When the Center Held (First Edition, First Printing Inscribed to Ron Nessen, President Gerald Ford's Press Secretary)

Rumsfeld, Donald

ISBN 10: 150117293X / ISBN 13: 9781501172939

Published by Free Press, 2018

About this Item

First Edition, First Printing -- Inscribed to President Gerald Ford's Press Secretary Ron Nessen -- of Donald Rumsfeld's memoir of the Ford Administration. Rumsfeld served as President Ford's first Chief of Staff until Ford appointed him as the nation's youngest Secretary of Defense. Inscribed by Donald Rumsfeld to Ron Nessen on the colophon page. There are numerous references to Nessen in the text and in the Acknowledgments Rumsfeld includes Nessen in a list of people who shared recollections of the Ford Administration as part of research for the book. 331 pages. Has tanning of the page edges and a bump on the side page edge.

Seller Inventory # 015418

Bibliographic Details

• Title: When the Center Held (First Edition, First Printing Inscribed to Ron Nessen, President Gerald Ford's Press Secretary)
• Publisher: Free Press
• Publication Date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 150117293X
• ISBN 13: 9781501172939
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: Very Good+
• Dust Jacket Condition: Fine
• Signed: Signed by Author(s)

About this title

Synopsis

A revealing political memoir of the presidency of Gerald Ford as seen through the eyes of Donald Rumsfeld—the New York Times bestselling author, and Ford’s former Secretary of Defense and Chief of Staff, and longtime personal confidant.

In the wake of Watergate, it seemed the United States was coming apart. America had experienced a decade of horrifying assassinations; the unprecedented resignation of first a vice president and then a president of the United States; intense cultural and social change; and a new mood of cynicism sweeping the country—a mood that, in some ways, lingers today.

Into that divided atmosphere stepped an unexpected, unelected, and largely unknown American—Gerald R. Ford. In contrast to every other individual who had ever occupied the Oval Office, he had never appeared on any ballot either for the presidency or the vice presidency; he had issued no policy statements nor had he ever run for national office. Now, he was being thrust into a chaotic environment in which our very future as a functioning democracy was being seriously questioned.

Gerald Ford simply and humbly performed his duty to the best of his considerable ability. By the end of his 895 days as president, he would in fact have restored balance to our country, steadied the ship of state, and led his fellow Americans out of the national trauma of Watergate. And yet, Gerald Ford remains one of the least studied and least understood individuals to have held the office of the President of the United States. In turn, his legacy also remains severely underappreciated.

In When the Center Held, Ford’s Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld candidly shares his personal observations of the man himself, and provides a sweeping examination of his crucial years in office. It is a rare and fascinating look behind the closed doors of the Oval Office, including never-before-seen photos, memos, and anecdotes, from a unique insider’s perspective—essential reading for any fan of presidential history.

About the Author

Donald Rumsfeld was the thirteenth and twenty-first United States Secretary of Defense. He currently chairs the Rumsfeld Foundation, which supports leadership and public service at home and the growth of free political and free economic systems abroad. He and his wife Joyce have three children, six grandchildren, and two great grandchildren.