Presidents at War: From Truman to Bush, The Gathering of Military Powers To Our Commanders in Chief

By Gerald Astor

Book Overview

The Korean War, the Bay of Pigs, the Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam, Cambodia, Lebanon, El Salvador, Grenada, Iran-Contra, Nicaragua, Panama, the Gulf War, Somalia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq

What do these events and scores of others have in common? Each of these wars, incursions, invasions, and covert actions was undertaken by the United States without the benefit of a declaration of war. Where congressional sanction was sought, it usually took the form of a resolution, frequently issued after the fact.

Presidents at War is the first book to examine all of America's post-World War II military actions through the lens of the president's authority as commander in chief. Author Gerald Astor analyzes the various presidents' rationales for undeclared warfare, from Truman's citing of an international agreement (the United Nations) to Eisenhower's domino theory, to Kennedy's defense of the Monroe Doctrine, to bald assertions of authority by a commander in chief because of fears of communist expansion, threats to oil in the Middle East, humanitarian concerns in the Balkans, or provocations by terrorists. Each commander in chief served as a precedent for those who followed. Astor contends this cumulative process was accelerated by the September 11, 2001, attacks that led to the war on terrorism, the invasion of Iraq to oust the cruel regime of Saddam Hussein for his alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction, and the potential trampling of civil liberties in the United States.

Has the president become free to take military action on the slightest whim? Is it now true that, as Richard Nixon said, "If the president does it, then it is not illegal"? Is the Constitution obsolete? And does Congress have the tools with which to curb this seemingly unbridled power? Read Presidents at War and find out.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1684423511
• ISBN13: 9781684423514
• Release Date: August 2006
• Publisher: Trade Paper Press
• Length: 303 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Concentrates on Undeclared Wars

This book should really be titled 'Presidents at UNDECLARED War.' During the years since the founding of the republic, the United States has only been in five declared wars. During those same years the United States military forces have engaged in more than two hundred armed conflicts. It is not a new thing, Wikipedia says: 'The first United States military action overseas, executed by the U.S. Marines and Navy, was the storming of Derna, Tripoli in 1805 in an effort to bolster diplomatic efforts in securing both the freedom of American prisoners and an end to piracy on the part of the Barbary state. The opening line of the Marine's Hymn, From the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli, refers to this action.' This is a very interesting book in how it looks at the conflicts fought since World War II. It covers not the conflict itself so much the interaction between the President and Congress. It further raises interesting questions about how Congress acts in these cases. For instance in the vote regarding Iraq, Congress voted 77 to 23 in favor of the Iraq war. With the current dissatisfaction regarding Iraq, it will be very interesting to see what happens, especially if the Democrats gain control of Congress.