Air Force One : a history of the presidents and their planes / Kenneth T. Walsh.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Walsh, Kenneth T.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Air Force One (Presidential aircraft)--History.

Air Force One (Presidential aircraft).

Presidents--Transportation--United States--History.

Presidents.

Presidents--United States--History.

Presidents--Transportation.

History.

United States.

Physical Description:

xvi, 261 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color) ; 25 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

New York : Hyperion, [2003]

Summary:

From Franklin Roosevelt's prop-driven Pan Am to the glimmering blue-and-white jumbo 747 on which George W. Bush travels, the president's plane has captured the public's awe and imagination and is recognized around the world as a symbol of American power. It has emerged as a force in popular culture, appearing in television shows and movies, and is seen regularly on the news as the president gives his famous wave from the top of the stairs. Air Force One is associated with iconic images, such as the instantly recognizable photograph of Lyndon Johnson's swearing-in following John F. Kennedy's assassination. It has transported presidents on historic trips, such as Richard Nixon's pathbreaking China visit and Ronald Reagan's superpower summit meetings with Mikhail Gorbachev. And the plane itself has been the site of significant moments in our nation's history: For example, it hopscotched George W. Bush from one secure location to another in the harrowing hours after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

In addition to making history and serving as an international symbol, Air Force One has evolved into a very special habitat, created by each commander in chief, that functions as an invaluable window on the presidents themselves. Aboard his plane, a president has control over his surroundings without the intrusions, routines, and protocols of the West Wing. As a result, he tends to let his guard down and expose his true nature. Johnson would abuse his staff, for example, whereas Bill Clinton would goof around with them and Nixon would just keep his distance. In this unique history book, the first of its kind, Kenneth T. Walsh, the chief White House correspondent for U.S. News & World Report, looks at the personality traits and peccadilloes that our last twelve presidents revealed on the plane, and the way they each established a distinctive mood aboard that was a reflection of themselves and their times.

Based on interviews with five living presidents, scores of past and present government officials, and staff and crew members of Air Force One, Walsh's book features countless fascinating -- and often outrageous -- stories of life aboard the "flying White House." In addition to such entertaining anecdotes, the book is filled with never-before-heard revelations, as well as interesting descriptions of the food, the decor, the bedrooms, the medical clinic, and much more -- not to mention extraordinary photos of the presidents and the planes. In short, readers will find here everything they ever wanted to know about Air Force One -- and a behind-the-scenes look at sixty years of American history.

Contents:

1 The Role of Air Force One 1

2 The Air Force One Experience 15

3 Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and Dwight Eisenhower: The First "Flying Presidents" 39

4 John F. Kennedy: The Prince and the Power 61

5 Lyndon B. Johnson: King of the Cowboys 77

6 Richard Nixon: The Solitary Brooder 94

7 Gerald Ford: Everyman 111

8 Jimmy Carter: The Parsimonious Preacher 123

9 Ronald Reagan: America's Leading Man 135

10 George Herbert Walker Bush: The Foreign-Policy President 161

11 Bill Clinton: The Baby Boomer 176

12 George W. Bush: Commander in Chief 205

Appendix Code Names Used by the Secret Service 227.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [247]-251) and index.

ISBN:

1401300049

OCLC:

50851673