Instead of using a chronological timeline to tell these compelling stories, Bendat groups his narrative into lively and fact-filled descriptions of each different component of Inauguration Day. In a detailed yet engrossing manner, the author paints a riveting picture of an event that has transformed over the past 300 years into a vital part of American history. Beginning with the morning ritual of coffee between the outgoing President and his successor, and ending with the glamour and excitement of the Inaugural Ball, Bendat provides just the right amount of insider detail to fascinate any reader. Opening a window onto a little-understood ceremony, Democracy’s Big Day describes the reasons behind the swearing-in process and the bitter battles that were often played out on this day, well after the elections were over. With the perfect blend of historical fact and humorous anecdotes, Democracy’s Big Day reflects on the pomp, circumstance, and at times absurdity of the biggest celebration in the presidential office.
Moving at a fast-paced clip, Democracy’s Big Day is the definitive guide to America’s presidential inaugurations. Instead of a dry history text on the topic, author Jim Bendat has written in a style one major news organization described as the perfect blend of “the historical and hysterical.”
There are few events in the world that symbolize the essence of democracy more than the inauguration of a United States president. It stands as one of the few events in world politics that has remained essentially unchanged. In Democracy’s Big Day, Jim Bendat paints a vivid picture of not only the process, but also of the traditions, quirks, and unusual events connected with this two-century-
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About the Author
Jim Bendat has been interviewed as an inauguration historian by major network news programs and print organizations in the United States since the publication of his first book in 2000. Since 1972, he has written a series of op-eds and feature articles for newspapers including the Los Angeles Times, the New Republic, and the Chicago Tribune. Mr. Bendat has been a lawyer with the Los Angeles County Public Defenders Office since 1978. He attended the last two Inaugurations in Washington, D.C. and plans to attend the next one in January, 2009.
