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

    Personal life

    Brands's son Hal Brands is a political scientist and a scholar of U.S. foreign policy.

    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.

    TitleYearISBNPublisherSubject matterInterviews, presentations, and reviewsComments
    Cold Warriors: Eisenhower's Generation and American Foreign Policy1988ISBN 9780231065269Columbia University PressForeign policy of the Dwight D. Eisenhower administration
    The Specter of Neutralism: The United States and the Emergence of the Third World, 1947-19601989ISBN 9780231071680Columbia University Press
    India and the United States: The Cold Peace1990ISBN 9780805792072Twayne PublishersIndia–United States relations
    Inside the Cold War: Loy Henderson and the Rise of the American Empire, 1918-19611991ISBN 9780195067071Oxford University PressLoy W. Henderson
    Bound to Empire: The United States and the Philippines1992ISBN 9780195071047Oxford University PressPhilippines–United States relations
    The Devil We Knew: Americans and the Cold War1993ISBN 9780195074994Oxford University PressCold War history of the United States
    Into the Labyrinth: The United States and the Middle East, 1945-19931994ISBN 9780070071889McGraw-HillUnited States foreign policy in the Middle East
    The United States in the World: A History of American Foreign Policy1994ISBN 9780395621806Houghton MifflinForeign policy of the United States
    The Reckless Decade: America in the 1890s1995ISBN 9780312135942St. Martin's Press1890s in the United StatesBooknotes interview with Brands on The Reckless Decade, February 25, 1996, C-SPAN
    Since Vietnam: The United States in World Affairs, 1973-19951995ISBN 9780070071964McGraw-Hill
    The Wages of Globalism: Lyndon Johnson and the Limits of American Power1995ISBN 9780195078886Oxford University PressForeign policy of the Lyndon B. Johnson administration
    TR: The Last Romantic1997ISBN 9780465069583Basic BooksTheodore RooseveltPresentation 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 Policy1998ISBN 9780521630313Cambridge University PressForeign policy of the United StatesShortlisted for the Lionel Gelber Prize, 1999[13]
    The Foreign Policies of Lyndon Johnson: Beyond Vietnam1999ISBN 9780890968734Texas A&M University PressForeign policy of the Lyndon B. Johnson administrationEdited by Brands
    Masters of Enterprise: Giants of American Business from John Jacob Astor and J. P. Morgan to Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey1999ISBN 9780684854731Free Press
    Critical Reflections on the Cold War: Linking Rhetoric and History2000ISBN 9780890969434Texas A&M University PressEdited by Brands and Martin J. Medhurst
    The First American: The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin2000ISBN 9780385493284DoubledayBenjamin FranklinPresentation by Brands on The First American, October 5, 2000, C-SPANFinalist for the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography[14]
    The Use of Force after the Cold War2000ISBN 9780890969281Texas A&M University PressEdited by Brands
    The Selected Letters of Theodore Roosevelt2001ISBN 9780815411260Cooper Square PressTheodore RooseveltEdited by Brands
    The Strange Death of American Liberalism2001ISBN 9780300090215Yale University Press
    The Age of Gold: The California Gold Rush and the New American Dream2002ISBN 9780385502160DoubledayCalifornia Gold RushPresentation by Brands on The Age of Gold, September 19, 2002, C-SPAN
    Woodrow Wilson2003ISBN 9780805069556Times BooksWoodrow WilsonAmerican Presidents series
    Lone Star Nation: The Epic Story of the Battle for Texas Independence2004ISBN 9780385507370Doubleday
    Andrew Jackson: His Life and Times2005ISBN 9780385507387DoubledayAndrew JacksonPresentation 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 Dollar2006ISBN 9780393061840W. W. NortonEconomic history of the United States, United States dollar, Alexander Hamilton, J.P. Morgan, Nicholas Biddle, Jay Cooke, Jay GouldInterview with Brands on The Money Men, October 29, 2006, C-SPAN
    Traitor to His Class: The Privileged Life and Radical Presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt2008ISBN 9780385519588DoubledayFranklin D. Roosevelt, Presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt, first and second terms, Presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt, third and fourth termsPresentation 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, 1865-19002010ISBN 9780385523332DoubledayEconomic history of the United States#Late 19th centuryPresentation by Brands on American Colossus at the Pritzker Military Museum & Library on November 4, 2010
    American Dreams: The United States Since 19452010ISBN 9781594202629Penguin PressHistory 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 It2011ISBN 9780292723412University of Texas PressUnited States dollar, International use of the U.S. dollar
    The Murder of Jim Fisk for the Love of Josie Mansfield2011ISBN 9780307743251Anchor BooksJim Fisk, Josie MansfieldAmerican Portraits series
    The Heartbreak of Aaron Burr2012ISBN 9780307743268Anchor BooksAaron BurrPresentation by Brands on The Heartbreak of Aaron Burr, May 10, 2012, C-SPANAmerican Portraits series
    The Man Who Saved the Union: Ulysses Grant in War and Peace2012ISBN 9780385532419DoubledayUlysses S. Grant, Ulysses S. Grant and the American Civil War, Presidency of Ulysses S. GrantPresentation by Brands on The Man Who Saved the Union, October 28, 2012, C-SPAN
    Reagan: The Life2015ISBN 9780385536394DoubledayRonald ReaganPresentation 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 War2016ISBN 9780385540575DoubledayRelief of Douglas MacArthurPresentation 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 Giants2018ISBN 9780385542531DoubledayThe Great Triumvirate, Henry Clay, John Calhoun, Daniel WebsterInterview with Brands on Heirs of the Founders, March 2, 2019, C-SPAN
    Dreams of El Dorado: A History of the American West2019ISBN 9781541672529Basic BooksAmerican frontierPresentation 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 Freedom2020ISBN 9780385544009DoubledayJohn Brown, Abraham Lincoln and slavery, Abolitionism in the United StatesPresentation by Brands on The Zealot and the Emancipator, October 22, 2020, C-SPAN
    Our First Civil War: Patriots and Loyalists in the American Revolution2021ISBN 9780385546515Anchor BooksAmerican Revolution, Patriots, LoyalistsInterview with Brands on Our First Civil War, November 15, 2021, C-SPAN
    The Last Campaign: Sherman, Geronimo and the War for America2022ISBN 9780385547284Anchor BooksWilliam Tecumseh Sherman, Geronimo, Apache Wars
    Founding Partisans: Hamilton, Madison, Jefferson, Adams and the Brawling Birth of American Politics2023ISBN 9780385549240DoubledayAlexander Hamilton, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, John AdamsPresentation by Brands on Founding Partisans, June 30, 2023, C-SPAN

    References

    1. ↑ "2001 Finalists". The Pulitzer Prizes. Retrieved 17 March 2014.
    2. ↑ "2009 Finalists". The Pulitzer Prizes. Retrieved 17 March 2014.
    3. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions". The Pulitzer Prizes. Retrieved 17 March 2014. Nominated Finalists are selected by the Nominating Juries for each category as finalists in the competition.
    4. ↑ Muscolino, Joe (2013-05-28). "Behind the Books with H.W. Brands, Author of The Man Who Saved the Union". Biographile. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
    5. 1 2 C-Span In Depth interview, 3 July 2005
    6. 1 2 "H.W. Brands Biography". BookBrowse. 5 July 2011.
    7. ↑ H. W. Brands (2012-08-16). "Hauenstein Lecture: The Cost of Greatness". Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies. Retrieved 2014-03-10.
    8. ↑ Brands, H.W. (September 2003). "Our reverence for the Fathers has gotten out of hand". Atlantic Monthly.
    9. ↑ Walker, Tim (13 September 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 23 September 2015.
    10. ↑ H. W. Brands (2013-03-07). "Hauenstein Lecture: Persona of the Presidency". Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies. Retrieved 2014-03-12.
    11. ↑ Brands, H.W. (2012-11-30). "Don't Dare to Be Great: The Paradoxes of Presidential History". SMU Center for Presidential History. Archived from the original on 2014-07-06.
    12. ↑ Vognar, Chris (28 January 2011). "Interview: H.W. Brands writes history for real people". Dallas News. Retrieved 19 March 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.
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