The Mortal Presidency: Illness and Anguish in the White House

Gilbert, a professor of political science at Northeastern University in Boston, soberingly describes the illnesses of several 20th-century U.S. presidents and examines the political and psychological repercussions of their maladies. Noting that Calvin Coolidge and Dwight Eisenhower endured lives of illness and pain, accentuated during their time in the White House, Gilbert argues that their suffering was caused at least in part by personal grief and feelings of guilt. He addresses the question of whether Franklin Roosevelt's physical deterioration had a negative influence on the presidency and of what effect John Kennedy's regimen of medication had on his behavior in office. Gilbert contends that the 1981 assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan and his cancer surgery in 1985 significantly affected his administration and likely contributed to the Iran-Contra scandal. In his thought-provoking study Gilbert calls for a reassessment of the 25th Amendment, the constitutional mechanism for transferring power to the vice president. Illustrations. (Dec.)