Potus Geeks Summer Reruns: A Gratitude List of Terrific History Authors
In July of 2016 our theme in this community was Summer Reading for Potus Geeks, in which we showcased great books about Presidents and the Presidency, and some great authors as well. At the end of the series, we summed it all up by making a gratitude list of the wonderful authors whose works are a pleasure and a delight to read. That summary, originally posted on July 31, 2016, is reposted below.
From time to time I go through the practice of writing out a gratitude list. Personally, I have been very blessed in life, and I find it a healthy exercise to remember this, to acknowledge it and to express gratitude for the many good things that have been given to me. We
potus_geeks are fortunate to live in a time when there are so many great historians and when access to history has never been easier, thanks to a multitude of ways in which we can reach out and touch the past. This includes the world wide web, the many historians and librarians and archivists that record and save the accuracy of the past, and the authors who produce wonderful historic works, such as the many that have been covered in this past month's journal entries.
I am grateful to be living in a time of so many great presidential historians and authors, and I would like to acknowledge my gratitude for the many who make history come to life through their works. This is not an exhaustive list, and I know that I will fail to include many who deserve to be on this list, but let me attempt to set out mypotus_geeks gratitude list.
I am grateful to be living in a time of so many wonderful, amazing and hard-working historians and authors of presidential history. These include the following:
1. David McCullough
2. David Pietrusza
3. Doris Kearns Goodwin
4. H. W. Brands
5. Candice Millard
6. Sarah Vowell
7. Bob Woodward
8. Michael Beschloss
9. Chris DeRose
10. John Bicknell
11. John Eisenhower
12. Robert Remini
13. Ron Chernow
14. James McPherson
15. Amity Schlaes
16. Zachary Karabell
17. Gary Gallagher
18. Steve Inskeep
19. Paul Kahan
20. Mark Tooley
21. Jonathan Darman
22. David Hackett Fischer
23. John Boyko
24. Walter Borneman
25. Robert Caro
26. Annette Gordon-Reed
27. Alan Brinkley
28. Jon Meacham
29. Harold Holzer
30. Jean Edward Smith
31. Jean Baker
32. Matthew Moten
33. Joel Silbey
34. Gail Collins
35. Robert Dallek
36. Timothy Naftali
37. David Greenberg
38. Douglas Brinkley
39. Hans Trefousse
40. Ted Widmer
41. Peter Baker
42. Charles Rappleye
43. Seymour Hersh
44. Robert K. Murray
45. Nathaniel Philbrick
46. Jay Winik
47. David and Jeanne Heidler
48. A. J. Baime
49. Philip White
50. Fred Kaplan
Although I know I'm forgetting many many others, I'll stop there. The order of names is nothing more than the order that each came to mind.
I am also grateful for those who maintain and operate the many Presidential Libraries and Museums, and historic sites, and who always make visitors like me feel welcome when I visit them. I am grateful to the many documentarians like Ken Burns who make such wonderful productions of the lives of so many great presidents and historical figures and to networks like PBS who present them. I am also grateful to the Washington Post and to host Lillian Cunningham for the excellent Presidential podcast series that she has produced and made available for geeks like me.
We do indeed live in a great time!
From time to time I go through the practice of writing out a gratitude list. Personally, I have been very blessed in life, and I find it a healthy exercise to remember this, to acknowledge it and to express gratitude for the many good things that have been given to me. We
potus_geeks are fortunate to live in a time when there are so many great historians and when access to history has never been easier, thanks to a multitude of ways in which we can reach out and touch the past. This includes the world wide web, the many historians and librarians and archivists that record and save the accuracy of the past, and the authors who produce wonderful historic works, such as the many that have been covered in this past month's journal entries.I am grateful to be living in a time of so many great presidential historians and authors, and I would like to acknowledge my gratitude for the many who make history come to life through their works. This is not an exhaustive list, and I know that I will fail to include many who deserve to be on this list, but let me attempt to set out my
potus_geeks gratitude list.I am grateful to be living in a time of so many wonderful, amazing and hard-working historians and authors of presidential history. These include the following:
1. David McCullough
2. David Pietrusza
3. Doris Kearns Goodwin
4. H. W. Brands
5. Candice Millard
6. Sarah Vowell
7. Bob Woodward
8. Michael Beschloss
9. Chris DeRose
10. John Bicknell
11. John Eisenhower
12. Robert Remini
13. Ron Chernow
14. James McPherson
15. Amity Schlaes
16. Zachary Karabell
17. Gary Gallagher
18. Steve Inskeep
19. Paul Kahan
20. Mark Tooley
21. Jonathan Darman
22. David Hackett Fischer
23. John Boyko
24. Walter Borneman
25. Robert Caro
26. Annette Gordon-Reed
27. Alan Brinkley
28. Jon Meacham
29. Harold Holzer
30. Jean Edward Smith
31. Jean Baker
32. Matthew Moten
33. Joel Silbey
34. Gail Collins
35. Robert Dallek
36. Timothy Naftali
37. David Greenberg
38. Douglas Brinkley
39. Hans Trefousse
40. Ted Widmer
41. Peter Baker
42. Charles Rappleye
43. Seymour Hersh
44. Robert K. Murray
45. Nathaniel Philbrick
46. Jay Winik
47. David and Jeanne Heidler
48. A. J. Baime
49. Philip White
50. Fred Kaplan
Although I know I'm forgetting many many others, I'll stop there. The order of names is nothing more than the order that each came to mind.
I am also grateful for those who maintain and operate the many Presidential Libraries and Museums, and historic sites, and who always make visitors like me feel welcome when I visit them. I am grateful to the many documentarians like Ken Burns who make such wonderful productions of the lives of so many great presidents and historical figures and to networks like PBS who present them. I am also grateful to the Washington Post and to host Lillian Cunningham for the excellent Presidential podcast series that she has produced and made available for geeks like me.
We do indeed live in a great time!