Download or read book The Presidents written by Brian Lamb and published by PublicAffairs. This book was released on 2019-04-23 with total page 626 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The complete rankings of our best -- and worst -- presidents, based on C-SPAN's much-cited Historians Surveys of Presidential Leadership. Over a period of decades, C-SPAN has surveyed leading historians on the best and worst of America's presidents across a variety of categories -- their ability to persuade the public, their leadership skills, their moral authority, and more. The crucible of the presidency has forged some of the very best and very worst leaders in our national history, along with everyone in between. Based on interviews conducted over the years with a variety of presidential biographers, this book provides not just a complete ranking of our presidents, but stories and analyses that capture the character of the men who held the office. From Abraham Lincoln's political savvy and rhetorical gifts to James Buchanan's indecisiveness, this book teaches much about what makes a great leader -- and what does not. As America looks ahead to our next election, this book offers perspective and criteria to help us choose our next leader wisely.
Download or read book The End of Greatness written by Aaron David Miller and published by St. Martin's Press. This book was released on 2014-10-07 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Presidency has always been an implausible—some might even say an impossible—job. Part of the problem is that the challenges of the presidency and the expectations Americans have for their presidents have skyrocketed, while the president's capacity and power to deliver on what ails the nations has diminished. Indeed, as citizens we continue to aspire and hope for greatness in our only nationally elected office. The problem of course is that the demand for great presidents has always exceeded the supply. As a result, Americans are adrift in a kind of Presidential Bermuda Triangle suspended between the great presidents we want and the ones we can no longer have. The End of Greatness explores the concept of greatness in the presidency and the ways in which it has become both essential and detrimental to America and the nation's politics. Miller argues that greatness in presidents is a much overrated virtue. Indeed, greatness is too rare to be relevant in our current politics, and driven as it is by nation-encumbering crisis, too dangerous to be desirable. Our preoccupation with greatness in the presidency consistently inflates our expectations, skews the debate over presidential performance, and drives presidents to misjudge their own times and capacity. And our focus on the individual misses the constraints of both the office and the times, distorting how Presidents actually lead. In wanting and expecting our leaders to be great, we have simply made it impossible for them to be good. The End of Greatness takes a journey through presidential history, helping us understand how greatness in the presidency was achieved, why it's gone, and how we can better come to appreciate the presidents we have, rather than being consumed with the ones we want.
Download or read book Why Moderates Make the Best Presidents written by Gil Troy and published by University Press of Kansas. This book was released on 2012-09-12 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: George Washington, Abraham, Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan-most would agree their presidencies were amongst the most successful in American history. But what made these very different men such effective leaders? According to presidential historian Gil Troy, these presidents succeeded not because of their bold political visions, but because of their moderation. Although many presidential candidates claim to be moderates, the word cannot conceal a political climate defined by extreme rhetoric and virulent partisanship. In this book, Troy argues that this is a distinctly un-American state of affairs. The great presidents of American history have always sought a golden mean-from George Washington, who brilliantly mediated between the competing visions of Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton, to Abraham Lincoln, who rescued the union with his principled pragmatism, to the two Roosevelts, Theodore and Franklin, who united millions of Americans with their powerful, affirmative, nationalist visions. Moderation in politics is difficult to achieve in an age of excess-an anything-goes culture feeds an all-or-nothing politics. In the face of challenges both at home and abroad, Troy calls for a muscular moderation, a powerful affirmation of the values that united us and a commitment to a politics that builds from the center rather than playing to extremes. As America lines up to select its next president, Gil Troy brilliantly reminds us of the finest traditions of presidential leadership from our nation's past. Published in 2008 (by Basic Books) as Leading from the Center. This is first time in paperback.
Download or read book America s Nine Greatest Presidents written by Frank P. King and published by McFarland. This book was released on 1997-01-01 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Among the 42 men who have held the office of the President of the United States, some are remembered more easily than others for the strength of their administration. The nine greatest presidents were all attractive in one way or another, writes Frank P. King. Far more important and difficult to appreciate and understand, they had superb characters derived from principles, commitments, and habits. They all seem, even now, to be remarkably like us. The success of presidents and congresses and governments is measured by achievements which advance the commercial and strategic health of the nation, our culture, and the prosperity of the nation's people. The peacekeepers--armed with swords, spoons, or pens--have been our greatest blessing. Making and keeping friends and allies is more than a hobby. King chronicles the lives of Dwight D. Eisenhower, Harry S Truman, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, James K. Polk, James Monroe, Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington and places them in historical perspective in this detailed study. He examines their legislative, military, and political actions, and offers analysis of each man's character, values, progressiveness, and political performance.
Download or read book Rating the Presidents written by William J. Ridings and published by Citadel Press. This book was released on 1997 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Based on a wide-ranging poll of 719 historians and political scientists, this book ranks all the U.S. presidents in order of their influence and importance. From the best-rated president (Lincoln) to the worst-rated (Harding), the authors analyze the high and low points of each Chief Executive's term.
Download or read book Destiny s Consul written by Michael P. Riccards and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2012 with total page 399 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Destiny's Consul: America's Greatest Presidents, presidential scholar Michael P. Riccards provides a concise introduction to the lives, presidencies, and personal qualities of ten great individuals whom Riccards argues are our greatest presidents. It will be of interest to anyone interested in the presidency of American history.
Download or read book America s Ten Greatest Presidents written by and published by . This book was released on 1968 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Black President written by Claude A. Clegg III and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2021-10-12 with total page 697 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "With lively prose and sensitivity to context, this book offers a sweeping, authoritative history of the Obama presidency, focusing particularly on its impact and meaning vis-áa-vis African Americans. This interpretative account captures the America that made Obama's White House years possible, while at the same time rendering the America that resolutely resisted the idea of a Black chief executive, thus making conceivable the ascent of his most unlikely of successors"--
Download or read book Leading from the Center written by Gil Troy and published by ReadHowYouWant.com. This book was released on 2009-10 with total page 602 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy-most would agree their presidencies were among the most successful in American history. But what made these very different men such effective leaders? According to presidential historian Gil Troy, these presidents succeeded not because of their bold political visions, but because of their moderation. Although many of the presidential hopefuls for 2008 will claim to be moderates, the word cannot conceal a political climate defined by extreme rhetoric and virulent partisanship. InLeading From the Center, Gil Troy argues that this is a distinctlyun-American state of affairs. The great presidents of American history have always sought a golden mean-from Washington, who brilliantly mediated between the competing visions of Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton, to Lincoln, who rescued the Union with his principled pragmatism, to the two Roosevelts, who united millions of Americans with their powerful, affirmative, nationalist visions. As America lines up to select a president for the future, Gil Troy astutely reminds us of the finest traditions of presidential leadership from our nation's past.
Download or read book The Best Worst President written by Mark Hannah and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2016-06-28 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A veteran political analyst and a renowned New Yorker illustrator celebrate Barack Obama’s achievements in a compendium that takes his critics head-on. Barack Obama’s election in 2008 was a watershed moment in American history that inspired supporters on the Left—and fired up enemies on the Right. Elected in the midst of multiple crises—a Wall Street meltdown that imperiled the global economy and American troops entangled in two foreign wars—Obama’s presidency promised to be one of the most consequential in modern American history. Although he stabilized the economy and restored America’s prestige on the global stage, President Obama has been denied the credit he deserves, receiving instead acidic commentary from political opponents such as former Vice President Dick Cheney, who declared that Obama was “the worst president in [his] lifetime.” In The Best “Worst President”, Mark Hannah and New Yorker illustrator Bob Staake swiftly and systematically debunk conservative lies and disinformation meant to negate the president’s accomplishments and damage his reputation—baseless charges too often left unchallenged by the national media. Hannah and Staake not only defend the president but showcase his administration’s most surprising and underappreciated triumphs—making clear he truly is the best “worst president” our nation has ever known.
Download or read book The Top 5 Greatest Presidents written by Charles River Charles River Editors and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2018-02-23 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Includes pictures. *Includes bibliographies. The Founding Fathers have held a special place in American society since the nation gained its freedom, and many of them had become national heroes even before then. Over 200 years later, Americans still look with reverence to these men, often debating with each other what the Founding Fathers would think about a certain issue, or how they would judge a certain law or legislation. In many respects, these men have become icons, whose words, thoughts and deeds are rarely questioned. Every American is taught a pristine narrative of the life and legacy of George Washington and can easily recite the highlights and myths of Washington's life. Washington's Secretary of State and the 3rd president, Thomas Jefferson was instrumental in authoring the Declaration of Independence, laying out the ideological groundwork of the notion of states' rights, leading one of the first political parties, and overseeing the expansion of the United States during his presidency. Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) is one of the most famous Americans in history and one of the country's most revered presidents. Schoolchildren can recite the life story of Lincoln, the "Westerner" who educated himself and became a self made man, rising from lawyer to leader of the new Republican Party before becoming the 16th President of the United States. Lincoln successfully navigated the Union through the Civil War but didn't live to witness his crowning achievement, becoming the first president assassinated when he was shot at Ford's Theater by John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865. When McKinley was assassinated in 1901, young Teddy Roosevelt was thrust into the presidency. Roosevelt's "Square Deal" domestic policies favored average citizens while busting trusts and monopolies. Teddy also promoted conservation as an environmental stance, while his "speak softly and carry a big stick" foreign policy is still an oft used phrase today. Teddy even earned a Nobel Prize during his presidency. Teddy is on Mount Rushmore and might be America's greatest 20th century president, but if he's not it might be because of his own relative. Whether Franklin Delano Roosevelt was America's greatest 20th century president or not, there's no question that he was the most unique. A well-connected relative of Theodore Roosevelt, FDR was groomed for greatness until he was struck down by what was widely believed to be polio at the time. Nevertheless, he persevered, rising through New York politics to reach the White House just as the country faced its greatest challenge since the Civil War, beginning his presidency with one of the most iconic lines ever spoken during an inaugural address. For over a decade, President Roosevelt threw everything he had at the Great Depression, and then threw everything the country had at the Axis powers during World War II. Ultimately, he succumbed to illness in the middle of his fourth term, just before the Allies won the war.
Download or read book America s Presidents written by Jason Stahl and published by Centennial Books. This book was released on 2020-09-22 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 2020, as we set our sights on another election, this book takes a look at all of the presidents of the United States—ranked from best to worst (the results may surprise you)—and their legacies, achievements and what we learned from their leadership. The book spans from 1789 when George Washington (spoiler alert: he's in the "Best Presidents" category) took the first-ever oath of office. Forty-four different men have sworn to “faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States” and what makes a great leader has been vision, conviction, and setting the nation on the right course. The Revolutionary War showed us we needed commanders who were going to fight for our freedom. The Civil War showed we needed leaders who were going to unite this nation. We looked to the President during hard times like the Great Depression, who were going to pick us up, dust us off and, with a steady hand, guide us to more promising times, which Franklin Delano Roosevelt did over his unprecedented four terms. Over the next many, many decades, and many wars and battles later, the President of the United States has shown they are the most powerful person on this planet. But they are also vulnerable. They’ve been targets of assassination attempts, and some, sadly, have been successful. Their transgressions have lead to scandals and impeachments. Presidents have been accused of abusing power and the advent of social media has ushered in a new form of communicating to constituents and young voters. In an election year when interest in Presidents is strong, join Centennial Books as we look to the nation's shared history to see what we can learn for today and the future.
Download or read book Rating the Presidents written by William J. Ridings and published by Citadel Press. This book was released on 2000-10 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A solid primer and reference about the many men who have held the highest office in the US, from George Washington to Bill Clinton. Based on a poll of 719 historians & political scientists,this book ranks all the presidents in order of their influence & importance. From the best rated president (Lincoln) to the worst rated (Harding), the authors analyse the high & low points of each Chief Executive's term. Of course, external factors influence a presidency as well & the authors supply a detailed overview of each administration to provide an in depth perspective.
Download or read book The Next Great President written by Edward Thomas and published by . This book was released on 2020-11-03 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An analysis of the rankings of U. S. Presidents over the past 70 years shows remarkable consistency in the ratings of the best ones. Three presidents stand out above the rest in consistently being ranked in the top three as our greatest presidents: George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin Roosevelt. This book reviews their history, presidential leadership, and legacy, and provides an analysis of their common personality traits and parallels in the challenges each faced as President. Another analysis of history shows a consistent 80-year cycle of crisis, in which the leader of our country was tested in a crucible of fire and showed his true mettle. What form will the next crisis take? Will it be a global pandemic? Will it be a nuclear terrorist attack? Will it be a world war? Or will it be some cataclysmic climatic event? It may be too soon to tell, but we can make some educated guesses. Multiple hot spots around the globe are sparking like flash points in a California wildfire. A single flash point could end up being the start of an escalating chain of events leading to worldwide conflict.Does the crisis make the man, or does the man prove himself through his handling of the crisis? The greatness of our first three great presidents coincides with three great events in our history - the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and the Second World War. Each of these crucial events occurred approximately 80 years apart, and the last great event occurred about 80 years ago. With an eye to this 80-year cycle of secular crisis in United States history, this book predicts that The Next Great President will be elected in 2020, 2024, or 2028. It is up to us, then, to make sure that we put the right candidates into positions of authority, because it will take the right person in the right place at the right time to meet the next great crisis head-on and successfully guide our country through.
Download or read book The Greatest War Stories Never Told written by Rick Beyer and published by Harper. This book was released on 2005-11-01 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Search the annals of military history and you will discover no end of quirky characters and surprising true stories: The topless dancer who saved the Byzantine Empire. The World War I battle that was halted so a soccer game could be played. The scientist who invented a pigeon-guided missile in 1943. And don't forget the elderly pig whose death triggered an international crisis between the United States and Great Britain. This is the kind of history you'll find in The Greatest War Stories Never Told. One hundred fascinating stories drawn from two thousand years of military history, accompanied by a wealth of photographs, maps, drawings, and documents that help bring each story to life. Little-known tales told with a one-two punch of history and humor that will make you shake your head in disbelief -- but they're all true! Did You Know That: One military unit served on both sides during the Civil War The War of Jenkins's Ear was actually fought over a sea captain's ear Daniel Boone was once tried for treason A siege on Poland in 1519 gave birth to the marriage of bread and butter Discover how war can be a catalyst for change; an engine for innovation; and an arena for valor, deceit, intrigue, ambition, revenge, audacity, folly, and even silliness. Want to know how the mafia helped the United States win World War II, when the word bazooka was coined, or how Silly Putty was invented? Read on!
Download or read book Ranking U S Presidents from Washington to Trump written by Stanford Erickson and published by . This book was released on 2020-08-19 with total page 508 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Great presidents are determined first and foremost by the circumstances and times of their presidency. But great presidents also demonstrate great personal leadership in being in the forefront of necessary changes in our country. President Donald Trump recognized that after 70 years of promoting economic and political policies that rebuilt other nations following the devastations of WW II, it was time to rebuild and refortify the United States. Within three plus years, he has been doing that with renegotiated trade agrees, deregulation of overzealous bureaucratic oversight, tax cuts, increased military funding and judicial appointments. He also has demonstrated personal leadership in our nation's response to the worldwide pandemic. His effectiveness, like most national and international leaders, is questionable but he has been courageous in demonstrating leadership. Among the greatest U.S. presidents, I rank Donald J. Trump number eight of the forty-five presidents. Seven before President Trump, I list as: George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson, Woodrow Wilson, Harry S Truman and Ronald Reagan. I justify my ranking by thoroughly examining the ratings of U.S. presidents by three acknowledged presidential rating historians: Clinton Rossiter, James David Barber and Alvin Stephen Felzenberg. I predicted in a newspaper column that Barack Obama would defeat Mitt Romney in 2012. I predicted that Donald Trump would defeat Hillary Clinton in 2016. I am predicting Donald Trump is odds-on favorite to beat any Democratic candidate for president in 2020. Having been a journalist for 40 years covering presidents and other international leaders, Congress and national and international business, I have found that to overcome a plethora of conflicting information and disinformation the simplest answer in understanding leaders is often the best. I have studied all 45 U.S. presidents and have found that the simplest way to determine why they got elected and why they were successful, less successful or not very successful at all, is to determine if they were a Daddy's Boy or a Mama's Boy from their birth on. I also identify in the book whether our presidents were balanced, atyplical, conflicted or unbalanced. Our greatest presidents were balanced. In other words, if they were at birth Mama's Boys, they learned to acquire the attributes of the other parent to balance them. Abraham Lincoln was a Mama's Boy who married at Daddy's Girl, Mary Todd, who taught him to man up. I identify President Trump as an atyplical Daddy's Boy. Though his father loved him and he loved his father, Donald has an inordinate need to be independent of a dominant father. To be his own man. Too simplistic? Of course, many other factors are involved.But I am talking about a simplistic rule of thumb, a poker tell, a major determining factor in predicting: who can get elected, in terms of their ability to campaign and attract a following; their personality and character; how they might make decisions; their policy inclinations; their management style, in terms of being able to delegate or not; if they have administrative capability; and, what is their worldview.
Download or read book Worst President Ever written by Robert Strauss and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2016-10-01 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Worst. President. Ever. flips the great presidential biography on its head, offering an enlightening—and highly entertaining!—account of poor James Buchanan’s presidency to prove once and for all that, well, few leaders could have done worse. But author Robert Strauss does much more, leading readers out of Buchanan’s terrible term in office—meddling in the Dred Scott Supreme Court decision, exacerbating the Panic of 1857, helping foment the John Brown uprisings and “Bloody Kansas,” virtually inviting a half-dozen states to secede from the Union as a lame duck, and on and on—to explore with insight and humor his own obsession with presidents, and ultimately the entire notion of ranking our presidents. He guides us through the POTUS rating game of historians and others who have made their own Mount Rushmores—or Marianas Trenches!—of presidential achievement, showing why Buchanan easily loses to any of the others, but also offering insights into presidential history buffs like himself, the forgotten "lesser" presidential sites, sex and the presidency, the presidency itself, and how and why it can often take the best measures out of even the most dedicated men.
