In this work, Goodwin charts the lives of four influential US Presidents – Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and Lyndon Johnson. Having written leading biographies previously of each of these, she combines her insights to profile the character of leadership, at least in an American form. She distills prior deep study of these presidents into an interwoven narrative that highlights how their personal narratives enabled them to meet the challenges of their times of leadership. In so doing, she leads us to understand how we can learn from and be formed by our life crises. Studying these events hopefully molds us readers to lead in our moments in our situations.
Most educated American adults know something of these leaders’ presidential history. What Goodwin does most effectively is to correlate their behavior in office to their individual histories before taking office. Further, she charts how their times after office and their deaths reflected the style of leadership they displayed during their respective seminal crises. As such, she does not merely focus on how each dealt with the crisis at hand; rather, she extends it towards a study of individual character – and the reflected character of the American people.
Written during the era of Trump (in which the nature American leadership seems to be questioned), this book displays a historical critique of this new style of “leadership.” By tying her analysis to leaders of change in American history, she seems to tacitly argue that this new style is neither progressive nor definitively American. Each of these presidents were progressive in their time, yet the changes they wrought have become central to subsequent American self-understanding. (Johnson’s principal change, in Goodwin’s telling, is limited to the Civil Rights Acts and does not extend to the Great Society, which had mixed results.) Turbulence marks the current era. What kind of leadership will emerge? Goodwin argues that a knowledge of history ought to inform our response.
This book has broad appeal, particularly among Americans and particularly among societal leaders. It entertains. It educates. It ties contemporary discussions to historical events. It discusses themes which most Americans deal with in their everyday lives. How do we choose to conduct our lives? How can we treat our neighbors with dignity? How should we proceed with self-government? Citizens of democracies all face these common problems. Goodwin’s individual biographies of these leaders have won critical accolades like the Pulitzer Prize. This work summarizes this erudition in an acceptable and interesting series of case studies. Almost any reader can learn how to navigate the future better through this map of well-told history.
Leadership: In Turbulent Times
By Doris Kearns Goodwin
Copyright (c) 2019
Simon & Schuster
ISBN13 9781476795935
Audiobook
Genre: American History, Presidential Biography
www.amazon.com