Silent Cal's Almanack: The Homespun Wit and Wisdom of Vermont's Calvin Coolidge Review
Silent Cal's Almanack
By David Pietrusza
A review by M. DeStefano:
"Restricted immigration is not an offensive but purely a defensive action. It is not adopted in criticism of others in the slightest degree, but solely for the purpose of protecting ourselves. We cast no aspersions on any race or creed, but we must remember that every object of our institutions of society and government will fail unless America be kept American."
Ref: David Pietrusza, ed., Silent Cal's Almanack, (United States: David Pietrusza, 2008, p. 70.
This was the straight-forward observation of an American President! But not from someone you would normally have suspected. These words are not tinged with racism or hate, but logic. These words were not exclusive, but inclusive--inclusive of a nation who welcomed industrious, hard-working immigrants, but wanted them to come through the front door.
These were the words of "Silent" Calvin Coolidge as he accepted his party's nomination for President of the United States.
This is but one example of the "homespun wit and wisdom" of our 30th President, a man who was famous for not saying a thing and doing very little as president in the most `roaring' and prosperous period of our nation's history--the 1920s.
In assembling the wide array of verbal and written gems uttered by the alleged "Silent Cal," the author, David Pietrusza had ripped the veil of obscurity from the false premise that our 30th President said very little. Quite to the contrary, his brilliant ability to employ economy of words while saying something surprisingly profound, enamored another future president who would be known as "the great communicator," President Ronald Reagan!
Pietrusza makes note that Reagan, "replaced a portrait of Harry Truman that had hung in the Cabinet room with that of Silent Cal...Reagan wrote, `(Coolidge) had been badly treated by history. I've done considerable reading and researching on his presidency. He served his country well and accomplished much...'" (Ibid, p. 4)
In fact, as I read the numerous, categorized quotes, selected addresses, and witticisms, I could actually hear the voice of Ronald Reagan, since similar values and the principled mindset of both men were so completely complimentary to each other.
Pietrusza introduces us to the myth of Silent Cal as described by the Joe Klein of Coolidge's day, Walter Lippmann. And the author very quickly shatters that perception with a definition of Coolidge's political philosophy that was very much "Jeffersonian" in scope where government was `limited' and the Constitution was the supreme law of the land.
Following a brief "Biographical Portrait" that included some highlights of the Coolidge presidency, (such as the Immigration Act of 1924, the Kellogg-Briand Pact, and the release of the last victims of the Wilson Administration's unconstitutional Sedition Act of 1918), Pietrusza shares a few anecdotes that describe Coolidge's penchant for subtle wit and ingenious insight disguised in the brevity of his remarks.
Then, the author/editor takes us on a journey through the mind of our "Eloquent 30th President" as he `speaks' to us on a myriad topics of paramount import that reverberate with essential meaning--even today! The quotes cited range from short, 3-word quips to whole paragraphs, but always with the flavor of common sense.
For example, Coolidge realized the gravity of responsibility the office of President held in the eyes of the public and the world when he said, "The words of the President have an enormous weight and ought not to be used indiscriminately." (Ibid, p. 88)
And under the heading of Legislation, something I was thinking right around the time the Tax-care bill was signed into law, "It is much more important to kill bad bills than to pass good ones." (Ibid, p. 76)
To complete the cannon of quips, quotes, and wisdom, the author not only supplied us with selected speeches and a timeline of Coolidge's life, but he was equally generous with abundant photographs and rare political ads from not only the Library of Congress, but from the author's own personal collection! And for sharing with us that exclusive pictorial insight, this commentator is eternally grateful.
In this current pressure-cooker environment of third-rail politics, it takes a man (or woman) of considerable conviction to stand on principle regardless of the prevailing political winds. And in our increasingly divisive society, our citizens need heroes to look up to.
If you haven't discovered the facts behind the man called "Silent Cal," I highly recommend you pick up this book and allow the author to shed a public light on the genuine words of the `quiet' president who presided over the "roaring 20s!"
Silent Cal's Almanack: The Homespun Wit and Wisdom of Vermont's Calvin Coolidge Overview
A treasury of the wit and wisdom of Calvin Coolidge, America's surprisingly eloquent 30th President.
Silent Cal's Almanack includes:
* The ultimate distillation of Calvin Coolidge political wisdom.
* A selection of Silent Cal's key speeches.
* A thought-provoking original biographical essay.
* A fascinating and unique 50-page portfolio of Coolidge photos, editorial cartoons and campaign memorabilia.
* A Coolidge timeline.
* A Coolidge bibliography.
"He wrote simply, innocently, artlessly," H. L. Mencken once noted regarding Coolidge's prose, "He forgot all the literary affectations and set down his ideas exactly as they came into his head. The result was a bald, but strangely appealing piece of writing-a composition of almost Lincolnian austerity and beauty. The true Vermonter was in every line of it."
Supreme Court Justice David Souter recently wrote of Calvin Coolidge: "The simple beauty of his English prose exceeds anything I could say in praise of it."
About the author:
David Pietrusza is the award-winning author of:
* 1920: The Year of the Six Presidents (included among Kirkus Reviews Books of the Year 2007; a Selection of the History Book Club)
* 1960--LBJ vs. JFK vs. Nixon: The Epic Campaign That Forged Three Presidencies (Library Journal [starred review]: "raises the bar." Booklist: "an outstanding re-examination." Kirkus: "colorful . . . lively")
* Rothstein: The Life, Times, and Murder of the Criminal Genius who Fixed the 1919 World Series (an Edgar Award Finalist; its audio version captured the AUDIOFILE Earphones Award)
* Judge and Jury: The Life and Times of Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis (a CASEY Award Winner; Seymour Medal Finalist; and NASSH Award Nominee).
Pietrusza's powerful historical story-telling has been compared to that of Doris Kearns Goodwin, Theodore S. White, and Gene Fowler.
An expert on the 1920s, Pietrusza has served on the Board of the Directors of the Calvin Coolidge Memorial Foundation.
He is also the author of The Roaring Twenties, an examination of the era for younger readers.
A respected commentator, Pietrusza has appeared on C-SPAN BookTV, The History Channel, NPR, the Fox News Network, ESPN, WCBS-TV, and the Fox Sports Channel.
C-SPAN has selected Mr. Pietrusza's talk on "Silent Cal's Almanack' for inclusion in its online "C-SPAN Classroom" initiative for the nation's social studies teachers.
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