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

The secret history of the American how its chief executives fought, lied, and schemed for power.

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.

Shenkman demonstrates that behind cherished national legends lay a relentless calculation--showing how George Washington courted land along with Martha, and James K. Polk engineered border pretexts for war.

The book documents the quiet deceptions of the campaign trail, tracking Franklin Pierce as he hid his national candidacy from his grieving wife Jane.

Chapters follow how shifting political currents transformed the office, forcing leaders to bend principles as the nation expanded. Presidential Ambition is a book that will permanently alter the way we think about past, present, and future American presidents.

Executive Details how James Buchanan covertly lobbied Supreme Court justices to rule on the Missouri Compromise, and John Adams politicised foreign diplomacy to punish domestic rivals.Campaign Explores the ruthless smears of the 1828 election that targeted Rachel Jackson, and the engineered 1840 Whig spectacle that packaged William Henry Harrison in a false log cabin.Political Investigates the lucrative kickback schemes inside the New York Custom House under Chester A. Arthur, and Grover Cleveland’s covert cancer surgery aboard a private yacht.Historical Traces how the emergence of party machines and industrial wealth systematically closed the door on George Washington’s ideal of an apolitical executive.Also by This One-Night Stands with American History and Legends, Lies & Cherished Myths of World History.

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