Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.
War and the American Presidency
With a new chapter
"Historical reflections that deftly
challenge the political and ideological
foundations of President Bush's foreign
policy."
—Charles A. Kupchan, New York Times
IN A BOOK that brings a magisterial command of
history to the most urgent of contemporary questions,
two-time Pulitzer Prize–winning historian
Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., explores the war in Iraq,
the presidency, and the future of democracy. Describing
unilateralism as "the oldest doctrine in American
history," Schlesinger nevertheless warns of the dangers
posed by the fatal turn in U.S. policy from deterrence
and containment to preventive war. He writes
powerfully about George W. Bush's expansion of presidential
power, reminding us nevertheless of our
country's distinguished legacy of patriotism through
dissent in wartime. And in a new chapter written
especially for the paperback edition, he examines the
historical role of religion in American politics as a
background for an assessment of Bush's faith-based
presidency.
"[An] elegant, cogent and civilly argued contribution
to the battle that is raging for the soul of the
nation."—Michael D. Langan, Boston Sunday Globe
ARTHUR M. SCHLESINGER, JR., is a historian
who served as special assistant to President
John F. Kennedy. Among his many
works are the Pulitzer Prize–winning The Age
of Jackson and A Thousand Days: John F. Kennedy in
the White House. He lives in New York City.
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