I recently purchased an old edition of Carl Sandberg's six volume biography of Lincoln and when I was re-arranging my shelf to make space I noted I had several interesting old books about or by American Presidents: Winning the West by Teddy Roosevelt, Notes on the State of Virginia by Jefferson, Crusade in Europe by Eisenhower and Vantage Point by LBJ to name a few. I think it would be fun to keep an eye out for certain Presidential books as I add to the collection until I have one volume about or by each American President.
So, please recommend the best, most definitive, most interesting, most important or just your favorite volume about or by an American President. The more obscure the president, or the book, the better.
by covalentvagabond
3 Comments
How to fight presidents: Defending yourself against the badasses who ran this country by Daniel O’Brien. A collection of interesting facts about past US presidents. Loosely based on the idea that you are a time traveler who has accidently offended all the presidents and now has to fist fight them.
A. Lincoln: His Last 24 Hours by W. Emerson Reck is an engaging read.
love this project—here’s a mix of underrated gems and solid deep cuts:
* **“Mr. Adams’s Last Crusade” – Joseph Wheelan** John Quincy Adams, post-presidency beast mode in Congress, fighting slavery before it was safe to do so
* **“Destiny of the Republic” – Candice Millard** Garfield’s life, presidency, and bizarre assassination—short time in office, wild story
* **“American Lion” – Jon Meacham** deep but readable take on Andrew Jackson, if you want a layered view beyond the caricature
* **“The Man From Missouri” – Alfred Steinberg** old-school Truman bio with grit, not just legacy polish
* **“Herbert Hoover: A Life” – Glen Jeansonne & Howard Perry** way more complex and accomplished than just “the depression guy”—this book redeems him a bit
you’ll probably hit diminishing returns on modern presidents—older ones are where the hidden stories live