About the author

James MacGregor Burns (1918-2014) was a bestselling American historian and political scientist whose work has earned both the National Book Award and a Pulitzer Prize. Born in Boston, he earned his BA at Williams College, where he returned to teach history and political science after obtaining his PhD at Harvard and serving in World War II. He served as the Woodrow Wilson Professor of Government Emeritus at Williams College and as Distinguished Leadership Scholar at the University of Maryland until his death in 2014.