Presidents of War : [the epic story, from 1807 to modern times

**From a preeminent presidential historian comes a groundbreaking and often surprising narrative of America’s wartime chief executives**It sometimes seems, in retrospect, as if America has been almost continuously at war. Ten years in the research and writing,__Presidents of War__is a fresh, magisterial, intimate look at a procession of American leaders as they took the nation into conflict and mobilized their country for victory. It brings us into the room as they make the most difficult decisions that face any President, at times sending hundreds of thousands of American men and women to their deaths.From James Madison and the War of 1812 to recent times, we see them struggling with Congress, the courts, the press, their own advisors and antiwar protesters; seeking comfort from their spouses, families and friends; and dropping to their knees in prayer. We come to understand how these Presidents were able to withstand the pressures of war—both physically and emotionally—or were broken by them.Beschloss’s interviews with surviving participants in the drama and his discoveries in original letters, diaries, once-classified national security documents, and other sources help him to tell this story in a way it has not been told before.__Presidents of War__combines the sense of being there with the overarching context of two centuries of American history. This important book shows how far we have traveled from the time of our Founders, who tried to constrain presidential power, to our modern day, when a single leader has the potential to launch nuclear weapons that can destroy much of the human race. NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From a preeminent presidential historian comes a “superb and important” (The New York Times Book Review) saga of America's wartime chief executives “Fascinating and heartbreaking... timely... Beschloss's broad scope lets you draw important crosscutting lessons about presidential leadership.”—Bill Gates Widely acclaimed and ten years in the making, Michael Beschloss's Presidents of War is an intimate and irresistibly readable chronicle of the Chief Executives who took the United States into conflict and mobilized it for victory. From the War of 1812 to Vietnam, we see these leaders considering the difficult decision to send hundreds of thousands of Americans to their deaths; struggling with Congress, the courts, the press, and antiwar protesters; seeking comfort from their spouses and friends; and dropping to their knees in prayer. Through Beschloss's interviews with surviving participants and findings in original letters and once-classified national security documents, we come to understand how these Presidents were able to withstand the pressures of war—or were broken by them. Presidents of War combines this sense of immediacy with the overarching context of two centuries of American history, traveling from the time of our Founders, who tried to constrain presidential power, to our modern day, when a single leader has the potential to launch nuclear weapons that can destroy much of the human race.Praise for Presidents of War'A marvelous narrative.... As Beschloss explains, the greatest wartime presidents successfully leaven military action with moral concerns.... Beschloss's writing is clean and concise, and he admirably draws upon new documents. Some of the more titillating tidbits in the book are in the footnotes.... There are fascinating nuggets on virtually every page of Presidents of War. It is a superb and important book, superbly rendered.”—Jay Winik, The New York Times Book Review'Sparkle and bite.... Valuable and engrossing study of how our chief executives have discharged the most significant of all their duties.... Excellent.... A fluent narrative that covers two centuries of national conflict.” —Richard Snow, The Wall Street Journal From a preeminent presidential historian comes a groundbreaking and often surprising narrative of America’s wartime chief executives It sometimes seems, in retrospect, as if America has been almost continuously at war. Ten years in the research and writing, Presidents of War is a fresh, magisterial, intimate look at a procession of American leaders as they took the nation into conflict and mobilized their country for victory. It brings us into the room as they make the most difficult decisions that face any President, at times sending hundreds of thousands of American men and women to their deaths. From James Madison and the War of 1812 to recent times, we see them struggling with Congress, the courts, the press, their own advisors and antiwar protesters; seeking comfort from their spouses, families and friends; and dropping to their knees in prayer. We come to understand how these Presidents were able to withstand the pressures of war—both physically and emotionally—or were broken by them. Beschloss’s interviews with surviving participants in the drama and his discoveries in original letters, diaries, once-classified national security documents, and other sources help him to tell this story in a way it has not been told before. Presidents of War combines the sense of being there with the overarching context of two centuries of American history. This important book shows how far we have traveled from the time of our Founders, who tried to constrain presidential power, to our modern day, when a single leader has the potential to launch nuclear weapons that can destroy much of the human race. "From a preeminent presidential historian comes a groundbreaking and often surprising saga of America's wartime chief executives. Ten years in the research and writing, Presidents of Waris a fresh, magisterial, intimate look at a procession of American leaders as they took the nation into conflict and mobilized their country for victory. It brings us into the room as they make the most difficult decisions that face any President, at times sending hundreds of thousands of American men and women to their deaths. From James Madison and the War of 1812 to recent times, we see them struggling with Congress, the courts, the press, their own advisors and antiwar protesters; seeking comfort from their spouses, families and friends; and dropping to their knees in prayer. We come to understand how these Presidents were able to withstand the pressures of war--both physically and emotionally--or were broken by them. Beschloss's interviews with surviving participants in the drama and his findings in original letters, diaries, once-classified national security documents, and other sources help him to tell this story in a way it has not been told before.Presidents of Warcombines the sense of being there with the overarching context of two centuries of American history. This important book shows how far we have traveled from the time of our Founders, who tried to constrain presidential power, to our modern day, when a single leader has the potential to launch nuclear weapons that can destroy much of the human race"--Provided by publisher "Ten years in the making, Presidents of War is a fresh, intimate, irresistibly readable narrative of how a procession of Chief Executives took the nation into major conflicts, mobilized Americans for victory and seized greater power for themselves. Beschloss's findings in original letters, diaries, and declassified documents, and his interviews with surviving participants in the drama, allow him to bring us into the room and into the minds of these men as they make the most difficult decisions that face any President, at times sending hundreds of thousands of American men and women to their deaths. From James Madison and the War of 1812 to Lyndon Johnson and Vietnam, we see these leaders struggling with Congress, the courts, the press, their own advisers, and antiwar protesters; seeking comfort from their spouses, families, and friends; and dropping to their knees in prayer. We come to understand how these Presidents were able to withstand the pressures of war--both physically and emotionally--or were broken by them. Presidents of War combines this sense of immediacy with the overarching context of two centuries of American history. Through his rich and vivid storytelling, Beschloss shows how far we have traveled, from the time of our Founders, who tried to constrain presidential power, to our modern day, when a single leader has the potential to launch nuclear weapons that can destroy much of the human race."--Dust jacket Presidential Historian Michael Beschloss Uses Original Letters, Diaries, Declassified Documents, And Interviews To Bring Us Into The Room And Into The Minds Of A Procession Of Chief Executives Who Took The Nation Into Major Conflicts, Mobilized Americans For Victory, And Seized Greater Power For Themselves. From James Madison And The War Of 1812 To Lyndon Johnson And Vietnam, We See These Leaders Struggling With Congress, The Courts, The Press, Their Own Advisers, And Antiwar Protesters; Seeking Comfort From Their Spouses, Families, And Friends; And Dropping To Their Knees In Prayer. We Come To Understand How These Presidents Were Able To Withstand The Pressures Of War -- Both Physically And Emotionally -- Or Were Broken By Them. Torrent Of Passion -- Man Of Straw -- The Most Glorious War -- The Country Is Now Virtually Ours -- A Presidential War -- Fort Sumter -- Blood Flowing All About Me -- Maine Blown Up -- We Must Keep What We Want -- The World Is On Fire -- Salvation Of Mankind -- How Could This Thing Happen? -- The Survival War -- I Am Going To Let Them Have It -- I Didn't Ask Their Permission -- We Got Slapped -- I Don't Have A Parachute. Michael Beschloss. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Beschloss provides a groundbreaking and often surprising saga of America's wartime chief executives. From James Madison and the War of 1812 to recent times, we see them struggling with Congress, the courts, the press, their own advisors and antiwar protesters; seeking comfort from their spouses, families and friends; and dropping to their knees in prayer. We come to understand how these Presidents were able to withstand the pressures of war-- both physically and emotionally-- or were broken by them. -- adapted from publisher info "Torrent of passion" "Man of straw" "The most glorious war" "The country is now virtually ours" "A presidential war" Fort Sumter "Blood flowing all about me" "Maine blown up" "We must keep what we want" "The world is on fire" "Salvation of mankind" "How could this thing happen?" "The survival war" "I am going to let them have it" "I don't ask their permission" "We got slapped" "I do not have a parachute."