Extraordinary Circumstances: The Presidency of Gerald R. Ford [Hardcover]

David Hume Kennerly (Author), Richard Norton Smith (Author), Tom Brokaw (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2007

"I assume the presidency under extraordinary circumstances." --President Gerald R. Ford, August 9, 1974 Gerald R. Ford stepped into the American presidency during a constitutional crisis that many believed was the country's worst since the Civil War. Extraordinary Circumstances is a stunning collection of behind-closed-doors images by President Ford's personal photographer, David Hume Kennerly. Seen here are intimate scenes of the inner workings of the White House; Ford's family and much-beloved wife Betty; and many of the twentieth-century's most compelling and elusive figures, including Queen Elizabeth II, Leonid Brezhnev, Emperor Hirohito, Deng Xioping, Anwar Sadat, Yitzhak Rabin, Richard Nixon, Andy Warhol, and George Harrison. The book follows Gerald Ford from the day President Nixon appointed him as vice president through the tumultuous early crises of his presidency, including his controversial pardon of Nixon, the U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam, and his wife Betty's breast cancer, to the end of his presidency after losing to Jimmy Carter. Adding depth and perspective to the photos are excerpts from exclusive interviews with President Ford, President Jimmy Carter, President George H. W. Bush, Henry Kissinger, Donald Rumsfeld, Richard Cheney, Alan Greenspan, and other prominent members of the Ford administration. Extraordinary Circumstances is sponsored and published by the Center for American History at the University of Texas at Austin, the home of the David Hume Kennerly Photographic Archive. It features an introduction by NBC's Tom Brokaw and an overview of Ford's life by famed historian Richard Norton Smith.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

David Hume Kennerly won a Pulitzer Prize in 1972 for his photographs of the Vietnam War and has contributed to Time, Life, Newsweek, and Vanity Fair magazines. He is the author of four previous books and is currently a contributing editor for NBC News.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 232 pages
• Publisher: Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin (October 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0976669714
• ISBN-13: 978-0976669715
• Product Dimensions: 13.6 x 10.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #768,490 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unprecedented Access + A Brilliant Eye = Extraordinary History Lesson, January 4, 2008

By 

D. Menuez (New York) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Extraordinary Circumstances: The Presidency of Gerald R. Ford (Hardcover)

Aside from the stunning photography which I'll get to, this important book gave me new insights into a mostly overlooked Presidency. Kennerly documented the Ford Presidency and shows us the actual moments that some of the most significant decisions in American history were made- the Nixon pardon and leaving Vietnam to name two- thus revealing Ford as a true leader and rare politician willing to act on his beliefs regardless of consequences. (I say this as a lifelong Democrat!) As you go through the book, the range of images and perfect moments add up to a master class of great photojournalism, timeless, classic and relevant. The access he gained to intimate family moments, such as Betty Ford recovering from breast surgery, is astounding and says much about Kennerly's sensitivity and the trust he gained. It feels very emotional, intimate and world's away from our current super-posed, photo-op political culture. What is truly amazing is how easy he makes the photography look. Almost every image here is archetypal, profoundly primal, and about the subjects, not the photographer. The beauty of his work is the Zen of it; the essence of the story and person is revealed in the most graceful way. "Extraordinary Circumstances" fills an important gap in American history from a rare talent given a ringside seat, an incredible achievement.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book should get a Pulizer!!, February 8, 2008

By 

Marshall J. Darling (Cape Cod) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Extraordinary Circumstances: The Presidency of Gerald R. Ford (Hardcover)

David Hume-Kennerly is one of the most gifted photojournalists of our generation. He was chosen by Gerald Ford to be the "eyes of the nation on the presidency" after the insanity of paranoia that was Nixon's Whitehouse. This resulted in David becoming a "member" of the Ford family and thus having total access to the reality of The Pardon, The End of The War, and everything else that happened in those short Ford years. (As a fellow Shooter, his was the only job that I was INSANELY jealous of because he was the permanent `fly on the wall'!)

This book shares with us those times and shows us how lucky this country was to have had this strong and honest man at the top when we needed those qualities the most.

I truly hope that DHK is awarded another Pulitzer for this work.

Marshall Darling on The Cape

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best, February 25, 2008

By 

Gary L. Kieffer (Heidelberg, Germany) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Extraordinary Circumstances: The Presidency of Gerald R. Ford (Hardcover)

If you have ever wondered what really goes on at the White House, this is the book to buy. David Kennerly had more access to the inner workings of the White House than any other photographer, before or since. These photos certainly prove it. For any student of history, or photography, this is one book to have on your shelf. As a working photojournalist for 35 years, I have had the pleasure of working beside Kennerly and can say that besides being a great photographer, he is one of the gentlemen of the business, an old-school hero to many an up and coming photographer. Don't miss out on this book.