A Call to Greatness: Challenging Our Next President

With all due respect for one of the best books ever written on the need for a change in presidential attitudes, opinions and policies, this book opens with a profound error in its first paragraph. "The President will inherit a polarized nation . . . " the fourth sentence begins. Personally, and this is true for whoever is elected, I believe the President will inherit a nation profoundly united in a desire for constructive new policies. Writing as someone not born in the U.S., my experience from long before I arrived is that Americans are kind, warm-hearted, generous, tolerant and always optimistic about a better future. Americans deserve a president as good as their own character. The sterling character of most Americans is the ability to get along with others. It's only when politicians try to boss others around that problems develop at home and abroad. In essence, the qualities outlined in this book are those expressed by the President of Mexico about 160 years ago: "Peace is respect for the rights of others". Abshire is a West Point graduate, a longtime history professor and a scholar of presidential leadership. He provides brief character sketches of great presidents, plus the strengths and foibles of all from President Franklin Roosevelt to today. It's not praise or criticism of anyone; instead, it presents a lesson for the next president. George Stephanopoulos says this book "is a must-read for the Presidential candidates." Definitely. It is also a must-read for voters, to provide a rational basis to evaluate the qualities of the candidates. His emphasis isn't on any specific goals, for those are unique to each candidate; instead, he outlines the best method of achieving goals. The last great era of economic, social and material progress in America began in the late 1950s and early 1960s, in response to the Soviet launch of the first space satellite. Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy used the energies of a united nation to earn a dominant lead in aeronautics, electronics and engineering. America today is similarly united in its desire to overcome the mistakes of the past. To achieve it, the next president needs the wisdom of Abshire rather than the brusque orders of partisanship, the commandments of ideology or the mandates of a "decider". More than politics, this book is for everyone interested in a free and respected future for an America which is once again respected for its inherent decency. Ignore the ideas and ideals in this book, and nothing else will matter.

As an Assistant Intern to Dr. Abshire this past Summer, I assisted in writing footnotes for this book. Not only is Dr. Abshire a tremendous leader, aiding President Reagan in the Iran Contra Scandal as a Special Advisor, he is a tremendous historian. I recommend this book to anyone possessing the desire to better understand the past in order to understand our Nation's future. As Dr. Abshire often says, quoting Mark Twain, "History doesn't repeat itself, but it can rhyme." This book should be a National Bestseller, following in the footsteps of Michael Beschloss, to whom I feel Dr. Abshire is a superior historian. Either way, this book is a fantastic read and I recommend it to anyone interested in the presidency, leadership, or the future of America.

A Call to Greatness: Challenging our Next President I am and have been a registered Independent for over two years. Dr. Abshires' book is an "OUTSTANDING" piece of work. He not only points out issues with our past utilizing Presidential Portraits, but he makes some very thoughtful suggestions regarding our future and how we might improve upon it. This is definitely a "MUST READ" for our current Presidential candidates. It is also very worthwhile for us citizens since we will be making that choice in November. We have to get it right; it's Our Country and Our Future and the Future of Our Children. I "HIGHLY RECOMMEND" this book.