Woodrow Wilson

Penguin Lives

by Louis Auchincloss

In this portrait of Woodrow Wilson, Auchincloss examines the president who is perhaps better remembered for the force of his personality than for his accomplishments. A man of enormous energy but plagued by ill health, an admirer of the parliamentary system whose contentious relationship with Congress led to the crushing defeat of his cherished League of Nations, Wilson remains a fascinating enigma. We will always be left to ponder the extent to which his character shaped our century's history.
This study sheds new light on Wilson's upbringing and career, from the grim determination that enabled him to overcome dyslexia to his skillful dance of isolationism and intervention in World War I. From the dynamic figure whose ringing speeches hypnotized vast crowds, to the gentle voice reading poetry to his children, to the rising academic and president of Princeton who made the giant leap into politics.

Genres: History, Biography, Politics, Biography Memoir, Presidents, Nonfiction, World War I

144 pages, Hardcover

First published March 13, 2000

About the author

Louis Stanton Auchincloss was an American novelist, historian, and essayist.

Among Auchincloss's best-known books are the multi-generational sagas The House of Five Talents, Portrait in Brownstone, and East Side Story. Other well-known novels include The Rector of Justin, the tale of a renowned headmaster of a school like Groton trying to deal with changing times, and The Embezzler, a look at white-collar crime. Auchincloss is known for his closely observed portraits of old New York and New England society.

Reviews

[A]

This is the only biography I have read of Woodrow Wilson's entire life, however, it is quite obvious to me that this book is an amalgamation of the original work of several other biographers (i.e. August Heckscher). It focuses on seven aspects of Wilson’s life: his dual natures, the three strokes he is believed to have suffered, his admiration of the British parliament system, his deep religious convictions, his emotional dependence on women, his close relationship with Edward M. House and his battle with Republicans such as Henry Cabot Lodge. It was first published in 2000, but avoids nearly all contemporary criticisms of his presidency: his vitriolic racism, his support of eugenics, the Creel commission and the invasion of Russia. Another oddity is that about a tenth of the book is a biography of Henry Cabot Lodge, Wilson’s rival in congress. Overall, I found the 125 page book to be informative and worth reading, if just to see the 27th President in a somewhat empathic light. Perhaps out of necessity, such a light must be both narrow and dim.

[Franz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a quick read, which provides a brief and informative summary about the political climate in the US leading up and including WWI. I found it interesting as it provided a glimpse into how the US felt about WWI, something I knew nothing about. To my thinking, WWI had always been a European war and I always thought the involvement of non-European troops was due to the fact that the world was still colonial. And that America's involvement as an independent nation was due to pro-England sentiments. Of course it wasn't quite as easy.

The book also spoke about Germany's very effective submarine war, its effect on international trade and the threat it posed on England's dominance of the seas - again, I hadn't realized the importance and significance of this and had thought of the submarines as a predominantly WWII feature.

I felt that Louis Auchincloss attempted to provide a balanced view with regards to Germany. He certainly seemed to support the view that the conditions of the Treaty of Versailles, and especially the financial burden imposed on Germany, contributed if not led to the outbreak of WWII. I tend to agree with him on this.

The one person I didn't learn much about was Woodrow Wilson. I learned some basic facts of course, but overall the book falls short on being a biography of Woodrow Wilson. Rather, it is, as already mentioned, a good though brief characterization of the political climate in the US at the beginning of the last century.

One thing I like very much about this book are the frequent quotes which have impact and are very well selected.

[Shawn Thrasher · Rating 3 out of 5]

The farther away we get from World War I, the less popular is Woodrow Wilson. Although still ranked in the top 10, the flaws have started to show through, and Auchincloss covers them all in this sketch biography: inflexible, unwilling to compromise, a messiah complex. His quick rise to the presidency still makes for an interesting tale, but the story Auchincloss clearly wants to tell is the battle royale over the League of Nations between Wilson and Henry Cabot Lodge. In an already short book, Lodge rates nearly an entire chapter, with details of his life and upbringing. Theodore Roosevelt, an equal foe, doesn't rate nearly as much space, although that could be because the League of Nations, the greatest and saddest battle of Wilson's political career, wasn't a part that Teddy played. Auchincloss certainly makes you think about then and now in very interesting, thoughtful ways; comparisons between other Democratic presidents and stick in the mud Republican legislators could certainly be made (do all Democratic presidents get saddled with Republicans who hate them?). His turns of thoughtful and thought provoking phrases makes reading Auchincloss a pure pleasure.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was surprised by how little I knew about this significant and fascinating president. Apparently he was widely regarded as a brilliant scholar and as a remarkable orator years before becoming president of Princeton. His election to governor of New Jersey was just a preliminary step to becoming president of the United States. As president he set a number of precedents that we now take for granted including, surprisingly, delivering the “State of the Union” address in person, (previously the speech was simply read aloud by the clerk.) Later he would engage in negotiations with the powers of Europe personally, a role previously regarded as beneath a head of state.
Wilson enjoyed great popularity with the American people, but was regarded even more generously abroad. Visiting Europe at the end of WWI, Wilson was greeting by crowds in sizes never seen before. People in France apparently hailed him as "the protector of mankind" and similar encomiums. Journalists in Rome said he was received in fanfare unseen since the Caesars. He would receive the Nobel Peace prize in 1919 for his efforts in creating the League of Nations.
Lately, many parallels have been drawn between Obama and FDR. Both came to the White House in an economic crisis, both believe in the beneficence of expansive government, both are tremendously charismatic, progressive, and brilliant. After reading, (and by reading I mean listening on audio book in my car), it occurs to me that many comparisons may also be drawn between Obama and FDR's quasi-mentor Woodrow Wilson. Both are unabashed intellectuals and scholars in a nation that does not always value that in a Chief Executive. Both take a long view of history and are stymied by politicians who exploit necessary difficult choices for short-term political gain. America’s membership in the League of Nations, a membership that might have been vital in avoiding WWII, was deviously blocked by politicians who wanted to return to a naïve outmoded 19th century isolationism. The Republicans could not confront the Wilson directly in opposing it as the public seemed for it, but stalled action in committees, delays, and general political “death by a thousand cuts.” Sound familiar? Meanwhile, a series of strokes debilitated Wilson and he spent his last months in office in virtual seclusion while his second wife played gatekeeper in controlling the information reaching him. (His first wife died in 1914 making Wilson one of only three presidents to be widowed while in office.)
There is much more to be gleaned from this biography, but I’ve bloviated long enough! Rest in peace Wilson!

[Heman · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a very short and well written book. One main argument of the book is that Wilson's flaws of character, perhaps made worse by his prolonged and fatal illness, lead to the US complacency with a vindictive Versailles treaty.
His prophecy of a war to follow WWI, when trying to gather support for the League of Nations, is noteworthy :"You are [American people] betrayed. You fought for something that you did not get. And the glory of the armies and the navies of the United States is gone like a dream in the night, and there ensues upon it, in the suitable darkness of the night, the nightmare of dread which lay upon the nations before this war came; and there will come some time, in the vengeful Providence of God, another war in which not a few hundred thousand men from America will have to die, but as many millions as are necessary to accomplish the final freedom of the peoples of the world"

[Sara · Rating 1 out of 5]

::eyes glazed over::
Someone please remind me the next time I get the wild idea to read a book that it doesn't have to be, essentially, a college text book. This is almost like someone's thesis on Woodrow Wilson. What I gathered from what I read - multiple strokes caused the man to eventually develop a "Dr. Jekyl & Mr. Hyde" type personality, he may have cheated on his wife, and (while resting for numerous months after a particularly bad stroke in 1919) Edith Wilson would take him notes about the state of the nation on slips of paper from his cabinet. She would come back and say "He says yes" or "He says no," and no one really knew if she discussed anything with him or if she read the notes and issues and made up her own mind (kinda cool).
If this information had been presented in a less formal version, I might have liked it better.

[Bryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Louis Auchincloss book Woodrow Wilson is a short and excellent biography. As I read this book and picked up on the common themes of Wilson’s presidency such as he was a moralist, a scholar, and antiestablishment politician. I began to think about Plato’s Republic and his concept of the philosopher king. Woodrow Wilson governed as if he was the philosopher king. The problem is in Plato’s system there is not political infighting. When it came to getting his agenda through Wilson did not have what it takes to make it happen.

[Peter A. van Tilburg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short biography but it gives an idea of the person of Woodrow Wilson. I think it is rather balanced since it renders insight on the positive character traits and deeds that Wilson has done but it also touches the negative side of the person. That helped me more u derstanding the man in the time period he lived.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty good selection of the Penguin Lives series. A good survey of the decisions WIlson made. Very readable.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is all Woodrow Wilson's fault.

[John E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, brief intro to the life of Wilson. Not a scholarly book, but a well written account by a non-historian of note.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid short history.

[Blaine Welgraven · Rating 4 out of 5]

"...and here again we are confronted with the dual nature of his (Wilson's) personality. One side was that of the sensible and sensitive man of many interests and activities who conscientiously viewed all sides of a question. The other was that of a self-assured idealist who could hardly conceive, much less admit, that he could be wrong in judging matters that he deemed within his peculiar sphere of expertise....This Wilson, with God and his angels presumably ranked behind him, tended to regard opposition as malicious betrayal." - Louis Auchincloss, Woodrow Wilson

[R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a biographical hors d’oeuvre by a non-academic that covers the high grounds quickly and pleasantly.

I don’t understand why the author chose to devote a whole chapter to Lodge in which he repeats some of the things regarding their enmity he had already mentioned earlier on.

On the other hand, viewing Wilson through the eyes of FDR, Lodge and House among others helps to paint a thorough portrait of Wilson warts and all.

[Aiden O · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasn't easy to read and is not great if, like myself, you are learning this history for the first time. The author assumes that you already know who many of the politicians and figures are which makes it difficult to follow, and when he does describe those figures it is never enough to understand them truly. You would be better off watching a YT video about Woodrow Wilson than reading this book.

[JimZ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got a whole series of books...and still have them...on biographies of famous people written by famous fiction writers. What I liked/like about them is that they are short and concise...and damn interesting! And this was one of them. A fine job of writing by some really good fiction writers. Part of the Penguin Lives series.

[Karen R. Dickson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short compilation of biographical episodes in Wilson's life. While I knew going in that this wouldn't be very thorough, I feel there were places the author spent more time on other characters besides the title one. Still, he does give an adequate overview of the political landscape of Wilson's time, and how politicians' animosities can affect world events.

[Steven Voorhees · Rating 4 out of 5]

A succinct yet scintillating and insightful bio/psychological sketch of our outward-looking (and thinking) 28th president. Thomas Woodrow Wilson, American visionary, may have been his own worst enemy. He didn't need Henry Cabot Lodge's enmity. Wilson had his own.

[C.N. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written. Not a fan of Wilson.

[Karl · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very brief biography book,

[Dano · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are numerous books on Wilson. I didn’t find this one particularly illuminating.

[Pete Gachot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall a decent, concise biography but a timeline would have been helpful to get clear on important dates and events.

[Dan Sotirios Kostopulos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good overview of Wilson the man and Wilson the POTUS. Progressive and internationalist but segregationist, antiSuffragette, and utterly intolerant of dissent during the war. A nice section in the book parallels Wilson with his Republican senator foil Henry Cabot Lodge.

[Elliot Ratzman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why is Wilson such an important president? You won’t find the answers reading this short bio. It is written by Louis Auchincloss a noted novelist, but bland stylist if this book is representative. Auchincloss manages to make Wilson politically boring, spiritually empty and intellectually uninteresting. Foes Teddy Roosevelt, Henry Cabot Lodge and Wilson’s longtime right-hand man Edward House seem to stir his interest more. Auchincloss makes much of Wilson’s second wife Edith who seems to have dominated his last years. While in office, Wilson suffered from several strokes; those, along with his arrogance hampered his efforts around the League of Nations, and to think straight about the post-war treatment of Germany. We learn nothing in this book about Wilson’s racism and racial policies, which were terrible, and their relationship to his understanding of “self-determination” of peoples. Now I know the basics of Wilson’s life and presidency, but have no desire to read any more about him.

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Auchincloss obviously does not like Wilson as much as he did Roosevelt. This bio is weighted towards WWI and its aftermath (Henry Cabot Lodge gets far too many pages), ignoring Wilson's domestic achievements and most of his first term in office. I do not think the biographer understood Wilson (what I mean is that he did not work hard enough to understand Wilson), calling him a mystery. There is something tragic in both Wilson and Roosevelt, but as author's like Cooper note, they also created the modern American presidency with their activity and demand for moral action. None of that comes through in this brief book.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting biography. However, the author's strong and cynical writing style makes him by far the main character of this work, rather than Wilson. Working within a limit of around 120 pages means that the author chooses to group the chapters by a focus or theme in Wilson's life, rather than strictly linear. If I had more time, I would have preferred a book able to probe more deeply at the subjects, since without time to enumerate, the books reads more as a series of opinions by the author substantiated by brief quotes from speeches and letters which in my opinion could be out of context.

The author himself seems a colorful character, from what I have read in his obituaries.

[Judy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very concise biography touching on the highlights of Wilson's life. I was expecting a little more insight or something more moving from the author based on his other books, but I was disappointed. I realize this "Penguin Lives" series is meant to give the reader simply a taste of the subject, possibly encouraging more reading and interest, but the book seemed like a stale rehash of the basic highlights of Pres. Wilson's life.

[Nate · Rating 2 out of 5]

Auchincloss brings too much of his own political opinions and recent events. Other than that, it was informative and brought up new information about Wilson that I hadn't realized before such as his temper and the multiple strokes he had before the major one that took him out of action in the White House.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Henry Cabot Lodge was such a hater.

[Justin Katz · Rating 2 out of 5]

As far as books assigned for classes go, this was one I certainly never would have chosen on my own, but I am glad I read.