Buy used: $7.44

FREE delivery July 13 - 18. Details

Used: Very Good | Details

Sold by Better World Books: East

Add to List

Added to

Unable to add item to List. Please try again.

Share <Embed>

Have one to sell?

Sell on Amazon

Flip to back Flip to front

Listen Playing... Paused You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition.
Learn more

See all 2 images

Follow the Author

Yanek Mieczkowski

Gerald Ford and the Challenges of the 1970s Hardcover – April 22, 2005

by Yanek Mieczkowski (Author)

14 ratings

See all formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$2.99

—

Hardcover

"Please retry"

$7.44

$77.21

$3.45

Digital

"Please retry"

—

History has not been kind to Gerald Ford. His name evokes an image of either America's only unelected president, who abruptly pardoned his corrupt predecessor, or an accident-prone man who failed to provide skilled leadership to a country in domestic turmoil. In Gerald Ford and the Challenges of the 1970s, historian Yanek Mieczkowski reexamines Ford's two and a half years in office, showing that his presidency successfully confronted the most vexing crises of the postwar era.

Surveying the state of America in the 1970s, Mieczkowski focuses on the economic challenges facing the country. He argues that Ford's understanding of the national economy was better than that of any other modern president, that Ford oversaw a dramatic reduction of inflation, and that his attempts to solve the energy crisis were based in sound economic principles. Throughout his presidency, Ford labored under the legacy of Watergate. Democrats scored landslide victories in the 1974 midterm elections, and the president engaged with a spirited opposition Congress. Within an anemic Republican Party, the right wing challenged Ford's leadership, even as pundits predicted the death of the GOP. Yet Ford reinvigorated the party and fashioned a 1976 campaign strategy against Jimmy Carter that brought him from thirty points behind to a dead heat on election day.

Mieczkowski draws on numerous personal interviews with the former president, cabinet officials, and members of the Ninety-fourth Congress. In his reassessment of this underrated president, Ford emerges as a skilled executive, an effective diplomat, and a leader with a clear vision for America's future. Working to heal a divided nation, Ford unified the GOP and laid the groundwork for the Republican resurgence in subsequent decades. The first major work on the former president to appear in more than ten years, Gerald Ford and the Challenges of the 1970s combines the best of biography and economic, social, and presidential history to create an intriguing portrait of a president, his times, and his legacy.

Print length

480 pages
Language

English
Publisher

University Press of Kentucky
Publication date

April 22, 2005
Reading age

18 years and up
Dimensions

6.32 x 1.23 x 9.52 inches
ISBN-10

0813123496
ISBN-13

978-0813123493
See all details

Products related to this item
Sponsored Hide feedback

Page 1 of 1Start overPage 1 of 1

James Cannon
78
Hardcover
$33.27 List: $35.00 (5% off)
Get it as soon as Thursday, Jul 14
FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon
John Robert Greene
12
Hardcover
$39.95
Get it as soon as Thursday, Jul 14
FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon
Only 1 left in stock (more on the way).

Editorial Reviews

Review

"One of the best presidential biographies I have read. It explains the rise of the Republican Party as a ruling majority today. It is fast paced and extremely well written. It is a worthy assessment of Mr. Ford's presidency."―(Lanett, AL) Valley Times-News

"The reader come away from reading this fine and impeccably researched book with a new appreciation for Gerald Ford as a sophisticated thinker and a person with a consistent vision for the nation's domestic and international policy. . . . Succeeds admirably as a political biography."―Business History Review

"In this impressive book, he argues that Ford's tenure as president deserves more consideration and even praise than it has often received. After reading it, one is hard pressed to disagree with the author's conclusion."―H-Net Reviews

"A welcome study of an unusual American president."―Journal of American History

"This ambitious work calls for a reexamination of the Ford presidency in light of the formidable challenges he faced upon taking office. A welcome and important addition to the literature on the Ford presidency."―Library Journal

"Adds a great deal to our understanding of Ford's priorities and guiding philosophy for the nation's domestic and international policies. Mieczkowski shows within a broad historical context how Ford dealt with the challenges the country faced during the mid-1970s."―Michigan Historical Review

"By a masterful analysis, Mieczkowski shows how Ford restored credibility to government and promoted amicable relations with Congres."―Richard Lowitt, University of Oklahoma

About the Author

Yanek Mieczkowski, professor of history at Dowling College, is the author of The Routledge Historical Atlas of Presidential Elections and Eisenhower's Sputnik Moment: The Race for Space and World Prestige.

Start reading Gerald Ford and the Challenges of the 1970s on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ University Press of Kentucky; Illustrated edition (April 22, 2005)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 480 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0813123496
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0813123493
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 18 years and up
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.67 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.32 x 1.23 x 9.52 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,148,741 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2,046 in American Revolution Biographies (Books)
- #3,418 in United States Executive Government
- #4,829 in US Presidents

Customer Reviews:
14 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload video

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Yanek Mieczkowski

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Products related to this item
Sponsored Hide feedback

Page 1 of 1Start overPage 1 of 1

Customer reviews

5 star		80%
4 star		20%
3 star 0% (0%)		0%
2 star 0% (0%)		0%
1 star 0% (0%)		0%

How customer reviews and ratings work

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Lehigh History Student

A great political work

Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2008

Verified Purchase

This is an excellent book not only for summarizing the presidency of Gerald Ford but also for understanding of how the 1970's changed America. For those who wish to understand 2008 and the problems facing the election and the country they only have to look back to this time in history where unbridled disgust of the government and economic woes were abound. As past reviewers have stated this book does an excellent job of looking at how the Ford presidency shaped the America and provides a necessary reevaluation of the times. While Truman got his mythical bounce during the Ford era it may be in the times of the 2008 election and George W Bush that Ford may see his redemption. Ford faced a challenge unlike many presidents and as the author states "Ford may have been elected at the most unlucky time in history" with a host of internal political strife, economic woes of inflation and soon to be rising unemployment, as well as falling world prestige. He approached these problems with honesty and common sense providing leadership that saved the Republican Party and possibly allowed the country to heal from the rifts. Despite not wining reelection Ford shaped the future by marshaling the economic forces of the time trying to give the Carter administration a policy to work with. As you read the energy policies in this book they smack of the very things being discussed in 2008 from CAFÉ standards to development of alternate energy standards. In all this is a fascinating book to read and I recommend it to all students of political history.

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Nicholas Roberts

Title says it all.

Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2014

Verified Purchase

This book is about how Gerald Ford confronted the numerous problems that confronted the nation during the 1970s. The book is divided into several parts. The first involves the constitutional crisis of pardoning Nixon and getting respect back to the Presidency. Ford's upfront approach and willingness to work with others helped to heal the wounds of Watergate, but did not seal them. Time would prove Ford right in the end however.

Second part covers the economic crisis at the time. Inflation was high, unemployment was high, and the economy was in a severe recession. The author presents Ford's economic plan, the effects and how it improved the nation.

Third part involves the energy crisis and the fourth his bid for re-election. Everything is covered and explained in an easy to read format. It gives you a greater appreciation for Ford as a man and a politician. It is unfortunate that we do not have more of this type of politician in office today.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Alexander Hogan

A necessary re-evaluation of the Ford Presidency

Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2006

Verified Purchase

An entertaining and historically necessary re-evaluation of one of our most underrated Presidents. Largely remembered for falling down, Mieczkowski shows how Ford's personal honesty, lack of arrogance or secrecy and willingness to let Congress, despite their largely successful attempt to thwart Ford's policy initiatives to regain their sense of power after four terms of an "Imperial Presidency" was exactly what America needed after the trauma of Watergate and Vietnam.

Ford never had any interest in seeking the Presidency. He was happy to stay in Congress, dreaming of being Speaker of the House. As Mieczkowski mentions, it takes a pretty big ego and a lot of ruthlessness to decide to run for President, make through the primaries and come out on top in November. As an "accidental" President who was never elected, Ford has perhaps the unique distinction of having smallest ego of any sitting President, an important bending of the stick after years of Nixon and Johnson.

Ironically despite being one of the most open Presidents when it came to press, he was mercilessly ridiculed by them, leading to his klutzy reputation. After Watergate and the 60's rebellion, no one was willing to trust anyone in authority and Ford had the bad luck to come into office when he did. Many who did attack him (even Chevy Chase as the book recounts) would latter regret it.

Mieczkowski also does a good job of reminding readers was a state of crisis America was in the mid- 1970's. Rampart inflation, out of control energy prices and a generalized lack of confidence in the future and our leaders were all problems Ford inherited and tried his best to confront. A combative Democratic controlled Congress, with a high percentage of "new Democrat" freshmen made sure that Ford spent more time in veto wars with the House and Senate instead signing his name to bills, so in terms of policy he accomplished little, but he did succeed in bringing back some sense of trust to the White House. In the end Ford was a man who never labored to sit in the White House, but when called upon to try to rebuild the broken trust America had in the Executive branch after the lies of Johnson and Nixon, Mieczkowski shows how Ford stepped into one of the more difficult positions any President has ever faced and left an important mark. His pardon of Nixon largely killed his chances to be re-elected, but Mieczkowski makes a well-argued defense of Ford's decision *whether you agree with it or not) and that Ford did it out of a need to move America onto issues beyond Watergate; not becuase of any "secret deal" with Nixon as some had rumoured. Even then, during his re-election campaign, he managed to cut Carter's intial dominating lead to mere points making the 76 election one of the closest in the 20th century. His openness, moderation and dialogue when dealing with opponents and scrupulous honesty are characteristics that I'm sure many of would like to see make a comeback in Washington.

15 people found this helpful

Helpful

Senator Larry Pressler (Ret.)

Superb accurate work much needed

Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2010

Verified Purchase

I was in the US House from l977-79and the Seante from l979-97. This is the first accurate, detailed account of Ford's presidency. I was there for much of this and I have not seen it written so thouroughly. It is an accurate, old fashioned history of what really happened--especially pointing out that Ford had been on appropriations all those years and was probably the first president to really understand that process. I was new in Wasshington and I was astounded at how harsh the press was on Ford--yet when I went to his funeral they were all praising him. I am so delighted that this book was written.

I must confess that i especially appreciated Mr. Mieczkowski dug out that Ford had fired one of his legislative aids Mr. Loen over his treatment of me after I had voted against Ford's position on natural gas. That took a lot of digging--and showed Jerry Ford's basic fairness and dignity. I hope Mr. Mieczkowski reads this and gets in touch with me by e mail--mine is lpressler@larrypressler.com.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

JohnnnySmallls

The Best Ford Biography

Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2014

Verified Purchase

Although this reads like an academic text, it is a GOOD academic text. The work fully illuminates the problems that Ford dealt with,(both domestic and foreign) and brings to life the 1970s. Mieczkowski is a great writer and is very good at throwing in numerous details to keep the reader engaged.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

K Sims

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2014

Verified Purchase

ok

Helpful