Do you read presidential biographies, and do you have favorites you recommend?
Because next year is America's 250, I am hoping to read 10-12 presidential biographies in more or less chronological order to experience the history of the country that way. I've read biographies of Washington, Adams, and Jefferson by Joseph Ellis; I've read Man of Iron for Grover Cleveland, and No Ordinary Time for FDR. That one was just on WW2, though, so I may look for something else. I intend for next year's set to be all new-to-me presidents. I anticipate finding anything for modern presidents will be more difficult since they're still living and not enough water has run under the bridge for a 'definitive' biography to arrive like LBJ's "power" trilogy.
by peaveyftw
8 Comments
I won’t claim to have read all presidential biographies, but there’s no chance there’s anything better than Caro’s LBJ series and I haven’t heard of it.
I enjoyed Team of Rivals but it only covers a portion of Lincoln’s life.
*Grant* by Ron Chernow is fantastic, though it certainly is a tome. Grant’s memoirs as well are readable and interesting, though it’s largely on his experience in the war and not his presidency.
The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt is my #1. Path to Power (LBJ), River of Doubt (TR), and There Was Light (Abe), and Washington: A Life are all good too.
US Grant by Ron Chernow
David McCullough has a few biographies on presidents, and HBO even adapted (really well) the John Adams one. But he is a fantastic writer, imo
I second Grant and Team of Rivals. Also look at Chernow’s “Washington”
Jean Edward Smith “FDR”
McCullough’s “Truman” and “John Adams”
There are a few good ones about J Q Adams, one that just came out (Woods)
Edmund Morris has an excellent trilogy on Teddy Roosevelt. Also “The Bully Pulpit” for TR/Taft
“James Monroe” by McGrath
Lot of great ones already mentioned, especially Caro’s LBJ, McCullough’s Truman and Adams, Chernow’s Washington and Grant, and McGrath’s Monroe.
A few that haven’t been mentioned:
American Lion by Jon Meacham (Andrew Jackson) (His Jefferson and Lincoln are great too)
Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard (James Garfield)
Caro’s LBJ and Morris’s T Roosevelt series are musts if you’re into presidential bios. I’d also add Ron Chernow’s books on Washington and Grant, McCullough’s books on John Adams and Truman, and HW Brands’s Traitor to His Class on FDR.