The United States had never lost a war --that is, until 1975, when it was forced to flee Saigon in humiliation after losing to what Lyndon Johnson called a "raggedy-ass little fourth-rate country." The legacy of this first defeat has haunted every president since, especially on the decision of whether to put "boots on the ground" and commit troops to war.

In "Haunting Legacy," the father-daughter journalist team of Marvin Kalb and Deborah Kalb presents a compelling, accessible, and hugely important history of presidential decisionmaking on one crucial issue: in light of the Vietnam debacle, under what circumstances should the United States go to war?

The sobering lesson of Vietnam is that the United States is not invincible --it can lose a war --and thus it must be more discriminating about the use of American power. Every president has faced the ghosts of Vietnam in his own way, though each has been wary of being sucked into another unpopular war. Ford (during the "Mayaguez" crisis) and both Bushes (Persian Gulf, Iraq, Afghanistan) deployed massive force, as if to say, "Vietnam, be damned." On the other hand, Carter, Clinton, and Reagan (to the surprise of many) acted with extreme caution, mindful of the Vietnam experience. Obama has also wrestled with the Vietnam legacy, using doses of American firepower in Libya while still engaged in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The authors spent five years interviewing hundreds of officials from every post war administration and conducting extensive research in presidential libraries and archives, and they've produced insight and information never before published. Equal parts taut history, revealing biography, and cautionary tale, "Haunting Legacy" is must reading for anyone trying to understand the power of the past to influence war-and-peace decisions of the present, and of the future.

Through an expansive collection of primary source materials and original, informative essays, State of the Union: Presidential Rhetoric from Woodrow Wilson to George W. Bush explores the ways in which U.S. presidents have appealed directly to the public and the ways in which the public has responded. State of the Union: Presidential Rhetoric from Woodrow Wilson to George W. Bush is a comprehensive reference containing all the state of the union address--and all the inaugural addresses given in lieu of the state of the union addresses--delivered from Woodrow Wilson to George W. Bush. This unique single-volume resource presents over 100 full-text addresses. An introduction with each document provides valuable context for each speech by outlining the events leading up to the speech and by explaining the public reaction during and after the speech. A general introduction to the volume provides an in-depth look at the history of state of the union addresses and examines how presidents have crafted their speeches to meet a desired style or purpose. This volume also includes a bibliography of sources related to presidential rhetoric, a chronological listing of all addresses included in the volume, a timeline showing major events as highlighted in the speeches, and a comprehensive index. A valuable research tool for students and scholars of U.S. history, government, politics, and public policy, State of the Union: Presidential Rhetoric from Woodrow Wilson to George W. Bush will be a frequently-used resource in almost any academic or public library.

The quadrennial edition of this engaging and informative guide highlights the private and public lives of the most celebrated figures in U.S. politics and is now updated to include the results of the 2008 presidential election of Barack Obama. Written in a straightforward style that will appeal to everyone from high school students to presidential historians, this resource includes biographies and photos of every president, vice president, and first lady. The biographies take a closer look at the personal dimensions of these public figures, including information on their early and post-term lives as well as noteworthy events that occurred while in office. Supplemental essays explore the daily life of the president from meetings in the Oval Office to leisurely activities and entertaining at the White House. The significant updates to this new edition include the following: Updated information on Former President George W. Bush, Former Vice President Dick Cheney, Former President Bill Clinton, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. New, original biographies of President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and First Lady Michelle Obama. Summary of the 2008 presidential election and its racial and gender ramifications. In addition to these updates, this resource continues to offer classic reference composition. A detailed index helps readers easily trace names, places, and events from the early days of the presidency to the present. Short introductions for every position plus photos with each biographical entry help you visualize the White House and those who have inhabited it. Whether you use it as a quick look-up reference guide, as a first stop in a research project, or simply as a source to explore the backgrounds and lifestyles of these key U.S. public figures, this is an essential introductory reference work for all school, university, and public library collections.

Adventure, history, and the drama of family life intertwine in this engrossing tale of a fifth-grade girl struggling to find her place after her mom remarries and she finds herself stuck with a younger stepbrother. Find out what happens when Ava and her newly blended family take a trip to Boston, where she buys a magic bobblehead and is unexpectedly transported to the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. As Ava and her stepbrother, J. P., travel back and forth with John and Abigail Adams and their children, from Massachusetts, to Philadelphia, to the White House, to France, she learns about history, friendship, and how to deal with new situations, including her recently blended family. This sequel to The President and Me: George Washington and the Magic Hat features some of the same characters.

After almost six months in Maryland, fifth-grader Oliver still misses his friends back in New Jersey. But things start to change one day, when his neighbor-and possible new friend-Sam lends Oliver a magic hat that takes him back to the 18th- and 19th-century world of Thomas Jefferson. Oliver and his sisters-Cassie, the nice one, and Ruby, the annoying one-end up learning more about Jefferson than they'd expected. And Oliver finds that his new neighborhood might not be so terrible after all. Thomas Jefferson and the Return of the Magic Hat is the third in The President and Me series that began with George Washington and the Magic Hat and John Adams and the Magic Bobblehead. This new adventure brings back previous characters Sam, Ava, J.P. (blink and you might miss them, though!), and of course the cantankerous talking hat itself.

Elections A to Z is a highly respected legacy title that has long been a staple in the CQ Press reference list. It provides readers with ready reference insight into how campaigns and elections, the hallmark of any democracy, are conducted in the United States. The new fifth edition has been redesigned and updated with new entries covering the vital current elections topics that readers want to know about, especially given the focus on elections over the past year, and the resulting threat to American democracy. Entries range from short definitions of terms such as "at-large" and "front-runner" to in-depth essays exploring vital aspects of campaigns and elections, such as the right to vote, turnout trends, and the history, evolution, and current state of House, Senate, presidential, and some state-level elections. As with the prior edition, coverage will continue to entail the stages in the campaign process and the general election; the roles of political consultants, the media, and political parties; debates around term limits, majority-minority districts, and campaign finance; amendments, legislation, and court cases that have shaped electoral, campaign, and voting matters; voter turnout and voting rights in the United States; and highlights of presidential elections throughout U.S. history. Since the last edition published in 2012, there are many pertinent topics and events to explore from recent years, especially surrounding the 2020 elections. New to this edition will be entries discussing social media and communication, political and racial gerrymandering, districting and disenfranchisement, absentee and mail-in voting, new and revised state-by-state election and voter laws, foreign interference and misinformation campaigns, election-related violence, and minority and diverse group candidates and voter participation. Additionally, the book will address recent SCOTUS decisions that have impacted election law, including Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010), Arizona v. Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc. (2013), Shelby County, Alabama, v. Holder, Attorney General (2013), McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission (2014), Arizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission (2015), Harris v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission (2016), Husted, Ohio Secretary of State v. A. Philip Randolph Institute (2018), Minnesota Voters Alliance v. Mansky (2018), Gill v. Whitford (2018), Abbott, Governor of Texas v. Perez (2018), Virginia House of Delegates v. Bethune-Hill (2019), Rucho v. Common Cause (2019), Colorado Department of State v. Baca (2020), Chiafalo v. Washington (2020), and Texas v. Pennsylvania (2020). The proposed update to Elections A to Z will reflect these changes as it captures an undergraduate-level audience that understands the basics of campaigns and elections but is seeking an understanding of related topics, trends, and current events.

Adventure, history, and the drama of family life intertwine in this engrossing tale of a fifth-grade girl struggling to find her place after her mom remarries and she finds herself stuck with a younger stepbrother. Find out what happens when Ava and her newly blended family take a trip to Boston, where she buys a magic bobblehead and is unexpectedly transported to the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. As Ava and her stepbrother, J. P., travel back and forth with John and Abigail Adams and their children, from Massachusetts, to Philadelphia, to the White House, to France, she learns about history, friendship, and how to deal with new situations, including her recently blended family. This sequel to The President and Me: George Washington and the Magic Hat features some of the same characters.

The quadrennial edition of this engaging and informative guide highlights the private and public lives of the most celebrated figures in U.S. politics and is now updated to include the results of the 2008 presidential election of Barack Obama. Written in a straightforward style that will appeal to everyone from high school students to presidential historians, this resource includes biographies and photos of every president, vice president, and first lady. The biographies take a closer look at the personal dimensions of these public figures, including information on their early and post-term lives as well as noteworthy events that occurred while in office. Supplemental essays explore the daily life of the president from meetings in the Oval Office to leisurely activities and entertaining at the White House. The significant updates to this new edition include the following: Updated information on Former President George W. Bush, Former Vice President Dick Cheney, Former President Bill Clinton, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. New, original biographies of President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and First Lady Michelle Obama. Summary of the 2008 presidential election and its racial and gender ramifications. In addition to these updates, this resource continues to offer classic reference composition. A detailed index helps readers easily trace names, places, and events from the early days of the presidency to the present. Short introductions for every position plus photos with each biographical entry help you visualize the White House and those who have inhabited it. Whether you use it as a quick look-up reference guide, as a first stop in a research project, or simply as a source to explore the backgrounds and lifestyles of these key U.S. public figures, this is an essential introductory reference work for all school, university, and public library collections.