Presidents at war : how World War II shaped a generation of presidents, from Eisenhower and JFK through Reagan and Bush

Presidents at war How World War II shaped a generation of presidents, from Eisenhower and JFK through Reagan and Bush

Steven M. Gillon

Book - 2025

"Steven Gillon, New York Times bestselling author of America's Reluctant Prince, is back with the story of how WWII shaped the characters and politics of seven American presidents. World War II loomed over the twentieth century, transforming every level of American society and international relationships and searing itself onto the psyche of an entire generation, including that of seven American presidents: John F. Kennedy, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, and George H. W. Bush. The lessons of World War II, more than party affiliation or ideology, defined the presidencies of these seven men. They returned home determined to confront any force that threatened to undermine the war&#...039;s hard-won ideals, each with their own unique understanding of patriotism, sacrifice, and America's role in global politics. In Presidents at War, Gillon examines what these men took away from the war and how they then applied it to Cold War policies that proceeded to change America, and the world, forever. A nuanced and deeply researched exploration of the lives, philosophies, and legacies of seven remarkable men, Presidents at War deftly argues that the lessons learned by these postwar presidents continue to shape the landscape upon which current, and future, presidents stand today"--

Saved in:
Place a Hold Save to List Email this
1 being processed
Coming Soon
Subjects
Presidents > United States > History > 20th century.
World War, 1939-1945 > United States > Influence.
World politics > 1945-1989.
BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Presidents & Heads of State.
HISTORY / United States / 20th Century.
BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Political.
United States > History, Military > 20th century.
United States > Politics and government > 1945-1989.
United States > Foreign relations > 1945-1989.
HISTORY TEACHER GIFTS > WW II > WORLD WAR 2 > JFK > KENNEDY > BUSH > PRESIDENTS > WWII > POLITICS > DWIGHT EISENHOWER > JUSTICE > PRESIDENT > NIXON > BIOGRAPHIES > BIOGRAPHY > RONALD REAGAN > AMERICAN > WW2 > AUTOBIOGRAPHIES > FIRST LADIES
Published
New York, NY : Dutton, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC [2025]
Language
English
Main Author
Steven M. Gillon (author)
Physical Description
513 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 443-491) and index.
ISBN
9780593183137
  • Preface
  • Part 1. The War
  • Chapter 1. "Day of Infamy"
  • Chapter 2. "Boy! It's Rough up Here, Isn't It!"
  • Chapter 3. "Sound General Quarters!"
  • Chapter 4. "Okay, Let's Go"
  • Part 2. Into the Arena
  • Chapter 5. "My Mother Is a Gold Star Mother, Too"
  • Chapter 6. "You Boys Must Be Crazy"
  • Chapter 7. "I'm Forty-Three Years Old. I'm Not Going to Die in Office."
  • Part 3. Lessons of the Past
  • Chapter 8. "The 1930s Taught Us a Clear Lesson"
  • Chapter 9. "We Have Learned That Munichs Win Nothing"
  • Chapter 10. "This Is Treason"
  • Chapter 11. "The Great Silent Majority"
  • Chapter 12. "Make America Great Again"
  • Epilogue
  • Acknowledgments
  • Notes
  • Index
Review by Kirkus Book Review

Political historian Gillon considers the effects of World War II on a generation of presidents. It was "the defining event of their lives": When the Japanese struck Pearl Harbor, seven future presidents--Dwight Eisenhower, John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, and George H.W. Bush--resolved to take part in some way or another. Eisenhower was a career soldier who had never commanded a unit in combat: It was his cheerful network building, coupled with a sharply analytical mind, that brought him to the forefront as a war planner and leader. Nixon, Eisenhower's vice president, was as ever cynical: He knew that military service would be a ticket to a political future and got a rear-echelon assignment in the Navy. More daring but with the same recognition of political utility, JFK famously commanded a PT boat, becoming a decorated war hero--though, Gillon writes, JFK almost torpedoed his own career because of an affair with a woman suspected of being a Nazi spy. LBJ and Bush took to the skies, the former as an analyst, the second as a fighter pilot, also much decorated. (Gillon suggests that Johnson received an undeserved Silver Star at Douglas MacArthur's bequest "to consummate their agreement that Johnson would be his advocate" in Congress.) Ford trained pilots on the ground in physical education. Reagan didn't want to fight, didn't want to give up a shot at being a movie star--and when it was clear that he was just a B-list actor with a safe commission that didn't take him beyond California, he turned to politics. World War II shaped the political outlook of all these presidents, from Nixon's endless grievances to JFK's careful strategizing (and a few dirty tricks) and "bland good guy" Reagan's hail-fellow-well-met approach to politics. War is hell--but also, this history shows, a good way to get elected. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Similar Items