
Presidents at War
From Truman to Bush, The Gathering of Military Powers To Our Commandersin Chief
Gerald Astor(Author)
Wiley (Publisher)
1st Edition
Published on 14. September 2006
Book
Hardback
336 pages
978-0-471-69655-1 (ISBN)
Description
The Korean War, the Bay of Pigs, the Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam, Cambodia, Lebanon, El Salvador, Grenada, Iran-Contra, Nicaragua, Panama, the Gulf War, Somalia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq
What do these events and scores of others have in common? Each of these wars, incursions, invasions, and covert actions was undertaken by the United States without the benefit of a declaration of war. Where congressional sanction was sought, it usually took the form of a resolution, frequently issued after the fact.
Presidents at War is the first book to examine all of America's post-World War II military actions through the lens of the president's authority as commander in chief. Author Gerald Astor analyzes the various presidents' rationales for undeclared warfare, from Truman's citing of an international agreement (the United Nations) to Eisenhower's domino theory, to Kennedy's defense of the Monroe Doctrine, to bald assertions of authority by a commander in chief because of fears of communist expansion, threats to oil in the Middle East, humanitarian concerns in the Balkans, or provocations by terrorists. Each commander in chief served as a precedent for those who followed. Astor contends this cumulative process was accelerated by the September 11, 2001, attacks that led to the war on terrorism, the invasion of Iraq to oust the cruel regime of Saddam Hussein for his alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction, and the potential trampling of civil liberties in the United States.
Has the president become free to take military action on the slightest whim? Is it now true that, as Richard Nixon said, "If the president does it, then it is not illegal"? Is the Constitution obsolete? And does Congress have the tools with which to curb this seemingly unbridled power? Read Presidents at War and find out.
More details
Edition
1., Auflage
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Turner Publishing Company
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 161 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
741 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-471-69655-1 (9780471696551)
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Gerald Astor
Presidents at War
From Truman to Bush, The Gathering of Military Powers To Our Commanders in Chief
E-Book
09/2010
1st Edition
Wiley
€17.49
Available for download
Persons
A former magazine writer and editor, GERALD ASTOR has published twenty-four books, twelve on World War II, including The Jungle War: Mavericks, Marauders, and Madmen in the China-Burma-India Theater of World War II, also available from Wiley. He lives in Scarsdale, New York.
Content
Foreword by Congressman John P. Murtha.
Acknowledgments.
Introduction: Commander in Chief.
1 The Evolution of War Powers and Precedents.
2 World War I, World War II.
3 The Truman Years.
4 The Reign of Ike.
5 Camelot's Commander in Chief.
6 The Missile Crisis.
7 Resolution and Reverberations.
8 LBJ, Part of the Way.
9 Down the Slope.
10 Toward Peace with Honor.
11 Pieces of Peace.
12 The Bitter End.
13 Iran, Afghanistan, and Lebanon.
14 Beirut, Central America, and Iran.
15 Iran-Contra.
16 Bush One.
17 Nation-Building and Genocide.
18 Prevention and Retaliation.
19 Between Iraq and Hard Places.
20 Winning the War, Fighting On.
21 Power and Abdication.
Notes.
Bibliography.
Index.