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4.3 AVERAGE
4.3 AVERAGE
very interesting, mini biographies of the four presidents and the successes of their leadership. detailed and made me realise how lacking my knowledge of american history is!
An inspiring read on leadership, Leadership in Turbulent Times, is full of information on what it takes to be a leader. Told in well researched biographies on four US presidents who embodied leadership, this book is a well researched fount of information. It is written in engaging vignettes of the presidents’ lives before, during, and after presidency. The book also details how each president featured endured and learned from hardships. Leadership in Turbulent Times is a recommended read for anyone in a leadership position. As Theodore Roosevelt said, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
A look into the lives of four Presidents through the lens of leadership: Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Lyndon B. Johnson. While these men were all very different they were all leaders in their own way. Goodwin looks at different periods of their lives, their first entry into public life, a time of tragedy that impacted their outlooks, their prime leadership time as President, and if applicable their lives after. Written in an easy to read style and full of interesting information about these four men comparing and contrasting them and the paths each one took to be able to become great leaders. I received an ARC of this book through the Goodreads First Reads giveaways.
This book took me quite a while to get through, but that is a reflection on my life, not the book. I saw the author speak prior to the publication of the book, and she is an amazing historian, storyteller, and writer in addition to being well-spoken and fair. This is a book worth reading. It is well written and researched, so it can be dense relative to popular books. I enjoyed the third section, "How they led" the best, where the guiding principles of leadership under the four presidents are laid out. If I ever get around to one of those "read a book about each president" challenges, I would consider her other books.
This is the first book I’ve read by Doris Kearns Goodwin (listened to audio). I can see why she is greatly respected as a writer. This book draws on extensive research and primary sources, including a personal relationship with Lyndon Johnson assisting with his memoir. Her narrative is compelling
Ever since I read Team of Rivals back in 2005, I have been a big fan of Doris Kearns Goodwin. She is not only a masterful historian but also an incredible storyteller. So when I saw Leadership: In Turbulent Times come out in 2018, I knew that I had to read it.
Goodwin poses some very interesting questions at the beginning of Leadership. "Are leaders born or made? Does the leader make the times or do the times make the leader?" To answer these questions, Goodwin looked to four presidents: Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Lyndon B. Johnson. I have to be honest, I was dubious about her selection of Johnson. I assumed that her own personal bias (she worked on his memoirs) had made her choose Johnson. However, I was happy to be mistaken as I learned more about Johnson and his leadership in the civil rights movement.
Throughout Leadership, Goodwin looked at each president individually: how they became leaders, how they dealt with adversity in their personal and political lives, and what kind of leadership they practiced as president. I definitely knew the most about Lincoln and the two Roosevelts, as I had read more about them and they are also revered as great presidents. I admired and enjoyed Goodwin's descriptions of Abraham Lincoln's transformational leadership, Theodore Roosevelt's crisis leadership, and FDR's turnaround leadership. But it was the chapters about Johnson and his visionary leadership that really stood out to me. Unfortunately, history has assigned Johnson to the role of bad president for his failures in international policy and the Vietnam War. And while those failures cannot (and should not) be forgotten, Johnson's domestic policies and leadership achieved more for the civil rights movement than any other leader since Lincoln. Goodwin has ensured that Johnson's contributions are remembered; I know that I truly gained an appreciation for his leadership and for the steps he took to ensure that one day all Americans would be free.
Leadership is incredibly well-written and researched. Goodwin showed how four very different presidents were similar in their ability to lead in times of crises. While I always learn a lot from her books, I also truly enjoy reading them. While perhaps not her intention, Goodwin's Leadership is a reminder of how leaders should lead in turbulent times.
Goodwin poses some very interesting questions at the beginning of Leadership. "Are leaders born or made? Does the leader make the times or do the times make the leader?" To answer these questions, Goodwin looked to four presidents: Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Lyndon B. Johnson. I have to be honest, I was dubious about her selection of Johnson. I assumed that her own personal bias (she worked on his memoirs) had made her choose Johnson. However, I was happy to be mistaken as I learned more about Johnson and his leadership in the civil rights movement.
Throughout Leadership, Goodwin looked at each president individually: how they became leaders, how they dealt with adversity in their personal and political lives, and what kind of leadership they practiced as president. I definitely knew the most about Lincoln and the two Roosevelts, as I had read more about them and they are also revered as great presidents. I admired and enjoyed Goodwin's descriptions of Abraham Lincoln's transformational leadership, Theodore Roosevelt's crisis leadership, and FDR's turnaround leadership. But it was the chapters about Johnson and his visionary leadership that really stood out to me. Unfortunately, history has assigned Johnson to the role of bad president for his failures in international policy and the Vietnam War. And while those failures cannot (and should not) be forgotten, Johnson's domestic policies and leadership achieved more for the civil rights movement than any other leader since Lincoln. Goodwin has ensured that Johnson's contributions are remembered; I know that I truly gained an appreciation for his leadership and for the steps he took to ensure that one day all Americans would be free.
Leadership is incredibly well-written and researched. Goodwin showed how four very different presidents were similar in their ability to lead in times of crises. While I always learn a lot from her books, I also truly enjoy reading them. While perhaps not her intention, Goodwin's Leadership is a reminder of how leaders should lead in turbulent times.
Originally received as an ARC in September 2018, I put it aside to read other things and just recently returned to it. Doris Kearns Goodwin's latest work focuses on four presidents-Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, and Lyndon Johnson, and their paths to exceptional "leadership in turbulent times," to echo her title. If you've read her previous books about President Lincoln and President Theodore Roosevelt, some material about their early lives and paths to the Presidency may be somewhat repetitive. However, her sharp focus on how each man capably handled various crises once again shows her ability to weave real history into compelling stories.
1/3 hardcover, 2/3 audiobook. My favorite historian at her best. I had the privilege of hearing her speak in person and she shared material for this book. I hadn't ever learned much about LBJ, so all of that was new for me. Excellent work, thought provoking lessons from the successes and failures of past leaders. Lincoln especially holds my admiration as an empathic giant.
Doris Kearns Goodwin pairs her superior research skills with an ability to recount history in a comprehensive manner to bring readers this wonderful book on political power in the most difficult situations. Patching together some of her past work on four American presidents, Goodwin examines the rise to power of each man, as well as how they were able to overcome significant adversity to right the proverbial apple cart. Goodwin chooses to explore the life and times of four men synonymous with great achievements throughout their lives: Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt (Teddy), Franklin Roosevelt (FDR), and Lyndon Johnson (LBJ). Told using three themes, Goodwin explores a rise to prominence, sustaining of power (including ascending to the presidency), and utilisation of that power when times were tough. In Goodwin’s examination of Lincoln, she tells of a gangly man who was always driven to better himself, even when others could not see his end goal. Lincoln loved to learn and questioned the status quo at every turn. When he chose to run for office, he was quite verbose in his explanation, but was able to win others over with his oratory skills, rather than simply following the pre-ordained path of the party under whose banner he sought to run. Winning a place, first in the Illinois Senate and eventually as a congressman, Lincoln sought to expand what was taking place by asking the questions about what else could be done. When he won the presidential election of 1860, Lincoln entered the White House in turbulent times. Goodwin examines many of the struggles he had, as the country tore itself apart, forcing him to take action. This included writing and delivering the Emancipation Proclamation, one of the greatest speeches that Lincoln ever gave. Goodwin seeks to argue that the speech itself was not the only struggle, but also Lincoln’s trying to pass it and keep his Cabinet together. Teddy Roosevelt was always a man who sought to do his own thing. His father was a daunting character in his life, but this did not stop Teddy from striving to excel. He was a man of many words, but also one who knew how to relate to everyone. Goodwin examines how Teddy could rise to any occasion and win over those who might otherwise not give him a second look. Playing politics in New York, Roosevelt was able to work within the GOP ranks and earn himself a senior bureaucratic position where he could exemplify his ‘man of the people’ persona. He shied away from little and, given the chance, changed in head first to meet adversity. A police commissioner helped him win the favour of New Yorkers, but he was not done there. After the assassination of President William McKinley, Roosevelt—who had been destined for the doldrums of obscurity when he was the vice-president—ascended into the White House. Unsure what to expect, he was saddled with a coal strike that almost paralyzed the country. While others would have let business and labour work out their differences, Teddy waded into those waters and diligently acted to solve the problem for the American people. Teddy’s fifth cousin, FDR, chose another path for his success. Born into significant wealth, Franklin Roosevelt was handed a congressional seat and told to run with it. FDR chose to represent the party well, using new and innovative techniques to get his name out to the masses in New York. He was a keen worker and would not let anything get in his way. When he was struck with polio, he faced what was surely his greatest obstacle, but FDR would not stand down. Forced to reinvent himself, with the help of his wife, FDR toppled the hurdles and ascended to the governor’s mansion in New York before riding the wave of success during America’s darkest days. Goodwin examines America’s reaction to the Great Depression before introducing FDR’s solution in a series of economic and social changes during those first one hundred days in office. Now a yardstick by which many presidents are measured, those first few months proved to be FDR’s way of staring down the despair and breathing new life into a shaky America. The final man under exploration is the irascible Lyndon Johnson, whose rise within Texas politics seemed almost pre-ordained. However, LBJ came from modest means and had to claw his way up the ladder, serving first as a teacher and principal in a small school. From there, he found new and exciting ways to work any crowd around him, earning him points wherever he went. As Goodwin explains, LBJ did politics the Texas away, not always by the book, but certainly represented those around him effectively. When he won national office, LBJ had to learn the ropes again, but his gumption helped him rise to power, where he served in both congressional houses with distinction, rubbing elbows with some of the big names in politics at the time. It was another assassination that saw LBJ assume the presidency, but he wasted no time in getting his agenda in order. As Goodwin shows, LBJ’s desire to ensure his predecessor’s desire to offer tax cuts and deliver civil rights to a significant portion of the underprivileged population. LBJ fought tooth and nail, using his experience in Congress, as well as numerous personal relationships to further this causes and ensure that America remained on the course towards success in the latter decades of the 20th century. Goodwin shows how the president refused to let congressional or regional walls stymie his ideals to bring equality to a country that was still feeling the effects of its Civil War a century before. Goodwin draws obvious parallels between the first and fourth of her study subjects to show how the argument of equality for all had come firm circle, subtly showing that all the bloodshed was, realistically, for naught. Still, LBJ would not give up on these domestic issues, even as his international realm fell apart the more intense the Vietnam War became. In her conclusion, Goodwin takes a final look at these men and how their deaths impacted America. Did the population learn from these men and were their legacies impactful? Goodwin sums everything up with some of her trademark blunt analysis, while offering the reader some hope as America returns to tumultuous times, even if the man at the helm could never hope to lead effectively. A sensational book that gets to the core of power in four men so very different but also so much alike. Adversity need not cripple anyone, as long as determination is your guide. Highly recommended to those who love political biographies and would love to see great men in action, as America suffers through new turbulent times.
I thoroughly enjoy political biographies, particularly when they are well researched and written in such a way that anyone can enjoy them. Doris Kearns Goodwin has earn this reputation in her half-century of writing and exploring the world of politics through the eyes of a historian. While I have read comprehensive biographies of all four men, I left this piece with more knowledge and a better understanding of what it takes to steer the massive political ship that is the United States of America away from turbulence and hidden icebergs. Goodwin develops this piece, based on some of her past work writing about these men, creating threads that connect them, even as they differed so much. Taken a look at their rises to power, Goodwin compares them all in four introductory chapters, before forging ahead to discuss their ascents. This political build-up, while different in its path, can again be tied together by other threads, which makes up the four middle chapters. Then, when each man had been chosen to lead America (or moved into the position by assassination), they excelled greatly and used their own political acumen to pave the way to a better and more sustainable America. Goodwin argues that America was better for the leadership these four men exemplified, even if the history books offers varied judgment. The curious reader will take much away from this book, seeing themes between the four presidents that many might have missed before. Goodwin’s writing is easy to digest and her arguments are sound. She is a passionate and powerful storyteller who will not shy away from any challenge. As America is back in a time of tumult, with its people divided and politicians fighting more than in recent decades, this book is a refreshing look at how to REALLY make America great again!
Kudos, Madam Goodwin, for dazzling us with your abilities. I hope many take the time to see your central arguments and discover how American political history comes to life under your pen.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/248185-a-book-for-all-seasons
I thoroughly enjoy political biographies, particularly when they are well researched and written in such a way that anyone can enjoy them. Doris Kearns Goodwin has earn this reputation in her half-century of writing and exploring the world of politics through the eyes of a historian. While I have read comprehensive biographies of all four men, I left this piece with more knowledge and a better understanding of what it takes to steer the massive political ship that is the United States of America away from turbulence and hidden icebergs. Goodwin develops this piece, based on some of her past work writing about these men, creating threads that connect them, even as they differed so much. Taken a look at their rises to power, Goodwin compares them all in four introductory chapters, before forging ahead to discuss their ascents. This political build-up, while different in its path, can again be tied together by other threads, which makes up the four middle chapters. Then, when each man had been chosen to lead America (or moved into the position by assassination), they excelled greatly and used their own political acumen to pave the way to a better and more sustainable America. Goodwin argues that America was better for the leadership these four men exemplified, even if the history books offers varied judgment. The curious reader will take much away from this book, seeing themes between the four presidents that many might have missed before. Goodwin’s writing is easy to digest and her arguments are sound. She is a passionate and powerful storyteller who will not shy away from any challenge. As America is back in a time of tumult, with its people divided and politicians fighting more than in recent decades, this book is a refreshing look at how to REALLY make America great again!
Kudos, Madam Goodwin, for dazzling us with your abilities. I hope many take the time to see your central arguments and discover how American political history comes to life under your pen.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/248185-a-book-for-all-seasons