| Blogger note: As the year 2018 comes to a close, I'm happy to report that I have now read at least one biography of every deceased United States President! I started blogging my reviews in 2013. At that point I had read only one! It is that biography, David McCullough's John Adams, that is not reviewed on my blog. I thought about 'cheating' and writing a review anyway for the sake of completeness, but it wouldn't be a very good review since I don't remember much about it. This is one of the reasons why I started this project. I became frustrated when I would read a book and thoroughly enjoy it, yet not remember much (if all) about it several years in the future. So why did I choose to read all of these presidential biographies? What possessed me to undertake what many would consider an arduous task? I'm not sure I can give an honest answer other than I love history. For many of these biographies, the reader also gets insights to the time and the mood of the particular period. Again, this serves as a great method if one wants to learn about a country. Perhaps the most jarring lesson when reading these biographies is the fact that politics has never really been any better than it is now. It's very easy for today's public to become disheartened with all of the political name-calling and back-stabbing that seems to pollute online news and social media, but these biographies teach us that this has always been the case. The main difference is that, 200 years ago, no one had access to 24 hour cable television nor a Twitter account. Such things give me hope since we're really not "much worse" than we ever have been. I've also debated about ranking or grading these biographies in the space below, but at this time that seems a tad overwhelming. I would estimate that 90-95% of these books would get a 'thumbs up' from me. There have only been a few that I've been disappointed. Most of those books which I found unfavorable were written quite some time ago. I mention this because I believe that styles of writing have changed over the years. Most of the dry, drab volumes I came across were written 40,50,60+ years ago. Audiences weren't as fickle back then, and I honestly don't think book publishers of today would allow some of those earlier volumes to be released in today's times. I should also mention that many of the obscure presidents had almost nothing available to purchase. I was forced to purchase 'The American President' series of those particular presidents. Apparently, 'The American President' books devoted one book to each president. The quantity of each of these volumes are a bit thin, but as I mentioned, the particular president wasn't well known, so there might not have been that much about the man that many would consider 'interesting'. Again, all of the books that I read of 'The American President' series were enjoyable and well-written. As of this writing (December 2018), there are four living presidents along with the current Commander in Chief; Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barrack Obama. I haven't decided if I want to read any of the biographies available on these presidents. The main reason is that in many cases, time judges the man differently after the dust has settled around the administration. My guess is that 90% of the current biographies out there on George W. Bush and Barrack Obama are either vitriolic mud slingers, or accounts written by fawning admirers who would gladly drink their subject's bath water if asked. Neither of these type of books appeal to me. I prefer books that are objective and tell a comprehensive account of the individual. If the book is well researched and well written, the unbiased reader should be able to serve as judge and jury and come to their own conclusions about the person's character. That being said, I confess that I might break my rule and sneak in a couple of bios that I feel might tend to not be as unbiased as others. On that note, does this mean that I've 'finished' my task and won't read any more presidential biographies? Oh no. In fact, I'm currently reading a new book on Franklin Roosevelt and have a Harry Truman and a John F. Kennedy eagerly waiting to be picked up and devoured. I will say, though, that there are some biographers that did such a thorough, outstanding job, I don't see any need to read anything else about the particular president. This is how I feel, for example, after reading Edmund Morris's trilogy on Theodore Roosevelt; or Robert Caro's tetralogy on Lyndon Johnson (although Caro isn't finished yet. There will be a 5th installment one day. One hopes). So hopefully this list will give you ideas if you're interested. As I've previously mentioned, with the exception of the John Adams biography, I have a detailed review of all of these books here on my blog. I'm hoping you find it somewhat useful. If you have questions, don't hesitate to leave one in the 'comment' section, or email me at cnjbates2@gmail.com. I love to talk books! Have a great 2019 folks! P.S. - Just finished the Herbert Hoover one that is listed below. My review for that one should be posted in a few days (spoiler alert: it's a good one!) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Friday, December 28, 2018
Biographies on U.S. Presidents that I have read.
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