Presidential Ambition: Gaining Power At Any Cost – A Shocking Revelation of How All Presidents Sacrifice Health, Family, Loyalty, and Values for Ambition

by Richard Shenkman

In this timely, illuminating, and often shocking book, Richard Shenkman reveals that it is not just recent presidents but all presidents who have been ambitious--and at times frighteningly so, willing to sacrifice their health, family, loyalty, and values. Presidential Ambition is a book that will permanently alter the way we think about past, present, and future American presidents.

Genres: History, Politics, Nonfiction, Presidents, Leadership, Biography, Political Science

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was much better than I expected. I was expecting a dry treatise on Presidential politics, but it really was a fairly light and entertaining look at all the things our Presidents have done to get and keep power. Although people bemoan our politicians these days, the author shows that the pursuit of power has always made people compromise their values. The author's main argument that throughout history, men with ambition have always reached for the highest position in society, and, in the end, it is the way that society has changed that has caused our President's too reach further and farther.

[Glenn Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun book on most of the presidents and what they did to maintain power and the presidency. Some well known rehash stories such as the the start of the Mexican-American War, the Spanish-American War and others. Many stories of just down right harsh and dirty politics, such as FDR's use of the IRS to go after Huey Long. Many of the presidents did all they could to prevent the public from knowing of major illnesses, such as Grover Cleveland's secret surgery for cancer, Wilson's many problems before and during the presidency and others. The only president to be spared was George Washington.

[Toesnorth's mom]

good