Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and how They Changed America, 1789-1989Simon & Schuster, 2007 - 430 pages From the acclaimed bestselling author ofThe Conquerors Michael Beschloss has brought us a brilliantly readable and inspiring saga about crucial times in America's history when a courageous President dramatically changed the future of the United States. With surprising new sources and a dazzling command of history and human character, Beschloss brings to life these flawed, complex men -- and their wives, families, friends and foes. Never have we had a more intimate, behind-the-scenes view of Presidents coping with the supreme dilemmas of their lives. You will be in the room with the private George Washington, braving threats of impeachment and assassination to make peace with England. John Adams, incurring his party's "unrelenting hatred" by refusing to fight France and warning his enemies, "Great is the guilt of an unnecessary war." Andrew Jackson, in a death struggle against the corrupt Bank of the United States. Abraham Lincoln, risking his Presidency to insist that slaves be freed. Beschloss also shows us Theodore Roosevelt, taunting J. P. Morgan and the Wall Street leaders who dominated his party. Franklin Roosevelt, defying the isolationists -- and maybe the law -- to stop Adolf Hitler. Harry Truman, risking a walkout by top officials to recognize a Jewish state. John Kennedy, the belated champion of civil rights, complaining that he has cost himself a second term. And finally, two hundred years after Washington, Ronald Reagan, irking some of his oldest backers to seek an end to the Cold War. As Beschloss shows in this gripping and important book, none of these Presidents was eager to incur ridicule, vilification or threats of political destruction and even assassination. But in the end, bolstered by friends and family, hidden private beliefs and, sometimes, religious faith, each ultimately proved himself to be, in Andrew Jackson's words, "born for the storm." |
From inside the book
Results 1-3 of 51
Page 132
... thing " that could happen to the North- west . Two days later , riding a train from Manhattan to Washington , Hanna asked why so many trust lawyers were aboard . He was staggered to be told that President Roosevelt had just sued to ...
... thing " that could happen to the North- west . Two days later , riding a train from Manhattan to Washington , Hanna asked why so many trust lawyers were aboard . He was staggered to be told that President Roosevelt had just sued to ...
Page 153
... thing to be intelligent . It is a better thing to be straight and decent and fearless . " For Roosevelt , a good Christian must not be greedy for earthly re- wards . He told a son that if he lost the Presidency in 1904 and “ felt soured ...
... thing to be intelligent . It is a better thing to be straight and decent and fearless . " For Roosevelt , a good Christian must not be greedy for earthly re- wards . He told a son that if he lost the Presidency in 1904 and “ felt soured ...
Page 179
... thing . " His opponent was borrowing " the tactics of Hitler . " ( FDR pro- nounced it “ Hit - lah . " ) Willkie was saying “ the same thing so often that after a while , people are going to believe it . " Acidly FDR speculated that ...
... thing . " His opponent was borrowing " the tactics of Hitler . " ( FDR pro- nounced it “ Hit - lah . " ) Willkie was saying “ the same thing so often that after a while , people are going to believe it . " Acidly FDR speculated that ...
Contents
Chapter Fourteen | 103 |
Chapter Fifteen | 113 |
Chapter Sixteen | 119 |
Copyright | |
11 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Abigail Adams Adams's American Andrew Jackson asked Bank Biddle's Blair Bobby British Bryant Cabinet called campaign Churchill civil rights Clark Clifford Clay Congress DeConde Democrats Eddie Jacobson Edmund Morris Edmund Randolph Eleanor election Federalist felt Ferling Franklin Roosevelt Franklin Roosevelt Papers George Washington Gorbachev Hanna Harry Truman Henry insisted James Jay's Treaty Jewish Jews John Adams John F John Hay Joseph Kennedy Joseph Kennedy Diary Joseph Kennedy Papers July June Kennedy Library Kennedy's knew leaders Lincoln Marshall McClellan Miller Center Morison nation never Nicholas Biddle Nixon oral history Oval Office Palestine peace Pickering political President President's Quasi-War Reagan Papers Reagan told Remini replied Republicans Robert Kennedy Ronald Reagan Diary Secretary Senate Sept Shultz Soviet Theodore Rex Theodore Roosevelt told his diary Truman Library Truman Papers Union vote warned Weizmann White House wife William Willkie wrote York