Second Acts: Presidential Lives and Legacies After the White House
by Mark Updegrove
Copyright 2006 by Mark K. Updegrove All Rights Reserved.
Categories: Contemporary History Politics
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Description
F. Scott Fitzgerald once wrote, "There are no second acts in American lives," but more and more, our fomer presidents are proving him wonrg. No longer fading into the background upon leaving the highest office in the land, ex-presidents perform valuable services as elder statesmen and international emissaries-- and by pursuing their own agendas. From Eisenhower taking Kennedy to the woodshed (literally) on the Bay of Pigs crisis, to Carter earning the NObel Peace Prize, to Bush Sr. and Clinton joining forces in an unlikely partnership for sunami and Hurricane Katrina relief, the author examines the increasingly important roles that former presidents assume in our nation and throughout the world.
Through interviews with former presidents, first ladies, family members, friends, and staffers, the author also delves into the very human stories that play out as the modern ex-presidents--from Truman to Clinton--adjust to life after the White House and attempt to shape their historical legacies. In this, the first narrative history of the modern post-presidency, Mark K. Updegrove makes a refreshingly unique contribution to literature on the American presidents.
Please note that photographs from the hardcover edition are not included in this electronic version.
Quotes
"Mark K. Updegrove's Second Acts is a smart and provocative look at the most exclusive club in America –
ex-presidents. Highly recommended!"
— Douglas Brinkley, Professor of History and Director of the Theodore Roosevelt Center at Tulane University
"Former presidents have been likened to Cinderella after the ball. In this intimate, often surprising group
portrait, Mark Updegrove reveals how our ex-presidents since Truman have dealt with the loss of power that is their
pumpkin. From Ike struggling to master the intricacies of the dial tone, to LBJ raging like Lear on the Perdenales
[River], to Jimmy Carter, the Extra President--Updegrove gives us riveting history by twilight. His evening stars
cast a memorable glow."
— Richard Norton Smith, president historian, Scholar in Residence, George Mason University
— Don Carleton, Director, University of Texas Center for American History
" Highly recommended."
— Library Journal
"For those interested in the former presidents, this popular history will do the trick."
— Publishers Weekly
"Revealing in detail and context."
— Kirkus Reviews
Extended Copyright Information
Copyright 2006 by Mark K. Updegrove
Originally published by The Lyons Press
an imprint of The Globe Pequot Press.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Opening Lines (Experimental)
In the annals of legend, Cincinnatus, a wealthy farmer who worked his own land in ancient Rome, was called upon to lead his country in battle when a horde of barbarians threatened attack. Unhesitatingly, he took up arms as the leader of the army and triumphed over the enemy after several days of ...
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