Title: Elusive victories : the American presidency at war /
Authors: Polsky, Andrew Joseph.
Publisher: Oxford University Press,
Year: 2012
Subjects: Presidents United States History; War and emergency powers United States History; War and emergency powers United States Case studies.
Abstract: "On April 4, 1864, Abraham Lincoln made a shocking admission about his presidency during the Civil War. "I claim not to have controlled events," he wrote in a letter, "but confess plainly that events have controlled me." Lincoln's words carry an invaluable lesson for wartime presidents, writes Andrew J. Polsky in this seminal book. As Polsky shows, when commanders-in-chief do try to control wartime events, more often than not they fail utterly.
Contents: Introduction -- Lincoln casts a shadow -- A war to transform the world: Woodrow Wilson -- Freedom of action: Franklin Roosevelt -- Staying the course: Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon -- The perils of optimism: George W. Bush -- Inheriting a bad hand: Barack Obama -- Conclusion: past and future.