No comments about Martin Van Buren - Old Kinderhook (Biography).

No comments about Alexander Hamilton and the Growth of the New Nation (American Presidents Series).

No comments about Horoscopes of the U.S. presidents (PAI approved text).

No comments about Gandhi. Su vida y su mensaje a la humanidad.

2 comments about Fdr's Splendid Deception.

1. Gallagher explains eloquently the impact that poliomyelitis had on Franklin Roosevelt and the various aspects of his life. The crowning achievement is the wealth of photographs (18 in all) that depict the struggles and tribulations being crippled cost Roosevelt. The photographs might stand alone as a photo essay to explain the various ways Roosevelt moved around and tried as best he could, with the effort of his team, to hide his affliction from the general public. The two known photographs of Roosevelt in his wheelchair appear in this book, which male this book a gem in any Roosevelt researcher's collection.

   Aside from the photographs, Gallagher cleverly explains in the text the circumstances of poliomyelitis, the various treatments Roosevelt underwent initially and ultimately the course of therapy at Warm Springs, Georgia. The necessity to hide FDR's debilitating degeneration from the average voting public was so prominent and preeminent in Roosevelt's mind that he went to great lengths to do so, including walking on his own with heavy steel braces or leaning on his two strong sons. This work is a masterful examination of Roosevelt and his administration's, both as Governor of New York and President of the US, efforts to erase forever polio from the public perception of Franklin Roosevelt.




2. Perhaps one needs to be invovled one-on-one in some way with a differently-abled child or adult. But I am truly perplexed. This wonderful book shows the incredible courage of FDR with his massive disability as President of the United States - yet, even today - we seek to hide any "weakness" that just may be our greatest strength of all. My husband had a good comment on this. When I pleaded my own "problem," he said: "That's a lot of bull! You're incredibly strong in your weakness." Guess I better take another look at this. Back to the point here, buy this book, especially the original. It really applies to everyone. We all have something to hide, don't we?

No comments about Abraham Lincoln and a Nation Worth Fighting For.

5 comments about Harry and Ike: The Partnership That Remade the Postwar World (Lisa Drew Books).

1. Hitler, Hitler & Stalin, FDR & Stalin, FDR & Truman among others.
   Some with no connection. Obviously Naploeon didn't know Hitler. I'm kinder that most reviewers. But this was cooperation, not a partnership. The author strains for similarities. They were both poor boys growing up at the same time in mid-America 200 miles apart.
   Childish & paranoid come to mind in decribing their relationship after Ike decides to run in 1952. Truman's problem was he idolized generals such as Pershing, Marshall, MacArthur & Eisenhower. He would have stepped aside for MacArthur or Ike if either had wanted to run as a Democrat in 1948. Then he became paranoid that Ike might take him up on it. Ike said he wouldn't run & Truman thought that meant forever. When Ike did run as a Republican to deny Robert Taft the nomination Truman felt betrayed, even though Ike was doing him a favor. He attacked Ike & his character viciously. Of course Ike responded in kind. There were other issues mostly personal. Their foreign policy was seamless from one administration to the next. They basically ignored each other until Kennedy's funeral when they had to sit next to each other. Good history of two great Americans leaders 1945-52 & slightly tarnishing their image after that.



2. Harry was wild about Ike, until Ike gave him hell, sending Harry on a crusade in Illinois. I have read a dozen or so books by and about Harry and Ike, none of which adequately explained the root causes of their falling out or their eventual reconciliation. This book fills that gap. Ike was politically naive, as Harry feared. I agree with the author that Ike would have been a better President if he had followed the advice of more of his friends, including HST, and less advice from his political handlers. This is an excellent book.



3. Steve Neal's historical biography "Harry and Ike" nearly fails right from the start by building on a premise that is non-existent: the `close' relationship between Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower. It's well known that Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower were never close working partners, even prior to the epic, decade-long feud that began during the 1952 election. It's a stretch to building a book on the premise of such a partnership and Neal does very little support his theory. Harry and Ike were two men who initially had great respect for each other and occasionally worked together on issues of common interest, but otherwise had little to do with one another. The failure to make a case otherwise should have torpedoed this book. What saves it, however, is that, even with the flawed premise, it is a fascinating historical record.
   
   While Neal is unable support his premise, he does an excellent job and revealing the histories and backgrounds of these titans among men. He tracks their lives and developments independently until their disparate paths crossed during the last, mad days of World War II. From there, Neal uses the framework of this supposed friendship to provide informative and interesting accounts of history as it happened during that era. He covers moments like Truman offering to step aside and run as Eisenhower's Vice President in 1948 if Ike were to run as a Democrat (possibly the foundation of Neal's assertion of a `close' relationship). He covers the major events like the hostile 1952 Presidential election, the beginning of the Korean War, and firing of General Douglas MacArthur. Neal uses these events to show the impact it had on each man and the reactions it prompted.
   
   "Harry and Ike" serves as a good primer for studying the historical events of that time. It has the effect of making the reader want to probe deeper into those events. Reading this book led me to seek out and read the incredible Douglas MacArthur biography "American Caesar". Given that strong historical narrative of "Harry and Ike", Steve Neal should not be penalized too much for his flimsy premise. There's no doubting that it still serves as an effective historical record.



4. The title of Steve Neal's book is a bit misleading. The working relationship between America's 33rd and 34th presidents, Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower, wasn't quite a first-name buddy relationship or one between close comrades (although they collaborated on the Marshall Plan and key initiatives of the first Cold War years.) But assembling formal documents, letters, speeches, telegrams, and even early TV appearances, Neal accurately if dryly (few personal interviews) charts 15 years' key dialogue between two of America's revered post-war figures.
   
   Neal successfully shows how key events of 1945-60 (culminating in JFK's election) serve to unite, than divide the men. Truman admires Eisenhower's early work helping rebuild Germany's economy, while Eisenhower supports formation of NATO and SHAPE, (buttress against post-war Communist aggression.) Both agree on early attempts to mitigate Soviet and Chinese threats, leading to histories of 1950-53's Korean war and Douglas MacArthur's controversial dismissal (with both men agreeing on their dim view of the revered military figure).
   
   Neal also makes the case for Senators Joe McCarthy and William Jenner's divisive Senate tenures changing Truman and Eisenhower's relationship, in Neal's words, "from one of bitter words into one of mutual contempt." Eisenhower enters 1952's campaign election after years' reluctance as a stand against US isolationism, only finding himself supporting unpopular senators along party lines and not fully supporting Truman cabinet members (such as Gen. George Marshall) against McCarthy's attacks. But Neal also shows Truman's political expediency as he first dismisses the younger John Kennedy in 1960 before endorsing his candidacy more enthusiastically than Eisenhower did his vice president, Richard Nixon.
   
   You sense the awe in which Neal holds both men, honoring their respective contributions to society. He spends Chapter 29's first paragraphs explaining how each administration's agendas (for national security, infrastructure, and economic growth) blended into each other, thus turning making their eventual quarrel more personal. (It was notable enough then to receive media coverage and even a quip from David Brinkley.) This chill slowly thaws after 1960 to warm greetings between both men and their wives in the aftershock of John Kennedy's 1963 funeral.
   
   The book could have used more personal reflections; admittedly few may have been actively available for discussion, but only Eisenhower's son John is extensively quoted apart from written correspondence. Nonetheless, "Harry and Ike" is worthwhile reading for anyone interested in the key post-war years, allowing us another look at the seismic events of the early Cold War through the eyes of two of America's most beloved presidents. Recommended.



5. Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower is the partnership that shaped the post World War II world. Their impact is astounding. Steve Neal does a commendable job of charting the friendship that turned sour imcoperating the background material necessary to tell the complete story.
   
   Truman and Eisenhower both started as military man, but it became a career for Eisenhower. Truman returned home after World War I to work in the government through a political machine eventually landing in the senate. From the senate he filled a void of urgency, FDR's vice president in his final term. It was somewhat expected that FDR would not finish the term so it would important for FDR to have a capable repalcement waiting. Truman would serve little more than two months as VP before leading the country through the completion and rebuilding of World War II.
   
   Eisenhower would never reach the battle lines of World War I, but he commanded the allied forces of Europe. Eisenhower won great public approval for his victory over the Nazis at home and abroad. Even in 1948, there was popular sentiment that he should run for president. Eisenhower had no desire to run for political office, instead he supervised the rebuilding of Europe. He felt his work was of far to great importance to abandon at that time.
   
   Eisenhower work so closely with Truman during this time, most people assumed he was a Democrat. However, Eisenhower never declared a party. It strained the friendship when Eisenhower ran on the Republican ticket in 1952. It strained their friendship even more when Eisenhower shared a political platform with Senator Joe McCarthy, head of the communist witch hunt. In addition to McCarthy's open criticism of Truman, Eisenhower's political maneuver caused Truman and Eisenhower not to speak for most of the Eisenhower's presidency. Partisan bickering continued throughout most of Eisenhower's term.
   
   It was only through the tragic events on November 22, 1963 that their friendship was renewed. As both men survived through the end of the decade, their correspondence would continue. While the book starts slow and burried in fact, the middle and end of the book finish strong. Toward the end, I could not put the book down.

3 comments about Reagan's Path to Victory: The Shaping of Ronald Reagan's Vision: Selected Writings.

1. Never the lightweight portrayed by the media, this collection of 300 addresses shows how Ronald Reagan honed his message in the crucial years leading up to his presidential run.
   
   The late 1970s were times of tumult. Following Vietnam and Watergate, the country was adrift, unsure of its foreign and domestic mandate. Between 1975 and 1979 Reagan delivered more than 1,000 radio addresses, of which he himself wrote 680.
   
   Reagan argued in vain against the Panama Canal treaties. He was against the prevailing view that the Vietnam War was wrong. He counseled against détente with the Soviet Union; against the growth of regulation; and against the tax burden.
   
   Yet he was fundamentally an optimist. His positive positive, values-based prescriptions for the economy and for Soviet relations were welcome prescriptions during this period of what President Jimmy Carter termed "malaise." Reagan told inspiring stories; he applauded charities and small businesses that worked to overcome challenges.
   
   In short, he touched voters. This history of Reason's pre-presidential thoughts provides unique insights not just into Reagan's policy thinking, but also into his status as a master communicator.



2. This book might best be described as a companion to an earlier volume entitled "Reagan, In His Own Hand: The Writings of Ronald Reagan that Reveal His Revolutionary Vision for America," The format is identical to the earlier book and the content is similar, but, in my view, this is a much superior work. I say that because a larger percentage of the commentaries included in this volume focus on Reagan's thoughts and ideas concerning the national and international affairs of his time, the thoughts and ideas which shaped his presidency and which made him one of America's greatest, most successful, and most revered presidents.
   
   Like the earlier volume, this is the kind of book which can be read a bit and then set aside and returned to later with no loss of continuity, since each brief essay is a stand-alone item. And best of all, since these commentaries were written by Reagan for broadcast on the radio they reflect the soft easy-going literary style of America's "great communicator." The book also includes a CD containing twenty of Reagan's broadcasts.
   
   But if you are not inclined to read the entire book, at least read a few of his brief essays. My suggestions would be: Medical Care (pg. 181); Inflation (pg. 186); Farm Day (pg. 268); Bakke (pg. 274); Budget (pg. 276); Local Control I (pg. 279); Local Control II (pg. 280); Government Security (pg. 291); Health Care (pg. 302); Oil (pg. 309); Drugs (pg. 313); Money (pg. 314); Salaries (pg. 315); Stamps (pg. 320); Inflation (pg. 328); District of Columbia (pg. 363); Pensions (pg. 371); Business Tax (pg. 385); Textbooks (pg. 388); Birthday Party (pg. 393); Patent Medicine II (pg. 406); Inflation (pg. 425); Jonestown (pg. 435); Three Mile Island I (pg. 438); Three Mile Island II (pg. 440); Oil (pg. 442); and Vietnam War (pg. 453).
   
   If you read these, you will learn a lot about how our government really works; about centralized government, the federal bureaucracy and the problems they cause; and about how some of our nation's current problems came about and, most enlightening, Reagan's views as to what must be done to fix them. Of course, if you read them you may also decide that you really do want to read the rest of the book.
   
   Having already read almost fifty books by and about Ronald Reagan, his family, and his administration, I must admit that I was suffering severe Reagan burnout when I encountered this one. But, despite some mixed feelings, I read it and once again marveled at the depth of Reagan's insight, his patriotism, and his humanity, as well as the broad scope of his reasoning. Many professional politicians seem to crave the power of America's presidency but do nothing to earn it. Through these essays, Ronald Reagan actually prepared himself for the job. I wonder if anyone else has ever done that.



3. News Flash: Reagan had a brain and used it. Over the past few years, with all the material coming out in 'Reagan's own hand' and accompanying scholarship, it's hard to believe that anyone could still think that Reagan was no more than an actor, an 'amiable dunce' in Clark Clifford's words. (Clark who?) But, there are still folks out there who believe in Marxism, the tooth fairy, and Obama's achievements, so some misperceptions die hard. For the antidote, one could well start with this volume of collected essays Reagan wrote and broadcast as radio commentaries in the 1970s. One finds an amazing array of subjects--domestic and foreign policy issues, economics, national security, social issues--each one commented on cogently and occasionally brilliantly. An accompanying CD with many of the broadcasts is much appreciated. Highly recommended.

No comments about King Tut (Kids Who Ruled).

No comments about The Lincolns from A to Z.