Picture of author.

Gary Hart (1) (1936–)

Autor(a) de James Monroe

Para outros autores com o nome Gary Hart, veja a página de desambiguação.

21+ Works 596 Membros 9 Reviews

About the Author

Gary Hart represented the state of Colorado in the U.S. Senate from 1975 to 1987. A cochair, with Warren Rudman, of the U.S. Commission on National Security for the 21st Century, he is the author of 12 books
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons (U.S. Congressional Photo)

Obras de Gary Hart

Associated Works

Etiquetado

Conhecimento Comum

Membros

Resenhas

Not bad but there is a lot of repetition for it to be less than 200 pages.
 
Marcado
everettroberts | outras 4 resenhas | Oct 20, 2023 |
Is it possible that Gary Hart didn't know the meaning of the word "biography"?

Arthur M. Schlesinger's American Presidents offer a series of short biographies on, guess what, the American Presidents. They run between 150 and 200 pages, usually toward the shorter end of that range, so naturally they can't cover every detail. But the flip side of that is, it means that every word is precious and not to be wasted.

So why, I ask seriously, all the philosophy about the Monroe Doctrine? Yes, it's the only reason anyone remembers James Monroe. And, yes, it's one of the few things that Monroe did that really endures. Of course a biography of Monroe needs to discuss it. But, as the book makes clear, it is not an official government policy -- Congress never ratified it, e.g. It's just a policy that Monroe enunciated. It came to be important, but no one knew that until long after Monroe was dead. It has meant different things to different presidents (witness the Roosevelt Corollary) -- and, at the time it was enunciated, the United States didn't even have the means to enforce it!

But the book isn't even about the Doctrine's history; it's just about the thinking that went into it. Given that, even by the standards of the American Presidents books, this biography is short, it's clear that a lot of other things went out the window. I definitely felt the lack.

Readers should probably also know that there isn't much original research here. Hart is constantly quoting sources -- but not primary sources; he's quoting other Monroe biographers! Nor does he use this information to substantiate a thesis he is trying to offer; he has a thesis (that Monroe, who was a soldier as a young man, was the first "National Security" president), but all those quotations don't strengthen it; they simply show an author who didn't go to the primary sources. If this had been presented to me as a class paper, I frankly would have had a long talk with the author about plagiarism and originality.

I'm the sort of guy who likes to study less well-known figures (in the American Presidents series, e.g., I have read the biographies of presidents such as John Tyler and Zachary Taylor and Franklin Pierce and Chester A. Arthur, but not Washington or Lincoln or the Roosevelts) -- but that means that, when I do read one of these biographies, I want to read something that I couldn't get from a general history. For me, this volume failed the "obscure enough for you?" tests; be aware that it might do the same for you.

[Modifications to review: 11/25 corrected the missing word "So why, I ask seriously....]
… (mais)
½
 
Marcado
waltzmn | outras 4 resenhas | Oct 2, 2017 |
Boring, padded, boiler-plate, generalities, and out of date; by a failed presidential candidate. His resume is "good" but events have shown that the "experts" don't necessarily know what they are doing. Did not finish reading.
Would his shield and cloak work? Maybe, but they are unrealistic ideals from 2006, past his prime, such as it was (1970-1990).
NOTES:
pg 68-70: William S. LInd et al, "The Changing Face of War"; in re al-Qaeda: "The eternal nightmare of the military theorist is only the enemy will pay attention to his work."… (mais)
 
Marcado
librisissimo | Aug 24, 2017 |
This was the first biography I've read from The American Presidents Series. They are known for being short introductions to the presidents, focusing on a couple of major aspects of the president. I guess this one fit the mold - it was about 150 pages long, and focused a lot on how much of the Monroe doctrine was his (versus John Quincy Adams), how he rated among "the Virginians" (OK, but certainly less than Washingon, Jefferson and Madison) and that we was quite a sensitive fellow. So, I learned a bit about him, which is the aim of the book I'm sure. I think though that I could've learned more if the book added a little more content in place of all the space spent on going on and on about the Monroe Doctrine and also about Monroe's status among "the Virginians". Interesting to learn he was our first "National Security" president.… (mais)
 
Marcado
LisaMorr | outras 4 resenhas | Jan 12, 2013 |

Prêmios

You May Also Like

Associated Authors

Estatísticas

Obras
21
Also by
1
Membros
596
Popularidade
#42,151
Avaliação
3.0
Resenhas
9
ISBNs
54
Idiomas
1

Tabelas & Gráficos