Book Description

What are the family circumstances that have created our presidents? How did their upbring-ing shape their future and ours? New York Times bestselling author Doug Wead answers these questions in one of the most comprehensive studies of presidential families to date.

When one thinks about the leadership qualities of George Washington and Theodore Roosevelt or the intellectual prowess of John Adams and Abraham Lincoln, it is hard to imagine them as children. It is even more difficult to envision the parents of our leaders, especially the larger-than-life idols of our political past. Our greatest presidents have entered the Oval Office armed with overwhelming ambition, intellect, and political savvy. But were these characteristics evident in childhood?

The Raising of a President is a groundbreaking look at the parents of the American presidents, full of never-before-seen facts and anecdotes, as well as psychological profiles based on Wead's findings. He analyzes the types of families into which our presidents were born, and sheds a fascinating light on how their destinies were shaped during childhood.

Using countless presidential correspondences and letters, as well as notes from hours of his own private conversations and interviews with six presidents and first ladies, Wead focuses specifically on the early life of our first president, George Washington; John Adams, John Quincy Adams, and the making of our nation's first political empire; the humble beginnings of our greatest president, Abraham Lincoln; the privileged upbringing of Franklin Delano Roosevelt; the ambitious rise of John Fitzgerald Kennedy; and the "quiet dynasty" led by George H. W. Bush and his son, George W. Bush.

Throughout The Raising of a President, readers will find that the circumstances and events that would destroy most children were often the very things that sparked greatness in our nation's future leaders. These are the stories of the presidents' parents, but in a truer sense, they are the stories of the presidents themselves, from a perspective that is long overdue. ... Read more

Reviews (44)

A Great Series
These books, both the Raising of a President and All the President's Children are wonderful books, easy to read but loaded with stories that you won't get anywhere else. This last one has the most updated and bare bones account of the Kennedy's to date.I feel I am old enough to know the truth about history and resent it when a book slants the story. This is thoroughly documented.

Great Read- Very Informative
I purchased my book and read it almost non-stop.It was filled with interesting facts and subjects that regular people really don't think about on a regular bases when it comes to our presidents, the men who run our country.I allowed me to further reflect on the men who in our future will run our country and how to assess them as people.Because they are people even though we see thme as men of power.

Nothing Like It
There is no other book out there like this one. It is amazing what one can see simply by telling the stories side by side.FDR's upbringing will stay with me a long time. This is probably the only book on the Bushes that offers any real depth and in spite of the fuss, at some point, we should be able to look at their lives without such mean spirited criticism. Afterall, they have dominated the halls of power for years.

Good Books Endure
Whatever the controversy, this is an excellent book and that transcends everything as far as I am concerned.It is so hard to find a good book of history and these big shot tv stars write superficial accounts and we waste money on them.But here is a book with rich detail, color and all the sources listed and on top of that it is interesting. I carried it around for days, enjoying every page.

A New Aspect of History
Sub-Title: The Mothers and Fathers of Our Nation's Leaders

We've had lots of presidents, and with the exception of the related ones there's been little about their origins. It seems that the history books mostly assume that the presidents have burst forth as adults ready to assume the mangle of leadership.

As I read about the various presidents I was struck by the differences in the families. Three like Clinton had fathers who died before they were born. Some (Kennedy/Bush) had very successful fathers (at least in terms of money). Some (Nixon/Lincoln) were quite poor. Some (Kennedy again) would push their children very hard. Some (Bush) merely strived to set the best possible examples for their children.

Out of all of these backgrounds came basically honorable men who had the drive and ambition to lead the country.

With the release of the private tapes made by the author of conversations with George W. Bush, it is unfortunately likely that the message of the book will become confused with the incident. This is a good book presenting an aspect of the presidency that breaks new ground. ... Read more

Book Description

"Very well researched, critical yet balanced, this is the best book about Zog to have appeared in any language."
—Bejtullah Destani, Director of the Centre for Albanian Studies

Shortly before 5 p.m. on Saturday, September 1, 1928, Europe gained a new kingdom and its only Muslim king: 32-year-old Zog I of the Albanians. Few foreign journalists were present in the Parliament House in Tirana to hear him swear his oath on the Koran and the Bible, yet the birth of the Kingdom of Albania—a native monarchy, not an alien imposition—did not go unnoticed abroad.

King Zog (1895–1961) was a curiosity, and so he has remained: the most atypical European monarch of the twentieth century, a man entirely without royal connections who created his own kingdom. By contemporaries, he was variously labeled "the last ruler of romance," "an appalling gangster," "the modern Napoleon," "the finest patriot," and "frankly a cad." Even today his reputation is disputed, but Zog is undeniably one of the foremost figures in Albanian history. Though notorious for cut-throat political intrigue, he promised to bring order and progress to a land that had long known little of either. "It was I who made Albania," he claimed.

Zog's reign ended in 1939; Italian Fascists forced him into exile and post-war Stalinists kept him there despite his best efforts to return. In this first full biography, Jason Tomes explores the reality behind the man described in The Times as "the bizarre King Zog" and shows him to have been the product of a unique time and place. Tomes invites readers to set aside their assumptions about modern European monarchy and meet a king who fired back at assassins and paid his bills with gold bullion.

Book Description

Since its original publication in 1999, "Abraham Lincoln: Redeemer President" has garnered numerous accolades, not least the prestigious 2000 Lincoln Prize. Allen Guelzo's peerless biography of America's most celebrated president is now available for the first time in a fine paperback edition.

The first "intellectual biography" of Lincoln, this work explores the role of ideas in Lincoln's life, treating him as a serious thinker deeply involved in the nineteenth-century debates over politics, religion, and culture. Written with passion and dramatic impact, Guelzo's masterful study offers a revealing new perspective on a man whose life was in many ways a paradox. As journalist Richard N. Ostling notes, "Much has been written about Lincoln's belief and disbelief," but Guelzo's extraordinary account "goes deeper." ... Read more

Reviews (19)

an accurate and highly readable portrait of a great man
Gulezo, in his book, decides to concentrate on the intellectual and religious development of our sixteenth president. Since Gulezo readily admits that religion did not play a very important role in Lincoln's actions, I am not sure why he chose to highlight this area. With this criticism aside, Gulezo writes a highly readable and absorbing narrative of Lincoln's life. Like all good historians, Gulezo focuses his narrative without forcing opinions on the reader. After reading the book, it is abundantly clear that Lincoln remained a Whig moderate on the slavery issue. Gulezo correctly and intelligently seals the continuum between his Whiggish beliefs in the American System and his views toward slavery. He is not the phlegmatic opportunist of Hofstader nor the evil racist rumored but denied by Kearns-Goodwin and Spielberg. The most valid criticism of Lincoln, phrasing it as Barry Goldwater might, may be his moderation instead of his extremism in the pursuit of virtue; maybe it is a sin. In summary, it would be difficult for me to conceive of a better writen biography of Lincoln. After finishing this book, I was left with a much better understanding of this president.

Best Lincoln Biography of Ideas
I've read, I suppose, 500 books and articles about Abraham Lincoln, but Allen Guelzo's Redeemer President is by far the best on the subject of the beliefs that animated the 16th President. Lincoln's ideas on politics, the economy and social relations -- and especially on religion -- are clearly (but not too simply) described, and Guelzo shows how these developed over time and influenced Lincoln's actions. The book is most satisfying because it presents a convincing portrait of Lincoln as he understood himself, and so makes him less enigmatic -- but no less complex -- than he is usually shown.

An Intellectual and Religious Biography of Lincoln
Biographies of Abraham Lincoln have tended to fall into two broad categories. The first category consists of biographies of the "subjective" Lincoln. These biographies are based largely on the many anecdotes and stories people told about Lincoln's life, typically during the early years in Illinois and concentrate on trying to explore Lincoln as a man (He remains an enigma.)The second category of Lincoln biography is the political. This biography focuses on Lincoln's public actions, typically during or shortly before his Presidency and draws on the lengthy public record available during the Civil War years. This type of biographical approach tends to give short shrift to the personal approach.

In his "Abraham Lincoln, Redeemer President" Allen Guelzo points out these two approaches to Lincoln studies (p.472) and says that his book is an attempt to combine the personal and public approaches to Lincoln. Professor Guelzo, Dean of Templeton Honors Colledge and Professor of History at Eastern Universtiy, writes a primarily intellectual biography; but he tries to explore the degree to which Lincoln's thought formed his political actions.

Professor Guelzo devotes a great deal of attention to establishing Lincoln's political identity as a whig -- an admirer of both Henry Clay and Daniel Webster. From his early days in public life, Lincoln was interested in promoting economic opportunity by encouraging the free market. He supported ambitious programs of public works and public education, to develop transportation infrastructure, (canals, roads, and railroads) and to promote the growth of industry and of a middle class. The whig approach emphasized public virtue, public morality, the value of hard work, and a unified United States. Guelzo effectively contrasts Lincoln's Whiggish beliefs with the agrarian beliefs of the Jefferson-Jacksonian democrats with their commitment to a nation of agrarian, self-sufficient yeomen and farmers. (Lincoln's father was such a yeoman, and Lincoln wanted none of it for himself.)

Professor Guelzo traces the beginnings of Lincoln's opposition to the expansion of slavery, in the early 1850's. to his desire to promote the development of upwardly mobile capitalist workers. He tended to see agrarianism as slavery slightly disguised. Lincoln never lost his whig commitments, according to Professor Guelzo, even after the party disbanded and Lincoln became a leader of the Republican party.

Professor Guelzo also studies the nature of Lincoln's religious beliefs and the importance Lincoln gave to religous questions. As is the case with Lincoln's economic rebellion against his father, Professor Guelzo finds the beginnings of Lincoln's religious thought in a youthful rebellion against the Calvinism and predestinarian beliefs of his father. Lincoln found he could not believe in the revealed God of the Bible, although he knew the Bible well. He could not accept the doctrine of predestination, but he came close to it in a secular way. During most of his life, Lincoln was a determinist who believed that people had little independent choice in what they did but acted in response to outside factors which they did not control.

According to Professor Guelzo, Lincoln also tended towards the englightenment of John Locke and towards the utilitarianism of Mill and Bentham. His politics and Presidency, of course, have distincly pragmatic characters. Throughout his life, Lincoln remained outside the fold of organized religion.

According to Professor Guelzo, Lincoln's thought developed as Lincoln confronted at deepening levels the difficulty of the Civil War. The beginning of this development was the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas debates where Lincoln vigourously attacked the morality of holding slaves. Lincoln's thoughts on providence, for Professor Guelzo, were instrumental in Lincoln's decision to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. Lincoln told his cabinet he had made a promise "to his maker" to issue the Proclamation and that he could not do otherwise. (pp 341-42.) Guelzo continues his treatment of providential themes in Lincoln with his discussion of the Gettysburg Address and the Second Inaugural Address.

There is also a great deal in the book that discusses Lincoln's handling of the War, the border states, his generals, and the Army. Professor Guelzo's intellectual and religous themes sometimes get lost in these discussions, and we are reminded that Lincoln was a pragmatist, a leader and a consummate politician.

The picture of Lincoln's religiosity that emerges from Professor Guelzo's study has a distinctly modern flavor. (Professor Guelzo sees it as high Victorian.) Lincoln was a person who sought religous belief but could not find his way to an organized religion of his day. He was not, in his mid and late life, content simply with materialism and skepticism but rather developed his own religious thought based upon a rather loosely defined notion of providence and redemption. As personal as his thought was, it helped shape our nation. Lincoln's life, as Professor Guelzo presents it, seems to be a paradigm of many people today who reject organized religion in favor of a search for what many call spirituality.

On a political level, Guelzo's account of Lincoln stresses that the United States is and has become a unified Nation and that Americans should see themselves, for all their diversity and differences as part of a unified people. I also see the book as a reminder of the value of hard work and economic effort.

Professor Guelzo has written a thoughtful, provocative study of Lincoln the man, the thinker, and the President.

Lincoln the Whig
Like a typical biography, Redeemer President goes through its subject's life. But unlike most biographies, Redeemer President centers on the maturation of its subject's thinking. Guelzo shows how some of Lincoln's most famous ideas, such as his reliance on "the proposition that all men are created equal," was part of Whig orthodoxy. To trace Lincoln's development takes nothing away from his genius, of course.

This was one of the most enjoyable biographies I have read on Lincoln. One might begin with Oates' With Malice Toward None for Lincoln's life as a great story. Then go to Donald's Lincoln for a more modern biography -- lots and lots of facts, but with little attempt to see Lincoln as a product of his own time. Both are very well written, but I prefer Guelzo's over either of them.

If you like Guelzo's book on Lincoln's thought, you'll like A New Birth of Freedom by Harry V. Jaffa, which Guelzo calls "the greatest book on Lincoln's politics for another generation."

Where is the Real Lincoln?
Eerdmans should stick to theological tomes, rather than embarassing themselves with yet another propaganda piece for the Yankee cause. Guelzo fails to mention how Lincoln trampled upon the Constitution (Illegal arrests, Intimidation of duly elected leaders (e.g. Maryland State Legislature), and making war upon peaceful states which legally withdrew from the voluntary Union). A Government for the people, by the people vanished [Jeffersonian Constitutional Republic replaced with Consolidated Absolutism] with Lincoln's insistence that the Federal government existed before the States. The right of secession in America, beginning with the Declaration of Independence, was taught for decades until Sen. Sumner thundered from the Senate floor that this was a perpetual Union (Lincoln decided to carry this torch at the expense of 600,000 innocents). Lincoln's Emancipation proclamation was none other than a war measure (slaves were being used to build the capital and slaves were only declared free in Confederate held territory)encouraging slaves to revolt: this did not happen. Guelzo also fails to mention that slavery in the South was dying out and that roughly 10% of her people ever owned slaves. Guelzo failed to point out that the Emancipation Proclamation was illegal since it would have to take a Constitutional amendment to change the Constitution. Furthermore, his book fails to point out that the Emancipation had no jurisdiction in the Confederate States of America since the Southern states were no longer a member of the Union. I'm amazed at how people continue to admire a man who waged war on people who decided to follow in the footsteps of their fathers: Revolutionary War Heroes. The South was right, and the Northern propaganda machine is still filling the public mind with lies. If Abraham Lincoln embodies what a Christian is, then I'm not one, and evangelicals fascination with a man who was not converted until after Gettyburg is dangerous. Furthermore, I have no respect for a man who waged war on my native state: North Carolina. ... Read more

Book Description

The magisterial and authoritative biography of one of the towering and mysterious figures of the twentieth century.

Ho Chi Minh's epic life helped shape the twentieth century. But never before has he been the subject of a major biography. Now William Duiker has compiled an astonishing work of history that fills this immense void.

A New York Times Notable Book and one of the Los Angeles Times Best Books of 2000 -- now in paperback! ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Read This Book!!
This is a thoroughly researched biography of one of the most important figures of our time. It is well balanced and provides insight into Ho's political, psychological and personal life. All other English language books on Ho pale in comparison. Here we learn of Ho's days in Moscow, as a Comintern agent, his life in China, his struggle to free Vietnam from colonialism and his leadership in the wars of Vietnam. It explicitly leaves the reader to make her/his own decision on issues regarding Ho. Nationalist? Vietnamese Patriot? Democratic Socialist? Communist Puppet? You decide. But, YOU must read this book!!

Not for the faint hearted
William Duiker researched extensively thru all available archives to compile all the information into this book about Ho Chi Minh, the myth and the patriot. If the readers enjoyed every little details about the developments of Uncle Ho, parties that he set up, meetings that he attended, negotiations that took place, etc., you would love this book. But for someone like myself who wanted to learn about Uncle Ho and Vietnam along the way, I find the book to be very time consuming to read and heavy handed to remember all those party names, Vietnamese names, small towns names. But the author did provide the readers with a heavy dose of pictures, maps of Vietnams in different periods, close ups of areas such as Dien Bien Phu which was significant for the creation of the modern Vietnam. In this book, we read about Uncle Ho's humble upbringing; his brief & tragic love life; his capture in Hong Kong which would almost cost him his life; his tireless efforts within the jungles trying to gain local support from small villages for his small but growing fast army; his extensive travel abroad; the exploitation of his own image as a simple person leading a simple life but fighting tireless for the betterment of his people; his assistance of the United States during the World War 2 campaign and along the way, he earned respects of many Americans but working relationships couldn't be carried thru due to the changes of Presidents; his pragmatism in clinging to countries that were willing to help him in attaining independence from France; and later on, his shrewdness in playing off a country with the other to obtain assistance to reunite North & South as one Vietnam entity; his last will to be cremated not adhered to but ended up embalmed in a Mausoleum. Many decisions he had made, some rite & some wrong & towards the end, the author analysed if Uncle Ho is in fact a Communist or a patriot. In the book, it said that despite Uncle Ho is not as revered by the younger Vietnamese generations these days, and that his legacy is not remembered in the South as much as in the North, his contribution towards Vietnam and that region is unmistakable, and the greatness of him doing anything for his country is to be admired and revered of. It also said that his replacements such as Le Duan simply lacked the charisma and the actions taken by him was bordering towards extremes rather than moderation, and therefore, further along, the support for his party seemed to wane, and the impacts caused by Le Duan's actions simply devastated Vietnam, and thus, the exodus of boatpeople, seeking a better life elsewhere. In this biography, readers would also understand why United States wouldn't intervene in France's colonialism of Vietnam after the World War 2 as it required its available force there to prevent the spreading of Communist power along the North, both USSR & China. But later, as the red power is gaining in force along the North, only then, the United States intervened in the South to prevent communism to be spread all around the world. But that was a marriage in hell with the Dien brothers as they supported the Catholics and therefore, they had a bad blood with the Buddhists and corruption was rampant, and that the population there was suffering. Moreover, with Khrushev in power in Russia, with his denouncement of Stalin, he wanted to keep the peace around the region & therefore, refused to endorse Vietnam engaging in war with the United States but China, on the other hand, reckoned a war was imminent and all this while, Uncle Ho, wished to keep concile both countries as inner conflict would give the Communism a bad name. Should readers simply want to learn about Vietnam, I do recommend another great book, which certain parts of the book is used as excerpts in Ho CHi Minh biography anyway: The Sacred Willow written by Duong Van Mai Elliott. It told the story of a Vietnamese family spanning 4 generations and by reading the plights of the family members who comprised of both Northerners and Southerners and the situations happening around them, you would get a feel of the developments of Vietnam towards the end. A superb effort.

Most reliable and balanced biography of Ho Chi Minh
Dr. William Duiker's book is exceptional. A five-star book with an asterisk for special consideration. It is arguably the most reliable and balanced biography of Ho Chi Minh ever published. First of all, please note the book was dedicated "To the Vietnamese people," similar in many ways as to how Ho Chi Minh himself, amid critics, dedicated his life's work to the Vietnamese people. Regardless of how you feel about this important 20th century political leader, Duiker correctly places him from the most significant point of view -- that is to say, from the Vietnamese people's perspective first, and only then the world.

The biography beautifully melds historical gaps with hard facts. Anyone who was ever presented with such a dilemma would truly appreciate the genius with which the author was able to craft Ho Chi Minh's character and personality. Simply outstanding. Duiker does not deceive the reader into believing that his biography will answer all questions, but it does indeed illuminate one's understanding of how Ho Chi Minh operated and perhaps how he would have acted under different circumstances. A mysterious person becomes less mysterious, albeit not completely understood. As readers, we can't help but be grateful for the opportunity to learn and benefit from 30 years of research.

So impressive was Dr. Duiker's biography that we at Sonshi.com asked the author for an interview. He was open to any and all questions about Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh. From our experience, this is a mark of a true expert, someone who is on top of his or her field of study. Anyone who would like to learn more about Vietnam or Ho Chi Minh will certainly benefit from Duiker. In fact, anyone who is interested in how the 20th century was shaped should read this book, for Ho Chi Minh's influence was not relegated to only Indochina, but it was felt in the top industrialized nations as well.

We highly recommend William Duiker's Ho Chi Minh: A Life.

Uncle Ho's Mask
I have this theory about the state examinations in Confucian countries. The few who pass these grueling ordeals, which often take years of study at great expense, become autocrats. And those, who fail become revolutionaries. Nyugen Tat Thanh, or Ho Chi Minh or Nguyen Ai Quoc, never even sat for those examinations. According to William J. Duiker, in Ho Chi Minh: A Life, he was a pragmatist amongst Marxist-Leninists. In 577 pages of narrative, Duiker follows Ho all over French Indo-China, over the oceans, to France and across the Eurasian continent to the Soviet Union and China, until Uncle Ho returns to a liberated, yet embattled North Vietnam. Through multiple languages, more than a few aliases, 93 pages of notes, maps, and photographs, the question of who Ho is becomes a game of mirrors.

Remarkably, when Ho died, he was the only Vietnamese, whom most people in the world who knew anything about the southeast Asian country, could (and can) still identify. Not that his family was not famous in his central Vietnamese district, or that his performance at school was not excellent, but Ho spent most of his life in hiding, fleeing, using an alias, or in prison. He never ceased, though, being a nationalist, which is why Duiker does not call him an unprincipled opportunist, like some of Ho's enemies described him. At the end of the life, Ho told a young Party member, that he had become a Communist because the Communist party had earned his loyalty, unlike the French or other capitalists. On board a ship for Marseilles in 1911, he glimpsed images of privation and brutality in the colonial ports at which the vessel docked. Ho did not need to learn Lenin's theories, because he saw the proof before he had even read them. Later, when the Soviets welcomed him and schooled him, he repaid them by becoming a student of Lenin.

But Ho never followed Lenin's theories consistently, nor did he always obey Stalin's or Mao's frequent dogmatic shifts. At every point of his life, there was always some hack willing to accuse him of some unorthodox idea or action. Ho, however, had his charm and energy to impress the doubtful. Whrever he went, Paris or Hanoi, he always seemed an attractive and uniquely intelligent person. Beneath whatever mask Ho was wearing, there was a self-conscious man whose only mission began and ended with Vietnamese nationhood.

Ho knew many people in his lifetime, and he requested help from many governments in the name of his cause. Duiker spends some time and arguments about Ho's relationship with the United States. He dismisses those who argue, that if Washington had cultivated a better relationship with Ho, two decades of war would have been averted. He downplays Ho's influence, which waned greatly in the 1960s. But he then talks about Ho's loyalty to the Communists for giving him a forum for his cause. He misses a deeper point, that Ho, and his contemporaries and younger colleagues, probably shared this sense of loyalty, if not so consciously and articulately. The answer to the question of how these Vietnamese revolutionaries once emulated American ideals enough to draft a Declaration of Independence in 1945, but then fought a long, bitter war against the United States, is one of lost opportunities and misunderstandings. And, Duiker really does not answer that question, because he is too busy following Ho around the world.

Duiker's Ho Chi Minh: A Life is very detailed and versatile. There are more insights into Vietnamese and Chinese culture, France during the inter-war years, Soviet Russia, and a lifetime of international party politics and diplomacy to keep me busy in dozens of follow-on books. But at times Ho just disappears from the narrative, or is plotting some maneuver while he lets the character take center stage. One can fully appreciate Ho's versatility and endurance, but most of what Duiker gives us is offical history. There are still gaps in the history, filled only with competing propaganda narratives. Like Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh is elusive.

Excellent Book-Stunning Detail
This book is really very good. It goes into excellent detail on each facet of Ho Chi Minh's life and gives good interpretations of why he did what he did. Beware though, this is not for the faint of heart. It's 700 pages. I used it for a high school biography paper and read it over the summer--it's very interesting to read. It ranks right up there with Lenin by Robert Service. It really is worth the money. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (1)

Great short analytical "biography"
To start with and to avoid disappointment for those looking for something other than what this is, some of the trade reviews are just plain wrong: this is not a biography focusing on Adams childhood and youth. In fact, it isn't really a biography at all. What it is is a short, to the point but nevertheless fairly deep analysis of Adams' political thought with a particular emphasis on the politics of his presidential administration. It is written from a very positive view point (one shared by David McCullough) and from a view point that is quite hostile to Thomas Jefferson. As such it is an invaluable read for anyone interested in the development of presidential politics in America as well as anyone seeking the "rest of the story" regarding Adams, Jefferson, and their relationship. ... Read more

Book Description

This award-winning companion volume to Roosevelt: The Lion and the Fox concludes the first and most acclaimed complete biography of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Undoubtedly the most comprehensive study of one of America's most acclaimed presidents, this classic biography is unparalleled in its depth, accuracy, and accomplishment.
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Reviews (2)

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize. Simply Extraordinary
This scholarly, yet elegant, book won the Pulitzer Prize for history, National Book Award, and Bancroft Prize for history. This is widely considered to be one of the finest biographies ever written and is the definitive biography of Roosevelt during the war years. As the review states on the back of the book, it combines rigorous scholarship while being enjoyable to read.

General readers interested in Franklin Roosevelt might be better off reading Black's "Champion of Freedom" or Friedel's "Rendezvous with Destiny." However, World War II enthusiasts and Roosevelt scholars consider this book essential.

Excellent Companion: War Administration
This is Mr. Burns' companion volume to his Lion and the Fox (check that out). This focuses on FDR's WWII War Administration: policies, attitudes, hopes and worldly goals.

FDR's dedication to the well-being of the United States in WWII is evidenced by the fact that to start with, he didn't want a third term in office come 1940. Indeed, such aspirations were frowned upon in the political community. It did not stop him; as he saw it, it was his duty and obligation to the American people to keep familiar leadership in time of international turmoil. Other obstacles: struggles to arm allies, constant planning and meeting with allied leaders, and gradual, failing health. Burns also shows FDR's political savvy, using the utilization for war to the nation's advantage. Many unemployed workers were put back to work, which helped shift American industry into an overdrive that didn't stop for decades. Vision: as a disciple of Woodrow Wilson, he had a vision of a United Nations. One that he did not live to see.

For anyone reading about FDR, or World War II, this companion volume on his war administration is a must for anyone's collection, as it has become in mine. ... Read more

Book Description

John Ferling's masterful John Adams:A Life is the most comprehensive single-volume biography of the man who succeeded George Washington in the presidency and shepherded the fragile new nation through the most dangerous of times. Drawing on extensive research, Ferling depicts a reluctant revolutionary, a leader who was deeply troubled by the warfare that he helped to make, and a fiercely independent statesman.
... Read more

Reviews (30)

John Adams: A Life
This is an excellent biography, following Adams from birth to death in one volume, and detailing both the positive and the negative aspects of the man clearly and fairly. I've been fascinated by Adams ever since seeing the movie "1776", which gives a marvellous "based on fact" dramatization of the writing and signing of the Declaration of Independence, and this book gave me a more thorough, more strictly factual look at the man. I wasn't disappointed on that score; he's just as interesting without the dramatic liberties taken by the movie.

My only quibble with this book is that the editing, at least in the edition that I have, is rather poor. There are numerous errors in grammatical structure and word choice, the kind of errors that I have become accustomed to in mass market paperbacks but refuse to accept in a scholarly historical work. Things like "he requested that the Congress name his successor be named in his place" and "...the British ... was ready" and "the New England sates" (rather than "States") and "the House of Representative" (even back then, there was more than one representative in the House) and "the dreary weather proved not be a herald of the months ahead" and many others. I understand that mistakes happen, and don't demand perfection. But there are just too many of this kind of error in this book for me to say that it is well-written; probably two dozen, if I had to guess.

Overall, this is a worthwhile biography of a fascinating president. Hopefully, future editions will clean up the writing a bit more.

The definitive work
This book remains the best biography of our second president. Ferling manages to properly place Adams in the top tier of American Presidents, but at the same time recognizing his significant character flaws, including his occasional bouts of "insensibility" and his sometimes embarassing love for pomp and circumstance as when he would wear a sword at ceremonial events as President).

But the bulk of this biography charts the many roles that Adams played -- lawyer, delegate, ambassador, author, Vice-President and President -- and in each role, his decisions seemed to come down on the side of what he thought was right, no matter the personal consequences. His life was courageously lived, and he remains a titan in American history.

A great Man, an equally great work on history!
The first book I read about the times surrounding the American Revolution was "John Adams A Life" by John Ferling. It had the effect of tuning me in to the enormous impact the Adams had during that time. David McCullough has written an equally glorious work on the man who many are unaware of his historical relevance. There is no other American - no other patriot- with the exception of George Washington, who did more toward winning the Revolution and establishing our republican form of government than John Adams. I will go on record as saying that I believe Adams impact on the success of the revolution to be unparalleled. Yes, even George Washington's contribution cannot supplant Adams' role in history. Although Washington's work in the battlefield approaches genius, the key to the victory was Adams' diligent and selfless role in bringing the budding nation's leaders together for the common cause. Without his leadership, the likelihood of victory in the war would have been much more difficult for Washington. Although Adams was admittedly overly concerned with his place in history, his actions were selfless and directed to a single noble cause. Adams could very well have authored the Declaration of Independance but deferred to Jefferson as he knew that his value on the floor of the Continental Congress was much more important. His oratory skills were far superior to Jeffersons and they both knew it. Moreover, much of the verbage in the document came from Adams pen. Adams was a man with many personal flaws, but what makes him so interesting to study is his awareness of these flaws and his honesty in his personal documentation. Reading Jefferson's writings on the contrary seem to be made for the public. Jefferson was also one to avoid conflict while Adams had no fear. If the CC was filled with men like Jefferson, the revolution would surely have been relegated to the next generation. It is unfortunate that Jefferson has received more repute than Adams and hopefully books such as these will change this. Adams wrote to his beloved wife Abagail, "Yesterday the greatest Question was decided, which ever was debated in America, and a greater perhaps, never was or will be decided among Men". He may have been correct, but this question would not have been decided if not for his leadership. He also wrote "Mausoleums, statues, monuments will never be erected to me". Hopefullly this statement is not correct and the nation will more fully give him his appropraite due.

The definitive biography
I read Ferling's biography of Adams after reading McCullough's John Adams. I was a bit disappointed with a few aspects, and thought reading Ferling would round out my knowledge of our second president. I wasn't disappointed. Ferling's masterly and scholarly work provides an outstanding insight into Adams, his activities, his motivations, and his relationship with his wife Abigail. In particular, Ferling pulls no punches in describing some of Adams' rather significant character flaws, particularly his burning ambition (and his subsequent abandonment of his family in pursuit of it). Richly footnoted, the work still remains THE biography of Adams, despite McCullough's recent work and its NY Times bestseller status.

Atlas of Independence Given Just Due
John Adams' life is thoroughly examined in this rich, well researched and ably written biography by John Ferling.

Adams, known at the 'Atlas of Independence,' is less well known than Washington, Jefferson and Franklin, his Revolutionary contemporaries. He is also less revered. Ferling spends several hundred pages laying out the life and achievements of a man who was also crucial to our fight for independence and the survival of our Republic.

Adams was a prodigious diary keeper, and also a mostly honest one, if we are to judge honesty by self criticism and the ability to write about one's own perceived short-comings. This first-person material is a tremendous asset to compiling the President's life story, and one that Ferling puts to good use. The book uses ample quotes to reveal Adam's feelings about personalities and events of his day. Ferling has studied the diaries thoroughly, as shown by his ability to draw on portions from different times in Adam's life to illustrate points or show how Adams changed his views over time. The danger with such a diary based biography is that the diaries can become the book. Ferling does not make this mistake. His ample writing skills utilizes the diaries to illustrate his story and argue his interpretations of his subject's life and actions.

Also useful to the author is that Adams enjoyed a fascinating life. He touched all the great (and not so great) Revolutionary personalities, served for years as a foreign diplomat, was present at the birth of our Government and served as president. Also remarkable, was his relationship with Abigail, an unusual colonial wife who was educated, opinionated and enjoyed a marriage as very nearly an equal partner (highly unusual in those days). Their correspondence and relationship sustained Adams and show how she helped ground this great man of American nationhood.

How does Ferling judge Adams? His assessment is that Adams belongs among the greats of the American founding. This book's thorough telling of Adams's public life to make a pretty good case for Ferlings argument.

There are many fascinating aspects I found in the story. Adams tremendous dislike of Franklin is telling as to their different styles as well as Adams's thirst for approbation. His long and difficult relationship with Jefferson, culminating in their famous correspondence is another gem. Also interesting, is Adams's actions during his presidency when he stood alone against his party and long term political interests in keeping us out of war with France. It was a crucial decision that perhaps saved our Republic, given the potential for the European powers to divvy up a weak America should they have decided to play their rivalries here.

Adams lived a fascinating life and was a thoroughly interesting personality. Kudos to Ferling for bringing the story to a new generation. ... Read more

Book Description

Written by Andrew Jack, the Moscow Bureau Chief of the Financial Times, here is a revealing look at the meteoric rise of Vladimir Putin and his first term as president of Russia.Drawing on interviews with Putin himself, and with a number of the country's leading figures, as well as many ordinary Russians, Jack describes how the former KGB official emerged from the shadows of the Soviet secret police and lowly government jobs to become the most powerful man in Russia. The author shows how Putin has defied domestic and foreign expectations, presiding over a period of strong economic growth, significant restructuring, and rising international prestige. Yet Putin himself remains a man of mystery and contradictions. Personally, he is the opposite of Boris Yeltsin. A former judo champion, he is abstemious, healthy, and energetic, but also evasive, secretive, and cautious. Politically, he has pursued a predominantly pro-western foreign policy and liberal economic reforms, but has pursued a hardline war in Chechnya and introduced tighter controls over parliament and the media and his opponents, moves which are reminiscent of the Soviet era. Through it all, Putin has united Russian society and maintained extraordinarily high popularity. Jack concludes that Putin's "liberal authoritarianism" may be unpalatable to the West, but is probably the best that Russia can do at this point in her history.Inside Putin's Russia digs behind the rumors and speculation, illuminating Putin's character and the changing nature of the Russia he rules. Andrew Jack sheds light on Putin's thinking, style and effectiveness as president. With Putin's second term just beginning, this invaluable book offers important insights for anyone interested in the past, present, and future of Russia. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (1)

THE DVD OF THIS THING IS AMAZING
You forget all the things JFK did and said until you read this thing. Wow, it really reminds you. But the best part is the DVD that comes with it which is only probably forty minutes, but it has all this film (color and black and white) of Kennedy. I had always wanted to see him saying "Ich bin ein Berliner!"

In the end, the film of him playing with his son just tears your heart out. The DVD is worth it alone. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The fifth volume of Kenneth S. Davis's magisterial, much-praisedbiography follows FDR from his re-election to an unprecedented third term inNovember 1940 through New Year's Eve, 1942, when he screened a brand-new film,Casablanca, at the WhiteHouse. During the intervening 25 months, President Roosevelt prepared areluctant nation for the war that he knew was coming, then struggled to maintainthe government's commitment to his New Deal social programs, as well as theconflict overseas. Like its predecessors, this installment combines shrewd,intimate psychological insights into Roosevelt's character with a sweepinghistorical narrative of world events and a superbly detailed account ofWashington political maneuvers--all three laid out in grave, elegant prose.Perhaps Davis's most notable achievement lies in tracing the links between FDR'spersonality and his leadership style: the unexpected benefits of his maddeningindecisiveness, his ability to use even his crippling physical handicap topolitical advantage, the way in which the adult president cemented personal andprofessional ties with the evasive charm that he developed in adolescence todefend himself against a smothering mother. Admirers of serious yet accessiblebiography can regret only that the author's death in 1999 means that there willbe no concluding volume to this magnificent series, which has shed so much lighton one of the more complex men ever to inhabit the White House. --WendySmith ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Our Century's Greatest President
This last of five great volumes continues to look at Roosevelt and his times from the progressive Left. Davis was a liberal New Dealer (with the AAA) and he surveys FDR's third term with a view to what might-have-been through the eyes of one of many who welcomed a more fundamental shift from "selfish materialism" to "selfless ideology" in America. What better perspective to measure this century's greatest Democrat?

Ignore Michael Lind's NY Times review -- except to get a taste of the reactionary manifesto FDR was up against; he simply trashes Davis's liberalism with a neo-con, op-ed spin piece on commies and big business, and concludes the book to be historical fiction. And why the accusation of "calumny" when Davis posits psychology as one of several possible explanations for FDR's inaction to the final solution? Only last year did we learn of John McCloy's discussion with an irate President about bombing Auschwitz ("Why, the idea! I won't have anything to do with it. We'll be accused of participating in this horrible business."), which was insight kept secret for forty years. With such precious little information about the motives of an aging, instinctive President who was always reluctant to espouse the ideological over the pragmatic, why is it unethical to suppose that he "may" have felt the politics of rescue to be personally overwhelming?

Don't let one review deter you from a great history and a great story. From the Grand Alliance to Pearl Harbor to Casablanca and the Darlan Deal, the book presents a magnificent frieze. I give it four stars only because, alas, it ends prematurely.

FDR's Sins
Although Davis' book runs 757 pages, it only covers about 4 years real time. If you take the plunge, you will learn much about FDR, the War, and Davis (the author). I have read many books about the military conduct of WWII, from all sides. This was my first book about Great Leaders, Diplomacy, and World War strategy from the "Top." Most of this was new to me and most of the main points in the book don't show Roosevelt in a favorable light. Here are some of the big sins Davis reveals:

1. FDR was clearly deceptive in his 1940 Campaign. He promised American mothers that he would keep us out of the War but he was already anxious to get us into the European War.

2. FDR sold out most of his liberal principles in fighting the War. For instance, he placed industrialists in top positions, he put republicans in the cabinet, looked the other way when large firms ignored labor laws during the war, refused to embrace Henry Wallace's "Century of the Common Man." etc. Worst of all, large firms made money on their contracts! There is a long list
of FDRs actions that show that the FDR's approach to the War effectively ended the New Deal program.

3. There was much more tension between Americans and English than I realized. As far as military strategy, the Americans wanted to attack the Germans directly, ASAP, whereas the English
preferred to attack the Germans indirecty, sometime later....
The English were afraid of the Germans, who had just recently kicked them out of France, Greece, North Africa, etc. At one point in 1942, General Marshall was ready to jettison the English approach, the Torch invasion, and shift US resources to the Pacific. Roosevelt agreed to English strategies....

4. FDR thought he could charm Stalin, "uncle joe." What a colossal miscalculation of Stalin's character.

5. FDR did not worry much about civil liberties, authorizing the "evacuation" of the West Coast Japanese, letting the FBI run rampant with wire-tapping, etc.

6. FDR was an unprincipled man, devious, back-stabbing, disloyal to people who had backed him for decades, such as Hillman, and Farley. Davis claims FDR could turn his emotions on and off to serve practical requirements. He could not be trusted.

7. And the final, greatest sin; FDR knew much about the Holocaust by 1942 and he refused to shout it from the rooftops.
FDR was not anti-semitic, but he did not want his legion of enemies to label it "A War to Save Jews" because FDR knew that many American (voters) were anti-semitic.........

Somehow, Davis is willing to look past all these sins to
claim that FDR still deserves to be classified as a great president. Apparently FDRs unwavering focus on winning the War can offset even the largest sins.I'm not so sure.

As for Davis, his absolute hatred for capitalism and big business is reiterated on every other page. He also puts forth
a vague theory about technology and human welfare that readers can safely ignore. Davis prefers some kind of socialist state.

All in all, it made me curious to read more about FDR.

Thoughtful and provocative
It's a shame that Professor Davis did not live to complete his massive biography of FDR. But what he left is a most thoughtful and provocative account of how Roosevelt steered a reluctant country into a war it had to wage. Davis is skeptical of FDR's management of the war effort -- the president's compulsive manipulation of his staff, his over-reliance on self-interested industrialists for war production, and, above all, the woeful lack of response to the Holocaust. But Professor Davis is not a revisionist -- he makes it clear that the Americans had to fight World War II to stop Nazi-fascism and preserve Western civilization, and that no one else on the American scene could have taken the country in that direction. In "The War President," Professor Davis builds on the strengths of his previous volumes with his enlightening commentary on the impact of modernity and technology on presidential leadership. And he adds to his sketches of the figures who played a role in FDR's life -- Churchill, Harry Hopkins, Wendell Willkie and many others. I hated to see the book end, but the final scene is very poignant, with the President spending a New Year's Eve watching the film Casablanca as he is sending Americans to fight in North Africa.

A good -- if cranky -- biography of FDR
Kenneth Davis (b. 1912) dedicated the last thirty years to his multi-volume biography of FDR. The current volume takes the story up to 1943 and there will be no concluding account, due to the author's death in 1999.

Davis, a skeptical admirer of the elusive FDR, has axes to grind. It is a pet thesis of his throughout the biography that humankind's technical wizardry has run far ahead of his social skills and that the result has been disaster. Humanity creates weaponry (e.g. nuclear weapons), the destructive potential of which exceed its political maturation. This is an historical cliche. Fortunately, such jejune "analysis" does not interfere with the narration: it is just the author's hobby horse.

Davis also believes that the great bane of the 20th century was the growth in private corporate power. He is, in this sense, a real New Dealer. His railings against Big Business would not be out of place at a Ralph Nader rally. He is skeptical of the great industrialists, such as Henry Kaiser, whose organizational skills are often credited with helping to win the war of production. For Davis, the capitalists simply feathered their nests and then extended their stranglehold on the economy into the postwar world. This, too, is pretty much a cliche and one that Davis does little to document.

The author does a good job at catching the president's shifty character and political opportunism. Observers sometimes wondered if there was a real FDR, or if he was all just sleight of hand. Davis also revels in the personal gossip that accompanied FDR's presidency, the most entertaining we ever had except for, perhaps, that of Bill Clinton.

The author grinds a few other axes, as well, in his analysis of Roosevelt's war presidency. He is convinced that the USA could, and should, have intervened earlier in the war. That it did not resulted, he claims, in the extended tragedy of 1939-45. This is unfair. Roosevelt was well-aware of the dangers posed by the Axis. However, he was also well-aware of the fiasco of Woodrow Wilson's postwar leadership and the corrosive skepticism of the public toward European politics. FDR tried, in the famous "Quarantine Speech," to move America toward some sort of collective security -- and the result was a political firestorm. As president of a democracy, FDR held no brief to shoehorn the United States into a war not wanted by its own people. (The subsequent lesson of LBJ should convince us of that.)

But, the Holocaust is the issue on which Davis really gets ahead of his evidence. He is adamant that FDR should have done something about it -- but has no idea what. In fact, the murder of the Jews was a tragedy that the United States was helpless to prevent or even mitigate. Consider, for instance, that nearly half the murdered Jews were killed by roving German killer squads in the vastness of the wartime USSR. What, precisely, could FDR do about that? There are many other such examples. The heart, understandably, cries out against the horror of the crime -- but a cri de coeur is not analysis. Until 1943, the allies were losing the European war. They were not in a position to do much of anything.

Davis has some rare harsh words for George Marshall, whom he accuses at one point of duplicity. Marshall's towering reputation, however, survives intact. Davis is, likewise, hard on Henry Stimson, whose integrity he doubts -- but doesn't tell us why.

The book is extensively detailed and reads well. Some editing would have useful as it simply meanders too much. This, however, may be a function of the writer's death, which may have robbed him of the full editing process.

There is more verve in this extended biography than in the late Frank Freidel's rather wooden account of FDR. There is, as well, less hagiography than in Schlesinger's mutli-volume account of the New Deal. FDR is, perhaps, our most fascinating president and certainly far and away the greatest of the twentieth-century. He is,in fact, the ONLY great one of the past hundred years. And, this is a good account.

Finally, Eleanor recedes somewhat into the shadows here, and that is all to the good. Compassionate, she was. But, FDR was in charge, not Eleanor. She is an icon of the feminist movement and this leads current histories to over-rate her influence. She was an attractive nag -- but not Roosevelt's conscience. He, and he alone, was the soul of the New Deal. The same was true of the war years. Harry Hopkins was the real alter ego. Davis gets this exactly right.

Davis is a biased Historian
I had picked up this book at a local bookstore out of the respect I felt for FDR, but I found this book extremely disappointing, sketchy in facts, and to top it all Davis is an attrocious writer.

But what shattered me the most was page 466 of this book. On this page, the elegant sophisticated westernized and secular Mr Jinnah the founder of Pakistan is portrayed as a fanatical Muslim Leader. Nothing can be farther from the truth. Mr Jinnah was called the best ambassador of Hindu Muslim Unity by none other Mr Gandhi. Indeed, he had struggled the most to keep religion out of politics. Mr Gandhi's Hindu Revivalism was what forced Mr Jinnah to opt for a seperate homeland. Obstinacy of Mr Nehru, and out and out fanaticism of Veersavarkar didnot help either. Nevertheless point stands, Mr Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, was a secular Minded man, and a leader free of communal bias. To read more about this topic, I suggest Stanley Wolpert's Jinnah of Pakistan and Hector Bolitho's Jinnah.

Now here is quote from Mr Jinnah's inaugural speech to Pakistan's constituent assembley. Judge for yourself how stupid Davis's absurd claim is :

You are FREE- You are free to go to your temples. You are free to go to your mosques or anyother place of worship in this state of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion caste or creed- That has nothing to do with the business of the state. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

You can read a lot of books on or about FDR,
but this book is the best of a small but special niche. Hugh Gallagher did a fine job & it is obvious from this book & television interviews he has given, that this is a subject he cares deeply about.
There was a conspiracy of silence among reporters & those close to FDR not to acknowledge his paralysis. This silence extended beyond his life to many books & even for a while, the memorial to him. He referred to his affliction maybe once in public late in his life.
The time he spent before & during his presidency rehabing in Warm Springs impacted on him in important ways. A strong bond developed between him, the people of Warm Springs & his fellow patients. That perhaps is the silver lining to his polio: the contact he had with ordinary folks he would never have meet, never would have had anything in common with except his disease.
I think Mr. Gallagher might agree that being stricken with polio was the defining event of FDR's life. Before he was a political lightweight. He was a handsome, charming politician who thought he might like to be president someday. After, he became wiser, more sober yet still charming, less arrogant, more compassionate & a traitor to his upper class breeding. He became stronger, much stronger as a man. The strength he gained from this ordeal contributed greatly to his becoming president & eventually leader of the free world. An important work to read to get the whole Roosevelt.

A Rare But Important Take on FDR
Countless biographies have been written about the nation's 32nd President, but few devote more than a chapter or passing reference to FDR's battle with Polio. Mr. Gallagher's book is a rare and important one in illustrating what his day-to-day struggle was like. He details FDR's carefully-orchestrated public appearances which, for the country, maintained the illusion that their President could actually walk.

While I found the book to be inspirational, perhaps the most fascinating realization was the respect of the media in maintaining this illusion. For instance, we learn that of the thousands of photos taken of Roosevelt, only a couple exist that show him in his wheelchair. In an age where every aspect of a President's health and private life are scrutinized, this book allows us to ask the uneasy question of whether one of our greatest Presidents could ever have been elected today. You don't have to be a history buff to appreciate the value of this book; I highly recommend it.

Don't miss this FDR Memorial Edition: terrific!
I am pleased to see this book back in print. Mr. Gallagher's book is excellent, and a great read for history buffs and those who lived through the Polio epidemics, or want to see what it was like. I had Polio in 1953, and didn't realize FDR had Polio until much later. I never knew until I read this book that FDR wore braces on both legs (my brace was right leg only), and that FDR never walked unassisted (as I was able to do). We both had great upper arm strength, better for a guy than a girl! FDR deceived not only me, but everyone. And, it is good to know the whole story as presented by Mr. Gallagher in his great book. I am pleased to add it to my library. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Another Deplorable Biography on Thomas Jefferson
Here it is again! Another typically deplorable biography on Thomas Jefferson from another PC historian. What a shame that the American History "profession" has once again provided us with a biased, politically correct, and slander ridden assault on the personage of Thomas Jefferson. Joyce Appleby spends more time bashing him for his views on women, indians,and slaves that you really never see the great human being who wrote the Declaration of Independence. All the typical left-wing anti-white male PC ad hominem attacks are there. I personally would not waste another dime on a book by Appleby, but if one wants a book that once again trashes an American hero, buy this one!

A balanced view
I'm dismayed at the lack of positive reviews on THOMAS JEFFERSON. Professor Appleby has presented a very balanced view of a very controversial man. She has managed to cover Jefferson in less than 160 pages, a feat in itself. I commend to readers especially Chapter 7 and the Epilogue. Here you will find a superb anaylsis of the ups and downs of Jeffersonian reputation over the years and why Jefferson remains, in spite of it all, the enduring figure he is. Jefferson bashing has been "in" for years. It's refreshing to see a balanced view of the man---a view of Jefferson with the warts on and a view of the ideas and ideals he expounded and the accomplishment he made. I grew up when Jefferson was a real hero and over the years have witnessed the slow but steady disparagement of his character, based almost soley on his position regarding slavery and on the Sally Hemmings affair. I'm glad to see a book like this, which I think should be read by students being introduced to Jefferson for the first time and read by individuals who have read extensively on him to return them to a much needed sense of balance regarding the man.

Rehashed light-weight
I share the other reviewers fairly low opinion of this book but for somewhat different reasons. I came to this small volume having read John Diggins biography on John Adams from the same series. I found Diggins work to be a short but dense intellectual history of the Adams presidency and hoped for the same from Appleby.

Instead what we have is very little of anything. It is certainly not a fact oriented presentation of the events of the Jefferson presidence; while the Burr/Hamilton duel, the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the 1800 election battle and other events are mentioned, there are no details. But neither is there the kind of political/philosophical discussion of the kind thatI thought Diggins carried out so well. The analysis here goes little beyond making the naked assertion that Federalists were upper class elitists who Jefferson opposed therefore is Appleby's mind Jefferson is good and isn't it just too bad that Jefferson didn't free his slaves and that he slept with Sally Hemmings. Jefferson has been criticized for much more than the conflict between the claims of the Declaration of Independence and his views on slavery but little of this can be found in Appleby's book. Similarly, there are valid reasons why several recent writers have looked on Adams with favor and while Appleby isn't bound to accept those views, there is no analysis to support her blind rejection of Adams and Federalism.

Again, my objections to the book are not the positions that it takes but rather the fact that these positions are nothing more than conventional wisdom presented without support and they are presented in what is frankly not a very well written book. I can't believe that Schlesinger was pleased with this addition to his series.

low-calorie
Lightweight. Sort of silly. Author is a slave to PC trendiness. Can't believe the august Schelisnger is associated with this thing.

Jefferson- bashing at it's best
While the book contains a multitude of 'possible facts' it was hard to tell what was 'really true' given the author's excessive, extreme and persistent (over 10% of the book) jefferson-bashing over his views on slavery, the role of women & treatment of the Indians. Joyce Appleby subverted an good author's duty to discuss a person 'in his times' and not impose 21st century judgement on 18th century circumstances. Lincoln's early views on slavery would not meet Joyce's impossibly high standard of equality. The author's bias and 'not too' hidden agenda ruin a potentially valuable book. ... Read more

Book Description

In 1784 Thomas Jefferson moved to the sophisticated and exhilarating city of Paris, where he spent the next five years as minister from the new United States of America. This engaging book recreates in word and illustration the atmosphere and personalities of prerevolutionary Paris, and it reveals the profound impact they had on one of America's first transatlantic citizens. ... Read more

Book Description

This book brings together--for the first time--the details of Washington's 45-year campaign to build and perfect Mount Vernon. Here we meet the planter/patriot who also loved building, a man passionately committed to impressing the stamp of his character and personal beliefs on the physical world around him. Architecturally, as the authors show, Mount Vernon blends the orthodox and the innovative in surprising ways, just as the new American nation would. Equally interesting is the light their book sheds on the process of building at Mount Vernon, and on the people--enslaved and free--who did the work. Washington was a demanding master, and his workers often clashed with him. Yet, as the Dalzells argue, that experience played a vital role in shaping his hopes for the future of the nation--hopes that embraced the full promise of the American Revolution.

George Washington's Mount Vernon thus compellingly combines the two sides of our first President's life, the public and the private, and uses this combination to enrich our understanding of both. Gracefully written, and with more than 80 photographs, maps, and engravings, it tells a fascinating story with memorable insight. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A Successful Mix
Knowing Professor Dalzell and Mrs. Dalzell personally, I was incredibly curious to see how they blended the two seemingly connected but perhaps contrasting topics of George Washington and his home. Essentially, they were connected very successfully. The entire history of the home itself is told vividly with photographs, anecdotes, and objective descriptions of its development. Following, Washington's own personal, military, and political history is told in light of the times, and in the book's shining ability, in relation to the home itself. The Dalzell's cleverly-melded arguments and discussions leads the reader to a full knowledge of Mt. Vernon and its inspiring owner.

A story at the heart of the republic
I openned this book expecting to read a story about a house and how it was built. I was surprised, and impressed, to discover that what went on as Mt. Vernon took form was far more interesting than I had expected. This is not so much a book about a house as it is the story of how George Washington related to the slaves on whom he relied to execute his architecture. In other words, the story here reverberates far beyond the boundaries of the plantation. It went to the heart of the republic, and it goes to the heart of this nation. Slavery is encoded in our national DNA (sorry, Jefferson). The Dalzells make it clear that it is also mortared in the wood and plaster (cut and painted to look like stone) of our national edifice. Are you tormented, or at least intrigued, that a slaveowner could style himself father of a republic dedicated to freedom? Maybe Washington was, too. Find out. Visit Mt. Vernon, and do it by reading this book.

This book enriches our understanding of Washington.
Mount Vernon was both architecturally innovative and a true mirror of Washington's feelings and mind. He never wrote an autobiography and his diaries consist largely of farm accounts, but in Mount Vernon, the authors write, "he produced a text from which it is possible to coax a remarkably full sense of his political convictions and of how, over time, they changed." The book, George Washington's Mount Vernon, combines the public and the private sides of his life and uses the combination to enrich our understanding of both.

Washington understood as an architect for democracy
For an Architect practicing in any era since Monticello was built, it has always been easy to enter into Jefferson's process--to commune with the models and the methods he sat down with as he designed (time and again) the house that he built as a monument to his ideas and his place in history. In part, this has been because he planned and drew much as we do today. We have the drawings. We know (and can quickly avert our eyes from) the form of labor. We can hold these two-dimensional maps up to the brilliant artifact, and be satisfied, with ourselves, that we have made a connection to the past. Mount Vernon, however, has had to wait for the Dalzells to read, for us, the full and fully three-dimensional process of its becoming. This beautifully written book brings to George Washington's home, a context of meaning and National symbolism that time and distance had almost obliterated. The book is a restoration project: and as such, it is a key compliment to the preservation work so ably executed over the years by the Mount Vernon Ladies Association. I heartily recommend this book to architects (amateur and professional), their clients (who may find comfort in learning that building has always been a trial), architectural historians, or anyone at all who is curious about the faithfulness of our democracy to the designs of one of its primary draftsmen. ... Read more