Recently, I was in the mood for a good biography and saw this book for sale in my list of recommendations. I thought about current events, and the discussions regarding the system of checks and balances within the United States Government. Like millions of other Americans, I knew the name of the nation’s twenty-eighth President Thomas Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924), but did not know the story of his life. I have seen comments on social media about the pros and cons of his time in office but thought that it was crucial to learn for myself the impact he had on the United States of America. This biography by A. Scott Berg is thorough, well-written and has a beautifully flowing narrative that kept me engaged from start to finish. I came away from the book with a range of feelings but also with a deeper understanding of American history.

This book is long, well over seven hundred pages, but at no point did I feel a sense of boredom. In fact, the opposite occurred, and I found myself eager to keep reading as Wilson’s life moves forward until the end. As the story begins, the author points out that although Wilson was not born in the American South, he was a Southerner and had sympathy towards the region. That is not to say he was a supporter of the Confederacy, but his upbringing in the South impacted his decisions later in life, which are explained in the book. From the beginning, religion is a significant aspect of the story with Wilson clinging to his faith through all trials and tribulations. Today we would call it prudence, but in Wilson’s era the bond between politician and the gospel were deeply intertwined. Wilson was not fanatical, but his daily routine removes any doubt that he believed in the Lord’s book.

Wilson was exceptionally bright, and I was not surprised by his academic advancement in the book. I was not aware that he served as president of Princeton University. That part of the story is fascinating, and his endeavors to move the school forward pay off exponentially. But his time as president is not without its difficulties, and we see in the story that even on campus, politics in administration are a source of consternation. However, Wilson remains steadfast and attracts the eye of political donors who see in him a candidate for public office. And it is at this point in the book where the story changes gears.

Politics is not on his radar, and today we would call Wilson a “book worm”. We would also call him “progressive” in some ways and “regressive” in others. The public soon learned when he was elected Governor of New Jersey. This section of the biography moves quickly, and the reason is that Wilson was in office briefly before he takes another leap to the White House in 1912. That story is surreal, and I am sure for Wilson it was mind boggling to be on the brink of becoming the nation’s commander-in-chief. He went on to win the election but also inherited much larger problems not only affecting New Jersey, but the entire country. At his side is first wife Ellen (1861-1914) who bears him three daughters and proves to be the source of support Wilson needs as the rigors of the oval office take their toll. Wilson proves to be a competent leader, well-liked across the nation and blessed with oratorical skills paralleled by few. But tragedy strikes in 1914, leaving him a shell of himself. This is compounded by health issues, one of which returns later in life to wreak havoc on his body. The health episodes occur quite early in his life and never go completely away. The lack of television and social media made it easier to safeguard the physical issues which were significant. And during the last year of his presidency, the secrecy went to new levels as the public remained in the dark about Wilson’s fading health.

A second wife Edith (1872-1961) becomes the rock in Wilson’s life and from all accounts, they enjoyed a happy union like his first marriage. Edith would outlive Wilson by thirty-seven years and even attend the inauguration of another president blessed with the gift of speechmaking. However, there was another woman in his life named Mary Hulbert Peck (d. 1939). The the jury is still out on whether she was his mistress and while the author suggests that it was not an “affair” in the way we think of it, the truth remains unknown. What we learn in the story is that Wilson wrote her letters, sent books, and remained in contact with her throughout his life. But his wives met Ms. Peck and Wilson never hid his affection for them from her. This part of the story is curious but there is no smoking gun.

Wilson’s presidency is the crux of the book and paramount during this time was World War I, a conflict in America had remained neutral until 1917.  Wilson lays out the case for America’s involvement. It is interesting, and an eerie premonition of what would happen in 1941, as another president and Wilson protege Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945) gave a moving speech in the wake of the Japanese attack on the Pearl Harbor naval base. Following the allied victory, Wilson is convinced another world war is lurking in the future and throws his support behind the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations. But first he had to convince America that both were in its best interest, and to do so, he embarks on a cross-country tour speaking directly to American about the future of the planet. I found this part to be absolute gold because it is no frills, just the president speaking to the people in the way only Wilson could do. But for all his successes and crowd moving, Wilson failed in other areas.

I had once heard that Wilson “segregated” Washington. While he did not give any such orders himself, his decisions did result in re-segregation of the federal workforce, and his justification for allowing it to happen is beyond short-sighted. Wilson was undoubtedly a product of his times, and had Southern beliefs when he came to race relations although he did not believe in slavery and wanted blacks to excel in life. However, he fell short of being the progressive president he was seen as by many when failing to confront racial discrimination headfirst. The author pulls no punches about Wilson’s shortcomings when it comes to African Americans, and the missed opportunities to correct the nation’s wrongs. Added to this is the screening at the White House of a film which reinforced the vision of the Confederacy and set blacks back decades. To be fair, the author shows no proof that Wilson was a supporter of the film, nor did he promote it but regrettably kept silent. While I read, I had hoped to see a statement condemning the film, but it never came. For Wilson, racial discrimination was a problem, but it would always take a back seat to world issues. I should point out that he made the mistake of surrounding himself with people who had no desire to see blacks ever have success in America. Frankly, his cabinet had its share of white supremacists. And one of Wilson’s subordinates marries the first couple’s youngest daughter, which adds a layer of complexity to his second term and personal life.

Health remains a constant issue in the book, and Wilson’s decline is evident as the story progresses. After leaving Washington, D.C., he makes several public appearances as discussed by the author, but the Woodrow Wilson of old is long gone. Left behind was a senior ravaged by strokes and the stress of the presidency. Edith does her best to keep him in good spirits but father time spares no one and the former president takes his last breath on February 3, 1924. The last moments of his life are without fanfare, and when he makes his departure, it marks the end of an incredible life that I enjoyed reading about. I neither admired nor despised Wilson but did feel he could have achieved greater ideas and goals. But I also reminded myself that the world was a different place in 1924. But the past is always prologue. This biography is a fair look at the life of Woodrow Wilson and America under his watch. If you are watching the world’s events and want to know more about how we reached this point, this book is a good addition to every library.

ASIN : B00B1FG7QO
Publisher: Berkley, September 10, 2013