Dallek offers an engaging examination of presidential excellence - and it's less distinguished counterpart. Dallek addresses five themes that have been typically manifested in successful administrations - vision, pragmatism, consensus, charisma, and trust - and traces how they have been played out by men who have attained the highest rank of public service. From Washington's masterful efforts at nation building to Lincoln's leadership through the greatest crisis in the country's history; from Hoover's inability to overcome the challenges of the Great Depression to LBJ's tragic miscalculations in Vietnam and his achievements in advancing civil rights; from the beneficient paternalism of FDR to the ruthless cynicism of Richard Nixon, Dallek offers a penetrating analysis of the presidency, the personalities who have defined it, and the strategies that led to their triumphs or defeats.