Synopses & Reviews
Eminent biographer Nigel Hamilton offers a group biography of the twelve caesars of our time: the American Presidents from F.D. Roosevelt to George W. Bush.
Suetonius' The Twelve Caesars became a classic of classical times: a virtuoso literary portrait gallery, remarkable not only for its frank dissections of Rome's great emperors, but also because the twelve men were the embodiment -- both good and bad -- of Rome's greatest century.
In view of the country's rise to superpower status, the twentieth century has been called 'the American Century', and award-winning biographer Nigel Hamilton now gives us the lives of the twelve men who presided over America's imperial fortunes -- the good, the bad and the truly awful.
Not since the days of the Roman emperors has there been such a succession of rulers holding the fate of the world in their hands. How did these American Caesars reach the White House? What were the challenges they faced when they got there and how did they meet them? And who were these men in their private lives?
Nigel Hamilton's short, candid, critical portraits of the presidents from Franklin D. Roosevelt to George W. Bush are compulsively readable. Packed with unforgettable characters as well as stories, lessons and revelations, American Caesars is essential reading for our times: a vivid portrait of the United States over the past six decades to rival Suetonius' account of classical Rome.
Twelve major biographies of influential presidents: Franklin D. Roosevelt; Harry S. Truman; Dwight D. Eisenhower; John F. Kennedy; Lyndon B. Johnson; Richard Nixon; Gerald Ford; Jimmy Carter; Ronald Reagan; George H.W. Bush; Bill Clinton; George W. Bush.
From the Hardcover edition.
Synopsis
American Caesars takes a fresh look at the lives and careers of the twelve leaders of the American empire since World War II, from Franklin D. Roosevelt to George W. Bush. President by president, the noted biographer Nigel Hamilton strips away myths and wishful thinking to record our most recent presidents as they really were: leaders guiding the fortunes of an unruly empire, on a world stage. Hamilton relates and examines the presidents' unique characters, their paths to Pennsylvania Avenue, their effectiveness as global leaders, and their lessons in governance, both good and bad. With uncompromising candor he looks at how these powerful men responded to the challenges that defined their presidencies--FDR's role as a war leader, Harry Truman's decision to mount a Berlin Airlift rather than pursue military confrontation with the Soviets, Lyndon Johnson's undertaking of controversial Civil Rights legislation and his disastrous war in Vietnam, Jimmy Carter's handling of the Iran hostage crisis, George H. W. Bush's effectiveness in guiding the world during the collapse of the Soviet Union, and his son's fateful invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as other salient episodes in modern American history. In the Suetonian manner, Hamilton also looks at the presidents' private lives--some noble, some flawed, some deeply moving.
Synopsis
A provocative portrait of U.S. presidents from Franklin D. Roosevelt to George W. Bush
American Caesars takes a fresh look at the lives and careers of the twelve leaders of the American empire since World War II, from Franklin D. Roosevelt to George W. Bush. President by president, the noted biographer Nigel Hamilton strips away myths and wishful thinking to record our most recent presidents as they really were: leaders guiding the fortunes of an unruly empire, on a world stage. Hamilton relates and examines the presidents' unique characters, their paths to Pennsylvania Avenue, their effectiveness as global leaders, and their lessons in governance, both good and bad. With uncompromising candor he looks at how these powerful men responded to the challenges that defined their presidencies--FDR's role as a war leader, Harry Truman's decision to mount a Berlin Airlift rather than pursue military confrontation with the Soviets, Lyndon Johnson's undertaking of controversial Civil Rights legislation and his disastrous war in Vietnam, Jimmy Carter's handling of the Iran hostage crisis, George H. W. Bush's effectiveness in guiding the world during the collapse of the Soviet Union, and his son's fateful invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as other salient episodes in modern American history. In the Suetonian manner, Hamilton also looks at the presidents' private lives--some noble, some flawed, some deeply moving.
About the Author
A distinguished biographer, Nigel Hamilton is senior fellow in the McCormack Graduate School, University of Massachusetts, Boston, and President of Biographers International Organization.