The Buck Stops Here: The 28 Toughest Presidential Decisions and How They Changed History

by Thomas J. Craughwell, Edwin Kiester Jr.

Overview

This book vividly captures twenty-eight pivotal moments in American presidential history—from the Louisiana Purchase to JFK’s pledge to put a man on the moon.

It is often said that the United States presidency is the most powerful office in the world. Various presidents have wielded that power in different ways, changing the course of history with a single decision, speech, or signature. The Buck Stops Here examines twenty-eight of these iconic events, giving readers an insider’s view of how and why these decisions were made, and providing insight into the corridors of power within the White House.

Thomas J. Craughwell and Edwin Kiester Jr. delve into Jefferson’s acquisition of vast new territory with the Louisiana Purchase and Lincoln’s abolition of slavery with the Emancipation Proclamation. They shed light on the establishment of enduring institutions such as Medicare and America’s national parks. They also look at initiatives that reverberated worldwide, including Theodore Roosevelt’s construction of the Panama Canal, Harry S. Truman’s deployment of the atom bomb, Richard Nixon’s visit to China, and John F. Kennedy’s pledge to put a man on the moon.

Each chapter presents the issues at stake, and analyzes the enduring, sometimes unforeseen consequences of these presidential decisions—in their own time, and right up to the present day.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781616738488
Publisher:	Quarto Publishing Group USA
Publication date:	12/20/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	292
Sales rank:	31,864
File size:	13 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Thomas J. Craughwell has written about saints for the Wall Street Journal, Inside the Vatican, and Catholic Digest, among other national publications.

Edwin Kiester Jr. has written more than 2,000 magazine articles and twelve books on subjects ranging from science to history. His most recent books are An Incomplete History of World War I and An Incomplete History of World War II. He is a staff writer for Smithsonian magazine.

Thomas J. Craughwell has written about saints for the Wall Street Journal, Inside the Vatican, and Catholic Digest, among other national publications.
Edwin Kiester Jr. has written more than 2,000 magazine articles and twelve books on subjects ranging from science to history. His most recent books are An Incomplete History of World War I and An Incomplete History of World War II. He is a staff writer for Smithsonian magazine.

Editorial Reviews

Big presidential decisions are usually attributed to big presidential names, like Roosevelt, Kennedy, or Nixon. Indeed, these names appear frequently in this absorbing and entertaining examination of presidential decisions. Yet, amid the more glamorous personalities and seismic shifts attributed to actions such as Jefferson’s Louisiana Purchase, which not only expanded the country but signaled a profound expansion of presidential power, and Kennedy’s Bay of Pigs fiasco, are lesser known accomplishments by rarely mentioned leaders, like Millard Fillmore, who helped make the U.S. a formidable presence in the Pacific. An engaging journey through the actions of 17 presidents who, for the most part, pushed the country towards progress, The Buck Stops Here also reveals the elasticity of presidential power over the last 200 years. While not every decision was grave or monumental, these presidential actions are shown to have had a lasting impact on American culture. Theodore Roosevelt’s dinner invitation to Booker T. Washington, for instance, not only pitted Southern Democrats against the more progressive Republicans of the time, but helped push the issue of race to the forefront of the American debate. Photos. (June)

Publishers Weekly

“As this book makes clear, many of the most fascinating turning points in American history were also presidential ones. Thomas J. Craughwell and Edwin Kiester Jr. show us the complex link between personal choice and historical contingency, charting a narrative of White House hardball that reminds us how much we have invested in those who become chief executive. These are tales of power, American-style.” —Cormac O’Brien, author of Secret Lives of the U.S. Presidents and The Forgotten History of America

An engaging journey through the actions of 17 presidents who, for the most part, pushed the country towards progress, The Buck Stops Here also reveals the elasticity of presidential power over the last 200 years. While not every decision was grave or monumental, these presidential actions are shown to have had a lasting impact on American culture. Theodore Roosevelt’s dinner invitation to Booker T. Washington, for instance, not only pitted Southern Democrats against the more progressive Republicans of the time, but helped push the issue of race to the forefront of the American debate. - Publisher's Weekly Web Exclusive, August 2010

“Thomas J. Craughwell has given us a richly detailed, highly entertaining, and broad slice of our history.” —The American Spectator on Stealing Lincoln’s Body by Thomas J. Craughwell

“There is no end of fascinating context and detail in this engrossing, often zany, yet poignant tale.” —Chicago Tribune on Stealing Lincoln’s Body by Thomas J. Craughwell

From the Publisher