Political leaders and leadership Books

Book SynopsisStudents of the American founding will be interested in this study of the political clashes between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson when they served in George Washington's cabinet. The book examines why these two great founders became political enemies as they tried to put the new government into operation.Trade Review'Holloway pursues a straightforward … yet original agenda: to review and compare the major state papers of Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson written while they served, respectively, as Secretary of the Treasury and Secretary of State in the Washington administration. He writes as an American Xenophon, patiently illustrating the ways of intelligent statesmanship through the work of two masters. One feels the pressure of every choice and the subtle interplay of principle and policy. A marvelous achievement.' James Stoner, Louisiana State University'Everybody knows something about the conflicts between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson while they served together in the cabinet of President George Washington. But nobody has studied in such depth or probed their meaning so thoughtfully and thoroughly as Carson Holloway.' Michael Zuckert, University of Notre Dame, Indiana'Carson Holloway's meticulous study of the debates between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson in the presidency of George Washington is distinguished by its thorough and fair-minded treatment of the nuances of [their] thought. Written with clarity and verve, it is a must-read for anyone interested in grappling with the profound differences of policy and principle dividing these founders and their legacy for contemporary political discourse.' Darren Staloff, City College of New York'His account presents something profound and interesting: a rigorous, sustained dispute between two key Founders on the principles and practices of politics.' Matthew Spalding, The Nation'Holloway … focuses on the conflict between Hamilton and Jefferson during their time together in President George Washington's cabinet (1790–93) … Carson Holloway's careful presentation of each man's arguments makes them available to us today with unprecedented clarity. This accomplishment - important in itself - should prove highly valuable at a time when both the progressive synthesis and the conservative reaction to it suffer from intellectual exhaustion.' Peter McNamara, Claremont Review of Books'Carson Holloway's book offers a detailed account of the debates between two compelling figures of the Founding era. … the text covers the first term of the Washington Administration and the crucial period in which both Hamilton and Jefferson remained part of it.' Simon Gilhooley, The Review of PoliticsTable of Contents1. Introduction; Part I. A Debate between Cabinet Colleagues: 2. Establishing the public faith: Hamilton's Report on Public Credit; 3. First signs of division: assumption and the Back Pay Bill; 4. Establishing energetic government: Hamilton's Report on a National Bank; 5. Defending limited government: Jefferson's critique of the constitutionality of the national bank; 6. Defending energetic government: Hamilton on the constitutionality of the national bank; Part II. A Clash of Rival Party Leaders: 7. Securing American independence: Hamilton's Report on Manufactures; 8. The revolution, alienation of territory, and the apportionment bill; 9. Aiming for monarchy: Jefferson's critique of Hamiltonianism; 10. Tending toward anarchy: Hamilton's critique of Jeffersonianism; Part III. Founding Foreign Policy: 11. Two views of the French Revolution; 12. Faith among nations I: Jefferson's opinion on the French treaties; 13. Faith among nations II: Hamilton's opinion on the French treaties; 14. The constitutional and political theory of Hamilton's Pacificus papers; 15. Jefferson, Madison, and Helvidius' critique of Pacificus; 16. Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisModern societies are regularly confronted with complex and critical episodes such as financial breakdowns, terrorism, natural disasters and cyber threats, which pose difficult challenges to governments. Featuring updated coverage and examples, this new edition describes the challenges of crisis management and offers an approach to understand and prepare for them.Table of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Managing crises: five strategic leadership tasks; 2. Sense making: grasping crises as they unfold; 3. Decision making and coordinating: shaping the crisis response; 4. Meaning making: constructing a crisis narrative; 5. To end a crisis: managing accountability; 6. Learning and changing: from the crisis to reform; 7. How to deal with crisis: lessons for prudent leadership.

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This book addresses the problem of underrepresentation of women in politics, by examining how language maintains inequalities. Drawing on case studies including Theresa May and Hillary Clinton, and over 50 interviews with politicians, it explores the role language plays in constructing and resisting barriers to women's political participation.

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Book SynopsisBenjamin Franklin (1706–90) is best known as an outstanding statesman and leader. First published in 1874, this three-volume work was compiled entirely from Franklin's own writings. Volume 1 contains Franklin's autobiography (to 1857), and also recounts his experiments with lightning conductors and his examination before the House of Commons.Table of ContentsPreface; Historical sketch of the fortunes and misfortunes of the autograph MS. of Franklin's memoirs of his own life; Part I. Franklin's Outline of the Topics of his Autobiography: Autobiography of Franklin from his birth to his arrival in England as agent of the Colony of Pennsylvania (1706–57); Part II. Continuation of the Autobiography from Franklin's Arrival in England as Agent of the Colony of Pennsylvania, in June 1757, Until the Close of his Mission There and Return to Philadelphia, in 1775: 1. Domestication and protracted illness in London; 2. His reception in America; 3. Jealousy of English manufacturers; 4. Franklin's examination before the House of Commons (1766); 5. Franklin sends his wife a new dress on the repeal of the Stamp Act; 6. The Walpole Grant again; Appendix.

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Book SynopsisBenjamin Franklin (170690) is best known as an outstanding statesman and leader. First published in 1874, this three-volume work was compiled entirely from Franklin's own writings, including his autobiography and correspondence. Volume 2 covers the Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Alliance with France and his encounter with Voltaire.Table of ContentsPart II continued: 1. The election to the new parliament; 2. No taxation without representation; 3. Silkworms; 4. The dancer pays the piper; 5. Rules for reducing a great empire to a small one; 6. An edict by the King of Prussia; 7. Petition of the Massachusetts Assembly for Hutchinson's recall; 8. An account of the transactions relating to Governor Hutchinson's letters; 9. Ministerial hostility to Franklin; 10. An account of negotiations in London for effecting a reconciliation between Great Britain and the American colonies; Part III. From the Close of Franklin's Mission to England to the Close of his Mission to France (1775–85): 11. Franklin chosen delegate to the Second Continental Congress; 12. Negotiations with Lord Howe for a reconciliation with the colonies; 13. Franklin's mission to France; 14. Recall of Silas Deane; 15. New attempts to corrupt the Commissioners; 16. Inception of Irish emigration to America; 17. Never a good war or a bad peace.

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Book SynopsisBenjamin Franklin (170690) was an outstanding statesman and leader. First published in 1874, this work was compiled from Franklin's writings, including his autobiography and correspondence. Volume 3 covers the negotiation of peace with Britain, the drafting of the United States constitution, Franklin's retirement from public life, and his will.Table of ContentsPart III continued: 1. Franklin asks to be relieved from the mission to Paris; 2. R. R. Livingston named Minister of Foreign Affairs; 3. Journal of the negotiation for peace with Great Britain, from March 21st to July 1st, 1782; 4. Micawberism of the Ministry; 5. Misunderstanding between Count de Vergennes and Dr. Franklin; 6. The Fishery Calumny; 7. The usefulness of enemies; 8. Red tape; 9. Preparation for leaving France; Part VI. From the Termination of his Mission to France in 1785 until his Death, April 17th, 1790: 10. Franklin's reception in America; 11. Freedom of commerce; 12. Re-elected President of Pennsylvania; 13. Retirement from public life; 14. Franklin's last will and testament; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisThe Mughal emperor Timur (13361405) conquered large parts of central Asia in the fourteenth century. First published in 1830, these are his purported memoirs, translated into English by the orientalist Charles Stewart (17641837). The work covers the period up to 1375, when Timur was in his forties.Table of ContentsPreface; Introduction; Memoirs of Timur; Appendices; Addenda.

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Book SynopsisThis book provides a compelling and incisive portrait of James Madison, the scholar and political philosopher. Through extensive historical research and analysis of Madison's heretofore underappreciated 1791 'Notes on Government', Madison's scholarly contributions are cast in a new light, yielding a richer, more comprehensive understanding of his political thought than ever before.Trade Review'Colleen A. Sheehan places James Madison's 'Notes on Government' in the history of political thought and thus further reveals Madison as a political philosopher and not just a partisan tactician. In addition to this important discovery, she has included Madison's 'Notes' in a book that is now indispensable for seminars in American political thought and the early republic.' Jeremy D. Bailey, Ross M. Lence Distinguished Teaching Chair, University of Houston'This pathbreaking study significantly advances our understanding and appreciation of Madison as political theorist. Combining meticulous scholarly sleuthing and uncommon literary grace, Colleen A. Sheehan has recovered a Madison we have never seen so clearly before. In her thoroughly engaging, rigorously contextual analysis of Madison's long-neglected 'Notes on Government' - her own annotated versions of which form the core of a lengthy documentary appendix - Sheehan has made Madison the thinker more exciting and relevant than ever.' Drew R. McCoy, Jacob and Frances Hiatt Professor of History, Clark University, Massachusetts'James Madison sketched the outlines of his political thought in his 'Notes on Government' and Colleen A. Sheehan fills in the blanks in this authoritative new edition. Sheehan's brilliant account of what the Founding Scholar had in mind as he engaged with ancient and modern philosophers in his quest to vindicate America's republican experiment is a major contribution to scholarship.' Peter S. Onuf, Thomas Jefferson Foundation (Monticello), University of Virginia, and author of The Mind of Thomas Jefferson'This is the most important book published on James Madison in my lifetime. It makes available to the general public for the first time in its original form a little book, known as 'Notes on Government', that Madison began drafting, as a sequel to 'The Federalist', while he was a Congressman in the early 1790s. Moreover, it makes this unfinished treatise available in a critical edition with detailed notes citing the passages from earlier works that Madison references; and, as a supplement, it provides an elaborate, readable introduction, tracing the evolution of Madison's thinking and analyzing this neglected work. Scholars will find this book indispensable. Students of the American founding and of American government more generally will be forced to rethink.' Paul A. Rahe, Hillsdale College, Michigan'In this new study of the political essays written by James Madison in the early 1790s, Colleen A. Sheehan offers us an exciting exploration of the development of his thinking after the ratification of the Constitution. Scholars have often been perplexed by these essays. Sheehan is one of the first to set them in their proper context.' J. C. A. Stagg, University of Virginia'Since Colleen A. Sheehan is one of the few reigning experts on the political thought of James Madison, anything she writes on Madison is important. But this book is more than important; it is extraordinary, both for the originality and depth of its research and for the clarity and incisiveness of its arguments. A tour de force of scholarship.' Gordon S. Wood, Brown University, Rhode Island'This is the best book in a long time on the thought of James Madison … [The author] sheds new light on Madison's uniquely creative thinking during the vital years between 1786 and 1792, which he took the lead in crafting the Constitution and in explaining the political thinking undergirding it. … Sheehan provides an excellent summary of what Madison learned as he put together the political essays he wrote with Jefferson's help and encouragement in 1792, affording a brilliant and richly extended understanding of the mind of Madison as he lived the American statesman's most profound and productive years.' Ralph Ketcham, The Journal of American History'Thinking about how public opinion formed in that shifting environment would be an important historical project, and one that might benefit from Sheehan's deep and nuanced analysis of Madison.' Tom Cutterham, History of Political ThoughtTable of ContentsPart I: 1. An itinerant scholar in Mr Jefferson's library; Excursus: travels with Anacharsis; 2. Circumstantial influences on government; 3. The power of public opinion; 4. The federal republican polity; 5. Postscript; Part II: 6. 'Notes on Government'; 7. Additional notes on government; 8. Madison's convention notes and his letter of October 24, 1787, to Thomas Jefferson; 9. Party press essays.

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Book SynopsisTheodosius II (AD 408450) was the longest reigning Roman emperor. Ever since Edward Gibbon, he has been dismissed as mediocre and ineffectual. Yet Theodosius ruled an empire which retained its integrity while the West was broken up by barbarian invasions. This book explores Theodosius'' challenges and successes. Ten essays by leading scholars of late antiquity provide important new insights into the court at Constantinople, the literary and cultural vitality of the reign, and the presentation of imperial piety and power. Much attention has been directed towards the changes promoted by Constantine at the beginning of the fourth century; much less to their crystallisation under Theodosius II. This volume explores the working out of new conceptions of the Roman Empire - its history, its rulers and its God. A substantial introduction offers a new framework for thinking afresh about the long transition from the classical world to Byzantium.Trade Review'The reader of this volume is offered valuable insights into one of the crucial periods in the history of the Christian Church.' Fergus Millar, Journal of Ecclesiastical HistoryTable of ContentsPart I. Introduction: 1. Rethinking Theodosius Christopher Kelly; Part II. Arcana Imperii: 2. Men without women: Theodosius' consistory and the business of government Jill Harries; 3. Theodosius and his generals Doug Lee; 4. Theodosius II and the politics of the first Council of Ephesus Thomas Graumann; 5. Olympiodorus of Thebes and eastern triumphalism Peter Van Nuffelen; Part III. Past and Present: 6. Mapping the world under Theodosius II Giusto Traina; 7. 'The insanity of heretics must be restrained': heresiology and the Theodosian Code Richard Flower; 8. Writing in Greek: classicism and compilation, interaction and transformation Mary Whitby; Part IV. Pius Princeps: 9. Stooping to conquer: the power of imperial humility Christopher Kelly; 10. The imperial subject: Theodosius II and panegyric in Socrates' Church History Luke Gardiner; 11. Theodosius II and his legacy in anti-Chalcedonian communal memory Edward Watts.

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Book SynopsisScarred by decades of conflict and occupation, the craggy African nation of Eritrea has weathered the world''s longest-running guerrilla war. The dogged determination that secured victory against Ethiopia, its giant neighbor, is woven into the national psyche, the product of cynical foreign interventions. Fascist Italy wanted Eritrea as the springboard for a new, racially pure Roman empire; Britain sold off its industry for scrap; the United States needed a base for its state-of-the-art spy station; and the Soviet Union used it as a pawn in a proxy war.In I Didn''t Do It for You, Michela Wrong reveals the breathtaking abuses this tiny nation has suffered and, with a sharp eye for detail and a taste for the incongruous, tells the story of colonialism itself and how international power politics can play havoc with a country''s destiny.

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Book SynopsisCollected by the Ronald Reagan Foundation, this book includes both Reagan's own original writing that honors a lifetime of work in the arts and politics, and includes his favorite quotations, proverbs, and excerpts from speeches, poetry, and literature. It encapsulates a lifetime of reflections on work, marriage, and family in classic one liners.Trade Review"The book offers a window into the mind of the nation's 40th president and displays the effort he made behind the scenes to hone his performance as a speechmaker and storyteller driving home a conservative political philosophy." -- USA Today "This volume provides an illuminating glimpse into Reagan's mind... The entries show the directness of Reagan's thought and his uncanny ability to make a point." -- The Daily "These notes are wonderful things... Although a few recent books have proclaimed to have finally uncovered the real Reagan, there's a chance we'll never get any closer than in these scribbles, which reveal so much." -- Christopher Buckley, Bloomberg News "Now with the discovery of his note cards, we can better appreciate just how hard Reagan himself labored to be clear and convincing-and, yes, sometimes funny-to his many audiences." -- The American Spectator "This is a book to return to often and sample the collected wisdom found there that buttressed a remarkable man's vision." -- The Washington Times

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"In His Masterly Pen, a thoroughly engrossing study of Thomas Jefferson, Fred Kaplan demonstrates that he, too, wields a masterly pen. . . . The skill with which the author wields his own masterly pen ensures a better understanding of this brilliant and talented 18th-century man who could not fully escape the moral failings of his social class or the weaknesses of his own character as he helped give birth to a new nation. . . . [A] nicely paced and well-written narrative.” — Washington Post “Kaplan smoothly combines analysis of Jefferson’s rhetorical strategies with an authoritative portrayal of his world. A sensitive probing of a complex man.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "Kaplan fluently, and in fascinating detail, portrays all aspects of Jefferson’s character." — Portland Press Herald "Fred Kaplan’s bona fides as a biographer should immunize him against the obvious charge: 'Oh, no, not another book about Thomas Jefferson.' Fortunately, Kaplan’s trademark skills shine through His Masterly Pen: exhaustive research; the instincts of a born storyteller; and a keen sense of irony and paradox. And there is a fresh idea. Namely, that Jefferson’s verbal felicity often deluded him into believing that an uplifting idea on paper assured its triumph in the world." — Joseph J. Ellis, author of The Cause: The American Revolution and its Discontents. Kaplan . . . . delves into more private writings, including a series of “personally expressive and revealing” letters Jefferson wrote to Maria Cosway . . . . Kaplan draws out some revealing themes in Jefferson’s writing, including his hypocritical use of the “slavery trope” to describe the plight of American colonists under the British crown; the tension between his support for “small independent farmers” and his membership among the elite class of landowners who accumulated most of the country’s wealth; and his paternalistic tone when addressing Native American tribal leaders. — Publishers Weekly “Readers interested in American history will enjoy this deep dive into a different aspect of Thomas Jefferson." — Booklist "The accomplished biographer of great writers, Fred Kaplan turns his keen insights on an author usually thought of as something else: revolutionary, president, architect, and slaveholder. His Masterly Pen reveals Thomas Jefferson's genius for deploying words to persuade, inspire, manipulate, and deceive others. In the process, Kaplan helps us understand how the author of our most dazzling declaration could generate so much controversy in his lifetime as well as ours." — Alan Taylor, author of American Republics: A Continental History of the United States, 1783-1850. “Fred Kaplan’s new life of Jefferson is a beautifully written portrait of a great writer and a welcome contribution to our understanding of a controversial founder.” — Peter S. Onuf, Thomas Jefferson Foundation Professor of History, Emeritus, University of Virginia "In discussing the role of rhetoric and persuasion, His Masterly Pen identifies a key lens for understanding the political influence of Thomas Jefferson. Engagingly written, with lively chapters, it contains admirable discussions of some of his major writings, such as The Summary View of the Rights of British America and Notes on the State of Virginia." — Dr. Andrew J. O’Shaughnessy, Vice President of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation and Saunders Director of the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies, University of Virginia "One always knows a Fred Kaplan treatment by its arresting detours into his subject’s distinctive use of language. Who, then, would be a better historical actor to get to know in this way than Thomas Jefferson? The bookish politician’s dynamic pen generates conflict, which its wielder refuses to admit to. With artful hyperbole, Jefferson takes on enemies he swears he doesn’t deserve, driven by what Kaplan denotes the “secrecy and repression” that combine in shaping a fascinating founder’s private character." — Andrew Burstein, author of Jefferson’s Secrets and coauthor of Madison and Jefferson and professor at Louisiana State University "Tantalizing." — Publishers Weekly "[An] absorbing new book…. Kaplan is effective in showing how the young lawyer and slaveowner gradually inched away from his steadfast loyalty to the Crown, until by 1774 he was actively involved in the effort to end British rule…. Much of Jefferson’s most important writing was completed by the end of the 1780s, when he returned from five years as America’s minister to France, a fascinating spell that Kaplan handles adroitly.... About the glaring contradiction at the core of the Declaration’s statement for equality – the institution of slavery – Kaplan is both clear and measured." — Times Literary Supplement (London)

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“A well-written, highly-readable personal narrative of overcoming a battery of obstacles to become a genuine American hero. [McSally’s] accomplishments are legendary.” — Washington Times “Martha McSally paved the way for others, endured hardship, and exuded courage. The lessons she learned and the stories she shares are inspiring for anyone—in and out of the cockpit.” — Hon. Heather Wilson, former Secretary of the Air Force “I was honored to be in the very first group of U.S. women military pilots as a World War II WASP [Women Airforce Service Pilots]. I have known Martha McSally for decades, and am proud of how she has preserved and carried on our legacy. She is a fighter and leader who still serves our country. A woman who is as good as her word and gets things done. Congratulations, Martha, on your book and your life.” — Nell Bright, WWII veteran, Women Airforce Service Pilot (WASP) “Like the A-10 aircraft she flew in combat, retired colonel and fighter pilot Martha McSally is a gritty individual who loves our Air Force and personified its core values of excellence, integrity, and service before self, while standing up to make it a better institution for everyone who serves. How to be resolute, do the right thing, persevere, find gratitude, and learn compassion are just some of the lessons in her inspirational life story.” — Ron Fogleman, General (ret.), U.S. Air Force; former Air Force Chief of Staff

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Bret Baier’s To Rescue the Republic is narrative history at its absolute finest. With great verve and a fair-and-balanced ethic, Baier brilliantly recounts the heroic life of Ulysses S. Grant—as Civil War general, U.S. President, Reconstruction Era leader and beloved national icon. His dramatic retelling of the election of 1876 which pitted Samuel J. Tilden against Rutherford B. Hayes is stupendous. A fast-paced, thrilling and enormously important book. Highly recommended.” — Douglas Brinkley, Katherine Tsanoff Brown Chair in Humanities and Professor of History at Rice University and author of American Moonshot “With To Rescue The Republic, Bret Baier, the nation’s leading reporter of history, has written a veritable tour de force. This remarkable book is history as it should be: magnificently composed, meticulously researched, and brimming with lessons for today's divided political arena. Baier has brought to life the riveting but too often forgotten story of how US Grant preserved the Republic at one of its moments of greatest peril. This is not just a tale for our age, but an absorbing tale for the ages. It belongs on the bookshelf of every lover of history.” — Jay Winik, New York Times bestselling author of April 1865 and 1944 “Yes, history can help light the way. Bret Baier’s absorbing book shows us why Ulysses Grant was a far more important President than later generations gave him credit for, and how the crises of civil war, Reconstruction and the deadlock of 1876 resembled the turbulent period we are living through.” — Michael Beschloss, author of Presidents of War “A thoroughly researched account of the Civil War general’s life and work. Baier grippingly portrays the crisis Grant faced at the end of his presidency, when the election produced no clear successor, and the painful compromise that settled it—a historical moment ripe for examination today.” — New York Post “Until recently, historians have tended to focus on the rampant corruption that took place during the administration of Ulysses S. Grant. … Baier (Three Days at the Brink, 2020) surveys Grant’s life from his Midwestern origins through his undistinguished West Point education, his military successes leading Union forces, and his 1868 elevation to the Presidency. … Baier finds parallels to contemporary politics in this, which makes his account all the more compelling.” — Booklist “Throughout history, great men have stepped forward at just the right moment to save America at its most critical times. In To Rescue the Republic, Bret Baier brilliantly chronicles how Ulysses S. Grant was that great man multiple times. Perhaps you think you know the story, but Bret brings you back to the 1870s in a way I didn’t think possible. A must read!” — Brian Kilmeade, #1 New York Times bestselling author “Bret Baier once again brings his wonderful journalistic storytelling skills to the task of examining a significant moment in American history. To Rescue the Republic is the richly detailed and often suspenseful story of Ulysses S. Grant, our 18th president. In particular Bret focuses on those dramatic moments when Grant rescues the Republic—first during the Civil War, then making the peace after the war, and finally in the bitterly contested election of 1876, when he devised a grand bargain to save the presidency and the nation. The parallels with modern times are striking, and the lessons Bret raises are worth serious attention: the future of the Republic isn’t a given. We must fight for it in every era.” — Mark Levin, #1 New York Times bestselling author “A brilliant character study of a great American. In To Rescue the Republic, Bret Baier brings Ulysses S. Grant—war hero, president, and author—to life in a vivid, gripping style that speaks to the issues of our time." — James L. Swanson, New York Times bestselling author of Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer "As the United States suffers through turbulent times, news anchor Bret Baier reaches back to earlier years of heroism when the nation, then and now, experienced an earlier examples of woe. This is a book which, when carefully read, provides insight into a difficult era." — John F. Marzalek, Executive Director, Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library “Bret Baier has provided a valuable public service by showing why Ulysses S. Grant deserves much more public acclaim for his presidential years than Grant has traditionally been given. If you enjoy reading about American history, you will love Bret Baier’s fresh look at the man most responsible for the outcome of the Civil War and the peaceful resolution of the contested presidential election of 1876. I highly recommend this book on one of America’s most important leaders.” — David Rubenstein, The David Rubenstein Show "In To Rescue the Republic, Bret Baier combines the journalist's instinct for timeliness and a great story with the historian's ability to document and chronicle in ways that stand the test of time. To Rescue the Republic doubles as a political and military portrait of U.S. Grant and as a definitive account of Grant's ability to broker a settlement of the contentious election of 1876. This success marked the culmination of Grant's efforts as general and president to win and end the American civil war. A key message of this book-- in this time of discord and racial conflict-- is that the American republic is a land of opportunity. Talent rises to the top. And because of this, no problem confronting Americans is ultimately is beyond resolution. This book is as inspiring as it is readable, and it is easily my favorite book of 2021." — David Eisenhower, Director, Institute of Public Service, Annenberg School, University of Pennsylvania, and author of Eisenhower: At War "A terrific account of the famous Civil War general turned 18th president. ... Bret Baier has done it again, producing another presidential history that will last as long as there are presidential history books." — American Spectator "Baier succeeds in humanizing Grant and clarifying the complex factors behind his decision-making. This is an accessible and nuanced introduction to an oft-misunderstood figure American history." — Publishers Weekly

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Book SynopsisPresentamos la biblioteca Martin Luther King Jr.Con un nuevo prólogo de Amanda Gorman.Una hermosa edición coleccionable del legendario discurso del Dr. Martin Luther King Jr en la Marcha en Washington, parte de los archivos del Dr. King publicados exclusivamente por HarperCollins. El 28 de agosto de 1963, el Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. se presentó ante miles de estadounidenses que se habían reunido en el Lincoln Memorial en Washington, D.C. en nombre de los derechos civiles. Incluyendo las palabras inmortales, Tengo un sueño, el discurso de apertura del Dr. King dinamizaría un movimiento y cambiaría el curso de la historia.Con referencias al Discurso de Gettysburg, la Proclamación de Emancipación, la Declaración de Independencia, la Constitución de los Estados Unidos, Shakespeare y la Biblia, el discurso de la Marcha en Washington del Dr. King ha sido aclamado durante mucho tiempo como uno de

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Book SynopsisNamed a Best Book of the Year by The Washington Post and NPR“We come to see in FDR the magisterial, central figure in the greatest and richest political tapestry of our nation’s entire history” —Nigel Hamilton, Boston Globe“Meticulously researched and authoritative” —Douglas Brinkley, The Washington Post“A workmanlike addition to the literature on Roosevelt.” —David Nasaw, The New York Times“Dallek offers an FDR relevant to our sharply divided nation” —Michael Kazin“Will rank among the standard biographies of its subject” —Publishers WeeklyA one-volume biography of Roosevelt by the #1 New York Times bestselling biographer of JFK, focusing on his career as an incomparable politician, un

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Book Synopsis“Monumental.” —The New York Times Book ReviewPulitzer Prize-finalist Stephen Kotkin has written the definitive biography of Joseph Stalin, from collectivization and the Great Terror to the conflict with Hitler's Germany that is the signal event of modern world history   In 1929, Joseph Stalin, having already achieved dictatorial power over the vast Soviet Empire, formally ordered the systematic conversion of the world’s largest peasant economy into “socialist modernity,” otherwise known as collectivization, regardless of the cost.   What it cost, and what Stalin ruthlessly enacted, transformed the country and its ruler in profound and enduring ways. Building and running a dictatorship, with life and death power over hundreds of millions, made Stalin into the uncanny figure he became. Stephen Kotkin’s Stalin: Waiting for Hitler, 1929–1941 is the story of how a political system f

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Book SynopsisThe memoirs of a senior advisor to presidential candidatesTrade Review"Well worth the attention of political junkies, students of American history, or anyone else who wants to know how politics really worked in the glory days of the Democratic Party. . . . Too often our histories of politics are colored by political biases and attempts to shade the truth. To invoke an old cliché, Van Dyk tells it like it is. His memoir is a great read, a wonderful primer for those who might seek to enter politics themselves, and a terrific walk down memory lane. His idealism and honesty are reminders of what once made the Democratic Party great—- and could again." * Boston Phoenix *"Van Dyk's book is a helpful primer on what goes on behind the scenes and a reminder that it's important to pick presidents with character as well as competence." * Bellingham Herald *"Ted Van Dyk is telling us exactly what happened and what he honestly thought about it. It's as pure a political memoir as we're ever likely to see. . . . [with] the kind of filthy detail that most political memoirs are too polite, and too deadly boring, to share." * The Stranger *"Heroes, Hacks, and Fools is about Democrats. It is a well-written and detailed autobiography..His story, particularly of the Humphrey-McGovern years, is one of the best accounts of that era in a long time." * Seattle Times *"It is precisely [Van Dyk's] willingness to stick his neck out, to study and opine and participate, that makes his arguments so compelling." * Bookmonger: Kitsap Sun *Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments 1. Depression Kids 2. Caught Up in the Cold War 3. A New Generation Takes Over 4. Helping HHH 5. The Great Society 6. Vietnam and Little Else 7. 1968 8. A Near Miss 9. In Transition 10. Crusade and Catastrophe 11. Strange Presidents, Nixon and Carter 12. The Counterrevolution Proceeds 13. Storm Cleanup and a New Storm 14. A New Jacksonian Era, Part One 15. A New Jacksonian Era, Part Two 16. Escape from the Capital 17. A New Century 18. Not the Same Country 19. Who Will Lead? 20. The Democratic Message Epilogue Index

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Book SynopsisBased on massive new research, a compelling and surprising account of the twentieth century’s closest electionTrade Review“[Gellman] offers as detailed an exploration of the 1960 presidential race as can be found.”—Robert W. Merry, Wall Street Journal“Six decades after the 1960 presidential election, Irwin Gellman is the first historian to peel back the powerful myths shrouding that contest. The engaging and carefully documented story that emerges is startling and fresh. . . . An impressively balanced portrait of the strengths and weaknesses of Kennedy, Nixon and their teams.”—Will Swift, author of The Kennedys Amidst the Gathering Storm and Pat and Dick: The Nixons, An Intimate Portrait of a Marriage“As usual, the indefatigable Irwin Gellman explores heretofore overlooked archival resources in his successful quest to shed new light on the pivotal 1960 election. It will be difficult for any presidential scholar to ignore this important contribution to the history of our controversial 37th president.”—Melvin Small, author of The Presidency of Richard Nixon“At last, a scholar has gotten the incessantly romanticized 1960 election campaign right. Irv Gellman provides a thoroughly researched, provocative account of an election that may indeed have been ‘stolen.’”—David A. Nichols, author of Ike and McCarthy: Dwight Eisenhower’s Secret Campaign against Joseph McCarthy“Theodore White’s Making of the President 1960 cast a powerful spell. Generations of journalists and historians have made the image of gallant Jack and sweaty Dick into conventional wisdom. Now comes Nixon scholar Irwin Gellman to present a more balanced and fact-based view. Digging deep into archives neglected by most historians of the 1960 race, Gellman has written a surprising, illuminating, and fascinating account.”—Evan Thomas, author of Robert Kennedy and Being Nixon“Irwin Gellman’s stunning, overdue rewrite of the 1960 election puts paid to Theodore White’s celebratory presidential fable. Readers may now decide whether the republic was better served by outcomes written by winners or by truths recovered by a conscientious historian.”—David Levering Lewis, Pulitzer Prize winner for biography and author of The Improbable Wendell Willkie

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Book Synopsis#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Barack Obama’s lucid vision of America’s place in the world and call for a new kind of politics that builds upon our shared understandings as Americans, based on his years in the Senate   “In our lowdown, dispiriting era, Obama’s talent for proposing humane, sensible solutions with uplifting, elegant prose does fill one with hope.”—Michael Kazin, The Washington Post   In July 2004, four years before his presidency, Barack Obama electrified the Democratic National Convention with an address that spoke to Americans across the political spectrum. One phrase in particular anchored itself in listeners’ minds, a reminder that for all the discord and struggle to be found in our history as a nation, we have always been guided by a dogged optimism in the future, or what Obama called “the audacity of hope.&rdq

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Book SynopsisFrom the two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, bestselling historian, and author of Our First Civil War—a masterful biography of the Civil War general and two-term president who saved the Union twice, on the battlefield and in the White House. • “[A] splendidly written biography ... Brands does justice to one of America’s most underrated presidents.” —Dallas Morning News Ulysses Grant emerges in this masterful biography as a genius in battle and a driven president to a divided country, who remained fearlessly on the side of right. He was a beloved commander in the field who made the sacrifices necessary to win the war, even in the face of criticism. He worked valiantly to protect the rights of freed men in the South. He allowed the American Indians to shape their own fate even as the realities of Manifest Destiny meant the end of their way of life. In this sweeping and majestic narrative, bestselling aut

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Book SynopsisThis is the inspiring story of a modern American icon, the first comprehensive account of the life and times of Michelle Obama. With disciplined reporting and a storyteller’s eye for revealing detail, Peter Slevin follows Michelle to the White House from her working-class childhood on Chicago’s largely segregated South Side. He illuminates her tribulations at Princeton University and Harvard Law School during the racially charged 1980s and the dilemmas she faced in Chicago while building a high-powered career, raising a family, and helping a young community organizer named Barack Obama become president of the United States. From the lessons she learned in Chicago to the messages she shares as one of the most recognizable women in the world, the story of this First Lady is the story of America. Michelle Obama: A Life is a fresh and compelling view of a woman of unique achievement and purpose.   

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Book SynopsisIn this hard-hitting memoir, Fred Burton, a key figure in international counterterrorism and domestic spycraft, emerges from the shadows to reveal who he is, what he has accomplished, and the threats that lurk unseen except by an experienced, worldly-wise few. Plunging readers into the murky world of violent religious extremism that spans the streets of Middle Eastern cities and the informant-filled alleys of American slums, Burton takes us behind the scenes to reveal how the United States tracked Libya-linked master terrorist Abu Nidal; captured Ramzi Yusef, architect of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing; and pursued the assassins of major figures including Yitzhak Rabin, Meir Kahane, and General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, the president of Pakistan-classic cases that have sobering new meaning in the treacherous years since 9/11. Here, too, is Burton’s advice on personal safety for today’s most powerful CEOs, gleaned from his experience at Stratfor, the private firm Barron̵

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Book SynopsisAs the world struggles to confront a bolder Russia, the importance of understanding the formidable and ambitious Vladimir Putin has never been greater. This gripping narrative of Putin's rise to power recounts Putin's origins—from his childhood of abject poverty in Leningrad to his ascent through the ranks of the KGB, and his eventual consolidation of rule in the Kremlin. On the one hand, Putin's many domestic reforms—from tax cuts to an expansion of property rights—have helped reshape the potential of millions of Russians whose only experience of democracy had been crime, poverty, and instability after the fall of the Soviet Union. On the other, Putin has ushered in a new authoritarianism—unyielding in its brutal repression of dissent and newly assertive politically and militarily in regions like Crimea and the Middle East. The New Tsar is a staggering achievement, a deeply researched and essential biography of one of the m

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Book SynopsisA New York Times Notable Book • A prizewinning author and journalist untangles the narrative threads of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s final months, showing how he juggled the strategic, political, and personal choices he faced as the war, his presidency, and his life raced in tandem to their climax.A gripping, deeply human account... Moving, elegiac. —The New York Times Book Review The story has been told piecemeal but never like this, with a close focus on Roosevelt himself and his hopes for a stable international order after the war, and how these led him into a prolonged courtship of Joseph Stalin, the Soviet dictator, involving secret, arduous journeys to Tehran and the Crimea. In between, as the war entered its final phase, came the thunderbolt of a dire medical diagnosis, raising urgent questions about the ability of the longest-serving president to stand for a fourth term at a time when he had little choice. Neither his family nor top figures in his administration were informed of his diagnosis, let alone the public or his closest ally, Winston Churchill. With D-Day looming, Roosevelt took a month off on a plantation in the south where he was examined daily by a navy cardiologist, then waited two more months before finally announcing, on the eve of his party’s convention, that he’d be a candidate. A political grand master still, he manipulated the selection of a new running mate, with an eye to a possible succession, displaying some of his old vigor and wit in a winning campaign. With precision and compassion, Joseph Lelyveld examines the choices Roosevelt faced, shining new light on his state of mind, preoccupations, and motives, both as leader of the wartime alliance and in his personal life. Confronting his own mortality, Roosevelt operated in the belief that he had a duty to see the war through to the end, telling himself he could always resign if he found he couldn’t carry on. Lelyveld delivers an incisive portrait of this deliberately inscrutable man, a consummate leader to the very last. 

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Book SynopsisAn extensively researched, lavishly illustrated consideration of the myths, memories, and questions that gathered around our most beloved—and most enigmatic—president in the years between his assassination and the dedication of the Lincoln Memorial in 1922.   Availing themselves of a vast collection of both published and never-before-seen materials, the authors—the fourth and fifth generations of a family of Lincoln scholars—bring into focus the posthumous portrait of Lincoln that took hold in the American imagination. Told through the voices of those who knew the man—Northerners and Southerners, blacks and whites, neighbors and family members, adversaries and colleagues—Looking for Lincoln charts the dramatic epilogue to Lincoln’s extraordinary life.   During these years, as Americans struggled to understand their loss and rebuild their country, Lincoln’s legacy was still hotly debated. The authors take

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Book SynopsisPULITZER PRIZE FINALIST • Benjamin Franklin, perhaps the pivotal figure in colonial and revolutionary America, comes vividly to life in this “thorough biography of ... America’s first Renaissance man” (The Washington Post) by the two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, bestselling historian, and author of Our First Civil War.The authoritative Franklin biography for our time.” —Joseph J. Ellis, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Founding BrothersWit, diplomat, scientist, philosopher, businessman, inventor, and bon vivant, Benjamin Franklin's life is one every American should know well, and it has not been told better than by Mr. Brands (The Dallas Morning News). From penniless runaway to highly successful printer, from ardently loyal subject of Britain to architect of an alliance with France that ensured America’s independence, Franklin went from obscurity to become one of the world’s most admired figures, whose circle included the likes of Voltaire, Hume, Burke, and Kant.Drawing on previously unpublished letters and a host of other sources, acclaimed historian H. W. Brands has written a thoroughly engaging biography of the eighteenth-century genius. A much needed reminder of Franklin’s greatness and humanity, The First American is a work of meticulous scholarship that provides a magnificent tour of a legendary historical figure, a vital era in American life, and the countless arenas in which the protean Franklin left his legacy.Look for H.W. Brands's other biographies: ANDREW JACKSON, THE MAN WHO SAVED THE UNION (Ulysses S. Grant), TRAITOR TO HIS CLASS (Franklin Roosevelt) and REAGAN.

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Book SynopsisA New York Times Top 10 Best Book of the YearA Washington Post Notable BookTheirs was the most captivating American political partnership since Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger: a bold and untested president and his seasoned, relentless vice president. Confronted by one crisis after another, they struggled to protect the country, remake the world, and define their own relationship along the way.The real story of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney is far more fascinating than the familiar suspicion that Cheney was the power behind the throne. Drawing on hundreds of interviews with key players, and thousands of pages of private notes, memos, and other internal documents, Baker paints a riveting portrait of a partnership that evolved dramatically over time, during an era marked by devastating terror attacks, the Iraq War, Hurricane Katrina, and financial collapse. Peter Baker has produced a monumental and definitive work that ranks with the be

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Book SynopsisContains unsettling insights into some of the most dangerous geopolitical crises of the time.The EconomistTrade Review"Magisterial... a fascinating tour of foreign policy." Moscow Times "Deeply researched... indispensable for anyone hoping to understand the Cold War's most dangerous phase, and how the world managed to survive it." The New York Times Book Review "[Contains] unsettling insights into some of the most dangerous geopolitical crises of the time." The Economist "...enthralling... I find this book instructive and very dispiriting." Jonathan Mirsky, The Spectator"

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Book SynopsisAn important reassessment of the fortieth president, placing him in the pantheon with Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt.

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