Celebrity in Chief
eBook - ePub

Celebrity in Chief

A History of the Presidents and the Culture of Stardom, With a New Epilogue on Hillary and “The Donald”

  1. 270 pages
  2. English
  3. ePUB (mobile friendly)
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub

Celebrity in Chief

A History of the Presidents and the Culture of Stardom, With a New Epilogue on Hillary and “The Donald”

About this book

With the advent of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton as presidential nominees, the examination of the role of celebrity culture in the White House takes on a fresh appeal. This book, by award-winning White House correspondent and presidential historian Kenneth T. Walsh, takes a detailed and comprehensive look at the history of America's presidents as "celebrities in chief" since the beginning of the Republic. Walsh makes the point that modern presidents need to be celebrities and build on their fame in order to propel their agendas and rally public support for themselves as national leaders so that they can get things done.

Combining incisive historical analysis with a journalist's eye for detail, this book looks back to such presidents as George Washington and Abraham Lincoln as the forerunners of contemporary celebrity presidents. It examines modern presidents including Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, John F. Kennedy, Franklin Roosevelt, and Theodore Roosevelt, each of whom qualified as a celebrity in his own time and place. The book also looks at presidents who fell short in their star appeal, such as George W. Bush, George H. W. Bush, Richard Nixon, and Lyndon Johnson, and explains why their star power was lacking.

Among the special features of the book are detailed profiles of the presidents and how they measured up or failed as celebrities; an historical analysis of America's popular culture and how presidents have played a part in it, from sports and television to movies and the news media; the role of first ladies; and a portfolio of fascinating photos illustrating the intersection of the presidency with popular culture. An update looking at Hillary and "the Donald" puts contemporary politics in perspective with the evolution of presidential celebrity.

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Yes, you can access Celebrity in Chief by Kenneth T. Walsh in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Politics & International Relations & Politics. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. Contents
  6. Acknowledgments
  7. Introduction The Rise of the Concept of Stardom and the Culture of Celebrity
  8. Chapter One Forerunners of the Modern Celebrity Presidents: Washington to Cleveland
  9. Chapter Two Theodore Roosevelt: The Strenuous Life
  10. Chapter Three Franklin D. Roosevelt: Public Advocate
  11. Chapter Four John F. Kennedy: Glitter and Cool
  12. Chapter Five Ronald Reagan: The Role of the Century
  13. Chapter Six Bill Clinton: Pop Icon
  14. Chapter Seven Barack Obama: Making History and Taking New Paths
  15. Chapter Eight Second Billing: From Truman to the Bushes
  16. Chapter Nine First Ladies: Partners in Celebrity
  17. Chapter Ten Presidents and Television: Primal Forces
  18. Chapter Eleven Presidents and the News Media: Tug of War
  19. Chapter Twelve Presidents and the Movies: Cinema Stars
  20. Chapter Thirteen Presidents and Reading: Gravitas Alert
  21. Chapter Fourteen Presidents and Sports: Links to Everyday America
  22. Chapter Fifteen Presidents and Music: Sweet and Sour Notes
  23. Chapter Sixteen Presidents as Trend Setters and Trend Spotters: Food, Fashion, Pets, and More
  24. Chapter Seventeen Consequential vs. Shallow Celebrity: All Stardom Is Not Equal
  25. Epilogue: The Rise of The Donald and Hillary: Riding Celebrity to New Highs and Lows
  26. Notes
  27. Selected Readings
  28. Index
  29. About the Author