Failures of the Presidents: From the Whiskey Rebellion and War of 1812 to the Bay of Pigs and War in Iraq - Softcover

Craughwell, Thomas J.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1592332994 ISBN 13: 9781592332991

Publisher: Fair Winds Press, 2008

Synopsis

What were they thinking?

· In an effort to put an end to Britain and France’s policy of seizing American ships and sailors, Thomas Jefferson calls for an embargo.

The Result: 30,000 sailors put out of work; mercantile families bankrupted overnight; a nationwide economic depression; and the New England states, which depended heavily on international commerce, threaten to secede from the Union.

· To promote the doctrine of popular sovereignty, Franklin Pierce approves the repeal of the Missouri Compromise and permits residents of Kansas and Nebraska to decide whether their territories will admit slavery.

The Result: Dozens of settlers murdered; Lawrence, Kansas, burned and looted; John Brown elevated to the status of national hero among abolitionists; the country moves closer to civil war.

· Convinced the 20,000 men, women, and children of the Bonus Army were Communists and criminals, Herbert Hoover sends 600 crack troops, a detachment of cavalry, and five tanks to drive the protesters out of Washington.

The Result: 4 dead, including two infants; more than 1,000 injured; the Communist Party in America enjoys a public relations field day; Hoover is driven into political exile.

· In an effort to install a capitalist government in the Middle East, stabilize the region, and protect America from a possible Iraqi terrorist assault using weapons of mass destruction, George W. Bush orders the invasion of Iraq.

The Result: More than 4,000 American soldiers and personnel dead; estimated hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians dead; hundreds of billions of dollars spent; the torture of prisoners in the Abu Ghraib prison and the failure to find weapons of mass destruction leave American global credibility in tatters.

About this title

From the Author

SERIAL KILLER EXPERT, star of the hit Investigation Discovery series DARK MINDS and acclaimed investigative journalist M. William Phelps is the national bestselling, award-winning author of 22 nonfiction books. Winner of 2008 New England Book Festival Award for "I'll Be Watching You," Phelps has made over 100 television appearances, including CBS's "Early Show," "The Today Show," "The View," "Fox & Friends," truTV, Discovery Channel, Fox News Channel, ABC's "Good Morning America," Learning Channel, Biography Channel, History Channel, Oxygen, OWN, and others. He's been on USA Radio Network, Catholic Radio, Mancow, Wall Street Journal Radio, Zac Daniel, Ava Maria Radio, ABC News Radio, and Radio America, who calls him "the nation's leading authority on the mind of the female murderer." He's written for numerous publications, consulted on the first season of the hit Showtime cable television series "Dexter," and written several narrative history books, including NATHAN HALE, THE DEVIL'S RIGHT HAND, THE DEVIL'S ROOMING HOUSE and MURDER, NEW ENGLAND.

About the Author

Thomas J. Craughwell has written about saints for the Wall Street Journal, Inside the Vatican, and Catholic Digest, among other national publications.

Thomas J. Craughwell is the author of several books, most recently How the Barbarian Invasions Shaped the Modern World, and Stealing Lincoln's Body.ÿ He has written articles on history, religion, politics, and popular culture for the Wall Street Journal, American Spectator, and U.S. News & World Report.ÿ He lives in Bethel, Connecticut.Journalist, lecturer, and historian M. William Phelps is the author of eleven books, including his most recent, Nathan Hale:ÿ The Life and Death of America's First Spy.ÿ He lives in Vernon, Connecticut.

About this edition

• Publisher: Fair Winds Press
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 1592332994
• ISBN 13: 9781592332991
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 320