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Title: Woodrow Wilson 1913 - 1921: The American Presidents Series by H. W. Brands, Arthur M. Schlesinger ISBN: 0-8050-6955-0 Publisher: Times Books Pub. Date: 01 June, 2003 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $20.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.67 (3 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: As Expected, a Solid Effort from Brands
Comment: H.W. Brands' output over the last five years has been enormous. From huge biographies on Theodore Roosevelt and Benjamin Franklin to fair-sized books on the California Gold Rush and several major U.S. business figures to a slim volume on Americans' relationship with their federal government, the Texas A&M historian has published at least six books over the last five years that I'm aware of. The four which I've read have had the same qualities: solid scholarship and writing, but nothing flashy or standout about them.
Brands' biography of Woodrow Wilson fits in this pattern. The book is an easy and enjoyable read. The scholarship is solid (I enjoyed reading the short but striking comments for each of the books mentioned in the "selected bibliography"). Occasionally, Brands is even eloquent as when he describes the effect on Wilson of the death of his first wife.
Nevertheless, as with every other book of Brands I've read, "Woodrow Wilson" never soars to become a great work. The reason eludes me. Brands seems to have all the gifts to write a memorable history or biography, but his work remains a little too flat and it fades too quickly from the reader's mind. He does not break out of this mold with "Woodrow Wilson".
Rating: 4
Summary: Overview of an Idealist
Comment: The American Presidents series, condensed biographies of individual presidents by eminent historians, makes the lives of our nation's readers accessible for general readers. That said, the books work better when resurrecting the memory of nearly forgotten minor presidents such as Rutheford B. Hayes than they do documenting the accomplishments of major historical figures like Woodrow Wilson. Simply put, Wilson's life was just too full to be given real justice by a 40,000 or so word manuscript.
Limited by the format, Texas A&M Professor of History H.W. Brands gamely gives it his best shot. The author of such first rate works as "TR - The Last Romantic" and "The Age of Gold" recounts Wilson's life, devoting most of the mere 139 pages of narrative to his presidency. It's a good overview, and one that will likely whet the appetite of many readers to know more. Wilson was a strong, controversial and enigmatic leader. A progressive and idealist on the international front, for example, he was still very much a son of the South who strongly supported segregation at home. Brands deals with such events as World War One, the failed battle for ratification of the Versailles peace treaty and Wilson's debilitating 1919 stroke, but doesn't delve much into the details.
Overall, a good if all-too-brief overview of Woodrow Wilson's life.
Rating: 3
Summary: Good Overview...too short?
Comment: I enjoyed this quick read about one of my favorite presidents. The book is interesting and Brands is a fine historian. This book is a solid introduction, but left me wanting more depth about this great man. But then again, that may be the point of this series.
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Title: John Adams: The American Presidents Series by John Patrick Diggins, Arthur M. Schlesinger ISBN: 0805069372 Publisher: Times Books Pub. Date: 11 June, 2003 List Price(USD): $20.00 |
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Title: William McKinley : (The American Presidents Series) by Kevin Phillips, Arthur M. Schlesinger ISBN: 0805069534 Publisher: Times Books Pub. Date: 01 October, 2003 List Price(USD): $20.00 |
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Title: Franklin Delano Roosevelt : (The American Presidents Series) by Roy Jenkins, Arthur M. Schlesinger ISBN: 0805069593 Publisher: Times Books Pub. Date: 04 November, 2003 List Price(USD): $20.00 |
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Title: Thomas Jefferson: (The American Presidents Series) by Joyce Appleby, Arthur M. Schlesinger ISBN: 0805069240 Publisher: Times Books Pub. Date: 01 February, 2003 List Price(USD): $20.00 |
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Title: Theodore Roosevelt: (The American Presidents Series) by Louis Auchincloss, Arthur M. Schlesinger ISBN: 0805069062 Publisher: Times Books Pub. Date: 04 January, 2002 List Price(USD): $20.00 |
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