Calvin Coolidge: A Documentary Biography

by David Pietrusza (Editor)

Overview

A Documentary Biography of America's Thirtieth President

Calvin Coolidge "Calvin Coolidge: A Documentary Biography" reveals the "album version" of President Calvin Coolidge, featuring extended excerpts and, indeed, often the entire texts of major Coolidge addresses--as well as presenting a host of other illuminating documents, authored both by or about America's vastly underrated Thirtieth President.

It's all here:

• The classic opposites-attract love story of taciturn Cal Coolidge and his outgoing wife Grace Goodhue Coolidge.

• Jack Kennedy had his Irish Mafia, Jimmy Carter had his Georgia Mafia. The story of Frank Stearns, Dwight Morrow, and Calvin Coolidge's "Amherst Mafia."

• Phenomenal vote-getter Coolidge won more offices than any other president. The secret of how this painfully shy man did it. His strong appeal to Democrats.

• The 1919 Boston Police Strike. How a city under siege ultimately makes Calvin Coolidge president.

• How a runaway 1920 GOP convention stampedes to nominate Coolidge for the vice-presidency.

• Unbelievable tragedy visits in July 1924 as Calvin Coolidge stands to become president in his own right--the death of his son Cal Jr.

• The Coolidge presidency: a partnership of three remarkable figures: Coolidge, Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon, and Budget Director Herbert Lord.

• Coolidge vs. the Klan: reaching out to embattled minorities: Jews, blacks, Catholics.

• The gutsy Coolidge vetoes.

• How Coolidge chose "not to run" in 1928.

• Debunking the fabled Coolidge "Persistence" quote.

The book is further augmented by:

• a Calvin Coolidge fact sheet.

• a comprehensive Coolidge bibliography.

• a detailed Coolidge time line.

• a photo insert as well as illustrations throughout the text.

• an essay detailing recently discovered facts regarding the fabled Coolidge "Persistence" quote.

In addition to numerous key speeches and texts from Coolidge himself, the volume includes contemporary readings from:

• Journalist Bruce Barton

• The Boston Herald

• Marion Leroy Burton

• First Lady Grace Goodhue Coolidge

• Vice President Charles G. Dawes

• Rep. Frederick H. Gillett

• Al Jolson

• Columnist Walter Lippmann

• Judge Wallace McCamant

• Treasury Secretary Andrew W. Mellon

• Dwight W. Morrow

• Alexandra Carlisle Pfeiffer

• Columnist H. I. Phillips

• The Pittsburgh Courier

• Theodore Roosevelt

• Secretary to the President C. Bascom Slemp

• Frank W. Stearns

• Coolidge biographer R. M. Washburn

Product Details

BN ID:	2940016195933
Publisher:	Church & Reid Books
Publication date:	02/12/2012
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	482 KB

About the Author

Called one “of the best historians in the United States,” David Pietrusza has produced a number of critically-acclaimed works concerning 20th century American history.

Pietrusza is the editor of "Silent Cal's Almanack: The Homespun Vermont Wisdom of Vermont's Calvin Coolidge" and "Calvin Coolidge on The Founders: Reflections on the American Revolution and the Founding Fathers."

Says Amity Shlaes: "an authority on the 1920s and [Calvin] Coolidge . . . David Pietrusza has brought Coolidge back to life with his volumes about the president . . ."

His book 1960: LBJ vs JFK vs Nixon: The Epic Campaign that Forged Three Presidencies was named by ForeWord Magazine as among the best political biographies. Robert Caro has termed 1960 “terrific.”

Pietrusza’s 1920: The Year of the Six Presidents received a Kirkus starred review, was honored as a Kirkus “Best Books of 2007” title, and was named an alternate selection of the History Book Club. Historian Richard Norton Smith has listed 1920: The Year of the Six Presidents as being among the best studies of presidential campaigns. 1920 reached #1 best-selling rank in three amazon.com non-fiction categories.

Pietrusza’s biography of Arnold Rothstein entitled Rothstein: The Life, Times & Murder of the Criminal Genius Who Fixed the 1919 World Series was a finalist for the 2003 Edgar Award.

Pietrusza’s Judge and Jury, his biography of baseball’s first commissioner, Kenesaw Mountain Landis, received the 1998 CASEY Award.

Pietrusza collaborated with baseball legend Ted Williams on an autobiography called Ted Williams: My Life in Pictures.

He has been interviewed on NPR, MSNBC, C-SPAN BookTV (including the presitigious "In Depth"), C-SPAN American History TV, GBTV, ESPN, the Fox News Channel, the History Channel ("The Ultimate Guide to the Presidents"), EBRU-TV, and the Fox Sports Channel. He has produced and written the PBS-affiliate documentary, “Local Heroes.” He has served as a regular panelist on FoxNews.com Live.

Pietrusza holds a master’s degrees in history from the University at Albany and has served on the City Council in Amsterdam, New York.

Pietrusza is the Recipient of the 2011 Excellence in Arts & Letters Award of the Alumni Association of the University at Albany.

What People are Saying About This

Jonah Goldberg

Calvin Coolidge was one of the greatest presidents of the 20th century and is certainly the most underrated. This book, compiled by one of my favorite historians, will give readers a full appreciation of why Silent Cal's wisdom shines like a beacon through the fog of historical amnesia. —Jonah Goldberg, author of "Liberal Fascism"

Amity Shlaes

...an authority on the 1920s and [Calvin] Coolidge . . . David Pietrusza has brought Coolidge back to life with his volumes about the president.... —Amity Shlaes