Arthur Vandenberg: The Man in the Middle of the American Century

Hendrik Meijer

кас 2017 · University of Chicago Press

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“An affecting human portrait of a public servant who came to symbolize the bipartisan pursuit of the national interest and a more peaceful world.” —Henry A. Kissinger

The idea that a Senator—Republican or Democrat—would put the greater good of the country ahead of party seems nearly impossible to imagine in our current climate of divisiveness. But this hasn’t always been the case. Arthur H. Vandenberg (1884–1951), Republican from Michigan, was the model of a consensus builder, and the coalitions he spearheaded continue to form the foundation of American foreign and domestic policy today. With this authoritative biography, Hendrik Meijer reveals how Vandenberg nurtured the bipartisan consensus that created the American Century.

Vandenberg was appointed and later elected to the Senate in 1928, where he became an outspoken opponent of the New Deal and a leader among the isolationists who resisted FDR’s efforts to aid European allies at the onset of World War II. But Vandenberg soon recognized the need for unity; and as a Republican leader, he worked closely with Democratic administrations to build the strong bipartisan consensus that established the Marshall Plan, the United Nations, and NATO.

Vandenberg’s career offers powerful lessons for today, and Meijer has given us a story that suggests an antidote to our current democratic challenges. After reading this poignant biography, many will ask: Where is the Vandenberg of today?

“An engaging and thorough account. . . . A first-rate chronicle.” —Wall Street Journal

“A first-class political biography, enthralling, a page-turner.” —National Review

“Every member of Congress should read this book for a lesson in leadership.” —Cokie Roberts

“A landmark achievement.” —Douglas Brinkley, author of Rightful Heritage

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Hendrik Meijer worked as a reporter and editor before joining Meijer, Inc., where he is executive chairman. He is the author of a biography of his grandfather, Thrifty Years: The Life of Hendrik Meijer, and the executive producer of the documentary America’s Senator: The Unexpected Odyssey of Arthur Vandenberg.