Paths of American Thought

by Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. (Editor)

Paths of American Thought

Paperback

First published January 1, 1963

About the author

Arthur Meier Schlesinger Jr., born Arthur Bancroft Schlesinger, was a Pulitzer Prize recipient and American historian and social critic whose work explored the liberalism of American political leaders including Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and Robert F. Kennedy. He served as special assistant and "court historian" to President Kennedy from 1961 to 1963. He wrote a detailed account of the Kennedy Administration, from the transition period to the president's state funeral, titled A Thousand Days. In 1968, he actively supported the presidential campaign of Senator Robert F. Kennedy until Kennedy's assassination in the Ambassador Hotel on June 5, 1968, and wrote the biography Robert Kennedy and His Times several years later.

He popularized the term "imperial presidency" during the Nixon administration by writing the book The Imperial Presidency.

His father was also a well-known historian.

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mean sure, the writing deserves four stars, but it's dated and just dripping with old boy academic standards. Sometimes, it just clarifies the level of my undeveloped American studies / history background. But other times it's just stuffy and only portrays a very elite strain of American thought. But, these are mostly impressive essays that taught me a lot about some of the roots of American thought. They just don't speak from a current perspective or voice, as is normal for most decades old writing.

This is a niche, academic book.

[Matthew William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic history at its' best.