Potus Geek Reading in 2012
Happy New Year my fellow 
potus_geeks. I hope 2012 is a great year for you. It should be a good year for us, if for no other reason than because it's an election year. This year I hope to look forward to the upcoming election, and also look back on past elections to see if history does indeed repeat itself, and if it's true what they say: the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Last year at the start of the year, I listed a number of books that I planed to read in 2011. I was able to read most of them, as well as a number of others, some of which came out in 2011. The best new book in 2011 about a President was Candice Millard's book about James Garfield called Destiny of the Republic (link behind the cut.). Scott Miller's book about the assassination of William McKinley called The President and the Assassin is a close second.
Behind the cut are the books about Presidents that I was able to read in 2011.
1. The Last Campaign: How Harry Truman Won the 1948 Election by Zachary Karabell
2. Mr. Buchanan's Administration on the Eve of the Rebellion, by James Buchanan
3. The Last Founding Father: James Monroe and a Nation's Call to Greatness by Harlow Giles Unger
4. Ike's Final Battle: The Road to Little Rock and the Challenge of Equality by Kasey Pipes
5. By One Vote: The Disputed Election of 1876 by Michael Holt
6. John Tyler: The Accidental President by Edward P. Crapol
7. The Autobiography of Calvin Coolidge
8. JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters by James W. Douglass
9. Tried By War: Abraham Lincoln As Commander-in-Chief by James McPherson
10. Andrew Jackson: His Life and Times by H. W. Brands
11. The President and the Assassin by Scott Miller
12. Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell
13. Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard
14. Back to Work: Why We Need Smart Government for a Strong Economy by Bill Clinton
15. 1920: The Year of Six Presidents by David Pietrusza (I'm only halfway through this one.)
For 2012, here are 10 books that I'd like to read:
1. Nixon's Darkest Secrets: The Inside Story of America's Most Troubled President by Don Fulsom (I've journalled about this forthcoming book which alleges, among other things, that Nixon was a closeted homosexual)
2. A Magnificent Catastrophe: The Tumultuous Election of 1800, America's First Campaign by Edward J. Larson (I've put off reading this last year, but it begs to be read in an election year)
3. Write It When I'm Gone: Remarkable Off-The-Record Conversations with Gerald R. Ford by Thomas M. DeFrank (candid admissions made by Gerald Ford to a reporter on condition that it not be published until Ford was dead. I'm curious to read what Ford has to say about the Warren Commission.)
4. Founding Rivals: Madison vs. Monroe, The Bill of Rights and the Election that Saved a Nation by Chris DeRose (I love reading about Monroe, and this one looks very interesting.)
5. 1948: Harry Truman's Improbable Victory and the Year That Transformed America by David Pietrusza (I read the same story last year in Zachary Karabell's wonderful book The Last Campaign, but Pietrusza is such a wonderful writer.)
6. William Henry Harrison (the American Presidents Series) by Gail Collins (the next book due out from this wonderful series about the President who served the shortest time in office.)
7. FDR, Dewey and the Election of 1944 by David M. Jordan (I always wondered why Thomas Dewey seemed like the perfect candidate but could never win the big prize.)
8. Re-Electing Lincoln: The Battle for the 1864 Presidency by John C. Waugh (The election of 1864 was another fascinating contest, and a Lincoln read each year is a must.)
9. The Presidencies of James Garfield and Chester A. Arthur by Justus Doenecke (I've always wondered what happened to transform Chester Arthur from someone in the pocket of a political boss into a great reformer.)
10. Four Hats in the Ring: The 1912 Election and the Birth of Modern American Politics by Lewis J. Gould (Fitting reading on the 100th anniversary of this amazing election.)
I don't know if I'll get through all of them, or if, like last year, I'll get sidetracked by new interesting literature, but whatever I do read will be fascinating reading.
What's on yourpotus_geeks reading list for 2012?
potus_geeks. I hope 2012 is a great year for you. It should be a good year for us, if for no other reason than because it's an election year. This year I hope to look forward to the upcoming election, and also look back on past elections to see if history does indeed repeat itself, and if it's true what they say: the more things change, the more they stay the same.Last year at the start of the year, I listed a number of books that I planed to read in 2011. I was able to read most of them, as well as a number of others, some of which came out in 2011. The best new book in 2011 about a President was Candice Millard's book about James Garfield called Destiny of the Republic (link behind the cut.). Scott Miller's book about the assassination of William McKinley called The President and the Assassin is a close second.
Behind the cut are the books about Presidents that I was able to read in 2011.
1. The Last Campaign: How Harry Truman Won the 1948 Election by Zachary Karabell
2. Mr. Buchanan's Administration on the Eve of the Rebellion, by James Buchanan
3. The Last Founding Father: James Monroe and a Nation's Call to Greatness by Harlow Giles Unger
4. Ike's Final Battle: The Road to Little Rock and the Challenge of Equality by Kasey Pipes
5. By One Vote: The Disputed Election of 1876 by Michael Holt
6. John Tyler: The Accidental President by Edward P. Crapol
7. The Autobiography of Calvin Coolidge
8. JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters by James W. Douglass
9. Tried By War: Abraham Lincoln As Commander-in-Chief by James McPherson
10. Andrew Jackson: His Life and Times by H. W. Brands
11. The President and the Assassin by Scott Miller
12. Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell
13. Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard
14. Back to Work: Why We Need Smart Government for a Strong Economy by Bill Clinton
15. 1920: The Year of Six Presidents by David Pietrusza (I'm only halfway through this one.)
For 2012, here are 10 books that I'd like to read:
1. Nixon's Darkest Secrets: The Inside Story of America's Most Troubled President by Don Fulsom (I've journalled about this forthcoming book which alleges, among other things, that Nixon was a closeted homosexual)
2. A Magnificent Catastrophe: The Tumultuous Election of 1800, America's First Campaign by Edward J. Larson (I've put off reading this last year, but it begs to be read in an election year)
3. Write It When I'm Gone: Remarkable Off-The-Record Conversations with Gerald R. Ford by Thomas M. DeFrank (candid admissions made by Gerald Ford to a reporter on condition that it not be published until Ford was dead. I'm curious to read what Ford has to say about the Warren Commission.)
4. Founding Rivals: Madison vs. Monroe, The Bill of Rights and the Election that Saved a Nation by Chris DeRose (I love reading about Monroe, and this one looks very interesting.)
5. 1948: Harry Truman's Improbable Victory and the Year That Transformed America by David Pietrusza (I read the same story last year in Zachary Karabell's wonderful book The Last Campaign, but Pietrusza is such a wonderful writer.)
6. William Henry Harrison (the American Presidents Series) by Gail Collins (the next book due out from this wonderful series about the President who served the shortest time in office.)
7. FDR, Dewey and the Election of 1944 by David M. Jordan (I always wondered why Thomas Dewey seemed like the perfect candidate but could never win the big prize.)
8. Re-Electing Lincoln: The Battle for the 1864 Presidency by John C. Waugh (The election of 1864 was another fascinating contest, and a Lincoln read each year is a must.)
9. The Presidencies of James Garfield and Chester A. Arthur by Justus Doenecke (I've always wondered what happened to transform Chester Arthur from someone in the pocket of a political boss into a great reformer.)
10. Four Hats in the Ring: The 1912 Election and the Birth of Modern American Politics by Lewis J. Gould (Fitting reading on the 100th anniversary of this amazing election.)
I don't know if I'll get through all of them, or if, like last year, I'll get sidetracked by new interesting literature, but whatever I do read will be fascinating reading.
What's on your
potus_geeks reading list for 2012?