Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and How They Changed America 1789-1989 [Abridged, Audiobook] [Audio CD]

Michael R. Beschloss (Author, Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 8, 2007

From the acclaimed bestselling author of The Conquerors

Michael Beschloss's dramatic and inspiring saga explores crucial times when a courageous President changed the history of the United States. With surprising new sources and a dazzling command of history and human character, Beschloss brings these flawed, complex men -- and their wives, families, friends and foes -- to life as if in a gripping novel. Never have we had a more intimate, behind-the-scenes view of Presidents coping with the supreme dilemmas of their lives.

In Presidential Courage you will witness 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, "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, as well as the crushing ordeals faced by Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, John Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan.

As Beschloss shows, none of these Presidents was eager to incur ridicule, vilification or threats of political destruction and even assassination. But in the end, each ultimately proved himself to be, in Andrew Jackson's words, "born for the storm."

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Don't be afraid!" was George Washington's near-to-last utterance, to the worried doctor at his bedside. The essential founding father's counsel is understood by well-known historian Beschloss (The Conquerors: Roosevelt, Truman and the Destruction of Hitler's Germany) to set an example for future presidents. Beschloss outlines how several occupants of the Oval Office—including Jackson, Lincoln, Roosevelt, FDR, Truman, Kennedy and Reagan—combined courage with wisdom to change the future of the country, notwithstanding the slings and arrows they earned. Despite its unpopularity at the time, for instance, Reagan's "strong beliefs combined with his optimism" led him to pursue the policy to abolish nuclear weapons, which helped bring down the Soviet empire peacefully. None of the author's heroes were saints, but rather flawed men sustained by friends, families, conviction and religious faith. With contenders for 2008 already lining up, this well-timed book might, the author hopes, persuade some to take the kinds of "wise political risks that Presidents once did."Perhaps. But knowledgeable readers should look elsewhere for genuine historical insight. The author's broad brushstrokes necessarily restrict him to painting nuanced individuals and complex times in only basic primary colors, and there is little that has not been said before—in some cases, many times. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Bookmarks Magazine

Over the past two decades, Michael Beschloss has become one of our most popular and prolific historians, recognizable from his many television appearances and bankable in the mold of David McCullough, Stephen Ambrose, Douglas Brinkley, and Doris Kearns Goodwin. Previous books include Taking Charge (1997), an examination of LBJ's White House tapes, and The Conquerors: Roosevelt, Truman and the Destruction of Hitler's Germany (2002). Critics are not as kind to Presidential Courage as to the author's previous efforts, commenting frequently on a rushed, uneven, and unnecessarily episodic prose style (what Mary Beth Norton deems "the written equivalent of sound bites"). Beschloss's thesis-that presidents are sometimes required to make unpopular decisions-forces on these profiles a sameness that, despite the author's research, reputation, and obvious passion for the subject, undermines the book's effectiveness.
Copyright © 2004 Phillips & Nelson Media, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio; Abridged edition (May 8, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743561783
• ISBN-13: 978-0743561785
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 5.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (67 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,198,263 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

122 of 133 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars sweeping vision, May 8, 2007

By 

J. Johnson "Allman Brothers obsessive" (Manassas, VA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and How They Changed America 1789-1989 (Hardcover)

Michael Bescholss has become one of our most visible historians, in part through his willingness to appear on both public tv and venues like the late lamented Imus in the Morning. None of these appearances would matter if he didn't have anything of value to say. Of course the reason he is invited to appear is that he not only has something to say, but it is insightful and beautifully written.

In this book he deals with several crisis periods in presidential history. He tells the story clearly and then incisively draws meaning for the larger American Story. Whether it is Washington's struggle over the Jay Treaty, Adams balancing the place of England and France in American life or FDR supporting England when public opinionwas decidedly isolationist, Beschloss helps us understand our own story. He places a great deal of emphasis on courage, yet makes it clear that courage is different from stubbornness or going it alone. Courage involves wisdom, a moral compass and can only be differentiated for stubborness with the gift of time-perhaps a wise thing for people on both sides of our current political landscape to remember

I strongly recommend this book. It is an excellent addition to the study of the presidiency and an excellent discussion of leadership for both the public and private sector.

49 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, quick read, June 8, 2007

By 

Sunnybird "Sunnybird" (Philadelphia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and How They Changed America 1789-1989 (Hardcover)

I almost didn't buy this book based on the Publisher's Weekly review above, which essentially says that the book just repeats what has been said previously many times (sidenote: the author appeared locally, so I bought the book primarily to have it signed). While that may be true, after reading an online excerpt, I decided that while others may have written the same, I might not have read what others have said.

I found the book to be interesting, entertaining, and accessible (not bogged down in excessive complexities) and a quick read. The book is more focused on reporting historical incidents/anecdotes than on any in-depth analysis of specific events, but given that the book covers presidents from 1789 to 1989 in 330 pages, this should not be a surprise. If you are looking for in-depth analysis, look elsewhere. If you would like a nice overview of presidents and selected historical events, then I would recommend this book. The criticism of another that the book is "pop history" may be true, but that may not be a bad thing if it gets more people to read a history book.

As I currently live in Philadelphia, I found the section on Andrew Jackson and his fight with the Second Bank of Philadelphia particularly interesting. The Second Bank building still stands and is an attractive piece of the city's historical architecture. It's nice to know a little more of the history that goes along with the building, and I will look at the building differently as I pass it on the street.

43 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Magnificent Book, June 9, 2007

By 

Gil Taylor (Kailua-Kona HI) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and How They Changed America 1789-1989 (Hardcover)

Presidential Courage is a magnificent book that I highly recommend to everyone except many other historians, or those who fashion themselves as such. I've been a student of history for most of my 71 years and I consider Michael Beschloss a wonderful writer who reaches people like myself - people who enjoy history, but have never done the excruciating research necessary to qualify as a historian.

Many academicians abhor that which addresses their field of expertise, but is written at the level of ordinary folks like me. Michael Beschloss is a great historian who is able to extrapolate the key components of his research and present them in a manner easily comprehensible to people like myself. I believe that books like Presidential Courage are not only fun to read, but constitute an important public service.