In this debut history from one of America's most influential political
journalists, Bret Baier casts the three days between Dwight Eisenhower's
prophetic "farewell address" on the evening of January 17, 1961, and his
successor John F. Kennedy's inauguration on the afternoon of January 20
as the final mission of one of modern America's greatest leaders.
As president, the former Supreme Commander of Allied Forces during World
War II successfully guided the country out of war in Korea, through the
apocalyptic threat of nuclear war with Russia, and into one of the
greatest economic booms in world history. In this last address to the
nation, Eisenhower looked to the future, warning Americans against the
dangers of elevating partisanship above national interest, excessive
government budgets (particularly deficit spending), the expansion of the
military-industrial complex, and the creeping political power of special
interests. Baier explores the many ways these visionary words continue
to resonate today; he also explains how Ike embodied the qualities of
political leadership that the country is urgently hungering for at the
present.
Seeking to prepare a new generation for power, Eisenhower intensely
advised the forty-three-year-old Kennedy in the intervening time between
the speech and the inauguration. Dwight Eisenhower left the public stage
at the end of these three days in January 1961 having done more than
perhaps any other modern American to set the nation "on our charted
course toward permanent peace and human betterment." Despite their
differences in party affiliation, President Kennedy would continue to
seek his predecessor's advice and counsel during his time in office.
Five decades later, Baier's Three Days in January illuminates how
Eisenhower, an under-appreciated giant of U.S. history, still offers
vital lessons for our own time.
