Nigel Hamilton’s Books
American Caesars: A New Book by MGS Senior Fellow Nigel Hamilton
AMERICAN CAESARS: Lives of the Presidents, From Franklin D. Roosevelt to George W. Bush is published by Yale University Press (ISBN: 0300169280, 9780300169287; 624 pages; $35.00). Order it today!
About American Caesars
Modeled on one of the most famous histories of ancient Rome (Suetonius' The Twelve Caesars penned in 200 BC), Nigel Hamilton’s new book, American Caesars, looks afresh at the lives and careers of the twelve leaders of the American empire since World War II, from Franklin D. Roosevelt to George W. Bush.
President by president, Hamilton relates and examines the presidents’
- unique characteristics
- their paths to Pennsylvania Avenue
- their effectiveness as global leaders
- their lessons in governance, both good and bad.
With uncompromising candor he looks at how these powerful men responded to the challenges that defined their presidencies, including
- FDR’s role as a war leader
- Harry Truman’s decision to mount a Berlin Airlift
- Lyndon Johnson’s controversial Civil Rights legislation and war in Vietnam
- Jimmy Carter’s handling of the Iran hostage crisis
- Bush Senior ’s effectiveness during the collapse of the Soviet Union
- George W's fateful invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq
In the Suetonian manner, Hamilton also looks at the presidents’ private lives—some noble, some flawed, some deeply moving.
In this essential book for our times, Hamilton strips away myths and wishful thinking to record our most recent presidents as they really were: leaders guiding the fortunes of an unruly empire, on a world stage. In its scope, clarity, readability, and empathy, American Caesars is destined to become a modern classic.
Listen to the BBC podcast on the book
Follow American Caesars on Facebook
Follow American Caesars on Twitter: Read daily quotes from the book
Featured Videos on American Caesars
A Conversation with Nigel Hamilton about American Caesars
Interviewed by David Sparks, UMass Boston
Hamilton discusses presidential biographies on MSNBC "morning joe" with Joe Scarborough
Watch Nigel Hamilton on C-SPAN 2's BookTV
Other Books by Nigel Hamilton
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Bill Clinton: Mastering the Presidency (2007)
“Hamilton ably illustrates Clinton’s strengths and weaknesses as a leader, how he thrived whenever the occasion called for him to inspire or commiserate, and how time and again his failures could be traced to what Hamilton calls his ‘inability to function as a manager of men and women in a structured environment.’” – Washington Post Book World Book description and order form
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Biography: A Brief History (2007)
" This zesty romp through millennia of biographical portraits comes from the pen of a master biographer (JFK: Reckless Youth). Hamilton's a friendly spectator to his own art, undaunted by its age, variety or the number and skill of the practitioners who've gone before him...It's hard to think of a better introduction to one of the most popular genres of literature and art today." - Publishers Weekly Book description and order information
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Montgomery: D-Day Commander (2006)
Book description and order information
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The Full Monty: Montgomery of Alamein 1887 – 1942 (2001)
Book description and order information
- JFK: Reckless Youth (1995)
“Nigel Hamilton’s story, told with great intelligence and sympathy, is of how Kennedy came to terms with his inheritance and frightful upbringing...He has done a splendid job...enthralling reading.” - Daily Telegraph
“Rich, gripping...easily takes its place beside the best of recent presidential portraits...It is a book not only about a remarkable young John F. Kennedy, but also about democracy’s own still-reckless age.” – Roger Morris, The New York Times Book Review Book description and order information
- Monty: The Battles of Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery (1994)
- Frontiers (1991)
- Monty: the Man behind the Legend (1988)
- Monty: Final Years of the Field-Marshall 1944 – 1976 (1986)
- Monty: The Making of a General (1981)
- The Brothers Mann (1979)
- America Began at Greenwich (1976)
- Guide to Greenwich (1972)
- Greenwich in Colour (1971)
- Royal Greenwich (1969)
Ordering books by Nigel Hamilton
