Review by Choice Review
The 20th century, with its potent combination of progress and tradition coupled with a search for lasting peace in the face of world conflagration, can be claimed as belonging to Woodrow Wilson. During his two terms, the 28th president pursued bold, innovative agendas in both domestic and foreign policy, culminating in 1918 with his Fourteen Points, which remain groundbreaking in their advocacy of self-determination and global cooperation and immeasurable in their impact upon the conduct of world diplomacy. The Woodrow Wilson International Center has done an admirable job of keeping that legacy relevant, as reflected in this new book. The essays cover a myriad of pertinent topics and are consistently well argued and thought-provoking; notable are those by Lloyd Ambrosius and Emily Rosenberg. Yet the inherent flaw of this volume is one confronted by most modern scholars who attempt to place their subject within a thoroughly modern context: the danger of judging their subject's conduct by contemporary values (i.e., the essays on Wilson and race issues). Despite its flaws, however, this is a highly valuable volume for Wilson scholars. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. M. J. C. Taylor independent scholar
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
