Looking for recommendations for nonfiction books that detail the lives of presidents! Ideally, I’d like to read a book for each president, as the ones that have all the presidents tend to be general information, and I’m hoping to expand my knowledge beyond that. TIA!
by WiseLore4266
16 Comments
Not nonfiction but you should read Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
Truman by David McCullough.
The Last Founding Father by Harlow Giles Unger [James Monroe]
I haven’t read it but Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard [James Garfield] is on my TBR list
With malice towards none
Destiny of the Republic. James Garfield. One of the best presidential books I’ve read
This guy has all the recommendations you need. My favorite so far has been Morris’ Theodore Roosevelt trilogy.
Robert Caro’s series of books about Lyndon Johnson
You want the River of Doubt by Candace Millard – it’s about Theodore Roosevelts adventure in the Amazon – simply a wild tale
Truman by David McCullough; The Best and The Brightest (on the Kennedy Administration) by David Halberstam; American Sphinx (Thomas Jefferson) by Joseph Ellis
Ron Chernow has good books about Washington and Grant.
You might also check the r/AskHistorians book list. I think it has an entire section on Presidential biographies.
*John Adams* by David McCullough.
*The Life of Andrew Jackson* by Robert V. Remini.
*Impeached The Trial of President Andrew Johnson and the Fight for Lincoln’s Legacy* by David O. Stewart.
*The Dark Horse: The Surprise Election and Political Murder of President James A. Garfield* by Kenneth D. Ackerman.
I don’t remember the name of it but I did a report on Samuel Adam’s a long time ago and I remember being really surprised by how interesting it was and how much of a role he played in everything. He’s not a president but worth reading about
Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Try White Trash by Nancy Isenberg. It covers at least a hundred years of presidents
Any book by David McCullough. He has several of US presidents.
The accidental president is about Truman. Great read.