Brooklyn Bookbeat: ‘Silent Cal’ is the hero in ‘Coolidge,’ by Brooklyn Heights author Amity Shlaes
Brooklyn Heights writer Amity Shlaes has just released “Coolidge,” her latest book that presents a fascinating biography of America’s thirtieth president. Known as “Silent Cal,” Coolidge’s achievements have been largely overlooked because of his passive and reticent disposition – yet Shlaes now disproves these misconceptions, revealing the president’s heroic side.
Coolidge led the nation from 1923-1929. Shlaes reveals that despite his eventual success, during his youth Coolidge was an unlikely presidential candidate; he came from a small New England town and was so unpopular amongst his college peers that he was denied inclusion in the Amherst fraternities. History often relates that once in charge of the country, Coolidge acted frivolously and contributed to the Great Depression. Shlaes, however, offers a reassessment of the 1920s that highlights Coolidge’s positive contributions to the nation’s progress: the federal deficit was exchanged for a surplus, and electric and automotive advances served to modernize the country.
In addition, Shlaes points out the benefits of Coolidge’s thriftiness. While most historians note that the president was cheap, Shlaes emphasizes that such thriftiness resulted in economic rewards nationwide: increased employment, enriched living standards, low taxes, and economic growth. Most significantly, Coolidge left office with a smaller federal budget than the one he inherited – something most other peacetime presidents have failed to do.