The American President

Kunhardt Jr., Philip B.; Kunhardt III, Philip B.; Kunhardt, Peter W.; Neustadt, Richard; Kenney, Larry

ISBN 10: 069452154X ISBN 13: 9780694521548

Publisher: HarperAudio, 1999

Synopsis

A Companion to the Epic PBS Series

"The story of the presidency is, at least in part, a story of human personality under pressure . . . "

The American President is a brilliantly conceived and deeply informed landmark look at our nation's highest office.  Working closely with a distinguished group of scholars, and making use of both archival sources and interviews with living U.S. presidents, the authors have organized their material thematically rather than chronologically, rendering fascinating juxtapositions that shed new light on familiar figures: Thomas Jefferson with Ronald Reagan; John Adams with Jimmy Carter; James Madison with Bill Clinton.

This remarkable audio provides a new understanding of the legacy and impact of the most important American institution, helping to bring focus to the ways in which presidents have affected the history of our nation.

 

 

About this title

Review

The American President has the looks of a coffee-table book, the smarts of an academic tome, and the readability of a novel, full of interesting and little-known facts about the first 41 chief executives of the United States. (Bill Clinton is the 42nd president, but Grover Cleveland was elected president twice, before and after Benjamin Harrison, making him the 22nd and 24th president.) The Kunhardt family are producers of both historical books and documentaries, and their television background is evident in the visual emphasis within The American President--which, as it happens, is also being turned into a television documentary. Another thing that sets the book apart from countless others on the presidents is its unique organization. The presidents are not presented in chronological order, but grouped instead according to characteristics that personified them and their presidencies. For example, Abraham Lincoln and Lyndon Johnson are brought together in a chapter on professional politicians, John Adams and Jimmy Carter share space for their "Independent Cast of Mind," and Theodore Roosevelt and Richard Nixon are noted for "Expanding Power." For anyone interested in the presidency, politics, or history The American President is a wonderful library addition. --Linda Killian

About the Author

Philip B. Kunhardt, Jr. is a former managing editor of Life magazine and the author of numerous books.

Edition details

• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 069452154X
• ISBN 13: 9780694521548
• Binding: Audio Cassette
• Language: English