Presidents at War : From Truman to Bush, the Gathering of Military Powers to Our Commanders in Chief

by Astor, Gerald; Murtha, John P.

• ISBN13: 9780471696551
• ISBN10: 0471696552
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-08-18
• Publisher: Wiley

Summary

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.

Author Biography

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.

Table of Contents

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.