DEMOCRACY'S BIG DAY: The Inauguration of our President 1789¿2009 - Softcover

Bendat, Jim

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1583484663 ISBN 13: 9781583484661

Publisher: iUniverse, 2008

Synopsis

With malice toward none; with charity for all. "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.""Ask not what your country can do for you-ask what you can do for your country."These unforgettable phrases from three of our past presidents-Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and John F. Kennedy-have one thing in common: they were all spoken on inauguration day.In Jim Bendat's Democracy's Big Day, you'll learn all about the history and rituals of inauguration day. You'll read about the outgoing and incoming presidents who did not get along, the chief justice who improperly administered the presidential oath, the vice president who showed up to the ceremony drunk, and many more vignettes that showcase the fun side of history.Not all of America's presidents have come into office with such entertaining ceremonies. Bendat also chronicles the nine occasions in which the United States had an unplanned and unanticipated inauguration-often for a nation in mourning.From the morning White House coffee gathering to the concluding splendor of the Inaugural Ball in the evening, Bendat provides a captivating look at what is truly democracy's biggest day.

About this title

About the Author

Jim Bendat, a lawyer with the Los Angeles County Public Defender?s office since 1978, has written articles for the New Republic, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, and Baltimore Sun. He has been featured as an inaugural historian on major networks in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom and worked as a correspondent at the last two inaugurations. A father of three, Bendat lives with his wife Marilyn.

Edition details

• Publisher: iUniverse
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1583484663
• ISBN 13: 9781583484661
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 220