Woodrow Wilson (Penguin Lives)

One of our most esteemed writers and critics paints a deeply insightful portrait of the greatest political mastermind of a century

Our twenty-eighth president was, says Louis Auchincloss, "the greatest idealist who ever occupied the White House." And who better than Auchincloss, with his penchant for quirky personalities and fascination with fin-de-sicle society, to explore this complex persona?

Woodrow Wilson sheds new light on Wilson's upbringing and career, from the grim determination that enabled him to overcome dyslexia to the skillful dance of isolationism and intervention in World War I to the intransigence that--despite his most cherished vision--caused the Senate's rejection of the League of Nations. Here, from the dynamic figure whose ringing speeches hypnotized vast crowds to the gentle voice reading poetry aloud and the comic star of family skits and charades to the rising academic and president of Princeton who made the giant leap into politics are all the triumphs and final tragic irony of this flawed apostle of world peace.