Buy used:
$12.65
$3.99 delivery May 16 - 20. Details
Or fastest delivery May 15 - 17. Details
Used: Acceptable | Details
Sold by the_nps_store
Condition: Used: Acceptable
Comment: Heavily used book; save lots off retail!!
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Charles C. Johnson
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Why Coolidge Matters: Leadership Lessons from America s Most Underrated President Hardcover – Illustrated, March 12, 2013

by Charles C. Johnson (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 140 ratings
See all formats and editions
Imagine a country in which strikes by public-sector unions occupied the public square; where foreign policy wandered aimlessly as America disentangled itself from wars abroad and a potential civil war on its southern border; where racial and ethnic groups jostled for political influence; where a war on illicit substances led to violence in its cities; where technology was dramatically changing how mankind communicated and moved about—and where the educated harbored increasing contempt for the philosophic underpinnings of our republic.

That country, the America of the 1920s, looked a lot like America today. One would think, then, that the President who successfully navigated these challenges, Calvin Coolidge, might be esteemed today. Instead, Coolidge’s record is little known, the result of efforts by both the left and right to distort his legacy.

Why Coolidge Matters revisits the record of our most underrated president, examining Coolidge’s views on governance, public sector unions, education, race, immigration, and foreign policy. Most importantly, Why Coolidge Matters explains what lessons Coolidge—the last president to pay down the national debt—can offer the limited government movement in the post-industrial age.
Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    408 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Encounter Books
  4. Publication date
    March 12, 2013
  5. Dimensions
    6.5 x 1.25 x 9.25 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    9781594036699
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1594036699
  8. See all details
Next page
The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Why Coolidge Matters could not appear at a better time. In it, Charles Johnson shatters the myth that Calvin Coolidge was a president of little influence and brings to life a man of deep convictions, courage, and incredible talent for clearly communicating economic struggles in moral terms. In our era of economic malaise, we should learn from the president whose tax cuts helped ignite one of America’s greatest economic booms. Anyone interested in the cause of free markets and liberty would do well to read this book."

—U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX)

"This is a very energetic and engaging amplification of the strong points of Coolidge’s presidency and administrative techniques. It is a welcome addition to the growing literature on whether Coolidge was, as Charles Johnson claims, an underrated and commendable leader, and not, as majority historical opinion has long held, a simplistic and dangerously detached president. It is a lively and imaginative case presented by a very promising young historian and commentator."

—Conrad Black, author of Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Champion of Freedom, Richard M. Nixon: A Life in Full, and the recently published A Matter of Principle.

It turns out that our Cal wasn’t as silent as we thought. Coolidge’s life speaks volumes about the sad state of contemporary politics, and may offer a map for the way out. Charles Johnson’s smart and entertaining book about our witty, wise, and humane 30th president is a must-read for anyone who cares about the history of the presidency, or its future.

—Tucker Carlson, co-founder and editor-in-chief of the Daily Caller

In a time when we suffer from the follies of a celebrity president, Charles Johnson’s short sparkling account of Calvin Coolidge, the citizen president who valued experience over theory and individual accountability rather than social salvation, is a welcome occasion.

—Fred Siegel, scholar in residence at St. Francis College and a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute

To preserve our freedom, we must recover both our principles and our past. Calvin Coolidge is a figure from the past who possessed profound knowledge of our principles and the eloquence to explain them. Charles Johnson—precocious, energetic, and knowledgeable himself—brings real ability to the work of recovering Coolidge, and so he helps us to better know our country and ourselves.

—Larry P. Arnn, president of Hillsdale College and author of The Founders’ Key

"Johnson's book is essential reading for those interested in presidential leadership. He shines the spotlight on one of America's most successful, yet unappreciated, chief executives. Knowing full well the proper use of executive power, Silent Cal had a steady hand on the ship of state. Johnson makes the case that Coolidge should enter the pantheon of America's great Presidents."

—John Yoo, law professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and visiting scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.

"Charles Johnson's Why Coolidge Matters is a timely, riveting profile of one of America's most unsung presidents. We all have much to learn from Calvin Coolidge's adherence to thrift; devotion to his Christian faith; emphasis on character and civic virtue; and demonstrated commitment to public service and first principles. Myths on both the Left and Right abound about "Silent Cal." Johnson's vibrant scholarship clears the air and sheds new light on a commander-in-chief who modeled long-forgotten, but desperately needed, leadership traits of restraint, discipline, and prudence. As the conservative movement ponders its future, Why Coolidge Matters provides a compelling reason to look to its forgotten past for inspiration."

—Michelle Malkin, author, blogger, and syndicated columnist

About the Author

Charles C. Johnson is an independent writer. His work has appeared in such publications as The Wall Street Journal, The L.A. Times, City Journal, The New Criterion, Reason, Tablet Magazine, and The Claremont Review of Books, and he has been the recipient of both the Robert L. Bartley Fellowship and Eric Breindel Award at the WSJ, the Robert Novak Award at the Philips Foundation, and the Publius Fellowship at the Claremont Institute. He lives in the San Gabriel Valley with his fiancée and is presently writing a political biography of Barack Obama.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 1594036691
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Encounter Books; Illustrated edition (March 12, 2013)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 408 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781594036699
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1594036699
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.47 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 1.25 x 9.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 140 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Charles C. Johnson

Charles C. Johnson

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
140 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Daniel W
5.0 out of 5 stars Doing the Job Most "Historians" Won't Do
Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2013
Verified Purchase
Mr. Johnson tackles his subject with the skills of someone all too rare today -- an investigative journalist. He is doing the job most "historians" won't do. In a field of superb thinkers and diligent expositors of Coolidge, his work stands out as the best in recent years. Mr. Johnson's work is not a simple recital of biographical trivia. Unlike most historians, Mr. Johnson delves into a study of Coolidge's ideas and is equally an examination of statesmanship. While Ms. Shlaes has written a well-done treatment of debt and Coolidge's approach to it, Mr. Johnson takes on the entire worldview of the man. In Ms. Shlaes' book we see Coolidge as a very credible witness on economics. In Mr. Johnson's book we see Coolidge as authoritative on the high calling of public service (chapter 1), the duties of self-government (chapter 2), the purpose of education (chapter 3), the Founder's theory of government (chapter 4), the use of presidential powers (chapter 5), the shared nature of all people: race, immigration and women (chapter 6), a sensible foreign policy: mind our own affairs, conserve our strength and protect our citizens (chapter 7, p.224), and an Afterword containing Coolidge's post-presidential wisdom, as he looked at current trends and drew from the often overlooked "obvious" essentials that can still guide us now. In "Why Coolidge Matters," the way Coolidge thought and acted is brought into clearer relief as all part of one, complete whole. It is both a primer to Coolidge's own words -- of which there are many, including three books of his speeches -- but also is an introduction to Coolidge's comprehensive and consistent view of the world. Mr. Johnson reminds us that President Coolidge is discounted today not because he never said or did anything but because what he teaches is the most powerful refutation of "modern" liberalism's destructive legacy, from the schools to the inner cities to Washington itself. The man discounted for a lack of vision, saw where the mountain of bad policies covered by good intentions would lead long before later generations have. Coolidge is a force to be reckoned with and is marginalized at one's peril. Perhaps the fear that what Coolidge has to say might break through the assembly line of untaught and unchallenged students who become uninformed and complacent citizens is why he is not welcome in many of our schools let alone government halls.

Be ready not to simply scan through the book, but delve into the principles of the last classically-trained statesman-philosopher to serve in the White House. Be prepared to grapple with the problems he faced and how to comprehend the substance of the ideas he articulated. Be equal to the challenge of thinking the Founder's thoughts, as Coolidge would say, to apply their timeless discoveries to what issues confront us now.

You will be disappointed only if you refuse this challenge to think, to move past ignorant frames of reference and thereby begin to understand that the principles to which Coolidge directs our respectful attention -- the things of the spirit, as he called them -- build great and just societies. It is the Declaration and Constitution which gave birth to all our affluence and comfort, not the other way around. Before we can honestly discard the former two as obsolete or unworkable, we have to have tried them. Instead, it is time we start getting reacquainted with the ideas they contain and the sacrifice it requires of us to make them work.
18 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Bobwire
5.0 out of 5 stars This is the amazing President that lead to President Reagan
Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2024
Verified Purchase
totally a great book. This is the President that President Reagan admired.
Helpful
 Report
Harbormaster
4.0 out of 5 stars Keep reading. It gets better.
Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2013
Verified Purchase
First, nice work by young Mr. Johnson. Reading the foreword and introduction had me concerned this journalist was too wet behind the ears for a valuable work on Coolidge. In particular, his college advisor writes the forward--a harbinger of a work barely able to stand on it's own. Having been there as both a student and faculty advisor one is both grateful for the mentoring but should also be concerned when your advisor is the best one to write a recommendation. Glad I underestimated the author and book and continued to read.

After reading Shlaes' Coolidge, and Coolidges' autobiography, I started and stopped with Why Coolidge Matters, taking most of the spring and into the summer to complete it. The first two chapters were slow, it was hard to see this wasn't a biography, so much as a lengthy term paper on relevancy of a particular political philosophy. It's more than that and a worthwhile read.

The book shines as it matures, as I'm sure Mr. Johnson will. It is well researched (hundreds of citations) and does as the title suggests tells you why Coolidge matters--to men like Reagan and why he should matter to us now.

This is an accurate, well researched book that strengthens as it moves forward. It answers criticisms made of Coolidge and dispells the dismissive Coolidge critics. Johnson's argument bolstered by citations show the Roaring 20's were not accidental, and have been buffoonishly characterized by the Roosevelt Depression apologists. Whether you are from the right or left--Coolidge deserves study. Coolidge was 'misunderestimated' long before George Bush (43) coined the phrase. Progressives will derisively dismiss this and have commented that Why Coolidge Matters is Tea Party propaganda.

The chapter "I thought I could swing it" was perhaps the best in regard to Coolidge's own concerns and reflections on his presidency and how it simply doesn't have to be too hard. It shows why men grow into the position, it shows why less is better, it shows why the Schlesinger and other biographers were tainted with activistic prejudice against a president who thought America did best when americans were allowed to work.

There is sufficient detail and citations to fleshout others' work. This should not be your first work on Coolidge, get Schlaes, Coolidge's, or Johnson's work first. But to understand the linkage between Washington-Hamilton-Lincoln-Garfield-TR-Taft-Coolidge-Reagan and the Tea Party, this is it. The principles are there, they are time tested, they are not always evident to the 'more is more' type of politician.

As a litmus test, neither McCain, nor Obama, nor Bob Corker will appreciate this book, but certainly Senators Cruz, Lee and Paul will.
11 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Baraniecki Mark Stuart
4.0 out of 5 stars A Puritan in Babylon
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 27, 2013
Verified Purchase
Coolidge has been characterized as a "Puritan in Babylon" with regard to his presidency in 1920's America and now like then, the Politically Correct US Left ("Progressives") have a fine collection of epithets prepared for him:

He could be described as anally-retentive, a proto-facist, racist, a reactionary, enemy of the working man, enemy of social justice, dead white male, male chauvinist, religious fanatic, enemy of progress, oppressor etc. etc.

It's a fact that his actions were inimical to US and international communists and Charles Johnson has done Americans a great favour in writing this book about the personal quality of Coolidge and his defence of America based on the Declaration of Independence rather than the "Dictatorship of the Proletariat".

The book brings out the basic fallacies of communism as articulated by Coolidge such as:

- The non-equivalence of the American and Russian revolutions. The American revolution was for democracy and personal freedom and bettered the lives of the American people. The Russian revolution (as hijacked by the Bolsheviks) was an extremely violent minority dictatorship that rejected personal freedom and went on to murder 15 million of their own citizens.

- The idea that if the government controls everything, everybody would be happy and successful as a result of legislation.

- When you deny the right to profit you deny the right of reward to thrift and industry.

- Communism denies the Golden Rule. They claim the right to do unto others as they would not have done unto themselves.

He particularly raised the ire of American communists when he opposed the 1919 Seattle General Strike with its attempt to form a revolutionary counter government based on workers communes (good book here is Ole Hanson's " Americanism Versus Bolshevism ").

The author usefully goes on to bring out the personal qualities of Coolidge that can be shown with some quotes:

"Our salvation lies in putting forward greater effort, in manfully assuming our own burdens rather than entertaining the pleasing delusion that they can be shifted to some other shoulders."

"See that the bills that you recommend from your committee are so worded that they will do just what they intend and not a great deal more that is undesirable. Most bills can't stand that test."

"Nine tenths of the callers at the White House want something they ought not to have."

"It is a great advantage to a President and a major source of safety to the country for him to know that he is not a great man. "

Coolidge always linked rights closely with duties which shows clearly throughout the text.

Johnson seems to have written the book in a hurry but with plenty of research (58 pages of notes) and has perhaps tried to include too much of it, producing a slightly cluttered and non-integrated result. The reader can also go from the first chapter, "In the Eye of the Nation" straight to the Afterword, "What Coolidge Still Has to Say" and still catch the basic ideas.

Altogether a very worthwhile book.
One person found this helpful
 Report