Unforced errors
UNforced errors: 15 bad decisions that changed american history
Robert Blaemire, 2025, 210 pages, published by Austin Macauley
Americans often use terms such as “to err is human”, or “nobody’s perfect”, or “we all make mistakes”. Of course, this is true, as it is for all of America’s leaders through the years.
This book is about decisions made in politics or public policy that may be considered unwise; bad decisions that had unintended negative consequences for the decision-maker. This will not include personal decisions like deciding who to marry or whether to get divorced but rather to look at those political and policy decisions that can be considered, at the very least, unwise. Similarly, Kennedy s decision to visit Dallas in November 1963 led to his death but doesn’t really qualify as a decision of real political or policy calculation. Lincoln going to Ford’s theatre would be in that same category.
Instead, Unforced Errors lists 15 political calculations made by political figures, often at the pinnacle of their own success, which changed American history.
What People Are Saying
“Unforced Errors is an appropriate title for this book, which artfully chronicles mistakes made by political leaders throughout history. It’s more than an interesting read. It is valuable as well.”
— EVAN BAYH, Former US SEnator & indiana governor
“What we need and what Bob Blaemire happily provides—is a reminder of how human our presidents have been. Unforced Errors takes us into the fascinating territory of the missteps, and their consequences, for the nation at large as well as the presidents and other political leaders who committed them.”
— ted widmer, author of lincoln on the verge
“When we’re honest about them, our mistakes teach us more than our successes. Nations are no different, and if our future leaders study Bob Blaemire’s invaluable book, they’ll be far wiser and we’ll all be better governed”
— mitch daniels, former indiana governoR
“Exploring why—and how—successful political leaders commit debilitating ‘unforced errors’ is sobering and instructive. Blaemire provides us with a valuable lens to analyze American politics and to organize our own professional challenges.”
— john t. shaw, paul simon public policy institute
“In Unforced Errors, Bob Blaemire chronicles the haste, hubris, stubbornness, and insecurity that lay behind the bad decisions that presidents and presidential candidates came to regret but could not retract.”
— Donald a. ritchie, us senate historian
“Blaemire presents a history of pivotal wrong choices in American history... The book’s main strength is the author’s clear view of consequences; he’s temperate and solidly believable when it comes to extrapolating the fallout from these key bad decisions.”
— kirkus reviews
