NEWYORKTIMESBESTSELLER-Fromapreeminentpresidentialhistoriancomesa“superbandimportant“(TheNewYorkTimesBookReview)sagaofAmerica’swartimechiefexecutives“Fascinatingandheartbreaking...timely...Beschloss’sbroadscopeletsyoudrawimportantcrosscuttinglessonsaboutpresidentialleadership.“--BillGatesWidelyacclaimedandtenyearsinthemaking,MichaelBeschloss’sPresidentsofWarisanintimateandirresistiblyreadablechronicleoftheChiefExecutiveswhotooktheUnitedStatesintoconflictandmobilizeditforvictory.FromtheWarof1812toVietnam,weseetheseleadersconsideringthedifficultdecisiontosendhundredsofthousandsofAmericanstotheirdeaths;strugglingwithCongress,thecourts,thepress,andantiwarprotesters;seekingcomfortfromtheirspousesandfriends;anddroppingtotheirkneesinprayer.ThroughBeschloss’sinterviewswithsurvivingparticipantsandfindingsinoriginallettersandonce-classifiednationalsecuritydocuments,wecometounderstandhowthesePresidentswereabletowithstandthepressuresofwar--orwerebrokenbythem.PresidentsofWarcombinesthissenseofimmediacywiththeoverarchingcontextoftwocenturiesofAmericanhistory,travelingfromthetimeofourFounders,whotriedtoconstrainpresidentialpower,toourmodernday,whenasingleleaderhasthepotentialtolaunchnuclearweaponsthatcandestroymuchofthehumanrace.PraiseforPresidentsofWar“Amarvelousnarrative....AsBeschlossexplains,thegreatestwartimepresidentssuccessfullyleavenmilitaryactionwithmoralconcerns....Beschloss’swritingiscleanandconcise,andheadmirablydrawsuponnewdocuments.Someofthemoretitillatingtidbitsinthebookareinthefootnotes....TherearefascinatingnuggetsonvirtuallyeverypageofPresidentsofWar.Itisasuperbandimportantbook,superblyrendered.“--JayWinik,TheNewYorkTimesBookReview“Sparkleandbite....Valuableandengrossingstudyofhowourchiefexecutiveshavedischargedthemostsignificantofalltheirduties....Excellent....Afluentnarrativethatcoverstwocenturiesofnationalconflict.“--RichardSnow,TheWallStreetJournal
