By: Doris Kearns Goodwin
Doris Kearns Goodwin on Presidents on the Brink: Videos
The Pulitzer Prize–winning author and historian discusses three major presidential decisions—when history hung by a thread.
In the video series Command Decisions: Presidents on the Brink, presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin doesn’t simply revisit critical presidential moments—she immerses viewers in the instant leadership was tested and history hung by a thread, when one person’s decision determined the fate of a nation.
Each episode follows presidents as they grapple with uncertainty, courage and conscience. Viewers feel the weight of responsibility and understand how leadership qualities—judgment, resilience, empathy—can tip the scales between triumph and tragedy. It's not just about what happened; it's about the character required to make decisions under impossible pressure.
Below, revisit the high-stakes moments in the presidencies of Lyndon B. Johnson, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.
LBJ Signs the Civil Rights Act
Doris Kearns Goodwin shares how President Lyndon B. Johnson, despite fierce resistance, rose to meet a defining moment in U.S. history.
FDR and the Atlantic Charter
With Europe under Nazi rule and Britain low on funds, Roosevelt and Churchill met in secret to strike a bold wartime agreement.
Lincoln Issues Emancipation Proclamation
As the Civil War teetered, Lincoln weighed the Emancipation Proclamation—an audacious act that reshaped the nation’s course.
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U.S. Presidents
243 videos
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About the author
Doris Kearns Goodwin is a leading presidential historian, Pulitzer Prize-winning, New York Times #1 best-selling author and a partner in Pastimes Productions, which has executive produced four popular presidential miniseries for the HISTORY Channel and is currently collaborating with HISTORY on an eight-part docuseries titled “Kevin Costner’s The West.”
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Citation Information
- Article Title
- Doris Kearns Goodwin on Presidents on the Brink: Videos
- Author
- Doris Kearns Goodwin
- Website Name
- History
- Date Accessed
- November 04, 2026
- Publisher
- A&E Television Networks
- Last Updated
- October 20, 2025
- Original Published Date
- September 04, 2025
