Description
Book SynopsisIn recent years, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Eliot Spitzer, John Edwards, Newt Gingrich, Herman Cain, and countless other politicians have made headlines for their sexual scandals. But such stories are not new. Indeed, there is a long history of misbehavior in politics, including in the nation's highest office. Bill Clinton, it can safely be said, was not the first president to misbehave, nor was he the worst. In fact, there is a long history of presidential peccadilloes. Many presidents have been influenced and had their careers affected by the hand of a woman, sometimes that of a wife or mother, but at other times that of a mistress. But these stories are rarely told. Instead, history has tended to glorify our leaders. Such a scrubbed version of the lives of presidents, however, omits their marital woes, love lives, and sexual peccadilloes. As Robert P. Watson reveals, it is precisely these intimate and all-too-human moments that provide some of the most valuable insights into our leade
Trade ReviewRobert P. Watson’s Affairs of State is a fascinating and well-told examination of the great loves and lesser foibles of America’s presidents. A noted presidential scholar, Watson recounts the personal lives of the occupants of the ‘People’s House,’ exploring the human side of U.S. politics through stories that are at once touching, humorous, and sometimes shocking. The work helps fill a vacuum by allowing the reader to explore patterns of behavior that humanize the nation’s presidents. Watson also challenges the conventional mythology that surrounds many of the chief executives by presenting a clearer and deeper understanding of the nation’s leaders and the events that surrounded their presidencies. -- Tom Lansford
Robert Watson is one of the most thoughtful scholars that American studies and political science have produced. No one is more qualified than he to turn his attention to presidential follies and embarrassments. The result is a rollicking romp through political history that is as informative and insightful as it is entertaining. -- Max J. Skidmore, University of Missouri-Kansas City
Affairs of State is a tour de force from one of the leading presidential scholars of our time. This book provides an eloquent, impeccably researched reminder that presidents—including those on Mount Rushmore—are human beings shaped by their intimate relationships, romantic and familial. For everyone interested in the American presidency, Robert P. Watson has written an accessible, compelling book that sheds light on the inner lives, foibles, and crucial relationships that shaped many of the most important presidents. -- Douglas M. Brattebo, Hiram College
Watson's greatest contribution is a series of brief biographical sketches of presidents and a handful of first ladies. . . .[T]he book is a well-paced . . . [with an] exciting introduction. . . .Watson has put together a book that is interesting to read. * The Historian *
Table of ContentsIntroduction: They Don’t Teach This Stuff in School Chapter 1. Say It Isn’t So! Chapter 2. Presidential Peccadilloes Ten Stories of Presidential Love, Sex, and Scandal Chapter 3. “I Profess Myself a Votary to Love” Chapter 4. “Domestic Felicity” Chapter 5. Slave Owner and Slave Lover Chapter 6. “A Petticoat Affair” Chapter 7. A Near Miss Chapter 8. “The Siamese Twins” Chapter 9. “I Can Never Be Satisfied” Chapter 10. An Unlikely Union Chapter 11. Full House Chapter 12. Beloved Goddaughter Conclusion: What Happens in the Lincoln Bedroom… Chapter 13. Fatal Attraction Chapter 14. Making Sense of Presidential Nonsense
