Review of “Herbert Hoover in the White House” by Charles Rappleye
“Herbert Hoover in the White House: The Ordeal of the Presidency” by Charles Rappleye was published in 2016, just a …
Tag Archives: presidential biographies
Happy Presidents’ Day 2020!
About 7 years ago I embarked on a great adventure: to read the best biographies of every U.S. president and …
Review of “Man of Destiny: FDR and the Making of the American Century” by Alonzo Hamby
Alonza Hamby’s “Man of Destiny: FDR and the Making of the American Century” was published in 2015 and is one …
Review of “Thomas Jefferson: A Life” by Willard Sterne Randall
Willard Sterne Randall’s “Thomas Jefferson: A Life” was published in 1993. Randall spent the first seventeen years of his professional …
Review of “James Madison: A Life Reconsidered” by Lynne Cheney
Lynne Cheney’s “James Madison: A Life Reconsidered” was published in 2014, about a year after I read four biographies of …
Review of “John Quincy Adams: Militant Spirit” by James Traub
James Traub’s “John Quincy Adams: Militant Spirit” was published in 2016, about three years after I read four other biographies …
Review of “American Ulysses: A Life of Ulysses S. Grant” by Ronald C. White
Ronald White’s “American Ulysses: A Life of Ulysses S. Grant” was published in 2016, two years after I spent eight …
44 Presidents, 240 Biographies and One Great Adventure
Just over 6 years ago I set out to read a single great biography for each president. Unfortunately I had …
The Best Biographies of Barack Obama
Barack Obama undoubtedly possesses one of the most complicated – and fascinating – backgrounds of any former president of the …
Review of “Barack Obama: The Story” by David Maraniss
David Maraniss’s “Barack Obama: The Story” was published in 2012. Maraniss is a journalist who won the Pulitzer Prize for …
Review of “Rising Star: The Making of Barack Obama” by David Garrow
David Garrow’s “Rising Star: The Making of Barack Obama” was published in 2017 and named a “Best Book of 2017” …
Review of “The Bridge: The Life and Rise of Barack Obama” by David Remnick
David Remnick’s “The Bridge: The Life and Rise of Barack Obama” was published in 2010 and covers the 44th president’s …
To the Finish Line with Barack Obama!
After more than six years, I’ve finally arrived at the last person whose biographies I’m reading on this first trip …
The Best Biographies of George W. Bush
The first two presidents in this journey took me nearly three months to get through. George W. Bush and his …
Review of “Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House” by Peter Baker
“Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House” is Peter Baker’s 2013 review of the two-term Bush administration. …
