
soif you want a great tirbute of the late president kennnedy buy it!

A Wonderful Tribute
This volume is first rate not only for enthusiasts of President Kennedy but also for those interested in photo journalism and the period from the late 1950's through to the early 1960's.

Despite a review stating that there is not much new here, I did not find that the case.

As stated on the jacket, there are indeed over 300 unseen photographs.

Of course, many of the photos are from a sequence of photos taken, with most of us being familiar with the image that Jacques Lowe chose for publication and general release.
However, It is very revealing to see the sequence of photos from which, for example, the photo used on the cover of Richard Reeves 1993 book was chosen. The many moods of John Kennedy are captured and it is as if for a brief moment he is once again with us.

Hugh Sidey provides a first rate narrative and the books production values are exquisite.

Given the recent death of Jacques Lowe, the book is also a final (unfortunately) rememberence of this special relationship between 2 men which produced perhaps the most intimate photographed record of a President that we are ever likely to see in our lifetime.
It is at times as if you are sitting in the Oval office with President Kennedy on any given day. I cannot recall any other President being this comfortable in his own skin and allowing such access.

For the many admirers of the late President, this book will fill your eyes with tears and your heart with hope.

Worthwhile But Nothing New
The cover of this latest Jacques Lowe collection trumpets that it contains "intimate and previously unseen photographs of the Kennedys". This is not entirely true. The vast bulk of the images were previously published in one or more best-selling Lowe books that include Portrait: The Emergence of John F. Kennedy (1961); The Kennedy Years (1964); Kennedy: A Time Remembered (1983); The Kennedy Legacy; A Generation Later (1988).

So, while Remembering Jack is a treasure trove of photographs, only a rare few are in fact previously unpublished, and the majority of these are rejects from proofs of particular events that produced famously memorable portraits: JFK's reaction to the news of Patrice Lumumba's death, meeting the Khrushchevs in Vienna, and dinner at Versailles.

Indeed, while the thematic selection of photographs is to be commended, there is some sloppiness apparent in the editing process. The chapter titled "Testing the Waters" features a photograph of a supposedly sleeping JFK with the description: "Jack stretches out on his bed on the Caroline." There is a good reason why this particular photograph was previously unpublished: the sleeping man in the photo is not Kennedy: his hair parted on the wrong side and he is wearing a wedding ring. The editors only had to look at the full-page photograph of Kennedy on the opposite page to have spotted the obvious differences.

With these qualms in mind Remembering Jack is nevertheless a worthwhile and relatively inexpensive addition to one's library. It will be particularly useful to readers who have not had the benefit of viewing Lowe's work previously. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (7)

The Good Brief Book on Roosevelt
This is a very good brief introduction to Roosevelt, and I highly recommend it to anyone wanting a brief understanding of Roosevelt. Being written by a man from Britain, it also shows how the world views him - as one of the most important leaders in world history. You will not acquire a thorough understanding of FDR by reading this book. For that I would suggest "Champion of Freedom" by Conrad Black or the two-volume biography by James MacGregor Burns "The Lion and the Fox" and "Soldier of Freedom."

In response to Mister Syzek, my understanding is that Stalin broke his promises and controlled Poland despite the agreements made. Stalin was determined to control Poland no matter what, so Poland was never really on the table.

Franklin Roosevelt was a geopolitical realist, and the reality is that the Soviet armies controlled Eastern Europe and Poland. Stalin de facto controlled Poland. The American people had no enthusiasm for yet another world war againt Russia. They wanted their soldiers home. Maybe you should ask the American people why they were not willing to suffer 5 million killed for Poland.

You see, in America you must deal with these pesky things called voters and democracy.

So Roosevelt extracted what he could from Stalin: firm promises of elections and a free Poland. Roosevelt got everything he wanted from Yalta and was very sneaky to be able to get Stalin to promise even that.

To complicate the matter, the Soviet Union took the brunt of the war (17 million dead), and Stalin was rigidly determined to secure a buffer between Mother Russia and Western Europe. Stalin would not have budged on his goal.

So what Roosevelt obtained from Stalin was the best he could obtain - firm promises from Stalin to hold elections. It was Stalin who broke his promises. That made the Soviet Union look like the bad guy.

Truman then waged the Cold War (without the millions of dead from a hot war) leading to an eventual liberation of Eastern Europe. It's no surprise that Reagan was a huge fan of Roosevelt, voted for him four times, and attended his third inauguration (a moving event for Reagan). Reagan then brought an end to the Cold War without firing a shot.

You may be able to criticize Truman for not liberating Eastern Europe while American had a monopoly on the atomic bomb... or Eisenhower. Then again, maybe the path Truman took was wise. Maybe Roosevelt would have done things differently. We will never know because he died.

What we do know is that he extracted promises from Stalin, which he later broke.

I just want to stress that Stalin was determined to have Poland, no matter what. Please look at Stalin's goals and determination. The Russian armies took Poland on the way to Germany, and there was nothing Roosevelt could do about that. Here FDR was a realist.

At the same time, Roosevelt was an idealist in the Wilsonian tradition when realistic. He believed in the free determination of free people, but he was also realistic. For example, he essentially pushed for an end to world colonialism in his design for the post-war world. Churchill opposed this but he could do nothing about it. The British empire was too weak.

By the way, Poland was not even a country at the start of World War One and was viewed by some in a similar way to the Baltic States of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. Should American have gone to war over the Baltic States?

This fine little book is a fine introduction to Roosevelt. It is the best brief book on Roosevelt.

If you want a more detailed study of Roosevelt's foreign policy then read Robert Dallek's Bancroft Prize-winning "Franklin D. Roosevelt and American Foreign Policy." My opinion pales in comparison.

FDR
Two points: Where was FDR when Poland, then Britain were on their knees and being devastated? The second point, Poland and her fate were minimized in what was an altogether too short a book to deal with such a significant figure, and the impact that he had upon our world. The United States and Britain betrayed Poland to Russian Communist control. The victim of Nazi Germany became again the victim of Soviet Communist domination, through the appeasement of Stalin by Churchill & FDR at Yalta and the "sphere of influence" power politics of the time. The U.S. and Britain sacrificed an expendable Poland to gain time and space for their own retaliation against Germany. They failed to recognize Russia's sinister motives in overplaying the "Lend-Lease" card, without consideration of the consequences.
FDR was a great domestic President, with little knowledge of, or appreciation for, foreign policy in other countries like Poland, whose contribution to Nazi defeat was enormous. Try reading the point of view of Poland, in "A Question of Honor". I would rate that book "six stars"!

An Elegant Little Life
Roy Jenkins, the prolific biographer of British Prime Ministers Gladstone and Churchill (as well as American President Harry Truman), died early last year, before this slim biography of Franklin Delano Roosevelt was completed. But even in its flawed state (it was completed by Richard E. Neustadt), this is an impressive book by an author of great knowledge and erudition that illuminates in intriguingly quirky ways the epochal life of its subject.

Jenkins was an Englishman active in Labour politics for half a century, and his is a very British take on Roosevelt's life, which both works and doesn't work to Jenkins' advantage. It is always problematic when an author is not of the same nationality as the person he's writing about (William Manchester's still-to-be-completed biography of Churchill, for example, was much criticized by the British). Where Jenkins gains in giving us a new perspective on a oft-told tale, he sometimes loses in dragging in references to the subjects of his previous books (an occupational hazard of the prolific biographer) or comparing some American political situation to its British equivalent when the comparison is tenuous at best.

Some of his more British asides are lost on the average American reader (as when he opines that the style and appearance of Groton, the prep school that Roosevelt attended, supposedly an imitation of Eton, "were much more like Cheltenham's or Marlborough's"). Also, because the author died before he had the chance to read proof, the text is not as precise as it might have been had the author lived longer (there is at least one sentence that defeats my attempt to make sense of it grammatically - it starts on the 19th line of page 73 and begins with the words "In consequence...").

These reservations aside, I am impressed with Jenkins' ability to take a long and complicated life and condense it into the brief span of this American Presidents series, while still making it comprehensible. The shelves of libraries groan under the weight of the F.D.R. biographies out there, but if you're looking for a concise life that tells the story of the 32nd President from a unique point of view, you might want to try this book before tackling one of the heftier volumes.

An excellent final book for a quality biographer.
The author, in this his final book, is British with an illustrious career as a biographer of such figures as Gladstone, Churchill, and Truman. He also served in his country's ministry. At first glance, it may seem controversial to assign to a foreigner the task of writing about one of America's greatest presidents. However, Lord Jenkins gives a perspective of Roosevelt without the tint of American politics.

It is amazing and disturbing to me the amount of enmity that some in this country express towards Roosevelt, bordering on delusional. What Roosevelt did for this country cannot be adequately expressed in a short biography, or in any book. Much of his pre-war accomplishments translated into an emotion of hope and optimism that moved to a sense of security during the war years.

The author addresses and logically dismisses the paranoid charges that either Roosevelt and/or Churchill allowed Pearl Harbor to occur. As one who lived in Britain during the war, he demonstrates Roosevelt's importance to freeing the world of fascism, and unsettling Churchill's colonialist interests. Fanatical right wingers condemn Roosevelt for the Yalta agreement's failure to rid Poland of the Soviets. The author (actually the co-author who wrote the last few pages after the main author's death) notes that neither Roosevelt or Churchill are at fault since Stalin was already in full control of Poland with no intention of peacefully moving.

My only criticism is the abruptness in which Eleanor Roosevelt is left out of the story. Of course, Mrs. Roosevelt is deserving of her own book that is not the point of this presidential series.

It is a shame that more people will not read this book. I recently wrote a review of the NY Times plagiarist Jayson Blair's book and that received a few dozen responses. This is perhaps my fourth or fifth review of an American President series book and the total responses number only a handful. I reason that much more can be gotten out of reading quality biographies of worthy individuals than concerning ourselves with an immature nobody.

Nice Compact Biography
* Roy Jenkins' FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT (FDR) provides a short biography of
Franklin Roosevelt, the 32nd president of the United States. Jenkins traces
through FDR's upbringing as the only child of the domineering Sara Roosevelt;
his ambiguous relationship with his wife Eleanor, who was actually a niece
several times removed; and his rise in politics.

Jenkins paints FDR as the perfect politician, charismatic and charming,
something of an opportunist and a fence-straddler. Roosevelt was never a
very healthy man, possibly an effect of a sheltered upbringing, and he was
crippled by polio in 1921. However, he had a certain energy that made him
seem much more vital than he really was, the public impression of him summed
up in popular cartoons of him with a raised jaw, a self-assured smile, and a
cigarette in a holder clenched in his teeth.

That energy got him the governorship of New York State twice, confounding
those who thought he was a lightweight or could be manipulated, and then four
terms as President of the United States. There is little doubt that he was
one of the great American presidents, but true to his nature as a perfect
politician there was often less than met the eye in his actions. He was
certainly devious, but he was so good at it that it sometimes seemed like an
outright virtue. He generally wanted to do the right things, but sometimes
his methods for getting from here to there didn't bear too much close
inspection.

He was also certainly hated, particularly by the upper crust, who regarded
him as a traitor to his class. His efforts to help the common people gave
him the popularity to defy this hatred. He was also quick to denounce the
rise of authoritarian regimes abroad, but until war actually came denouncing
was almost all he did. He promised to keep the US out of war, but in 1940
began Lend-Lease, the name itself being a cover for what amounted to a pure
military assistance program to Britain, and then ordered the US Navy to
escort cargo vessels to mid-Atlantic to protect them from Hitler's U-boats,
characterizing this exercise with characteristic clever doubletalk as
"neutrality patrols".

There are those who believe that FDR actually knew about Pearl Harbor ahead
of time and let it happen to ensure that America would get into the fighting,
but Jenkins makes the case (not too hard to do) that this is nonsense. Pearl
Harbor was still convenient in that respect, and it was even more convenient
when Hitler, angry over Lend-Lease and the "neutrality patrols", declared war
on the US a few days later. In any case, FDR spent the war giving his people
free reign to conduct a mighty war effort and presiding over an uneasy Allied
alliance. Jenkins argues that only FDR had the stature to take such a
leadership position.

When FDR died in April 1945, the nation mourned, though he still remains to
an extent a controversial figure. Certainly his considerable expansion of
government involvement in American society has proven over the long run a
mixed blessing. In fact, the argument over the proper role of government in
society is one of the most important issues in American politics today.

Jenkin's FDR is a very tidy little biography, only about 175 pages long, and
mostly focused on FDR's political life. Those after dirt about his marriage
and his affairs will not get much out of this book. The fact that Jenkins
was a Britisher (he died of a heart attack just before completing this book)
and a member of parliament gives a bit of an interesting flavor to the work,
for example with Jenkins describing politicals dealing from the point of view
of someone who was clearly familiar with such things personally.

I will often say, if not exactly complain, that most biographies and
historical works give me more information than I need, but in the case of
Jenkin's FDR I would have liked to have seen maybe about 25 to 50 more pages
of anecdotal material, FDR's life having plenty of good stories to mine for
such things. However, that said, I have to recommend this little book as a
fine introduction to the fascinating, inspiring, complicated, and somewhat
shifty FDR. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Primary Colors author Joe Klein offers a nonfictional take on his favorite subject, Bill Clinton, whom he describes as both "the most talented politician of his generation" and "the most compelling." Klein is of two minds when it comes to the man from Hope: he is at once disappointed by Clinton's failure to achieve greatness, but also a defender of what Clinton did do. He can be unremittingly harsh about the 42nd president's personal shortcomings: "Bill Clinton often seemed the apotheosis of his generation's alleged sins: moral relativism, the tendency to pay more attention to marketing than to substance, the solipsistic callowness." Yet he also credits Clinton with running "a serious, substantive presidency" whose chief success was dragging "Washington toward a recognition that a revised form of government activism might be appropriate in the anarchy of an instant economy." Klein is a smart and engrossing writer, and The Natural is an honest liberal's best effort to explain eight controversial years. Readers who supported Clinton will discover new insights into why he didn't accomplish more; those who opposed him will gain a sharper understanding of why he remained so popular with the public. --John Miller ... Read more

Reviews (60)

The Natural: Bill Clinton
Joe Klein tackles the subject he knows best: Bill Clinton. Astute, even - handed, and keenly intelligent, The Natural is the only book to read if you want to understand exactly what happened - to the military, to the economy, to the American people, to the country - during Bill Clinton's presidency, and how the decisions made during his tenure affect all of us today.

Much has been written about Clinton, but The Natural is the first work to cut through the gossip, scandles, media hype, and emotional turbulence that Clinton always engendered, to step back and rationally analyze the eight years tenure, a period during which America rose to unprecedental levels of prosperity. Joe Klein puts that record into perspective, showing us what worked and what didn't, exactly what was accomplished and why, and who was responsible for the successes and the failures.

We see how the Clinton White House functioned on the inside, how it dealt with the maneuvers of Congress and the Gingrich revolution, and who held power and made the decisions during the endless crises that beset the administration. Klein's access to the White House over the years as a journalist gave him a prime spot from which to view every crucial event - both political and personal - and he sets them forth in an insightful, readable, and completely engrossing manner.

The Natural is stern in its criticism and convincing with its praise. It will cause endless debate among friends and foes of the Clinton administration. It is a book that anyone interested in contemporary politics, in American history, or in the functioning of our democracy should read.

A Concise Summary and Commentary
In this publication Klein essentially presents a summary of the Presidential career of Bill Clinton. Any reader of previous Klein commentary knows that, on the whole, Klein likes Clinton a good deal; however, he avoids becoming an apologist that the likes of Frank Bruni and Bob Woodward seem to have become with President Bush. He makes available criticisms of Clinton--both political and ehtical--at least as quickly as he does praises. In the end, this seems to be the culmination of the very vivid picture that Klein has been painting of Bill Clinton the man and politician ever since _Primary Colors_. The prospective reader should note before beginning that there is no controversial argument at work here (apart from what is already controversial about the President), nor is _The Natural_ a systematic synthesis based on study of recent history; this is merely a summary of the events of Clinton's presidency with subsequent commentary. Particularly engrossing is the section just over halfway through the book in which Klein succintly recounts the history behind the presently bitter partisanship in Washington and the effect of the post-Watergate media on public and private political discourse. In the seventh chapter (of eight) Klein also begins to analyze Clinton with respect to his historical context--which quickly gets interesting--but stops abruptly (Klein clearly hasn't gotten this far with Clinton yet). I would surmise that most of the people that dislike this book do so because of their emnity towards Bill Clinton himself, but if you are looking for a summary of the era with generally just and honest commentary from a rational and balanced commentator, this isn't a bad place to begin.

too short, unorganized
I got the impression that Mr. Klein just threw together a bunch of odds & ends he had left over from another book and notes -- the way they made the movie "Midway" out of edit-outs from "Tora, Tora, Tora!"

A balanced and thoughtful review--a rarity!
A rarity indeed in the realm of Clinton literature is an honest and balanced review of the Clinton years. It is not a deep review but a wonderful reconsideration of the Clinton years. Klein is spot on in most of writing--from his accounts of the destruction of Newt Gingrich to the accounts of Clinton's self-destruction. He hammers Clinton particularly hard for the Mark Rich pardon, which makes perfect sense in the context of who Clinton was. Klein makes one very bizarre conclusion. He blames Clinton for the current problems between Israel and the Palestinians. It is unclear how the failed peace talks are really Clinton's fault (don't Barak, Sharon and, of course, the Arafat and his ilk, deserve the blame?). Nevertheless, a rare book that is honest and tempered. And it pulls no punches. Fair and balanced.

Short-Cut to Understanding Eight Years
The Natural by Joe Klein will surprise few people, particularly those who have read his fictional Primary Colors, but it is a wonderful introduction to eight very strange years in American politics. Bill Clinton's biggest tragedy as a president was that he did not live through a time of crisis (beyond those sordid ones that he created for himself) because the evidence suggests he could have risen to the challenge with the utmost skill. He was a truly fascinating politician with an a amazing and powerful love of the game of politics. This book hits all the high (and low) lights of his reign and often gives a balanced and intelligent assessment. The author touches effectively on the changes brought to goverment by the arrival of Baby Boomers into government, such as Clinton and his easily bested foe, Newt Gingrich, in order to supply a context for the narrative. The book is short so it does not dwell on policy issues and cabinet ministers much but it is a nicely done remembrance piece. ... Read more

Book Description

Conceived during Thomas Jefferson's junket in Paris, Thomas Woodson was Jefferson's first child by Sally Hemings. He was banished from Monticello at the age of 12, after a journalist exposed Jefferson's relationship with his young slave. A President in the Family traces Thomas Woodson's subsequent journey from Virginia to Ohio and documents the Woodson family's present-day efforts to uncover documentation in support of an oral history that has survived independently in five branches of the family tree. Thomas, the oldest of the five surviving children born to Sally Hemings and Jefferson, would carry on the family tradition of education, leadership, and public service. This is the amazing story of the Woodson family and its continuing pursuit to reveal its illustrious past to the American public. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

The Only Problem Is It's Not True
The existence of 'Black Tom' is highly questionable, though Woodson is quite right about the erasure in Jefferson's records, I've seen it too in a holograph edition of his Farm Book.
Unfortunately for Mr. Woodson's thesis 'Tom's' name should certainly have appeared more than once. His 'mother' and 'brothers and sister' are listed not only on Jefferson's Slave Census but in distributions of rations and clothing as well. 'Black Tom' supposedly lived at Monticello till 1802, his name most certainly should have appeared in those records just as the rest of the Hemmings family's names did.
However the even if the existence of 'Black Tom' were proven it would do the Woodsons no good. The famous DNA tests that proved the Eston Jeffersons are indeed descended from *A* Jefferson male, (possibly Thomas but his brother or nephew is equally probable) also proved that though Thomas Woodson was undoubtedly sired by a white man that man was *not* a Jefferson.
The Woodson family has chosen to ignore this incontrovertable scientific evidence and cling to their family myth. Frankly I find it pitiable that this extraordinarily accomplished and successful family should be so fixated on a fictitious illegitimate descent from a Founding Father. The achievements of generations of Woodsons, against unbelievable odds, is in itself a heritage to be proud of, they don't need Jefferson's blood to validate their role in American history.

Oops! No President in this family!
This is pretty sad really. I started out as a believer in the Woodson story and Woodson has obviously done a lot of research on his family history. Certainly, there are many distinguished people in Woodson's family...sadly, Thomas Jefferson has been pretty definitely proven by DNA (no match after testing 6 Woodson lines!) not to be one of them! Since Woodson was the Hemings child with the strongest "oral history"/family lore--the fact that there was no link to Jefferson really calls into question the whole story since obviously Sally got pregnant by somebody else in Paris. And the allegations started about a "Black Tom"....Still and all, with irrefutable evidence that someone in Woodson's family lied to create a link that science has proven doesn't exist, Woodson still can't give it up, claiming the 'no match" was the result of illegitimacy later in the line...which Woodson still doesn't seem to get would still mean he is not related to the Great Man. Bottom line: Don't waste your money.

Disapointing scholarship but interesting story
As a "roots" like story of a family's rise from slavery to the present day, this book is a pleasant read. However, for elucidating any ties to Thomas Jefferson, it is a tremendous disappointment. Having been greatly impressed by the poise, strength of character, and intelligence of Robert Cooley, the father one of the authors, I always hoped that his boast of being decended from Thomas Jefferson was true. However, the historic record left me in doubt. I bought "A President in the Family" with hopes that reading the Woodson family story would dispel some of that doubt, providing substance to the strong oral history. Sadly, I have been left hanging.

The truth is the truth
Congressman Gary Condit and President William Clinton were not the first government officials to have affairs. This "behavior" has been present throughout our nation's history (and probably present throughout the history of mankind).

As historians, it our duty to explain the positive things but also tell the truth about the less postive things that happen.

When an affair translates into a pregnancy, it is the natural inclination of both parties and their affiliates to pursue self-protective mechanisms. Before the computer age, these mechanisms included erasing and throwing away documents. These methods were used to hide President Jefferson's affair (and pregnancy) with a female slave.

Yes, we should respect our presidents! We also have to be wise enough to recognize that they are human and make the same stupid mistakes that other men make (like cheating on their wives).

I'm glad Mr. Woodson is honest and enlightens the rest of us to the honest truth. His book provides detailed evidence of the affair, the pregnancy, and the cover-up.

What would President Jefferson say today? "I didn't inhale" or would he throw away a watch box and say nothing, like Gary Condit is doing. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

What transformed a frontier bully into the seventh president of the United States? A southerner obsessed with personal honor who threatened his enemies with duels to the death, a passionate man who fled to Spanish Mississippi with the love of his life before she was divorced, Andrew Jackson of Tennessee left a vast personal correspondence detailing his stormy relationship with the world of early America. He helped shape the American personality, yet he remains largely unknown to most modern readers. Now historian Andrew Burstein (The Inner Jefferson, America’s Jubilee) brings back Jackson with all his audacity and hot-tempered rhetoric.

Most people vaguely imagine Andrew Jackson as a jaunty warrior and man of the people, when he was much more: a power monger whom voters thought they could not do without—a man just as complex
and controversial as Jefferson or Lincoln. Declared a national hero upon his stunning victory over the British at the 1815 Battle of New Orleans, this uncompromising soldier capitalized on his fame and found the presidency within his grasp.

Yet Burstein shows that Jackson had conceived no political direction for the country. He was virtually uneducated, having grown up in a backwoods settlement in the Carolinas. His ambition to acquire wealth and achieve prominence was matched only by his confidence that he alone could restore virtue to American politics. As the “people’s choice,” this model of masculine bravado—tall, gaunt, and sickly through-out his career—persevered. He lost the election of 1824 on a technicality, owing to the manipulations of
Henry Clay. Jackson partisans ran him again, with a vengeance, so that he became, from 1829 to 1837, a president bent on shaping the country to his will. Over two terms, he secured a reputation for opposing the class of moneyed men. To his outspoken critics, he was an elected tyrant.

Burstein gives us our first major reevaluation of Jackson’s life in a generation. Unlike the extant biographies, Burstein’s examines Jackson’s close relationships, discovering how the candidate advanced his political chances through a network of army friends—some famous, like Sam Houston, who became a hero himself; others, equally important, who have been lost to history until now. Yet due to his famous temper, Jackson ultimately lost his closest confidants to the opposition party.

The Passions of Andrew Jackson includes a fresh interpretation of Jackson’s role in the Aaron Burr conspiracy and offers a more intimate view of the backcountry conditions and political setting that shaped the Tennessean’s controversial understanding of democracy. This is the dynamic story of a larger-than-life American brought down to his authentic earthiness and thoughtfully demythologized. In a provocative conclusion, Burstein relates Jackson to the presidents with whom he was and still is often compared, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

A Lazy Treatise
Burstein seems to have been in a hurry to write this uninvolved book about a complex historical figure. His style is entertaining but he never delves into what Jackson DOES! I rather accept some of the assessments about Jackson's character as so totally self-centered that he couldn't keep a friend, take advice, or even adhere to the constitution, but I'd have liked to see more actual evidence put forth. Jackson's actual participation in the events he directed, caused, or undermined are completely skipped and replaced with a single opinionated point of view (which may well be accurate, but I'd rather form those conclusions myself).

I particularly dislike his arrangement of notes and the lack of a structured list of references. This (lately popular) method of substantiating the facts (or even opinions) in non-fiction books is an insidious attempt to thwart verification. I spent more time recording by hand the references I wished to check than I did actually reading the book. Why not list them in the conventional manner? It makes me suspect, especially when Remini is so cavaliarly dismissed.

Andrew Burstein is an entertaining writer, but this work is just too sloppy to be taken as a serious study of a complicated topic.

A dispassionate "Passions."
While reading this book, I didn't feel the author was particularly motivated to create a negative protrait of Jackson. By utilizing Jackson's own writing Burstein examines Jackson as he presented himself to others. This Jackson seems to be a man motivated by his belief that he was right in all things that mattered and if you disagreed you were disloyal. These are probably not uncommon traits for a president who was exceptionally popular, but played fast and loose with the U.S. Constitution and the will of the other branches of government.
That being said by focussing on Jackson's relationships with various individulas in his life, I felt I was not getting a complete portrait. Why was this man so revered by the people and what motivated his his various decisions? I feel this book gave me a starting point in understanding Jackson, a president who I feel abused his position like few others, but there seems to be more of a story here and THE PASSIONS OF ANDREW JACKSON seems to raise as many questions as it answers.

Enjoyable but disappointing
First and foremost, THE PASSIONS OF ANDREW JACKSON is compelling. This short book moves along at a quick pace. While the early life stories of some historic figures are dull necessities in larger biographies, Jackson's early life is the action-packed focus of this biography. The story of Andrew Jackson is a story of violence, sex scandal and adventure. Author Andrew Burstein does a good job of maximizing the drama of the story, and I enjoyed reading it very much.

Yet, while on the whole, THE PASSIONS OF ANDREW JACKSON is an enjoyable book, it also contains a major disappointment: Burstein's treatment of Jackson's presidency. Burstein set out to write a book about Jackson's character with an emphasis on exploring his friendships. He explicitly did not intend to chronicle Jackson's presidency, so his brief treatment of that part of Jackson's life was not especially surprising. It was, however, disappointing for a number of reasons.

To begin with, Burstein hurls the gauntlet in his introduction at other Jackson biographers, especially "the reigning Jackson authority," Robert Remini. His basic criticism of Remini, who wrote a three-volume biography of Jackson, is that Remini bought into Jacksonian mythology a bit too much. By contrast, Burstein sets as his goal writing about Jackson as he really was. I found the assault on Remini to be odd and out of place. Remini's last volume was published in 1984, so I'm not sure why Burstein felt the need to justify writing a new book. More importantly, by contrasting his own book with Remini's, Burstein suggests a parallelism that doesn't really exist. THE PASSIONS OF ANDREW JACKSON is much more limited in scope than Remini's work. Its focus is almost exclusively on who Jackson was rather than what he did.

Burstein falls short in not explaining enough what Jackson did. He assumes the reader's familiarity with the Jackson record and policy-making style. He alludes to important events associated with Jackson, such as the tragic "trail of tears," without fully explaining Jackson's role. Burstein probably could have done the job with an additional 20 pages, but it almost seems that the author lost interest in his own work at the point Jackson became president. The overall quality of the story degenerates after that. Burstein made his point already, the rest of Jackson's life is glossed over. The final several pages of reflective, explanatory writing seems almost redundant, which is a problem in a short book.

What is Burstein's point? It seems to be that Jackson was an impulsive, violent, unreflective man whose popularity was out of sync with his aptitudes for governing. His success at arousing emotional public support for short-sighted policies was the dark side of democracy. Beyond that, Burstein seems to very subtly be drawing a comparison between Jacksonian era politics and the politics of today, but this point is not developed probably because Burstein wanted his book to last. But by including this implied, under-developed comparison at all he fails to develop other implications, such as the idea that the early founders' elitist republicanism may have been a superior form of governance (another of Burstein's implications). In the end Burstein's only conclusions that stick are about Jackson's character, and not how any of this means anything larger.

The most disappointing aspect of THE PASSIONS OF ANDREW JACKSON is that there hasn't been a well-known popular Jackson biography published for several years. Jackson was too important a figure for "the reigning authority" to keep his crown for 20 years without a new contribution. As enjoyable as THE PASSIONS OF ANDREW JACKSON is, if Remini holds the title, Burstein does not quite pose a threat to win it.

One-sided and unconvincing
I found this book to be unabashedly one-sided and unconvincing. Instead of being more objective about the life and character of our seventh president than other historians, as Burstein claims, it is obvious to even a casual reader that he is determined to emphasize Jackson's flaws at the expense of his accomplishments. He will go on for paragraph after paragraph and page after page about anything detrimental to Old Hickory, but when he absolutely cannot avoid making a positive statement, he manages to do so as briefly as possible. For example, he covers many pages describing the murky details of the young Andy's relationship with his future wife Rachel Donelson Robards, some of them cogent and convincing. There is no way, however, that he can avoid mentioning that their love was true and endured for all the years of their marriage, but he manages to do so in one or two sentences, omitting the many examples he might have given that prove Jackson's devotion to his wife. I suspect that the author believes that a controversial and revisionist biography, loaded with unsubstantiated psychological interpretations, will sell books.

Fails in its stated mission, suceeds in its unstated
The conclusions reached (repeatedly) by Burstein seem to rely more upon his "instincts" than his analytical skills. Cultural historians are too often criticized for "teasing out" meaning from texts and the cause of that is in a book like this. Interpreting or "reading" texts from the 19th century is often eschewed for what seems to be "mind reading" and conclusion jumping on the slightest of pretexts. Burstein *assumes* influences (as another reviewer provided an excellent example, I will not) and often motives where there is no clear evidence that any such things were important to Jackson himself!
What appeared to be a corrective to the plentiful hagiographies is instead a book that looks to be more aimed at creating attention for Mr. Burstein. Too bad, Andrew Jackson has had a long career as an American icon and a good critical evaluation of the man and the phenomenon is overdue. This book seems to be hostile for hostility's sake which provides no new insights at all. ... Read more

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Reviews (4)

Architect of the Modern Era?
No one can truly understand the issues of the modern era without knowledge of of the man who mid-wifed it into existence, Woodrow Wilson. In his biography of Wilson's presidency, Professor H.W. Brands brings his insightful style and keen sense of relationships between critical events. One learns enough from this rather short book to ask the next set of more interesting questions.

Absent Wilson, would there have been a central bank, the Federal Reserve, in the U.S.? How did the Wilson presidency effect the direction of the national income tax? What did Wilson do to foster the growth of centralized federal power in the U.S.?

Absent Wilson's inept diplomacy, would the U.S. have become so involved in World War I, first by funding Britain and France, and then by participating in the combat? Would the Great War have lasted so long and caused so much damage to the fabric of European civilization and colonial influence? Would the world ever have heard of Herr Hitler and Signor Mussolini, veterans both of front line combat?

Absent U.S. participation in the European War, would a pedestrian lawyer, and middling state-level politician named Franklin Delano Roosevelt have found his first federal job as Assistant Secretary of the Navy? Would the U.S. ever have bred such soldiers as Douglas MacArthur and Harry Truman, and most of the rest of the list of future political-military leaders of mid-century?

Absent events put into motion by Wilson, would Russia have broken up and descended into a Bolshevik Revolution? Would the Ottoman Empire have dissolved, to spawn the modern politics of the Middle East? Would the concept of League of Nations/world governance ever have gained the traction it did?

Had Wilson never been president, would the U.S. and the world have had a far different 20th Century? Or was Wilson just one man in a particular time of great change? Germany and Italy had been building centralized, debt-financed governance for 40 years by the time Wilson walked into the White House. So did Wilson make history, guide history , or was he merely governed by historical forces whose time had come?

Like it or not, we lived the 20th Century in Wilson's Century, and in the 21st Century we still follow the path he blazed. Wilson's ghost hovers over the plains of the Republic, walks the halls of power in every government building, and touches the lives of every person who draws a breath.

As Expected, a Solid Effort from Brands
H.W. Brands' output over the last five years has been enormous. From huge biographies on Theodore Roosevelt and Benjamin Franklin to fair-sized books on the California Gold Rush and several major U.S. business figures to a slim volume on Americans' relationship with their federal government, the Texas A&M historian has published at least six books over the last five years that I'm aware of. The four which I've read have had the same qualities: solid scholarship and writing, but nothing flashy or standout about them.

Brands' biography of Woodrow Wilson fits in this pattern. The book is an easy and enjoyable read. The scholarship is solid (I enjoyed reading the short but striking comments for each of the books mentioned in the "selected bibliography"). Occasionally, Brands is even eloquent as when he describes the effect on Wilson of the death of his first wife.

Nevertheless, as with every other book of Brands I've read, "Woodrow Wilson" never soars to become a great work. The reason eludes me. Brands seems to have all the gifts to write a memorable history or biography, but his work remains a little too flat and it fades too quickly from the reader's mind. He does not break out of this mold with "Woodrow Wilson".

Overview of an Idealist
The American Presidents series, condensed biographies of individual presidents by eminent historians, makes the lives of our nation's readers accessible for general readers. That said, the books work better when resurrecting the memory of nearly forgotten minor presidents such as Rutheford B. Hayes than they do documenting the accomplishments of major historical figures like Woodrow Wilson. Simply put, Wilson's life was just too full to be given real justice by a 40,000 or so word manuscript.

Limited by the format, Texas A&M Professor of History H.W. Brands gamely gives it his best shot. The author of such first rate works as "TR - The Last Romantic" and "The Age of Gold" recounts Wilson's life, devoting most of the mere 139 pages of narrative to his presidency. It's a good overview, and one that will likely whet the appetite of many readers to know more. Wilson was a strong, controversial and enigmatic leader. A progressive and idealist on the international front, for example, he was still very much a son of the South who strongly supported segregation at home. Brands deals with such events as World War One, the failed battle for ratification of the Versailles peace treaty and Wilson's debilitating 1919 stroke, but doesn't delve much into the details.

Overall, a good if all-too-brief overview of Woodrow Wilson's life.

Good Overview...too short?
I enjoyed this quick read about one of my favorite presidents. The book is interesting and Brands is a fine historian. This book is a solid introduction, but left me wanting more depth about this great man. But then again, that may be the point of this series. ... Read more

Book Description

In this wonderfully evocative volume, following the outstanding success of The Hornet's Nest, Christmas in Plains, and his classic, An Hour Before Daylight, Jimmy Carter writes about the things that matter most, the simple relaxed days and nights that he has enjoyed with family and friends through the years and across generations.

Here are lively and witty accounts of exploring the outdoors with his father and with black playmates; making furniture; painting; pursuing new adventures and going places with children, grandchildren, and friends. He describes how he learned to share life with his wife, Rosalynn -- and how they both learned how to grant each other personal space -- and to compete with her on the tennis court, high mountains, trout streams, and ski slopes.

These lifetime experiences can be an inspirational guide to anyone desiring to stretch mind and heart and to combine work and pleasure. ... Read more

Book Description

As one of the greatest presidents of the twentieth century, Ronald Wilson Reagan succeeded in renewing pride in America, strengthening the principles of family, faith, and freedom on which this nation was founded, and restoring our hope for the future. President Reagan endeared himself even to his political opponents with his self-effacing wit and irrepressible optimism. Inspiring, thoughtful, and at times downright funny, he had an amazing gift for stirring emotion, sparking debate, and calling a nation to action.

In In The Words of Ronald Reagan, his oldest son Michael Reagan has gathered a wonderful collection of his father’s public and private words, providing a close-up portrait of our fortieth president. From hilarious one-liners to eloquent letters to intimate family moments, these selections depict Ronald Reagan in all his many roles—as world leader, conservative icon, orator, actor, and father. Complemented by Michael Reagan’s personal and insightful commentary on his father’s life, In The Words of Ronald Reagan will delight you, inspire you, and motivate you to finish the job Ronald Reagan began—the job of rebuilding the American dream.

Book Description

Churchill was the only British politician of the twentieth century to become an enduring national hero. His unique image, complete with V-sign, giant cigar, and outlandish costumes, was as universally famous as Charlie Chaplin's tramp. Now, in Churchill, The Unexpected Hero, Paul Addison offers a major reassessment of this highly charismatic figure, focusing largely on the life-long battle over Churchill's reputation."Churchill's career," notes Addison, "was one of snakes and ladders." The longest of the "snakes" was Gallipoli, the ill-starred military campaign that all but destroyed his career in 1915. After Gallipoli, Churchill's reputation plummeted, and he was attacked as a shameless egotist, an opportunist without principles or convictions, an unreliable colleague, an erratic policy-maker who lacked judgement, and a reckless amateur strategist with a dangerous passion for war and bloodshed. Indeed, throughout his career, at one time or another, Churchill offended every party and faction in the land. Yet all but the most hostile also conceded that he possessed great abilities, remarkable eloquence, and a streak of genius, and with the coming of World War II, the man long excluded from high office--on the grounds that he was a danger to King and Country--became the savior of that country, a truly great war leader. As Churchill's reputation skyrocketed, Addison shows how his heroic self-image was communicated to the world through a stupendous public relations campaign in which oratory, journalism, and history were all pressed into service.Churchill won two great victories in World War II. The first was a victory over Nazi Germany. The second, a victory over the legion of skeptics who derided his judgement and denied his claims to greatness. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The Expected Hero
Paul Addison has written a competent introduction to a lifemore interesting, in the sense of history, than any other of the twentieth century. His book is enlivened by many vivid quotes from a broad assortment of people who had reason to know Winston Churchill.However, I think the author, in an excessive attempt at balance, bends too far over backward in making use of certain highly negative assessments-- such as one offered by Evelyn Waugh at the time of Churchill's death.

While he may have had feet of clay, his name remains remembered in Westminister Abby--and elsewhere over the globe.

Good Addition To Sir Winston's Understanding


I've waited the past two months to receive a copy of this short biography on Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill. Reading this book does not disappoint.

This short work, though fair and favorable to Sir Winston, also discusses the controversies of his career. Not everyone in Britain was a fan of Churchill, with some disliking him, with others fearing he would ever have any part of the government. In spite of his monumental contributions to the World War II years, some never lost their mistrust nor dislike of the man.

As an American, I see him as the beacon of hope for war-torn Britain. The best possible man to lead the country during those years, an uncrowned king giving the British people the hope and stamina needed to go on, day by day, overcoming all the suffering World War II brought them. Should he not have been the best, surely there existed no one better. When one thinks today of World War II Britain, one must think of Winston Churchill. They have become intertwined and inseparable.

Even from his earliest years, Churchill always felt he was a person of destiny; so was able to equally accept and act in that role. One must wonder what England would have been without him. Prior to the war he was seen as too strident and hawkish, once the war began however his views and demeanor coincided exactly to the needs of the time. Once the war was over, most of the country turned their backs to him at the polls, feeling he was not up to running a tamer, peacetime government.

Being neither British, nor ignoring his earlier government service prior to World War II (he was 65 in 1940 at time of his becoming Prime Minister with many years of government service behind him), I cannot agree with their post war thinking. And as discussed in this slim volume, I agree with the author that the mistrust and distrust of earlier Liberal versus Tory episode was ever overcome. Too many felt they just could not count on, nor place their full trust in this man.

Winston Churchill is my 'cup of tea'. One of the few 20th Century men of both character and leadership.True, he had both great flaws and great abilities as well; and this book fairly shows both.

Recommended reading.

Excellent introduction to Churchill's life and career
Though Winston Churchill has never wanted for biographers, over the past few years the publication of brief studies of his life have come into vogue.Written by some of the leading historians of the period - John Keegan, Geoffrey Best, Stuart Ball - they offer an accessible (if condensed) examination of one of the dominant figures of the twentieth century.Paul Addison's book is the latest addition to their ranks, and one that deserves to be ranked as among the best of these efforts.

Addison argues that the heroic status that Churchill enjoys today belies much of his career.Considered an irresponsible genius by his contemporaries, he was a polarizing figure who was never completely trusted by any side of the political divide.Yet as prime minister during the Second World War he went on to become "the embodiment of national unity," a symbol of Britain's determination to defeat Nazi Germany.Addison provides a more nuanced view of Churchill's career, noting his ideological consistency in a politically turbulent age.When war came, the man and the moment were ideally matched; indeed, many of the traits that his opponents deplored - his enthusiasm for war, his advocacy of impossible ideas, even the fact that he was half American - became assets in the conflict and were keys to his successful leadership.

Developed from his entry on Churchill for the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Addison succeeds in providing an insightful introduction to the life of one of the dominant figures of the twentieth century. Though hardly a hagiographical account - he freely acknowledges such faults as Churchill's massive egotism - his portrait is a sympathetic one, depicting the prime minister as "a hero with feet of clay."The result is a good read and a great starting point for anyone seeking to learn more about this fascinating figure. ... Read more