Review of “Mr. Adams’s Last Crusade” by Joseph Wheelan
“Mr. Adams’s Last Crusade: John Quincy Adams’s Extraordinary Post-Presidential Life in Congress” is author Joseph Wheelan’s 2008 biography of our …
Tag Archives: book reviews
Review of “John Quincy Adams: A Public Life, A Private Life” by Paul Nagel
“John Quincy Adams: A Public Life, A Private Life” by Paul Nagel was published in 1997 and represents the first …
Review of “John Quincy Adams” by Marie B. Hecht
“John Quincy Adams: A Personal History of an Independent Man” by Marie B. Hecht was published in 1972. Her biography …
The Best Biographies of James Monroe
[Updated] James Monroe was the first of the earliest presidents to capture the presidency without an obvious tailwind assisting his …
Review of “The Last Founding Father: James Monroe and a Nation’s Call to Greatness” by Harlow Unger
“The Last Founding Father: James Monroe and a Nation’s Call to Greatness” is one of the most recent of author …
Review of “James Monroe: The Quest for National Identity” by Harry Ammon
“James Monroe: The Quest for National Identity” by Harry Ammon was originally published in 1971, making it the oldest of …
The Best Biographies of James Madison
[Updated July 2022] James Madison may have provided the fewest biographies for me to read among the first four presidents …
Review of “James Madison and the Making of America” by Kevin Gutzman
“James Madison and the Making of America,” published in 2012, is author Kevin Gutzman’s fourth and most recent book. He …
Review of “James Madison” by Richard Brookhiser
“James Madison” is Richard Brookhiser’s 2011 biography of our fourth president, and is the most recent of his dozen or …
Review of “Madison and Jefferson” by Andrew Burstein and Nancy Isenberg
“Madison and Jefferson” is the 2010 dual biography of our third and fourth presidents: their personalities, philosophies, presidencies and their …
Review of “James Madison: A Biography” by Ralph Ketcham
“James Madison: A Biography” by Ralph Ketcham was published in 1971 and has long been considered by many the pre-eminent …
The Best Biographies of Thomas Jefferson
[Updated] After nearly two months with Thomas Jefferson involving five biographies (ten books in total) and over 5,000 pages of …
Review of “Thomas Jefferson and the New Nation” by Merrill Peterson
“Thomas Jefferson and the New Nation” by Merrill Peterson was published in 1970 and is considered by many to be …
Review of “Twilight at Monticello” by Alan Pell Crawford
“Twilight at Monticello: The Final Years of Thomas Jefferson” is Alan Pell Crawford’s third and most recent book, published in …
Review of “American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson” by Joseph Ellis
“American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson” by Joseph J. Ellis was published in 1996 and won the 1997 National …
My Journey Through the Best Presidential Biographies 