Destiny's Consul

What makes a great president? Certainly leadership, accomplishments, crisis management, political skill, character, and integrity are part of the equation, but the great presidents have something more. They not only govern well, but are part of something lasting; their presidencies influence the thoughts and beliefs of generations. These powerful men are not flawless leaders, they have made mistakes and miscalculations, but in the end their decisions have changed the nation and often the world. In Destiny's Consul: America's Greatest Presidents, presidential scholar Michael P. Riccards provides a concise introduction to the lives, presidencies, and personal qualities of ten great individuals whom Riccards argues are our greatest presidents. Organized chronologically, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, and Ronald Reagan are shown to truly be great. It will be of interest to anyone interested in the presidency of American history.

Michael P. Riccards is the Executive Director, the Hall Institute of Public Policy, Trenton, New Jersey. He has been a Board Member, Center for the Study of the Presidency and Chairman, Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission in New Jersey. He is the author of numerous books including: The Presidency and the Middle Kingdom, Ferocious Engine of Democracy: The American Presidency 1789-1989, and A Republic If You Can Keep It: The Foundation of the American Presidency.

Preface: How Presidents Become Great
Chapter 1: George Washington: Creating a Nation in War and then in Peace
Chapter 2: Thomas Jefferson: Establishing Popular Rule
Chapter 3: Andrew Jackson: The President as a Tribune of the People
Chapter 4: James K. Polk: The Arts of Waging Conflict
Chapter 5: Abraham Lincoln: The Commander in Chief Goes to War
Chapter 6: Theodore Roosevelt: The Dynamics of Domestic Reform
Chapter 7: Woodrow Wilson: The Progressive Agenda at Home and across the World
Chapter 8: Franklin D. Roosevelt: The Establishment of the Modern Presidency
Chapter 9: Harry S Truman: The First Imperial President
Chapter 10: Ronald Reagan: Unleashing Right Wing America
Conclusion
Notes