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James MacGregor Burns (1918–2014)

Author of Roosevelt: The Soldier of Freedom, 1940-1945

37+ Works 3,234 Members 27 Reviews 3 Favorited

About the Author

James MacGregor Burns was born in Melrose, Massachusetts on August 3, 1918. After graduating from Williams College, he went to Washington and worked as a congressional aide. During World War II, he served as an Army combat historian in the Pacific and received a Bronze Star. He received a Ph.D. show more from Harvard University. He did postdoctoral work at the London School of Economics. He taught at Williams College. His first book, Congress on Trial: The Legislative Process and the Administrative State, was published in 1949. After his second book, Roosevelt: The Lion and the Fox, he ran for Congress in 1958 and lost. During the campaign he became acquainted with John F. Kennedy and received unrestricted access to Kennedy, his staff and his records. This resulted in the book John Kennedy: A Political Profile. His other works included The Deadlock of Democracy, The Power to Lead: The Crisis of the American Presidency, and Fire and Light: How the Enlightenment Transformed Our World. Roosevelt: The Soldier of Freedom won the Pulitzer Prize, the Parkman Prize, and the National Book Award. The first volume of The American Experiment also received a Pulitzer Prize. He died on July 15, 2014 at the age of 95. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Image credit: Courtesy of the James MacGregor Burns Academy of Leadership

Series

Works by James MacGregor Burns

Leadership (1656) 332 copies
The Vineyard of Liberty (1982) 266 copies
Government by the people (1952) 226 copies
Transforming Leadership (2003) 129 copies
The Workshop of Democracy (1985) 122 copies
The Crosswinds of Freedom (1989) 112 copies
Roosevelt (1956) 64 copies
Uncommon Sense (1972) 17 copies
Government by the people (2001) 3 copies
Cobblestone Leadership (1990) 2 copies

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Reviews

I made it through the first part, The Vineyard of Liberty, but it took me six months to do so. It is very informative and very well written, but you can't just read a quick chapter now and then. You have to COMMIT to a chapter. Yes, I'm a slow reader, but it often took me up to 45 minutes to read one chapter. I don't know if I'll read the next two parts just because of that. I need bite-sized pieces on something this dense.
½
 
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AliceAnna | 2 other reviews | Oct 30, 2023 |
This was a much easier (and, for me, more interesting read) than the first in the series. I find it hard to identify with the founding fathers (what with me being a lowly woman and all), but bring on the stories from the Civil War through the Depression and I'm hooked. For some reason, the story of how Henry Ford treated his employees from other countries (spoiler: he treated them appallingly) will probably be the one thing I will remember from this book 20 years from now. Also, I found myself intrigued by the story of Woodrow Wilson and the League of Nations. Interesting sections on the 20's; the advent of newspapers, radio and film; women's suffrage (seemed a bit slim, though); and a Supreme Court as crooked and partisan as the one we have in 2023. A constant theme throughout was how Blacks continued to be treated. The next book should prove to be particularly interesting on that front.… (more)
 
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AliceAnna | 1 other review | May 3, 2023 |
*Leadership* is virtually an encyclopedia of leadership, with a level of fine detail embedded in historical accounts. Yes, it’s dry and long. It’s also very good. Almost anybody interested in the subject would at least benefit from the final chapters.
 
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nicholasjjordan | 1 other review | Nov 13, 2019 |

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Statistics

Works
37
Also by
2
Members
3,234
Popularity
#7,910
Rating
3.8
Reviews
27
ISBNs
199
Languages
4
Favorited
3

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