Best Presidential Biographies
I got an email from Todd today, which reads in part as follows:
I read your entry a few months ago regarding the list of top presidential biographies published by the Washington Post. As a true geek, this inspired me and I set the goal to read at least one biography of each president. I promptly picked up one on Nixon, been pretty disappointed (Nixonland... not sure if you read it, but less about Nixon and more about sixties). It got me wondering if you would publish a list of your favorite biographies. I would be interested what your readers would say as well.
This is off the top of my head, but here are ten biographies of Presidents that I really enjoyed:
1. Polk: The Man Who Transformed the Presidency and America by Walter Borneman
2. Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin
3. Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candace Millard
4. 1960: LBJ vs. JFK vs. Nixon - The Epic Campaign that Forged Three Presidencies by David Pietrusza
5. Eisenhower: Soldier and President by Stephen Ambrose
6. The Man Who Saved the Union: Ulysses Grant in War and Peace by H. W. Brands
7. The President and the Assassin: McKinley, Terror and Empire at the Dawn of the American Century by Scott Miller
8. John Quincy Adams by Harlow Giles Unger
9. Gentleman Boss: The Life of Chester A. Arthur by Thomas C. Reeves
10. The Expatriation of Franklin Pierce by Gary Boulard
I'm also enjoying Coolidge by Amity Schlaes, but I'm only about 2/3 of the way through so far.
Todd asked for recommendations from the rest of you. What would you recommend?
I read your entry a few months ago regarding the list of top presidential biographies published by the Washington Post. As a true geek, this inspired me and I set the goal to read at least one biography of each president. I promptly picked up one on Nixon, been pretty disappointed (Nixonland... not sure if you read it, but less about Nixon and more about sixties). It got me wondering if you would publish a list of your favorite biographies. I would be interested what your readers would say as well.
This is off the top of my head, but here are ten biographies of Presidents that I really enjoyed:
1. Polk: The Man Who Transformed the Presidency and America by Walter Borneman
2. Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin
3. Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candace Millard
4. 1960: LBJ vs. JFK vs. Nixon - The Epic Campaign that Forged Three Presidencies by David Pietrusza
5. Eisenhower: Soldier and President by Stephen Ambrose
6. The Man Who Saved the Union: Ulysses Grant in War and Peace by H. W. Brands
7. The President and the Assassin: McKinley, Terror and Empire at the Dawn of the American Century by Scott Miller
8. John Quincy Adams by Harlow Giles Unger
9. Gentleman Boss: The Life of Chester A. Arthur by Thomas C. Reeves
10. The Expatriation of Franklin Pierce by Gary Boulard
I'm also enjoying Coolidge by Amity Schlaes, but I'm only about 2/3 of the way through so far.
Todd asked for recommendations from the rest of you. What would you recommend?