Ambassador Book Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 7 (1992) Winner
Michael Richard Beschloss
マイケル・リチャード・ベシュロス
Maikeru Richādo Beschloss
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1955-11-30 （Chicago, Illinois, United States）
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Religion
- Judaism (heritage)
- Residence History
- Grew up in Flossmoor, Illinois → Washington, D.C. (residence)
Career
- Occupations
- Historian, Author, Commentator, Presidential historian
- Active Years
- 1977-
- Affiliations
- White House Historical Association (trustee), National Archives Foundation (trustee), Smithsonian National Museum of American History (board member), Thomas Jefferson Foundation (former trustee), Annenberg Foundation (Senior Fellow), PEN/Faulkner Foundation (affiliation), Robert F. Kennedy Book Awards (chair since 2014)
- Influenced By
- James MacGregor Burns
- Influenced
- Public and media understanding of the U.S. presidency (specific individuals not listed)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eaglebrook School | — | — | — | 1960年代-1970年代 | United States |
| Phillips Academy Andover | — | — | — | 1970年代（高校） | United States |
| Williams College | — | Political Science | BA | 1973–1977 | United States |
| Harvard Business School | — | — | MBA | 1970年代後半 | United States |
Eaglebrook School
Period:
1960年代-1970年代
Country:
United States
Attended as part of early education
Phillips Academy Andover
Period:
1970年代（高校）
Country:
United States
Attended as a secondary-school student
Williams College
Political Science
Degree:
BA
Period:
1973–1977
Year of Graduation:
1977
Country:
United States
Studied under James MacGregor Burns; graduated with Highest Honors
Harvard Business School
Degree:
MBA
Period:
1970年代後半
Country:
United States
Earned an MBA with the original intention of writing history while holding an executive position at a foundation
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | News and Documentary Emmy Award (Outstanding Individual Achievement in a Craft: Research) | Decisions That Shook the World (host, Discovery Channel) | 研究（Research） | National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences | 受賞 |
| 2004 | Order of Lincoln (The Lincoln Academy of Illinois) | — | コミュニケーションと教育 | The Lincoln Academy of Illinois | 受賞 |
| 2019 | Richard Nelson Current Award of Achievement | — | — | The Lincoln Forum | 受賞 |
| 2022 | National Archives' Records of Achievement Award | — | — | National Archives | 受賞 |
| — | Williams College Bicentennial Medal | — | — | Williams College | 受賞 |
| — | Honorary doctorates (multiple institutions) | — | — | Lafayette College, Williams College, St. Mary's College of Maryland, Saint Peter's College, Governors State University, Allegheny College | 授与 |
News and Documentary Emmy Award (Outstanding Individual Achievement in a Craft: Research)
2005
Work:
Decisions That Shook the World (host, Discovery Channel)
Category:
研究（Research）
Organization:
National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
Result:
受賞
Order of Lincoln (The Lincoln Academy of Illinois)
2004
Category:
コミュニケーションと教育
Organization:
The Lincoln Academy of Illinois
Result:
受賞
Richard Nelson Current Award of Achievement
2019
Organization:
The Lincoln Forum
Result:
受賞
National Archives' Records of Achievement Award
2022
Organization:
National Archives
Result:
受賞
Williams College Bicentennial Medal
Organization:
Williams College
Result:
受賞
Honorary doctorates (multiple institutions)
Organization:
Lafayette College, Williams College, St. Mary's College of Maryland, Saint Peter's College, Governors State University, Allegheny College
Result:
授与
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Kennedy and Roosevelt: The Uneasy Alliance
1980 History/BiographyA study of the relationship between Kennedy and Roosevelt, tracing diplomatic and political tensions; originated from Beschloss's senior honors thesis.
Presidential diplomacyLeadership
Mayday: Eisenhower, Khrushchev and the U-2 Affair
1986 History/PoliticalExamines the U-2 incident and its impact on the Eisenhower administration and Soviet leadership.
Cold WarIntelligence operations
Eisenhower: A Centennial Life
1990 Biography/HistoryA comprehensive biography of Dwight D. Eisenhower covering his life and political legacy.
Military and politicsPresidential legacy
The Crisis Years: Kennedy and Khrushchev, 1960–1963
1991 HistoryA detailed account of U.S.-Soviet relations and tensions between leaders from 1960 to 1963.
Cold WarDiplomatic crises
The Conquerors: Roosevelt, Truman and the Destruction of Hitler's Germany, 1941–1945
2002 HistoryExamines U.S. presidents' policies during World War II and their consequences.
World War IIWartime leadership
Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and How They Changed America, 1789–1989
2007 History/PoliticalProfiles presidential decisions demonstrating courage and their impact on America's course.
LeadershipEthics and decision-making
Presidents of War: The Epic Story, from 1807 to Modern Times
2018 History/Military historyA sweeping history of U.S. presidents and their relationships with war from 1807 to the present.
War and the statePresidential wartime leadership
Adaptations
- [TV film (HBO)] Path to War (partly based on Beschloss's books) / John Frankenheimer (2002)
Bibliography
- Kennedy and Roosevelt: The Uneasy Alliance (1980)
- Mayday: Eisenhower, Khrushchev and the U-2 Affair (1986)
- Eisenhower: A Centennial Life (1990)
- The Crisis Years: Kennedy and Khrushchev, 1960–1963 (1991)
- The Conquerors: Roosevelt, Truman and the Destruction of Hitler's Germany, 1941–1945 (2002)
- Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and How They Changed America, 1789–1989 (2007)
- Presidents of War: The Epic Story, from 1807 to Modern Times (2018)
- At the Highest Levels: The Inside Story of the End of the Cold War (co-authored, 1993)
- Taking Charge: The Johnson White House Tapes, 1963–1964 (editor, 1997)
- Reaching for Glory: Lyndon Johnson's Secret White House Tapes, 1964–1965 (editor, 2001)
- Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy (editor, 2011)
Adaptations
- Path to War (HBO TV film; partly based on Beschloss's books on Lyndon B. Johnson)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Scholarly yet accessible narrative non-fictionDetailed annotation based on primary sources
- Recurring Motifs
- Presidential decision-makingEthics of leadershipWartime and Cold War policy
Legacy
Widely recognized as an expert on presidential history; through media appearances and books he has broadened public understanding of the U.S. presidency and leadership. He has also contributed to public history as a trustee of museums and archives.
Museums
- National Museum of American History (Smithsonian) Washington, D.C. Opened in 1964
Academic Societies
- The Lincoln Academy of Illinois (Laureate)
Archives
- National Archives (Recognition: Records of Achievement Award)
In Popular Culture
- Portrayed on Saturday Night Live (1998)
- Appearances on The Daily Show (multiple times)
Quotes
-
"Taking Charge" was the first audiobook President Bill Clinton ever listened to.
Source: People magazine (December 1997) (1997)
Trivia
- His Twitter account (@BeschlossDC) was included in Time's "Best Twitter Feeds of 2013."
- Wife Afsaneh Mashayekhi Beschloss was born in Iran and is CEO of an investment firm.
- His brother Steven Beschloss is also a writer and journalist.
- Some of his books were used as source material for the film Path to War.