In this magisterial examination of the Presidency over the course of the 20th Century, the author explores the history of the world's greatest elective office and the role each incumbent has played in changing the scope of its powers. Using individual presidential portraits of each of the presidents of the past century Graubard asks, and answers, a wide variety of crucial questions about each President. What intellectual, social and political assets did they bring to the White House, and how quickly did they deplete or mortgage that capital? How well did they cope with crises, foreign and domestic? How much attention did they pay to their election pledges after they were elected? How did they use the media, old and new? Above all, how did they conduct themselves in office and what legacy did they leave to their successors? Graubard provides original analysis in each case, and reaches many surprising conclusions.

About the Author
Stephen Graubard was editor of Daedalus, the journal of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences from 1961 to 1999. He taught for many years at Brown and Harvard Universities. He first visited the White House in 1944 at the invitation of Eleanor Roosevelt, and has known many US Presidents and their main advisors since.

Reviews
'Graubard takes us to the heart of the hidden nexus of power at the White House' Sunday Telegraph 'A magesterial tour d'horizon of the changing 20th-century presidency ... lucid and provocative' Sunday Times



Book Information
ISBN 9780141042459
Author Stephen Graubard
Format Paperback
Page Count 992
Imprint Penguin Books Ltd
Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
Weight(grams) 660g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 130mm * 48mm