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.
