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H. W. Brands

H.W. Brands
Brands at the 2012 Texas Book Festival
Born (1953-08-07) August 7, 1953 (age 71)
Portland, Oregon, U.S
ChildrenHal Brands
Academic background
Alma mater
Doctoral advisorRobert A. Divine
Academic work
DisciplineHistory
Sub-disciplineAmerican history
Institutions
Main interestsAmerican history

Henry William Brands Jr. (born August 7, 1953) is an American historian. He holds the Jack S. Blanton Sr. Chair in History at the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned his PhD in history in 1985. He has authored more than thirty books on U.S. history. His works have twice been selected as finalists for the Pulitzer Prize.[1][2][3]

Early life and education

Born in 1953, Brands grew up in Oregon in the Portland metropolitan area. He attended Jesuit High School, where he was a three-sport athlete and National Merit Scholar. Brands enrolled at Stanford University, where he studied mathematics and history. After receiving his undergraduate degree in history in 1975,[4] he worked for a year doing sales in his family's cutlery business before returning to Jesuit High School to teach mathematics. He taught at the high school for the next five years. While doing so he earned an MA in liberal studies from Reed College in 1978, followed by an MS in mathematics from Portland State in 1981. During this period he came to realize that he wanted to write for a living, and determined his love of history might provide an avenue for him to do so.[5] He enrolled at the University of Texas at Austin to study under historian Robert A. Divine. He wrote his dissertation on the Eisenhower administration and its foreign policy during the Cold War, earning his PhD in history in 1985.[6]

Academic career

While working on his doctorate, Brands taught social studies and math courses—world history, U.S. history, algebra, and calculus—at Kirby Hall School and Austin Community College District. His preferred mode of transit was his bicycle, as he commuted between classes at the University of Texas and his teaching responsibilities at the college preparatory school on the fringe of the UT campus and ACC's Rio Grande site in Central Austin. In his first year after completing his doctorate, Brands worked as an oral historian at the University of Texas School of Law. The following year he taught at Vanderbilt University. In 1987 he accepted an academic post at Texas A&M University, where he remained for the next seventeen years. He made the daily commute from his home in Austin to teach in College Station. In 2005, he joined the faculty at the University of Texas at Austin, where he was formerly the Dickson Allen Anderson Centennial Professor of History and Professor of Government and now holds the Jack S. Blanton Sr. Chair in History.

Writings

Examples of Brands' biographical histories include his biographies on Benjamin Franklin, covering the colonial period and the Revolutionary War; Andrew Jackson, covering the War of 1812, western expansion and the conflict over the National Bank; Ulysses S. Grant, covering the Civil War and Reconstruction; Theodore Roosevelt, covering the Industrial Era and the Progressive Movement; and Franklin D. Roosevelt, covering the Great Depression, the New Deal, the Second World War, and the ascension of the U.S. as an international power.[7]

Brands at the LBJ Presidential Library in 2015

He holds a progressive view of the nation's founders and the United States Constitution, arguing that the founders were at heart radicals who were willing to challenge the status quo in search of a better future. That being so, he believes that Americans today should not be constrained by the views of self-government held by the founders. "In revering the founders we undervalue ourselves and sabotage our own efforts to make necessary improvements in the republican experiment they began. Our love of the founders leads us to abandon and even betray the principles they fought for."[8] He believes the framers would not want the Constitution to be interpreted by the idea of original intent, and believes that we are in error when we view the founders in a "deified" way.[5] "The one thing that [the Founders] did have was an audacity to challenge conventional wisdom."[9]

Brands believes that Americans place too much importance on the individual in the White House. "We have this very interesting relationship with the presidents where the president is supposed to be one of us, but on the other hand he represents everybody so he is sort of above all of us. We make too much of presidents, but we can hardly help ourselves."[10] Though noting how the power of the presidency has increased greatly since the start of the twentieth century, when the United States emerged as a significant world power and U.S. foreign policy became far more important, Brands believes that popular focus on the president is excessive. "We have a cult of the president, where we make too big a deal of the president."[11]

In addition to his works on U.S. history, Brands has written books on the economic development of the United States and biographies of key leaders in corporate America. His books are known for their readability and narrative thrust.[12] He has authored over thirty books and produced numerous articles that have been featured in newspapers and magazines. His writings have received critical and popular acclaim. The First American was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the Los Angeles Times Prize, as well as a New York Times bestseller. The Age of Gold was a Washington Post Best Book of 2002 and a San Francisco Chronicle bestseller. Andrew Jackson was a Chicago Tribune Best Book of 2005 and a Washington Post bestseller. What America Owes the World was a finalist for the Lionel Gelber Prize in international affairs. The Wages of Globalism was a Choice Outstanding Academic Book winner. Lone Star Nation won the Deolece Parmelee Award. Traitor to His Class: The Privileged Life and Radical Presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt was his second finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. He has appeared in the documentaries The Presidents (2005), 10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America (2006), America: The Story of Us (2010), The Men Who Built America (2012), The World Wars (2014), and The Eighties (2016). His writings have been published in several countries and translated into German, French, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.[6]

Bibliography

Brands has also co-authored various editions of various history textbooks, including America: Past and Present, and American Stories: A History of The United States.

Title Year ISBN Publisher Subject matter Interviews, presentations, and reviews Comments
Cold Warriors: Eisenhower's Generation and American Foreign Policy 1988 ISBN 9780231065269 Columbia University Press Foreign policy of the Dwight D. Eisenhower administration
The Specter of Neutralism: The United States and the Emergence of the Third World, 1947-1960 1989 ISBN 9780231071680 Columbia University Press
India and the United States: The Cold Peace 1990 ISBN 9780805792072 Twayne Publishers India–United States relations
Inside the Cold War: Loy Henderson and the Rise of the American Empire, 1918-1961 1991 ISBN 9780195067071 Oxford University Press Loy W. Henderson
Bound to Empire: The United States and the Philippines 1992 ISBN 9780195071047 Oxford University Press Philippines–United States relations
The Devil We Knew: Americans and the Cold War 1993 ISBN 9780195074994 Oxford University Press Cold War history of the United States
Into the Labyrinth: The United States and the Middle East, 1945-1993 1994 ISBN 9780070071889 McGraw-Hill United States foreign policy in the Middle East
The United States in the World: A History of American Foreign Policy 1994 ISBN 9780395621806 Houghton Mifflin Foreign policy of the United States
The Reckless Decade: America in the 1890s 1995 ISBN 9780312135942 St. Martin's Press 1890s in the United States Booknotes interview with Brands on The Reckless Decade, February 25, 1996, C-SPAN
Since Vietnam: The United States in World Affairs, 1973-1995 1995 ISBN 9780070071964 McGraw-Hill
The Wages of Globalism: Lyndon Johnson and the Limits of American Power 1995 ISBN 9780195078886 Oxford University Press Foreign policy of the Lyndon B. Johnson administration
TR: The Last Romantic 1997 ISBN 9780465069583 Basic Books Theodore Roosevelt Presentation by Brands on T.R.: The Last Romantic, October 18, 2002, C-SPAN
What America Owes the World: The Struggle for the Soul of Foreign Policy 1998 ISBN 9780521630313 Cambridge University Press Foreign policy of the United States Shortlisted for the Lionel Gelber Prize, 1999[13]
The Foreign Policies of Lyndon Johnson: Beyond Vietnam 1999 ISBN 9780890968734 Texas A&M University Press Foreign policy of the Lyndon B. Johnson administration Edited by Brands
Masters of Enterprise: Giants of American Business from John Jacob Astor and J. P. Morgan to Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey 1999 ISBN 9780684854731 Free Press
Critical Reflections on the Cold War: Linking Rhetoric and History 2000 ISBN 9780890969434 Texas A&M University Press Edited by Brands and Martin J. Medhurst
The First American: The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin 2000 ISBN 9780385493284 Doubleday Benjamin Franklin Presentation by Brands on The First American, October 5, 2000, C-SPAN Finalist for the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography[14]
The Use of Force after the Cold War 2000 ISBN 9780890969281 Texas A&M University Press Edited by Brands
The Selected Letters of Theodore Roosevelt 2001 ISBN 9780815411260 Cooper Square Press Theodore Roosevelt Edited by Brands
The Strange Death of American Liberalism 2001 ISBN 9780300090215 Yale University Press
The Age of Gold: The California Gold Rush and the New American Dream 2002 ISBN 9780385502160 Doubleday California Gold Rush Presentation by Brands on The Age of Gold, September 19, 2002, C-SPAN
Woodrow Wilson 2003 ISBN 9780805069556 Times Books Woodrow Wilson American Presidents series
Lone Star Nation: The Epic Story of the Battle for Texas Independence 2004 ISBN 9780385507370 Doubleday
Andrew Jackson: His Life and Times 2005 ISBN 9780385507387 Doubleday Andrew Jackson Presentation by Brands on Andrew Jackson: A Life and Times, October 9, 2005, C-SPAN
Presentation by Brands on Andrew Jackson: A Life and Times, November 8, 2013, C-SPAN
The Money Men: Capitalism, Democracy, and the Hundred Years' War Over the American Dollar 2006 ISBN 9780393061840 W. W. Norton Economic history of the United States, United States dollar, Alexander Hamilton, J.P. Morgan, Nicholas Biddle, Jay Cooke, Jay Gould Interview with Brands on The Money Men, October 29, 2006, C-SPAN
Traitor to His Class: The Privileged Life and Radical Presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt 2008 ISBN 9780385519588 Doubleday Franklin D. Roosevelt, Presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt, first and second terms, Presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt, third and fourth terms Presentation by Brands on Traitor to His Class, November 10, 2008, C-SPAN
Washington Journal interview with Brands on Traitor to His Class, December 17, 2008, C-SPAN
Presentation by Brands on Traitor to His Class, Pritzker Military Museum & Library, January 22, 2009		 Finalist for the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography[15]
American Colossus: The Triumph of Capitalism, 1865–1900 2010 ISBN 9780385523332 Doubleday Economic history of the United States#Late 19th century Presentation by Brands on American Colossus at the Pritzker Military Museum & Library on November 4, 2010
American Dreams: The United States Since 1945 2010 ISBN 9781594202629 Penguin Press History of the United States (1945–1964), History of the United States (1964–1980), History of the United States (1980–1991), History of the United States (1991–2008) Presentation by Brands on American Dreams, June 16, 2010, C-SPAN
Greenback Planet: How the Dollar Conquered the World and Threatened Civilization as We Know It 2011 ISBN 9780292723412 University of Texas Press United States dollar, International use of the U.S. dollar
The Murder of Jim Fisk for the Love of Josie Mansfield 2011 ISBN 9780307743251 Anchor Books Jim Fisk, Josie Mansfield American Portraits series
The Heartbreak of Aaron Burr 2012 ISBN 9780307743268 Anchor Books Aaron Burr Presentation by Brands on The Heartbreak of Aaron Burr, May 10, 2012, C-SPAN American Portraits series
The Man Who Saved the Union: Ulysses Grant in War and Peace 2012 ISBN 9780385532419 Doubleday Ulysses S. Grant, Ulysses S. Grant and the American Civil War, Presidency of Ulysses S. Grant Presentation by Brands on The Man Who Saved the Union, October 28, 2012, C-SPAN
Reagan: The Life 2015 ISBN 9780385536394 Doubleday Ronald Reagan Presentation by Brands on Reagan: A Life, June 5, 2015, C-SPAN
Presentation by Brands on Reagan: A Life, October 17, 2015, C-SPAN
The General vs. the President: MacArthur and Truman at the Brink of Nuclear War 2016 ISBN 9780385540575 Doubleday Relief of Douglas MacArthur Presentation by Brands on The General vs. the President, October 27, 2016, C-SPAN
Heirs of the Founders: The Epic Rivalry of Henry Clay, John Calhoun and Daniel Webster, the Second Generation of American Giants 2018 ISBN 9780385542531 Doubleday The Great Triumvirate, Henry Clay, John Calhoun, Daniel Webster Interview with Brands on Heirs of the Founders, March 2, 2019, C-SPAN
Dreams of El Dorado: A History of the American West 2019 ISBN 9781541672529 Basic Books American frontier Presentation by Brands on Dreams of El Dorado, October 22, 2019, C-SPAN
The Zealot and the Emancipator: John Brown, Abraham Lincoln and the Struggle for American Freedom 2020 ISBN 9780385544009 Doubleday John Brown, Abraham Lincoln and slavery, Abolitionism in the United States Presentation by Brands on The Zealot and the Emancipator, October 22, 2020, C-SPAN
Our First Civil War: Patriots and Loyalists in the American Revolution 2021 ISBN 9780385546515 Anchor Books American Revolution, Patriots, Loyalists Interview with Brands on Our First Civil War, November 15, 2021, C-SPAN
The Last Campaign: Sherman, Geronimo and the War for America 2022 ISBN 9780385547284 Anchor Books William Tecumseh Sherman, Geronimo, Apache Wars
Founding Partisans: Hamilton, Madison, Jefferson, Adams and the Brawling Birth of American Politics 2023 ISBN 9780385549240 Doubleday Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams Presentation by Brands on Founding Partisans, June 30, 2023, C-SPAN
America First: Roosevelt vs. Lindbergh in the Shadow of War 2024 ISBN 9780385550413 Doubleday Franklin D. Roosevelt, Charles Lindbergh, isolationism versus intervention in World War II Brands, H. W., "America first? Or the United States as the leader of the free world?" The Washington Post, September 12, 2024

References

  1. ^ "2001 Finalists". The Pulitzer Prizes. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
  2. ^ "2009 Finalists". The Pulitzer Prizes. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
  3. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions". The Pulitzer Prizes. Retrieved March 17, 2014. Nominated Finalists are selected by the Nominating Juries for each category as finalists in the competition.
  4. ^ Muscolino, Joe (May 28, 2013). "Behind the Books with H.W. Brands, Author of The Man Who Saved the Union". Biographile. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
  5. ^ a b C-Span In Depth interview, July 3, 2005
  6. ^ a b "H.W. Brands Biography". BookBrowse. July 5, 2011.
  7. ^ H. W. Brands (August 16, 2012). "Hauenstein Lecture: The Cost of Greatness". Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
  8. ^ Brands, H.W. (September 2003). "Our reverence for the Fathers has gotten out of hand". Atlantic Monthly.
  9. ^ Walker, Tim (September 13, 2002). "The World as He Knows It: H.W. Brands' "The Age of Gold" is his 16th book in 15 years -- and he has only just begun". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
  10. ^ H. W. Brands (March 7, 2013). "Hauenstein Lecture: Persona of the Presidency". Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies. Retrieved March 12, 2014.
  11. ^ Brands, H.W. (November 30, 2012). "Don't Dare to Be Great: The Paradoxes of Presidential History". SMU Center for Presidential History. Archived from the original on July 6, 2014.
  12. ^ Vognar, Chris (January 28, 2011). "Interview: H.W. Brands writes history for real people". Dallas News. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
  13. ^ "The Lionel Gelber Prize - 1999". The Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy in the University of Toronto. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
  14. ^ "Finalist: The First American: The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin, by H.W. Brands (Doubleday)". The Pulitzer Prizes. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
  15. ^ "Finalist: Traitor to His Class: The Privileged Life and Radical Presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, by H.W. Brands (Doubleday)". The Pulitzer Prizes. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
Quelle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H.W._Brands