The American President: the Human Drama of Our Nation's Highest Office by Philip B., Jr. Kunhardt (Hardcover)-Retail-$ 29.99

Description:   Our goal is to help readers see the presidency afresh, and to think about its incumbents in a new way. By looking at the variety of individuals who have held the high office and by contrasting their situations and their major choices in the presidency, we tell an extremely human story, as well as an unfolding history of a vital American institution."--Philip B. Kunhardt, Jr., Philip B. Kunhardt III, and Peter W. KunhardtThe first fully illustrated book in thirty years to examine all the presidents, The American President is also an overarching look at our nation's highest office. Working closely with a distinguished group of scholars, and through interviews with our living presidents, the Kunhardts have organized their book thematically rather than chronologically, allowing for a fresh understanding of the presidency: its nature, its history, its evolution. This approach renders fascinating juxtapositions that shed new light on familiar figures: Thomas Jefferson with Ronald Reagan; John Adams with Jimmy Carter; James Madison with Bill Clinton.Beautifully designed, The American President is also a perfect gift book, with approximately 300 color and 500 black-and-white illustrations. These include rare photographs of the presidents and the White House.In the spring of 2000, PBS, with major support from New York Life, will launch a ten-hour television series based on The American President. The series, narrated by veteran Time magazine White House correspondent Hugh Sidey, will feature the voices of General Norman Schwarzkopf, James Carville, John Glenn, William F. Buckley, George Will, and Don Imus, among others.This remarkable book, along with the extraordinary television event, will provide a new understanding of the legacy and impact of our most important American institution.