The American President : The Human Drama of Our Nation's Highest Office - Softcover

Kunhardt Jr., Philip B.; Kunhardt III, Philip B.; Kunhardt, Peter W.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 157322832X ISBN 13: 9781573228329

Publisher: Riverhead Trade, 2000

Synopsis

Publishing in paperback to coincide with the presidential election, the companion volume to the ten-part PBS series explores the lives of America's presidents, from Washington to Clinton, in a study that examines the nature, history, evolution, and influence of the U.S. presidency. Reprint. TV tie-in.

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 including the Christopher Award-winning memoir My Father's House.
His son Philip B. Kunhardt III coauthored and produced Lincoln: An Illustrated Biography, among other projects.
Peter W. Kunhardt, also his son, has been producing documentaries for the past twenty years and is the recipient of three Emmy Awards.

About this edition

• Publisher: Riverhead Trade
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 157322832X
• ISBN 13: 9781573228329
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 481