Reviews for Presidential courage : Brave leaders and how they changed america 1789-1989
Library Journal
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As the field of 2008 presidential candidates expands, there is much discussion about their leadership credentials. This timely book provides historical examples of presidential leadership in the face of adversity as well as raises the stakes for today's candidates by implicitly suggesting criteria against which each may be judged. Beschloss (The Conquerors), a popular historian and TV commentator, offers nine vignettes, each about a critical problem facing the nation, and how the president prevailed over this adversity. While one may quibble with the choice of presidents-Washington, John Adams, Jackson, Lincoln, Teddy and Franklin Roosevelt, Truman, JFK, and Reagan-there is no denying that the challenge each faced was difficult, if not perilous. From Washington's battle to have the Jay Treaty accepted, Lincoln's fight for the emancipation of slaves, Truman's efforts for U.S. recognition of the state of Israel, to Reagan's struggle to normalize relations with the crumbling Soviet regime, each story demonstrates that successful presidential leadership requires conviction about one's values and a willingness to sacrifice one's political career to succeed. Reminiscent of JFK's Profiles in Courage, this well-written, carefully researched work deserves a wide audience. Recommended for all libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 1/07.]-Thomas J. Baldino, Wilkes Univ., Wilkes-Barre, PA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publishers Weekly
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Don't be afraid!" was George Washington's near-to-last utterance, to the worried doctor at his bedside. The essential founding father's counsel is understood by well-known historian Beschloss (The Conquerors: Roosevelt, Truman and the Destruction of Hitler's Germany) to set an example for future presidents. Beschloss outlines how several occupants of the Oval Office-including Jackson, Lincoln, Roosevelt, FDR, Truman, Kennedy and Reagan-combined courage with wisdom to change the future of the country, notwithstanding the slings and arrows they earned. Despite its unpopularity at the time, for instance, Reagan's "strong beliefs combined with his optimism" led him to pursue the policy to abolish nuclear weapons, which helped bring down the Soviet empire peacefully. None of the author's heroes were saints, but rather flawed men sustained by friends, families, conviction and religious faith. With contenders for 2008 already lining up, this well-timed book might, the author hopes, persuade some to take the kinds of "wise political risks that Presidents once did." Perhaps. But knowledgeable readers should look elsewhere for genuine historical insight. The author's broad brushstrokes necessarily restrict him to painting nuanced individuals and complex times in only basic primary colors, and there is little that has not been said before-in some cases, many times. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Historian Beschloss (The Conquerors, 2002, etc.) pens a vivid account of how nine U.S. presidents withstood political firestorms. Inevitably, his lively narrative will be compared to John F. Kennedy's homage to Senate bravery, Profiles in Courage. But Beschloss views his subjects not as saints but as "worried, self-protective politicians" not above vacillation, arrogance and evasion as they steered between national and electoral interests. Recent presidents have not been the only ones who required sentence-parsing. FDR justified breaking his promise, "your boys are not going to be sent into any foreign wars," by claiming a loophole: It did not apply in case of attack. A few of these figures relished political combat; Theodore Roosevelt aptly styled himself a "rough-and-tumble man." Most, however, abhorred their struggles. Convinced that he would lose his bid for a second term, Abraham Lincoln wrote a private memo pledging cooperation with opponent George McClellan to save the Union between the election and the next inauguration. All of the chief executives profiled here subscribed to John Adams's belief that a president must incur "people's displeasure sometimes, or he will never do them any good in the long run." Some found strength in the examples of heroic predecessors, others in their wives, all in some manner of religious belief. Beschloss recognizes that even the best policy choices come freighted with mixed motives and adverse consequences. In particular, he appraises Andrew Jackson with exquisite balance, noting that Old Hickory's assault on the Second National Bank destroyed a corrupting political influence but also "peddled the dubious notion that America did not need a central bank," leaving Americans to suffer 80 years of boom-and-bust before the Federal Reserve was established. Readers might question some episodes chosen, but it's impossible to fault Beschloss's engrossing characterizations, marvelous scene-setting and judicious assessments. History written with subtlety, verve and an almost novelistic appreciation for the complexities of human nature and presidential politics. Copyright ŠKirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.
The office of the American presidency is unique among Western democracies because it combines the functions of head of state and chief executive. The president has consistently been viewed as the chief driver of national destiny, even during periods of legislative dominance. Although their power may sometimes be illusory, Beschloss, a prominent presidential historian, has found the traits of courage and wisdom to be common and essential in our most successful presidents. Using new sources and providing interesting perspectives, Beschloss examines a variety of actions and decisions taken by presidents under great stress. Although the broad outlines of these actions are familiar, he provides extensive details that are rarely offered in general texts. Some of the more interesting episodes examined here include Washington's decision to fight for ratification of the unpopular Jay's Treaty with Britain, Jackson's struggle against the rechartering of the Bank of the United States, and Truman's decision to support the establishment of the state of Israel, despite vociferous opposition from the State Department. For both scholars and general readers. --Jay Freeman Copyright 2007 Booklist
Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
The high-profile Beschloss pays a visit to all 43 Presidents, considering how they faced their biggest challenges. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
