Acclaimed historian Robert Merry resurrects the presidential
reputation of William McKinley in a "measured, insightful biography that
seeks to set the record straight...a deft character study of a
president" (The New York Times Book Review) whose low place in the
presidential rankings does not reflect the stamp he put on America's
future role in the world.
Republican President William McKinley transformed America during his two
terms as president (1897 - 1901). Although he does not register large in
either public memory or in historians' rankings, in this revealing
account, Robert W. Merry offers "a fresh twist on the old tale...a
valuable education on where America has been and, possibly, where it is
going" (The National Review).
McKinley settled decades of monetary controversy by taking the country
to a strict gold standard; in the Spanish-American war he kicked Spain
out of the Caribbean and liberated Cuba from Spain; in the Pacific he
acquired Hawaii and the Philippines; he developed the doctrine of "fair
trade"; forced the "Open Door" to China; forged our "special
relationship" with Great Britain. He expanded executive power and
managed public opinion through his quiet manipulation of the press.
McKinley paved the way for the bold and flamboyant leadership of his
famous successor, Teddy Roosevelt, who built on his accomplishments (and
got credit for them).
Merry writes movingly about McKinley's admirable personal life, from his
simple Midwestern upbringing to his Civil War heroism to his brave
comportment just moments before his death by assassination. "As this
splendid revisionist narrative makes plain....The presidency is no job
for a political amateur. Character counts, sometimes even more than
charisma" (The Wall Street Journal). Lively, definitive, and
eye-opening, President McKinley resurrects this overlooked president
and places him squarely on the list of one of the most important.
