The way various presidents have used the complex power of their office is the subject of the "Presidents and Their Decisions series. Each volume in the series examines one particular president and the key decisions he made while in office. The essays in each chapter, most written by presidential historians and biographers, offer a range of perspectives on the president's actions and their historical significance. Some provide background on the political, social, and economic factors behind a particular crisis that the ...
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The way various presidents have used the complex power of their office is the subject of the "Presidents and Their Decisions series. Each volume in the series examines one particular president and the key decisions he made while in office. The essays in each chapter, most written by presidential historians and biographers, offer a range of perspectives on the president's actions and their historical significance. Some provide background on the political, social, and economic factors behind a particular crisis that the president faced. Others critique the president's performance, offering a negative or positive appraisal. Each book in the series begins with an essay that provides both a brief biography of the president and an overview of the events that occurred during his time in office. Chapters are then divided by subject, with each chapter focusing on a specific decision the president made. Each selection is preceded by an editor's summary of the essay's main points. John F. Kennedy's decisions shaped the course of the Cold War and paved the way for the federal government's promotion of civil rights. When faced with the possibility of nuclear war with the Soviet Union, it was Kennedy's handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis that averted disaster. From establishing the Peace Corps to launching the space program, an array of important decisions made by President Kennedy during one of the most critical periods in U.S. history are examined in this book.
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