The American Leadership Tradition : Moral Vision from Washington to Clinton

Marvin Olasky

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In the first modern systematic examination of the bond between morals and politics, Marvin Olasky examines the lives and careers of thirteen noted American leaders, including the great, the good, and the deeply flawed, from George Washington, Henry Clay, and Booker T. Washington to Woodrow Wilson, John F. Kennedy, and Bill Clinton. Olasky looks closely at the connections between religion, sexual practices, and political decisions, examining the repeated connections between private character and public action. He explains how so-called "compartmentalization" proved to be as impossible for Lincoln as for Woodrow Wilson.


Reviews

"[Olasky] believes good husbands usually make good Presidents, and bad husbands usually make bad Presidents....[He] attempts to show that there is a powerful link between personal behavior and public performance....One finishes this book longing for a sophisticated public theology..."

—David Books, The New York Times Book Review

"...Timely and highly readable survey of American statesmen."

—John A. Barnes, The Wall Street Journal

 


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Lives of Moral Leadership • Paperback
Character Counts: Leadership Qualities in Washington, Wilberforce, Lincoln, and Solzhenitsyn
The Power of Character: Prominent Americans Talk About Life, Family, Work, Values, and More
The Double-Edged Sword : How Character Makes and Ruins Presidents, from Washington to Clinton