|
Books > History > American history
|
Buy Now
The William Howard Taft Presidency (Hardcover)
Loot Price: R1,507
Discovery Miles 15 070
|
|
|
The William Howard Taft Presidency (Hardcover)
Series: American Presidency Series
Expected to ship within 10 - 15 working days
|
The only president to later serve as chief justice of the United
States, William Howard Taft remarked in the 1920s that 'I don't
remember that I ever was President'. Historians have agreed, and
Taft is usually portrayed, when written about at all, as nothing
more than a failed chief executive. In this provocative new study,
the first treatment of the Taft presidency in four decades, Lewis
L. Gould presents a compelling assessment of Taft's accomplishments
and setbacks in office. Rich in human interest and fresh analysis
of the events of Taft's four years in Washington, Gould's book
shows why Taft's presidency is very much worth remembering on its
own terms. Gould argues that Taft wanted to be president and had an
ambitious agenda when he took power in March 1909. Approaching his
duties more as a judge than as a charismatic executive in the mold
of Theodore Roosevelt, Taft soon found himself out of step with
public opinion. Gould shows how the Payne-Aldrich Tariff and the
Ballinger-Pinchot controversy squandered Taft's political capital
and prepared the ground for Democratic victories in the elections
of 1910 and 1912. His seamless narrative provides innovative
treatments of these crucial episodes to make Taft's presidency more
understandable than in any previous account. On Canadian
Reciprocity, Dollar Diplomacy, and international arbitration,
Gould's well-researched work goes beyond earlier stale cliches
about Taft's administration to link his tenure to the evolution of
the modern presidency. Taft emerges as a hard-working but flawed
executive who lacked the excitement of Theodore Roosevelt or the
inspiration of Woodrow Wilson. The break with Theodore Roosevelt in
1912 doomed the Taft presidency, and Gould supplies an evenhanded
analysis of the erosion of their once warm friendship. At bottom,
the two men clashed about the nature of presidential power, and
Gould traces with insight how this personal and ideological rupture
influenced the future of the Republican party and the course of
American politics. In Gould's skilled hands, this neglected
presidency again comes alive. Leaving the White House in 1913, Taft
wrote that 'the people of the United States did not owe me another
election'. What his presidency deserved is the lively and wise
appraisal of his record in office contained in this superb book.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
|
You might also like..
|
Email address subscribed successfully.
A activation email has been sent to you.
Please click the link in that email to activate your subscription.
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
(2)
