{"title":"Gerald Astor","description":"\u003cp\u003eGERALD MORTON ASTOR published more than thirty books over a twenty-five-year period, many focusing on World War II oral history. His books include \u003cem\u003ePresidents at War\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe Jungle War\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Right to Fight: A History of African Americans in the Military\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAstor worked as a picture editor at \u003cem\u003eSports Illustrated\u003c\/em\u003e in its early years and as a senior editor at \u003cem\u003eLook\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eSport\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe Saturday Evening Post\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eTime\u003c\/em\u003e. He held a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and later attended Columbia University.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAstor was born in New Haven, Connecticut, grew up in Mount Vernon, New York, and served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He died on December 30, 2007, in Scarsdale, New York.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGerald Astor’s books are published by Trade Paper Press, an imprint of Turner Publishing.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBrowse more: \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/books-new-releases\"\u003eNew Releases\u003c\/a\u003e · \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/award-winning-books\"\u003eAward-Winning Books\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-jungle-war","title":"The Jungle War: Mavericks, Marauders and Madmen in the China-Burma-India Theater of World War II","description":"\u003cp\u003eA haunting tale of the Burma theater during World War II. Burma was the most distant theater for Americans and on the outskirts of the British Empire. Out of sight and mind, perhaps, but Burma became a site for savage, murderous, brutal, terrifying combat among men against a backdrop of nature at its most primeval--thickly encrusted jungle; steep hills and mountains; canyons; gorges; swift, wide streams; monsoon torrents; blistering sun; infernal pestilence; starvation; and dehydration. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReluctant to fight a war in Burma as some were, the stakes were enormous: immense tracts of land, inestimable natural resources, huge markets, richly endowed trade routes, and control of half the world’s population. Advance towards the west by imperial forces if it broke through into India, would also link Japan with its Axis partners. Burma could not be ignored. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- amazon-buylink --\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003csmall\u003eWe earn a commission for purchases made through the following links.\u003c\/small\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/0471273937\/ref=nosim?tag=tpcecomm-20\" rel=\"sponsored nofollow\"\u003eshop for this title at Amazon\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c!-- \/amazon-buylink --\u003e\u003c!-- bookshop-buylink --\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/book\/9780471273936\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003eshop for this title at Bookshop.org\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c!-- \/bookshop-buylink --\u003e","brand":"Gerald Astor","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":43185566023896,"sku":"9780471273936","price":37.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0563\/7786\/8475\/files\/9780470251843_FC_mockup_v2_1740153216_60ef6b79-dc2c-43bc-bc5b-eac5606c8291.jpg?v=1790991627"},{"product_id":"presidents-at-war","title":"Presidents at War: From Truman to Bush, The Gathering of Military Powers To Our Commanders in Chief","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eThe Korean War, the Bay of Pigs, the Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam, Cambodia, Lebanon, El Salvador, Grenada, Iran-Contra, Nicaragua, Panama, the Gulf War, Somalia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat do these events and scores of others have in common? Each of these wars, incursions, invasions, and covert actions was undertaken by the United States without the benefit of a declaration of war. Where congressional sanction was sought, it usually took the form of a resolution, frequently issued after the fact.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003ePresidents at War\u003c\/i\u003e is the first book to examine all of America's post-World War II military actions through the lens of the president's authority as commander in chief. Author Gerald Astor analyzes the various presidents' rationales for undeclared warfare, from Truman's citing of an international agreement (the United Nations) to Eisenhower's domino theory, to Kennedy's defense of the Monroe Doctrine, to bald assertions of authority by a commander in chief because of fears of communist expansion, threats to oil in the Middle East, humanitarian concerns in the Balkans, or provocations by terrorists. Each commander in chief served as a precedent for those who followed. Astor contends this cumulative process was accelerated by the September 11, 2001, attacks that led to the war on terrorism, the invasion of Iraq to oust the cruel regime of Saddam Hussein for his alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction, and the potential trampling of civil liberties in the United States.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHas the president become free to take military action on the slightest whim? Is it now true that, as Richard Nixon said, \"If the president does it, then it is not illegal\"? Is the Constitution obsolete? And does Congress have the tools with which to curb this seemingly unbridled power? Read \u003ci\u003ePresidents at War\u003c\/i\u003e and find out.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- amazon-buylink --\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003csmall\u003eWe earn a commission for purchases made through the following links.\u003c\/small\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/1684423511\/ref=nosim?tag=tpcecomm-20\" rel=\"sponsored nofollow\"\u003eshop for this title at Amazon\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c!-- \/amazon-buylink --\u003e\u003c!-- bookshop-buylink --\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/book\/9781684423514\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003eshop for this title at Bookshop.org\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c!-- \/bookshop-buylink --\u003e","brand":"Gerald Astor","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":43212300353752,"sku":"9780471696551","price":27.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":43212300386520,"sku":"9781684423514","price":15.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0563\/7786\/8475\/files\/9780470309063_FC_mockup_v2_1740149032_4e001529-77c7-419a-a9aa-c7ec05ce1af2.jpg?v=1790997127"}],"url":"https:\/\/turnerpublishing.com\/collections\/author-gerald-astor.oembed","provider":"Turner Publishing","version":"1.0","type":"link"}