MasterClass Announces Pulitzer Prize-Winning Historian and Best-Selling Author Doris Kearns Goodwin to Teach U.S. Presidential History and Leadership

Illustrates what it takes to be better citizens and leaders through the lens of history

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Nov 19, 2019, 09:00 ET

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- MasterClass, the platform that makes it possible for anyone to learn from the best, today announced that presidential historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Doris Kearns Goodwin, will teach U.S. presidential history and leadership. In her MasterClass, Goodwin will provide rich stories about some of our most significant presidents and discuss the essential leadership qualities they shared, including ambition for the greater good. She'll also discuss how we can all be leaders in our communities through engaged citizenship. Now available exclusively at MasterClass.com, students can subscribe for unlimited access to all new and existing classes of 65+ instructors through the All-Access Pass. MasterClass categories include leadership, cooking, photography, writing, performance, and much more.

"Having written several biographies and won a Pulitzer Prize for History, Doris is no doubt one of the most knowledgeable U.S. presidential historians," said David Rogier, co-founder and CEO of MasterClass. "In a time where people want to get involved, Doris' MasterClass teaches us how to become great leaders, approach decision making, manage through crisis and be better citizens."

Goodwin is a presidential historian, public speaker and Pulitzer Prize-winning, New York Times best-selling author, who has spent five decades studying American presidents. Beginning her career as a 24-year-old White House Fellow during the President Lyndon B. Johnson administration, Goodwin later assisted Johnson in the writing of his memoirs while teaching government at Harvard University. Her first book "Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream" became a national best-seller and was followed by six additional, critically acclaimed and award-winning books focused on Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Baines Johnson. Goodwin previously worked with Steven Spielberg on "Lincoln," based in part on her book "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln," a biography President Barack Obama has cited as one of his favorite books and was said to have used it as a model for constructing his own cabinet. Among her many honors and accolades, Goodwin has been awarded the Pulitzer Prize, the Carnegie Medal, the Lincoln Prize, Charles Frankel Prize, given by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Sarah Josepha Hale Medal, the New England Book Award, as well as the Carl Sandburg Literary Award.

"I've always said, 'by studying history, you're studying human nature,'" said Goodwin. "I hope that students will walk away from my MasterClass with a deeper understanding of how they can be better leaders and citizens, with their heads full of stories and examples from some of country's most revered presidents."

Using illustrations from the early lives of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson, Goodwin takes us on their journeys as they make mistakes and suffer reversals, sharing practical wisdom, advice and tips about the important qualities necessary for the growth of leadership — such as empathy, resilience, emotional intelligence, self-awareness, self-reflection and strong communication and storytelling skills. She will examine the tremendous trials these presidents overcame, including depression and polio, and how Theodore Roosevelt replenished his energies each day. Goodwin will also break down how to make better decisions, big or small, how to understand and manage a crisis, the components of a great speech and how to tailor a message, using examples from Franklin Roosevelt's fireside chats and President Donald Trump's use of Twitter. Goodwin will wrap the class by helping students understand the importance of citizen action, getting involved in the political process, and what should and should not matter when it comes to voting and selecting a candidate for public office.

Goodwin's MasterClass joins the 65+ classes taught by world-renowned instructors on cooking, photography, writing, performance, and much more. Each MasterClass has digestible video lessons sized to fit into any part of your day and cinematic visuals with close-up, hands-on demonstrations that make you feel one-on-one with the instructor. The All-Access Pass gives you access to every MasterClass and new ones as they launch. Learn on the go with mobile apps or in the comfort of your home theater with Apple TV. Subscribe to greatness at MasterClass.com.

Embed & view the trailer for Doris Kearns Goodwin's MasterClass below:
https://youtu.be/mgNYA_JghoM

Download stills here:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/2o7e3cur5q4u5oq/AACsGdWaOX2AgFtUcUz8bv4Ra?dl=0
Credit: Courtesy of MasterClass

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Politics and Society: Jane Goodall (conservation), Bob Woodward (investigative journalism), Karl Rove and David Axelrod (political campaign strategy), Paul Krugman (economics and society), Doris Kearns Goodwin (U.S. presidential history and leadership)

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