About this item
The first major biography of preeminent historian and intellectual Arthur Schlesinger Jr., a defining figure in Kennedy's White House.Arthur Schlesinger Jr. (1917-2007) , known today as the architect of John F. Kennedy's presidential legacy -- and the myth of Camelot -- blazed an extraordinary path from Harvard University to wartime London to the West Wing. The son of a pioneering historian -- and a two-time Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winner in his own right -- Schlesinger redefined the art of presidential biography. A Thousand Days, his best-selling record of the Kennedy administration, remains immensely influential and has cemented Schlesinger's place as one of the nation's greatest political image makers.In this vivid account of Schlesinger's life and career, biographer Richard Aldous draws on oral history, rarely seen archival documents, and the official Schlesinger papers to craft an invaluable portrait of a brilliant and controversial historian who framed America's rise to global empire. Schlesinger promises to transform our understanding of one of the key figures of the twentieth-century American intellectual elite. 8 pages of illustrations
About the Author
Richard Aldous holds the Eugene Meyer Chair at Bard College, New York. His numerous books include REAGAN AND THATCHER (New York Times Editors' Choice, Sunday Times Best Books of the Summer, Christian Science Monitor Best Books of the Year, Publishers Weekly Starred Review) , THE LION AND THE UNICORN: GLADSTONE VS. DISRAELI (Independent, Daily Telegraph, Irish Times books of the year) and GREAT IRISH SPEECHES (an Irish Times No.1 bestseller) . Richard writes and reviews for the New York Times, the Irish Times and the Sunday Telegraph, and is a regular contributor to television and radio on both sides of the Atlantic.
Praise for REAGAN AND THATCHER: THE DIFFICULT RELATIONSHIP:
'This well-informed account casts new light on the heroic version of the two leaders' association.' New York Times 'Editor's Choice.'
"This gripping account of their difficult relationship reads like a thriller." Sunday Times "Must Reads" and Best Books of the Summer.
"This wonderful new history by Bard College professor Richard Aldous makes clear that the relationship between Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher was far more challenging and complex than is widely recognized." Christian Science Monitor Best Books of 2012.
"This brilliant book reminds readers of the simple lesson that in diplomacy, interests often trump ideology -- and spin trumps both." Foreign Affairs
"A well-researched, well-written and revisionist double portrait." Wall Street Journal
"It is a remarkable story, which deserves the fresh account that Richard Aldous, a professor of history at Bard College, gives it in Reagan and Thatcher. His book casts new light on the heroic version in which two great leaders continued the struggle for freedom waged for generations past by 'the English-speaking peoples.'" New York Times
"Aldous deserves nothing but credit for the masterly way in which he weaves accounts from published memoirs and recently declassified US material into a pacey, almost thriller-like account of the meetings and telephone calls between these two political giants. This is a work of history that can be read at one sitting." Sunday Times (London)
"Reagan and Thatcher, a wonderful new book by Bard College professor Richard Aldous, makes clear that their alliance was far more challenging and complex than is widely recognized." Christian Science Monitor
'Intelligent, authoritative and extremely readable.' The Spectator (London)
"What Aldous manages to achieve is strong research with a vivid narrative style, bringing the most dramatic moments to life." The Guardian (London)
"An accurate picture of the Reagan-Thatcher dance does us all a favor." Daily Beast "Hot Reads".
"This is excellent
