Customer Reviews

Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and How They Changed America 1789-1989

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

This is a story that I could not stop reading. Mr. Bechloss tells the story of how what he calls "Presidential Courage" changed the United States of America. By this he means 9 presidents who made difficult decisions that we American citizens needed to have, but they were decisions that could have wrecked the lives of those presidents with defeat or even assassination (Lincoln is an example of the latter). Bechloss tells the galluping tale of George Washington (who stopped a war by England with an unpopular treaty), John Adams (who stopped a war with France), Andy Jackson (who stopped the Bank of the United States), Abraham Lincoln (who freed the slaves although he thought it might make him lose to his opponent in 1864, Genl. MacClellan), Teddy Roosevelt (who stoppped J. Pierpont Morgan and Wall Street businessmen), Franklin D. Roosevelt (who was trying to tell American citizens to defend against Hitler although they were worried that he would push them into World War II), Harry Truman and starting Israel (his Secretary of State wanted to quit--Bechloss could also have written about bringing civil rights to the U.S. Army), John F. Kennedy and civil rights (altho the Southern states were against it and he was worried about his election in 1964)and then Ronald Reagan and ending the Cold War (which I liked even though I am a Democrat because Democrats helped him to do this more than many Republicans did). The book is a little bit like that old TV show "You Are There" because it makes you feel as if youy're right there with all these presidents as they're doing these dramatic and important acts. It will give you the idea of what it is like to really be President. There are also great color pictures too.

For anyone who thinks that the stories of past presidents in history show anything about what we should look for when we're thinking about candidates in a presidential election, this book will be the right one for you to read. It shows presidents who made blistering decisions and gives us an idea of the kind of virtues we should look for as we're voting next year, like conviction, wisdom and bravery. It also gives the idea that a president will be more likely to be a good president if he or she is not just a professional politician forever -- i.e., someone who has another career to go back to if she or he needs to or other things like a spouse or children or other interests. The tales are colorful and tell a lot about their personalities, although I wish the book went on a little longer becayse I like really long history books, like David McCullough's John Adams biography. I liked the story of Lincoln the best -- I have never been to the new cottage of his opening in Washington but I want to go.

I started reading this book and could not stop reading it. It tells stories of Presidents who went through bad times in their lives to do good for the United States. There are great pictures and I loved especially the stories about Truman and Abe Lincoln.

Perhaps because history documents at the time of Washington and Adams are more sparse than those during the eras of Lincoln, both Roosevelts, Truman, and Kennedy, the books seemed more believable to me as it went along.

Michael Beschloss, America's finest presidential scholar today, has written a collection of turning points in presidential history which is well-considered and informative. His selection of nine cases has certainly been whittled down to fit one book...I'm sure many more could have been added. But in reading them he has not only laid out the situations, but has added comments at the end of each one, thus providing some excellent perspective.

Not all of the stories are of equal importance. Lincoln, in dealing with emancipation and Truman with the creation of the state of Israel, were far out in front of their enemies AND their advisors. Kennedy, however, seemed more to back into his position of civil rights (understandably, perhaps, as he faced a tough re-election ahead). The section on Jackson's war with Nicholas Biddle is downright hysterical with Beschloss even letting us know about Jackson's backwoods' pronunciation. One can almost hear him speaking! Ronald Reagan's cartoon notepaper showing a bear on a pile of paper has a printed message next to it which reads "It's lonely at the top" and I think that reflects the crux of these accounts...in each case, these nine presidents had to make their decisions ultimately by themselves, and what they drew on is what Beschloss points out exceedingly well.

I highly recommend "Presidential Courage". It's well-constructed and gives a glimpse into the thinking of some of our most notable presidents and how those decisions affected their presidencies and our history.

This book presents a unique perspective of US Presidents actions during the difficult times of this country. Michael R. Beschloss brings forward the human element and the struggle we all go through in our life choosing the right over wrong and our ability / inability to have a vision and look beyond the current times and immediate benefits. I always believe that understanding our history is to appreciate the human beings behind their actions in those times and realize what it took them to do what they did. This book brought forward that understanding very illustratively.

Michael Beschloss is a wonderful historian, and it shows in this book, which shows the inner life and motives of Presidents Geo. Washington through Ronald W. Reagan. It is like a saga, with characters like Alexander Hamilton (who served under both Washington and John Adams) and John Hay (who served with Teddie Roosevelt and Lincoln). People are so angry in this period of U.S. politics of the 21st century that it is refreshing that the author is so clearly not subject to political prejudices and slants and can write clearly about Democrats and Republicans (and Federalists and anti-Federalists!) alike. We are now in a period when we seem to push down all of our leaders and when they seem to be very political and affected by polls and political consultants, and this fine book reminds us of the fact that for most of American history, we were lucky who were able to tower above all of that hubbub and stand for the welfare of all Americans. This book should particularly aspire younger people and I think it would be a good idea for both the Democrats and Republicans who are running for President in 2008 to read the book and remember that. I agree with one of the other reviewers that Mr. Beshloss has performed a great service to remind us of what has been best in our Presidential leaders in the past. I also liked his tendency to give lots of credit to First ladies like Abigail Adams and Eleanor Roosevelt for influencing their husbands to take a noble direction. The same with other members of their families. All in all, a delightful and fun story to read, and I highly recommend it -- especially to the young Americans.