Search results for ""author william e. leuchtenburg""

The American President is an enthralling account of American presidential actions from the assassination of William McKinley in 1901 to Bill Clinton's last night in office in January 2001. William Leuchtenburg, one of the great presidential historians of the century, portrays each of the presidents in a chronicle sparkling with anecdote and wit. Leuchtenburg offers a nuanced assessment of their conduct in office, preoccupations, and temperament. His book presents countless moments of high drama: FDR hurling defiance at the "economic royalists" who exploited the poor; ratcheting tension for JFK as Soviet vessels approach an American naval blockade; a grievously wounded Reagan joking with nurses while fighting for his life. This book charts the enormous growth of presidential power from its lowly state in the late nineteenth century to the imperial presidency of the twentieth. That striking change was manifested both at home in periods of progressive reform and abroad, notably in two world wars, Vietnam, and the war on terror. Leuchtenburg sheds light on presidents battling with contradictory forces. Caught between maintaining their reputation and executing their goals, many practiced deceits that shape their image today. But he also reveals how the country's leaders pulled off magnificent achievements worthy of the nation's pride. Now with a preface new to this edition,The American President provides a timely reflection on the office that has shaped and continues to shape the destiny of the United States and its people.

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From review of previous editions: "In the Shadow of FDR shrewdly sets forth the special cruelty of the dilemma Roosevelt's successors have all faced: 'If he did not walk in FDR's footsteps, he ran a risk of having it said that he was not a Roosevelt but a Hoover. Yet to the extent that he did copy FDR, he lost any chance of marking out his own claim to recognition.'"—New York Times Book Review "A stimulating and original survey of the political impact of Franklin D. Roosevelt's image on his successors in the White House. Truman was resentful, Eisenhower suffered (in liberal eyes) by invidious comparison, Kennedy was ambivalent, Johnson celebratory, Nixon strangely admiring, Carter shallow in his use of FDR symbolism, and Reagan the first to turn his back on the New Deal."—Foreign Affairs "William E. Leuchtenburg's close examination of FDR's presidential legatees has enabled him to demonstrate Roosevelt's enormous beyond-the-grave influence. In the Shadow of FDR is a fine, perceptive work that constitutes a valuable coda for New Deal studies. Several pertinent insights help to contribute to discussions of the role of personalities in politics. This book is a refreshing contribution to studies of the presidency."—American Historical Review A ghost has inhabited the Oval Office since 1945—the ghost of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. FDR's formidable presence has cast a large shadow on the occupants of that office in the years since his death, and an appreciation of his continuing influence remains essential to understanding the contemporary presidency. This new edition of In the Shadow of FDR has been updated to examine the presidency of George W. Bush and the first 100 days of the presidency of Barack Obama. The Obama presidency is evidence not just of the continuing relevance of FDR for assessing executive power but also of the salience of FDR's name in party politics and policy formulation.

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Beginning with Woodrow Wilson and U.S. entry into World War I and closing with the Great Depression, The Perils of Prosperity traces the transformation of America from an agrarian, moralistic, isolationist nation into a liberal, industrialized power involved in foreign affairs in spite of itself. William E. Leuchtenburg's lively yet balanced account of this hotly debated era in American history has been a standard text for many years. This substantial revision gives greater weight to the roles of women and minorities in the great changes of the era and adds new insights into literature, the arts, and technology in daily life. He has also updated the lists of important dates and resources for further reading. "This book gives us a rare opportunity to enjoy the matured interpretation of an American Historian who has returned to the story and seen how recent decades have added meaning and vividness to this epoch of our history."--Daniel J. Boorstin, from the Preface William E. Leuchtenburg is William Rand Kenan Professor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and recent past president of the American Historical Association. He has published numerous books on twentieth-century American history.

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