Includes chapters on the leadership style of Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton.

The presidential difference -- The virtuosic leadership of Franklin D. Roosevelt -- The uneven leadership of Harry S. Truman -- The unexpected Eisenhower -- Coming to terms with Kennedy -- Lyndon B. Johnson and the primacy of politics -- The paradox of Richard Nixon -- The instructive presidency of Gerald Ford -- JImmy Carter and the politics of rectitude -- Ronald Reagan : the innocent as agent of change -- The highly tactical leadership of George Bush -- The undisciplined Bill Clinton -- Lessons from the modern presidency -- Appendix : Background on the modern presidency.