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Eisenhower: The White House Years Audiobook
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(3.11) - 180 listener ratings
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“Newton's contribution is as cogent an inventory of Eisenhower's White House years as I've ever read. He blends masterful writing with historic detail and provides the value-added of Ike as the man and the leader.” —Chuck Hagel, Distinguished Professor, Georgetown University; U.S. Senator (1997–2009) Newly discovered and declassified documents make for a surprising and revealing portrait of the president we thought we knew. America’s thirty-fourth president was belittled by his critics as the babysitter-in-chief. This new look reveals how wrong they were. Dwight Eisenhower was bequeathed the atomic bomb and refused to use it. He ground down Joseph McCarthy and McCarthyism until both became, as he said, "McCarthywasm." He stimulated the economy to lift it from recession, built an interstate highway system, turned an $8 billion deficit in 1953 into a $500 million surplus in 1960. (Ike was the last President until Bill Clinton to leave his country in the black.) The President Eisenhower of popular imagination is a benign figure, armed with a putter, a winning smile, and little else. The Eisenhower of veteran journalist Jim Newton's rendering is shrewd, sentimental, and tempestuous. He mourned the death of his first son and doted on his grandchildren but could, one aide recalled, "peel the varnish off a desk" with his temper. Mocked as shallow and inarticulate, he was in fact a meticulous manager. Admired as a general, he was a champion of peace. In Korea and Vietnam, in Quemoy and Berlin, his generals urged him to wage nuclear war. Time and again he considered the idea and rejected it. And it was Eisenhower who appointed the liberal justices Earl Warren and William Brennan and who then called in the military to enforce desegregation in the schools. Rare interviews, newly discovered records, and fresh insights undergird this gripping and timely narrative. JIM NEWTON is a veteran journalist who began his career as clerk to James Reston at the New York Times. Since then, he has worked as a reporter at the Atlanta Constitution and as a reporter, bureau chief and editor at the Los Angeles Times, where he presently is the editor-at-large and author of a weekly column. He also is an educator and author, whose acclaimed biography of Chief Justice Earl Warren, Justice for All: Earl Warren and the Nation He Made, was published in 2006. He lives in Pasadena, CA.
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"Very good. People seem to be looking back more fondly at the Eisenhower presidency because of the frustrations moderates are having with more recent Republican presidents. This books offers a positive take on Ike, particularly focusing on Ike's desire to find balance between the left and right. This balance often worked well, particularly in dealing with foreign policy and the issue of nuclear weapons use, and in dealing with domestic budgetary issues. However, Newton does not shy away from pointing out Ike's massive errors of moderation in discussing race issues, and in allowing for some foreign policy fiascos. All in all, it seems to me that America is better off for having Ike as president for 8 years, particularly when compared to some of his rivals (Taft, McArther, Stevenson, eg). But again, he could have been MUCH better. Too many people, in no small part because of Ike's moderation, never had the opportunity to pursue their dreams in a society of equality. We are definitely lucky when it came to nuclear weapons and strategies considered with their existence in mind: as with JFK and the Cuban Missile Crisis, human civilization probably owes no small amount of thanks to Ike for keeping calm and carrying on."
— Jack (4 out of 5 stars)
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“Jim Newton’s brilliant reassessment of Eisenhower’s presidency is long overdue, and his book makes it clear that Ike was indeed a great president. Ike’s insistence on always doing the right thing for the country despite party pressure and personal predilection serves as a valuable model for politicians in all three branches of government. Jim Newton's book should be required reading on Pennsylvania Avenue and Capitol Hill.
— William S. Sessions -
Jim Newton has written a captivating book that reinforces the rising tide of positive studies of the Eisenhower presidency. Gracefully written and rigorously researched, The White House Years introduces the reader to ‘a great man at the height of his power,’ a master at ‘waging peace,’ more effectively than any other post-war president.
— David A. Nichols, author of Eisenhower 1956 and A Matter of Justice -
As we enter another critical political season, there is little we can benefit from more than a knowledge of our 34th President, Dwight Eisenhower, his values and the giant decisions of his Presidency that those values motivated. Jim Newton's Eisenhower, The White House Years, simply and eloquently, delivers the man, his Presidency and, if America is paying attention, the life lessons that are his legacy.
— Norman Lear -
Jim Newton's book is a fresh and welcome reminder that Dwight D. Eisenhower was not only a superb general, but a cunning, shrewd and surprisingly progressive politician, and one of our most important presidents. A very welcome book!
— Michael Korda, author of Hero: The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia -
Dwight Eisenhower’s eight years as the 34th president of the United States marked a shining moment in American history. In short, it was a wonderful period of prosperity, peace and freedom. But during his presidency and for years afterwards, many believed that Ike was a decent but do-nothing president who left the hard work to others. In his book, Eisenhower: The White House Years, Jim Newton does a superb job of dispelling that false myth and describing Eisenhower as a dedicated chief executive who excelled at running the country.
— James A. Baker, III, 61st U.S. Secretary of State -
"Ike's wisdom, born of experience and intellect, is on display in this important book, which heightens appreciation for his leadership. Newton reveals, for instance, that after the Korean War, only one American soldier was killed in combat during Eisenhower's presidency. This volume contributes to our understanding of an outstanding human being.
— George P. Shultz, 60th U.S. Secretary of State -
"Jim Newton has given us an entirely fresh look at Dwight Eisenhower - and his riveting book couldn't be more timely or useful today.
— Jeffrey Toobin, author of The Nine -
"Newton's contribution is as cogent an inventory of Eisenhower's White House years as I've ever read. He blends masterful writing with historic detail and provides the value-added of Ike as the man and the leader. This is a book for all who are interested in a better understanding of how America and the World were shaped post–WWII and for those who aspire to lead: Read Newton's book first.
— Chuck Hagel, Distinguished Professor, Georgetown University; U.S. Senator (1997–2009) -
"Jim Newton does a masterful job illustrating the forces that confronted Dwight Eisenhower during his years in the White House, from nuclear politics to race relations to the federal debt and deficit. He paints a vivid portrait of a president struggling to find middle ground—sometimes successfully, sometimes not—but always with the good of the country in mind. While many Americans are intimately familiar with Eisenhower the general, less is known about Eisenhower the president. Newton artfully fills that void, examining the evolution of our 34th president from the invasion of Normandy to the political warfare of Washington.
— Dianne Feinstein, U.S. Senator -
"Jim Newton brings President Eisenhower to life, and we walk with him page by page as he’s transformed from epic General to two-term President. Newton navigates a fascinating journey from military leader to novice politician to one of the most beloved Presidents in our history.
— John F. Kerry, U.S. Senator -
A truly great book, spirited, balanced, and not just the story of President Eisenhower but of an era.
— Bob Woodward -
[Newton's] well-researched account shows that Eisenhower was an engaged, decisive leader guided by some bedrock moral and political beliefs . . . A well-done presentation that helps correct enduring perceptions about an effective but misunderstood presidency.
— Booklist -
Drawing on declassified documents, Newton's narrative, especially of the many international crises, is clear, brisk, and insightful, a timely study of a master of consensus politics with lessons for today's polarized Washington.
— Publishers Weekly -
An essential narrative....[Newton's] objective is to tell the story, and he does so well, inviting us to form our own opinions and giving us a sense of an era that seems both quaint and comfortable in our own age of harsh polarization.
— The Wall Street Journal -
Newton's book is thorough and reasonable....What makes it valuable now is the timing: We need this book and its insights to judge the vicious and counterproductive politics of these days. This is a book worth reading.
— Richard Reeve, LA Times
Eisenhower Listener Reviews
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" This is the fourth book that I've read about "Ike" and it confirms what I've thought after reading the others . . . a great president and a great man (see his definition of great in the book, he didn't think he measured up). Ended the Korean War, began the interstate highway system, balance the budget, peace during his administration. Nixon performed admirably at he times of Ike's 2 heart attacks and a minor stroke. A "centrist", believed in finding a middle ground, a balanced solution. Finally, would never put party alliances before country, boy don't we need that in Washington now. "
— Tom, 2/1/2014 -
" There are many biographical treatments of Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Newton's is a solid contender. But it has its shortcomings. This narrative is organized largely on a chronological basis and touches on each major incident as they occurred. There is frustratingly little material on some (the McCarthy controversies, the Suez crisis, etc.) and begs the question on two Eisenhower management styles. One of these is the proclivity "Ike" had for managing his presidency like a military operation. Newton simply glosses over Eisenhower's frictions with independently elected politicians that he couldn't order about. The other was Eisenhower's almost sneering disdain for others seeking the presidency (or holding it: Truman). Newton makes note of this, especially as Eisenhower casually and unthinkingly threw his own heir (Nixon) under the bus, but never does Newton really focus on this hubris. I do believe Newton gave appropriate weight to Eisenhower's shrewd and wise judgment on matters of foreign policy, but then he rushes past that president's domestic policies that by and large were mishandled, chief among them civil rights and the economy (which crashed in 1958-59.) This work was a good start, but so much more needed to be said and studied. "
— David, 12/12/2013 -
" Jim Newton comes out of the gate with his fantastic biography on Earl Warren with an equally well written book on President Eisenhower. A president for a lot of people think was as dull as dishwater. Newton does a really good job highlighting the politics of the time which like many things from the past become a lot more fascinating once you look into them. "
— Joshua, 12/12/2013 -
" A wonderful inside look at one of the greatest presidents of all time. A great read for history buffs. "
— Mark, 12/10/2013 -
" I had always see Eisenhower as a centrist; what I didn't realize was how explicitly dedicated to a centrist philosophy he was. This gave me a new respect for Eisenhower, even though it exposed some less-favorable episodes, such as during the Little Rock disturbances. "
— Harry, 10/24/2013 -
" I won this on good reads and it is a must read for history buffs. An enriching and eye-opening look at the 34th president of the United States. Timely and utterly fascinating. "
— Jason, 8/17/2013 -
" Well done. Very solid and obviously the work of a reporter, Eisenhower is presented in a sympathetic yet honest light. Like Ike himself the book is honest and a little bland at times but you have enormous respect for both. "
— Greg, 7/15/2013 -
" I got this at a book party and didn't expect to read the whole thing. As it turned out, I pretty much read it straight through and enjoyed it, too. If you want to read recent history -- this is just my current feeling -- read a book by a journalist rather than a historian. "
— George, 5/15/2013 -
" I gave this book to my 83 year old mother who is a history buff. She was beyond thrilled since she loved Eisenhower. After she finished it we had a discussion of how this President affected the country and how times have changed from then to now. She gives it 2 thumbs up! "
— Nancy, 10/10/2012 -
" After dragging myself through Cleopatra and a Ben Franklin bio by Schiff, this was a great read. I highly recommend it! "
— David, 3/9/2012 -
" A wonderful inside look at one of the greatest presidents of all time. A great read for history buffs. "
— Mark, 9/29/2011 -
" I gave this book to my 83 year old mother who is a history buff. She was beyond thrilled since she loved Eisenhower. After she finished it we had a discussion of how this President affected the country and how times have changed from then to now. She gives it 2 thumbs up! <br/> "
— Nancy, 9/10/2011 -
" A must read for history buffs. An enriching and eye-opening look at the 34th president of the United States. Timely and utterly fascinating. "
— Doubleday, 8/29/2011
About Jim Newton
Jim Newton spent twenty-five years at the Los Angeles Times as a reporter, editor, bureau chief, columnist, editor-at-large, and editor of the editorial pages. He was part of the Los Angeles Times’ coverage of the Los Angeles riots in 1992 and the earthquake of 1994, both of which were awarded Pulitzer Prizes to the staff. Now teaching at the University of California at Los Angeles, he founded the university’s Blueprint magazine. He is the author of the critically acclaimed, bestselling biographies Justice for All and Eisenhower, and he collaborated with Leon Panetta on his New York Times bestselling autobiography Worthy Fights.
About John H. Mayer
John H. Mayer, author and Earphones Award–winning narrator, is a character actor whose voice has been heard on numerous commercials, animated programs, audiobooks, and narrations including E! Entertainment’s Celebrity Profiles. He was a five-year member of the Groundlings comedy theater company in Los Angeles. He is also the co-author of Radio Rocket Boy, an award-winning short film.