The original thing that fascinated me most was why we expect leaders, and especially presidents, at times to destroy themselves - and that's a sign of being a good leader or a good president. We usually don't expect that of almost anyone else in any profession, in particular, in public life.
Michael BeschlossThe Founding Fathers would be sorry to see that America had become so divided and factionalized.
Michael BeschlossI'm defining [presidential courage] pretty narrowly. It's not only taking a big political risk but it's also the risk that in the hindsight of history, people think it's wise.
Michael BeschlossRoosevelt understands that there are things that are worth surrendering your career for, like defending the country against [Adolf] Hitler.
Michael Beschloss