Dark History of the American Presidents covers every dirty deed committed behind the White House fence, from financial profiteering and insider trading to illicit bugging of the opposition, including the terms of Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

Discusses how mass detention and deportation of immigrants, has escalated even higher since the Obama and Trump administrations.

In highlighting the political and economic progress of African Americans while pinpointing the historical success of Barack Obama in the last presidential election, the book covers the history of the African peoples in the principal regions of Africa, the Caribbean, North America and South America. In reporting and acutely analyzing the same events of human history spanning over 1500 years, it initially delves into the reactions from the political order in the form of the Tea Party Movement following Obama's victory. Totalling over 500 pages, the book then takes the reader on a trip down memory lane, covering events as the slave trade, discrimination and colonization that pitted Africans and their diasporic descendants against Europeans, and later Americans. After covering the critical stages of African Americans' economic and political development following the Civil War to present day, the book crosses the Atlantic Ocean to cover the major failures of political events after independence on the African continent. Two specific chapters in the book analyze the events under feudal Europe that led to the enslavement of Africans while another does the same on the system of capitalism. The final four chapters report and analyze Africa's present challenges and possible solutions.

Instant New York Times Bestseller An urgent primer on race and racism, from Emmanuel Acho, an American Football Legend and host of the viral hit video series Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man. 'I really love this' – Jada Pinkett Smith 'What Emmanuel Acho has to say is important' – Matthew McConaughey ‘An absolute must-read . . . Emmanuel Acho dives into important subjects like cultural appropriation and white privilege, urging you to find a way to join in the fight against racism’ – Cosmopolitan In Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man, Emmanuel Acho takes on all the questions, large and small, insensitive and taboo, many white people are afraid to ask – yet which everyone needs the answers to, now more than ever. With the same open-hearted generosity that has made his video series of the same name a phenomenon, Acho explains the vital core of such fraught concepts as white privilege, cultural appropriation and ‘reverse racism’. In his own words, he provides a space of compassion and understanding in a discussion that can lack both. He asks only for the reader’s curiosity – but along the way, he will galvanize all of us to join the anti-racist fight.

As RTÉ's Washington correspondent, Caitríona Perry has earned a reputation as a reliable source of truth as the world tries to make sense of the maelstrom of shocking headlines emanating from Donald Trump's America. In her first book, she goes beyond the news reports and delves into the American heartland where she witnessed his rise at first hand, while others were blindsided by his victory. Bringing to the table the voices of those who voted for President Trump, the ones whose opinions didn't coalesce with acceptable mainstream discourse – Hillary Clinton's so-called 'basket of deplorables' – Caitríona Perry reveals just what is really happening in America right now This is the story of the American people who were angry and disillusioned by traditional politics. It is the story of the workers of the industrial heartland, of the women of America, of immigrant communities, of the people who viewed a wealthy businessman from the city of New York as 'one of us'. This is the story of the people who shook the world. 'Spellbindingly good. Journeying across America, Caitríona Perry masterfully takes us into the hearts and minds of those who voted for Donald Trump. A triumph of a book.' Prof. Gary Murphy, Head of the School of Law and Government, DCU 'From the Mexico border to the Oval Office, Caitríona Perry brings us to the coalface of one of the most tempestuous and extraordinary opening periods of any presidency in modern memory.' Ryan Tubridy 'In my visits to Ireland since the 2016 election, the most frequent question I get is "How could that happen?" Caitríona Perry answers it honestly and candidly as only someone who takes the time to understand could.' Cody Keenan, Chief Speechwriter to President Barack Obama 'Bringing us vivid voices from Trump country, and exploring the emotional landscape in which his campaign took root, this book deepens our understanding of the Trump phenomenon.' Anne Anderson, Former Irish Ambassador to the US. 'The hopes, contradictions and beliefs of Trump voters brilliantly told – a necessary and insightful book!' Joe Duffy 'This entertaining and insightful travelogue, through its attention to detail of both place and people, lays bare both the death and residual power of the American Dream.' Prof. Liam Kennedy, Clinton Institute for American Studies, UCD 'A genuinely fascinating chance to meet the most and least likely Trump voters and find out why his election was ultimately bound to happen.' Rick O'Shea

What makes a president great? Here is the ideal source for students, scholars, and the general public. The American Presidents is a collection of articles that analyze and evaluate the presidential careers of the men who have occupied the office since its inception in 1789. In this volume, the leading presidential historians in the United States offer insights into what makes a president great, mediocre, or--in the case of most of them--something in between. The contributors to The American Presidents were not asked to write straightforward biographies of the presidents; other sources are available for that. Rather, they were asked to evaluate their subjects. No strict patterns were imposed by the editor; each author approached his or her subject in the way that best illustrated the strengths and weaknesses of the president under consideration. Forty-one have held the office of president and all, in one way or another, were exceptional men. Some, like Andrew Jackson and Harry Truman, are usually thought of as representing the common folk, but nothing was common about either of them. Each proved to be an extraordinary and singular politician able to rally and represent the country through the challenges of their times. Some presidents had achieved brilliance in other fields (Ulysses Grant in the military and Herbert Hoover as an engineer and humanitarian, for example) but had presidencies that are considered unsuccessful. What accounts for this seeming paradox, in which insight, sensitivity, and competence suddenly become nontransferable when the man reaches the White House? This book offers the reader multiple perspectives on this and other issues. Examination of the ways in which challenges affect presidential greatness Theodore Roosevelt, a successful president by any standard, was acutely aware that the prosperity and peace the country enjoyed during his two terms in office would, ironically, prevent him from reaching the upper tier of greatness enjoyed by Washington and Lincoln. After he left office, he yearned to return in hope of finding the challenge that would seal his greatness. Earlier, in the late nineteenth century, the electorate placed competent men such as Rutherford B. Hayes, Grover Cleveland, and Benjamin Harrison in the White House, but they are little remembered today. None faced earth-shaking challenges at home and abroad, and their presidencies slipped into obscurity. Discussion of personal characteristics and presidential performance For more than two centuries the presidency has proved a remarkably durable institution. Presidential personalities have varied widely from the patrician aloofness of Washington to the moody introspection of Lincoln to the noisy exuberance of Theodore Roosevelt. The articles in The American Presidents consider the ways in which personality has affected performance. Special features *41 signed essays by the leading experts, illustrated with portraits of the presidents *Selected bibliographies *At-a-glance summaries of each president's achievements *Useful charts and tables on cabinet members, first ladies, and vice presidents from Washington to Clinton *Addresses and Web sites for major presidential libraries.

The Black History of the White House presents the untold history, racial politics, and shifting significance of the White House as experienced by African Americans, from the generations of enslaved people who helped to build it or were forced to work there to its first black First Family, the Obamas. Clarence Lusane juxtaposes significant events in White House history with the ongoing struggle for democratic, civil, and human rights by black Americans and demonstrates that only during crises have presidents used their authority to advance racial justice. He describes how in 1901 the building was officially named the “White House” amidst a furious backlash against President Roosevelt for inviting Booker T. Washington to dinner, and how that same year that saw the consolidation of white power with the departure of the last black Congressmember elected after the Civil War. Lusane explores how, from its construction in 1792 to its becoming the home of the first black president, the White House has been a prism through which to view the progress and struggles of black Americans seeking full citizenship and justice. “Clarence Lusane is one of America’s most thoughtful and critical thinkers on issues of race, class and power.”—Manning Marable "Barack Obama may be the first black president in the White House, but he's far from the first black person to work in it. In this fascinating history of all the enslaved people, workers and entertainers who spent time in the president's official residence over the years, Clarence Lusane restores the White House to its true colors."—Barbara Ehrenreich "Reading The Black History of the White House shows us how much we DON'T know about our history, politics, and culture. In a very accessible and polished style, Clarence Lusane takes us inside the key national events of the American past and present. He reveals new dimensions of the black presence in the US from revolutionary days to the Obama campaign. Yes, 'black hands built the White House'—enslaved black hands—but they also built this country's economy, political system, and culture, in ways Lusane shows us in great detail. A particularly important feature of this book its personal storytelling: we see black political history through the experiences and insights of little-known participants in great American events. The detailed lives of Washington's slaves seeking freedom, or the complexities of Duke Ellington's relationships with the Truman and Eisenhower White House, show us American racism, and also black America's fierce hunger for freedom, in brand new and very exciting ways. This book would be a great addition to many courses in history, sociology, or ethnic studies courses. Highly recommended!"—Howard Winant "The White House was built with slave labor and at least six US presidents owned slaves during their time in office. With these facts, Clarence Lusane, a political science professor at American University, opens The Black History of the White House(City Lights), a fascinating story of race relations that plays out both on the domestic front and the international stage. As Lusane writes, 'The Lincoln White House resolved the issue of slavery, but not that of racism.' Along with the political calculations surrounding who gets invited to the White House are matters of musical tastes and opinionated first ladies, ingredients that make for good storytelling."—Boston Globe Dr. Clarence Lusane has published in The Washington Post, The Miami Herald, The Baltimore Sun, Oakland Tribune, Black Scholar, and Race and Class. He often appears on PBS, BET, C-SPAN, and other national media.

Occasionally, a great manuscript is written about someone great, and that great manuscript is A Race to the Finish Line, and that someone great is Barack Hussain Obama, the first African American to be elected president of the United States of America. Rose's work is a brilliant analysis of the struggles that Barrack Obama overcame to reach the Oval Office and as the commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces in the United States. The book is intellectually stimulating and insightful. It chronicles Obama's life from birth and examines the forces that shaped his life and made him the forty-fourth president of the United States. It explains how Obama defeated three renowned, admired, and experienced politicians--former first lady and Senator Hillary Clinton, former prisoner of war and Senator John McCain, and former Governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney--to become president of the United States. Rose's work presents fresh insights into Obama's life--from his birth in Honolulu, Hawaii, on August 4, 1961, to Seattle and then Jakarta, Indonesia. The book is a definitive account of Barack Obama's formative years, which made him the man he became. After graduating from Punahou School, a private, elite all-white academy in Honolulu, the young Obama entered Occidental College in Los Angeles, California, and after two years, he transferred to Columbia University, an Ivy League college in New York City, and to Harvard University Law School, where he was elected as the first African American president of the prestigious Harvard Law Review. Dr. Rose's penetrating and captivating work describes Barack Obama's tumultuous upbringing as a young man of mixed race who was raised almost exclusively by his white grandparents, his marriage to Michelle Robinson in Chicago in 1992, and his work as a community organizer on the South Side of Chicago, an Illinois state senator from 1997 to 2004, and serving as a US senator from 2004 to 2008 when he was elected President of the United States. The book reveals that Occidental College has had a profound impact on Obama's life, because according to him, it was at Occidental College that he took life seriously and was awakened to the notion that he could make a difference in the world. Rose's epic work is a rich tapestry of a life little known or understood prior to his keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston, which instantly catapulted him into the national spotlight. The book is a classic narrative drawn from hundreds of interviews, including several of President Obama's advisers, friends, and classmates and a trove of articles, journals, and other documents. It tells the human story of a man--Barack Hussain Obama--who changed the course of history and the world in a way that no one else can and no one expected. As a result, he is considered one of the most significant figures of the twenty-first century. It is a groundbreaking and multigenerational manuscript; a richly textured account of President Obama's life from childhood to adulthood as he tried to make sense of his past, established his own identity as he prepared for his political future. It is a beautifully written and powerful book that captured Barack Obama's time as a community organizer in one of Chicago City's roughest neighborhoods as he grappled with the role that faith has in store for him. It is a fascinating account about a young man born into uncommon family and perhaps unusual circumstances--son of a black man from Kenya, Africa, and a white woman from the state of Kansas in the United States. It is a first-rate account of the human struggles of one of the most interesting and exciting presidents of our time, Barack Hussain Obama.

"The best new discussion of the primary system." —Jill Lepore, author of These Truths In 1912, Theodore Roosevelt came out of retirement to challenge William Howard Taft for the Republican nomination. TR seized on the campaign theme “Let the People Rule”—a cry echoed in today’s elections—and through the course of his run helped create thirteen new primaries. Though he won most of the primaries, party bosses proved too powerful, and Roosevelt walked out of the convention to create his own Bull Moose Party—only to make the shocking political calculation to ban black delegates from his new coalition. In Let the People Rule, Geoffrey Cowan takes readers inside the dramatic campaign that changed American politics forever.