Imperfect Presidents; Tales of Misadventure and Triumph

Fall River Press, 2010. Fall River Press Exclusive Edition. First Printing [stated]. Hardcover. Very good/Very good. xii, [2], 238, [4] pages. Illustrations. Reading Guide. Notes. Source Notes. Index. Jim Cullen is the author of "Born in the USA" (Literary Guild Alternate), "The American Dream," and other books. He has taught at Harvard, Brown, and Sarah Lawrence College, and currently teaches at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School in New York, where he also serves on the Board of Trustees. He received his B.A. in English from Tufts University, and his A.M. and Ph.D. degrees in American Civilization from Brown University. Jim is the author of over dozen books, which include "Sensing the Past: Hollywood Stars and Historical Visions", "The American Dream: A Short History of an Idea that Shaped a Nation" and "Born in the USA: Bruce Springsteen and the American Tradition". Derived from a Kirkus review: Eleven presidents examined closely for their most salient errors-but all viewed within the contexts of their personal histories and their times. Cullen, begins and ends with bite-sized essays on, respectively, the president we want and the president we need. In between are some of both. All 11 of them have human weaknesses that contributed to their successes and failures. The author can present complex events with lucidity. John Quincy Adams may have been an ineffectual president, but his firm anti-slavery positions in the House were pivotal. Chester A. Arthur betrayed political allies to become vice president. FDR tried to alter the structure of the Supreme Court. The author is an amiable and informed companion, though he sometimes loses track of what he's said. He admires Theodore Roosevelt and Lincoln. Written with conviction.