The Mortal Presidency: Illness and Anguish in the White House / Edition 2

by Robert E. Gilbert

Overview

The presidency is hazardous to your helth. Fully two-thirds of our presidents have died before reaching their life-expectancy- despite being wealthier, better educated, and better cared for that most Americans. In Mortal Presidency, the first complete account of death and illness in the White House, Robert E. Gilbert looks at modern presidents including Coolidge, FDR, Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Reagan. He shows- in some cases, for the first time- that all suffered from debilitating medical problems, physical and/or psychological, which they frequently managed to conceal from the public but which, in important ways, affected their political lives. This edition is updated to include a brief look at Presidents Clinton and Bush, both of whom suffered sudden and unpleasant indispositions while in office which to some degree affected their presidencies.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780823218363
Publisher:	Fordham University Press
Publication date:	01/01/1998
Edition description:	2
Pages:	353
Sales rank:	714,512
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)
Lexile:	1600L (what's this?)

About the Author

Robert E. Gilbert is Professor of Political Science at Northeastern University. He is also author of three books, including Television and Presidential Politics.

Editorial Reviews

Gilbert (Northeastern Univ.) has fashioned a gem of a book. Permeating the case studies that examine the sources and effects of maladies suffered by six 20th-century US presidents is an acute awareness of the interplay between body, mind, and politics. Postwar presidents generally have exhibited a compulsive drive to do their duty and a penchant for denying the effects of work. The office thus takes a heavy toll on its occupants, with profound implications for the polity and country. The Twenty-Fifth Amendment, ratified in 1967, has been invoked only once, voluntarily by Reagan for his brief 1986 cancer surgery, although it should have been involuntarily invoked during his surgery following the 1981 assassination attempt, for it was designed for just such scenarios. Gilbert rightly concludes that the Twenty-Fifth Amendment is "the best constitutional remedy at hand, and tinkering with it would be unwise." Precisely because cabinet members are politically beholden to the president, that body, acting in tandem with the inherently deferential vice president, is the appropriate mechanism to make judgments about presidential incapacity. Gilbert suggests three practical steps to help presidents cope with the stresses that make them susceptible to disease and early death. Two recommendations, downsizing the White House Office and utilizing a strong chief of staff, are familiar and solid. A third proposal, the unobtrusive establishment of a mental health unit in the White House medical office, is innovative and sound. Highly recommended for undergraduates and above.

Choice

Gilbert, a professor of political science at Northeastern University in Boston, soberingly describes the illnesses of several 20th-century U.S. presidents and examines the political and psychological repercussions of their maladies. Noting that Calvin Coolidge and Dwight Eisenhower endured lives of illness and pain, accentuated during their time in the White House, Gilbert argues that their suffering was caused at least in part by personal grief and feelings of guilt. He addresses the question of whether Franklin Roosevelt's physical deterioration had a negative influence on the presidency and of what effect John Kennedy's regimen of medication had on his behavior in office. Gilbert contends that the 1981 assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan and his cancer surgery in 1985 significantly affected his administration and likely contributed to the Iran-Contra scandal. In his thought-provoking study Gilbert calls for a reassessment of the 25th Amendment, the constitutional mechanism for transferring power to the vice president. Illustrations. (Dec.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

The issue of presidential disability usually focuses on the legal aspects and merits of the 25th amendment. Gilbert's groundbreaking study examines how stress and the potential for psychological illnesses make the modern presidency a dangerously unhealthy office. Twenty-five presidents have died prematurely, and those who have lived longest beyond their life expectancy were, surprisingly, the nation's first ten chief executives. Robert Ferrell's fine Ill-Advised: Presidential Health and Public Trust ( LJ 9/15/92) focuses on the historically bad medical treatment presidents have received and believes better prepared White House physicians will improve care and the quality of life for our presidents. Gilbert's strength lies in his excellent medical and psychological profiles of Calvin Coolidge, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan. While one could challenge Gilbert's assumption that Eisenhower's enduring commitment to duty was a lifelong desire to win his mother's approval, the author provides very plausible assertions about other presidents. That Kennedy's severe medical problem contributed to his growth as a leader; that Coolidge's ineffectiveness was attributed to his depression resulting from the untimely death of his son; and that Reagan's denial of the Iran-contra scandal pattern followed a not untypical pattern for an adult child of an alcoholic parent are plausible motivating factors worthy of consideration. Strongly recommended for public and academic subject collections. See also T. Burton Smith and Carter Henderson's White House Doctor , reviewed on p. 84.--Ed.-- Karl Helicher, Upper Merion Twp . Lib., King of Prussia, Pa.

Library Journal

Examines the illnesses and injuries of eight presidents and how those debilitations effected their terms as President. Looks at Coolidge's grieving over his son, FDR's many illnesses and especially his performance during the Yalta conference weeks before his death, Eisenhower's heart problems, Kennedy's back problems and Addison's Disease, Johnson's ailments, and Reagan's battles with cancer and his recovery from the 1981 assassination attempt. In the final chapter Gilbert (political science, Northwestern) critiques the 25th Amendment and offers suggestions for its improvement. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

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