The Best Books for Potus Geeks in 2013
2013 was an excellent year in books for 
potus_geeks. With the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy occurring in November, there was a flurry of books both about JFK and about his assassination. But this year also brought about some recaps of the 2012 election, as well as new literary products from such old favorite historians like Doris Kearns Goodwin.
Following are the 8 best new books about presidents that came out in 2013, in my humble opinion, with a few honorable mentions, and a few to avoid.
1. Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, by New York Times Chief White House correspondent Peter Baker (reviewed here) - This is a fair accounting of George Bush's responses to those challenges that he faced during his presidency, both good and bad, and of his personal strengths and weaknesses. It is neither hero worship nor Bush bashing, and Baker's lack of any agenda, pro or con, makes it so enjoyable.
2. Collision 2012: Obama vs. Romney and the Future of Elections in America by Dan Balz (reviewed here - For those of us who were hoping for an even-handed, professional, objective and unbiased history of the 2012 election, but thought such a creature to be mythical, prepare to be pleasantly surprised. This is an excellent book for the political junkie, for historians, and for all who still believe that political differences can be looked at without emotional rancor. It will be hard to top this book to find a better chronicle of the 2012 election.
3. Coolidge by Amity Schlaes (reviewed here) - This is an excellent accounting of a forgotten president, his life and times. It is a wonderful study of a president firmly confronting competing social and economic values and issues. Whether or not one agrees with Coolidge's approach to these issues, no criticism is deserved by the author, who does a superb job of informing the reader in an intelligent and insightful manner.
4. Ike and Dick: Portrait of a Strange Political Marriage by former Washington Post reporter Jeffrey Frank (reviewed here) - This is a book that will be greatly enjoyed by those who have an interest in political history, especially in the era between the end of the second world war and the beginning of Watergate, the fifties and sixties. Those with a strong admiration for Eisenhower will enjoy it less, yet for they may gain some insight into the man and into his thinking in the midst of an era of significant transition: a time of fear of communist aggression, nuclear war, the struggle for civil rights and the Vietnam war. The author is able to tackle these significant issues and be explanatory and informative without being verbose, and also have an opinion, but not necessarily an agenda. I found this book to be a pleasure to read and recommend it, especially for the reader with an interest in history who is either without strong political ideology, or who is able to suspend those feelings in order to become a fly on the wall of history.
5. Wilson, by Pulitzer Prize winning author A. Scott Berg (reviewed here) - Berg provides a marvelous chronicle of the history of the United States, and indeed the world, during the early part of the 20th century, of the events leading up to the first world war, of life during the war, and of the efforts to repair the world in its aftermath. It is not simply a book about the life of Woodrow Wilson, it is also an excellent account of his times. Berg is an able author and historian, and this accounting of a fascinating personality living and leading in a very interesting period of history makes for some very good reading. One complaint is that it contains too much hero worship of Wilson, and not enough criticism when criticism is due.
6. JFK's Last Hundred Days: The Transformation of a Man and the Emergence of a Great President by Thurston Clarke (reviewed here) - Clarke provides a very good portrait of the last 100 days of the life of an iconic president, in a wonderful style that feeds both the reader's knowledge and imagination. He makes history come to life, and generates emotional reactions, making for an excellent reading experience.
7. The Forgotten Presidents: Their Untold Constitutional Legacy by Michael Gerhardt (reviewed here) - This one reluctantly makes my top 10 list. It is extremely well researched. Gerhardt has read extensively and, as every good author should, he has considered an amazing amount of source material, to the point where, when historians differ on a point, Gerhardt boldly states that he has "corrected" their "mistaken assertions." This book is very pedantic and academic in style, with little intimate information on each president other than general commonly known conclusions (e.g. Franklin Pierce entered the presidency very despondent after the recent tragic death of his young son Benny.) One's enjoyment of this book will depend on what aspect of the forgotten presidents most interests the reader. It is not a page turner or a conversation piece, but for the reader with a keen interest in constitutional history, it is an essential read.
8. The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft and the Golden Age of Journalism by Doris Kearns Goodwin - I've put this one last on my list because I haven't finished it yet. I'm only about 250 pages in. It starts out very slow, but I'm enjoying it a lot more now that I'm getting into the exciting parts of the lives of the two main subjects. Doris Kearns Goodwin is a wonderful writer, and she has picked two excellent subjects, especially the larger-than-live Theodore Roosevelt. Two cautions: (a) this book is not as compelling as Team of Rivals, and (b) the author may have bit off too much subject material with the lives of two presidents and the institution of golden age journalism as well. Having said that, I expect to write a very favorable review of this book once I finish it.
Here are two books I recommend giving a miss. One has too much of a liberal slant, the other too much of a conservative slant. I prefer my presidential history to be as objective as possible.
1. The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies by Jonathan Alter (reviewed here - This isn't that bad a book, it's just skewed in its viewpoint. Alter admits to his liberal bias at the beginning, and if you share that world view, you'll probably enjoy this book a lot. I was looking for something more objective. At times, Alter is a brilliant historian who superbly explains the intricacies and nuances of presidential elections campaigns in the 21st century. When the author puts on his historian's hat, he's wonderful to read, but when he puts on his partisan hat, the book transitions from history to party talking points.
2. The Forgotten Conservative - Rediscovering Grover Cleveland, by John Pafford (reviewed here - I gave this a bad review on Amazon and got savaged by fervent conservatives. I'm sorry, but there is so much more that a biographer could have done with Grover Cleveland. There is little substance to this book. Over 50 pages of the 214 page book are a reprint of a series of essays written by Cleveland himself. This is not, as it could have been, the biography of an interesting president, a man who certainly had many assets as a leader and as a politician. Instead of examining all aspects of Grover Cleveland, the author selects only those pieces which support the image of Cleveland that he has invented for himself, the one which supports Pafford's own political world view. The result is a disappointing biography lacking in substance, one which fails to tell us the whole story of Grover Cleveland. Unless you share the author's agenda, you can learn more about Grover Cleveland in a number of other academically objective biographies. The reader seeking an objective and intellectually honest assessment of Cleveland should avoid this book. This is my choice for worst Presidential biography of 2013.
There were a lot of other books about Presidents written in 2013 that look terrific, but that I didn't get a chance to read. These include:
1. Double Down: Game Change 2012 by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann - These guys did such a great job of telling the untold stories from the 2008 election, that I can't wait to read what they have to say about Obama vs. Romney. This is next on my list.
2. Theodore Roosevelt and the Assassin by Gerald Helferich - TR is so much fun to read about and the story of how he got shot during an election campaign, but finished his speech before getting medical attention, is such a great story. I can't wait to read all the rest of the details. The 1912 election campaign is a very interesting one to read about too.
3. Jefferson and Hamilton: The Rivalry That Forged a Nation by John Ferling - The story of the rivalry between these two historical giants and strong personalities is a history geek's delight.
4. Gerald Ford: An Honorable Life by James Cannon - The title describes the man, and the circumstances of Ford's ascendency to the Presidency make for a great story begging to be told.
Those are just some of the great books that I've read and wasn't able to read this year. I hope 2014 will be just as strong a year. Here's hoping!
Finally, here are some other books about presidents, not written in 2013, that I was able to read this past year:
1. Mutual Contempt: Lyndon Johnson, Robert Kennedy and the Feud that Defined a Decade by Jeff Shesol (reviewed here)
2. Franklin Pierce: Martyr for the Union by Peter Wallner (reviewed here)
3. The Death of American Virtue: Clinton vs. Starr by Ken Gormley (reviewed here)
4. Impeached: The Trial of President Andrew Johnson and the Fight For Lincoln's Legacy by David O. Stewart (reviewed here)
5. The Presidents and Prime Ministers: Washington and Ottawa Face to Face and the Myth of Bilateral Bliss by Lawrence Martin (reviewed here)
6. Benjamin Harrison by Elisabeth P. Myers (reviewed here)
7. Taft 2012: A Novel by Jason Heller (reviewed here)
8. Zachary Taylor: Soldier, Planter, Statesman of the Old Southwest by K. Jack Bauer (reviewed here)
potus_geeks. With the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy occurring in November, there was a flurry of books both about JFK and about his assassination. But this year also brought about some recaps of the 2012 election, as well as new literary products from such old favorite historians like Doris Kearns Goodwin. Following are the 8 best new books about presidents that came out in 2013, in my humble opinion, with a few honorable mentions, and a few to avoid.
1. Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, by New York Times Chief White House correspondent Peter Baker (reviewed here) - This is a fair accounting of George Bush's responses to those challenges that he faced during his presidency, both good and bad, and of his personal strengths and weaknesses. It is neither hero worship nor Bush bashing, and Baker's lack of any agenda, pro or con, makes it so enjoyable.
2. Collision 2012: Obama vs. Romney and the Future of Elections in America by Dan Balz (reviewed here - For those of us who were hoping for an even-handed, professional, objective and unbiased history of the 2012 election, but thought such a creature to be mythical, prepare to be pleasantly surprised. This is an excellent book for the political junkie, for historians, and for all who still believe that political differences can be looked at without emotional rancor. It will be hard to top this book to find a better chronicle of the 2012 election.
3. Coolidge by Amity Schlaes (reviewed here) - This is an excellent accounting of a forgotten president, his life and times. It is a wonderful study of a president firmly confronting competing social and economic values and issues. Whether or not one agrees with Coolidge's approach to these issues, no criticism is deserved by the author, who does a superb job of informing the reader in an intelligent and insightful manner.
4. Ike and Dick: Portrait of a Strange Political Marriage by former Washington Post reporter Jeffrey Frank (reviewed here) - This is a book that will be greatly enjoyed by those who have an interest in political history, especially in the era between the end of the second world war and the beginning of Watergate, the fifties and sixties. Those with a strong admiration for Eisenhower will enjoy it less, yet for they may gain some insight into the man and into his thinking in the midst of an era of significant transition: a time of fear of communist aggression, nuclear war, the struggle for civil rights and the Vietnam war. The author is able to tackle these significant issues and be explanatory and informative without being verbose, and also have an opinion, but not necessarily an agenda. I found this book to be a pleasure to read and recommend it, especially for the reader with an interest in history who is either without strong political ideology, or who is able to suspend those feelings in order to become a fly on the wall of history.
5. Wilson, by Pulitzer Prize winning author A. Scott Berg (reviewed here) - Berg provides a marvelous chronicle of the history of the United States, and indeed the world, during the early part of the 20th century, of the events leading up to the first world war, of life during the war, and of the efforts to repair the world in its aftermath. It is not simply a book about the life of Woodrow Wilson, it is also an excellent account of his times. Berg is an able author and historian, and this accounting of a fascinating personality living and leading in a very interesting period of history makes for some very good reading. One complaint is that it contains too much hero worship of Wilson, and not enough criticism when criticism is due.
6. JFK's Last Hundred Days: The Transformation of a Man and the Emergence of a Great President by Thurston Clarke (reviewed here) - Clarke provides a very good portrait of the last 100 days of the life of an iconic president, in a wonderful style that feeds both the reader's knowledge and imagination. He makes history come to life, and generates emotional reactions, making for an excellent reading experience.
7. The Forgotten Presidents: Their Untold Constitutional Legacy by Michael Gerhardt (reviewed here) - This one reluctantly makes my top 10 list. It is extremely well researched. Gerhardt has read extensively and, as every good author should, he has considered an amazing amount of source material, to the point where, when historians differ on a point, Gerhardt boldly states that he has "corrected" their "mistaken assertions." This book is very pedantic and academic in style, with little intimate information on each president other than general commonly known conclusions (e.g. Franklin Pierce entered the presidency very despondent after the recent tragic death of his young son Benny.) One's enjoyment of this book will depend on what aspect of the forgotten presidents most interests the reader. It is not a page turner or a conversation piece, but for the reader with a keen interest in constitutional history, it is an essential read.
8. The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft and the Golden Age of Journalism by Doris Kearns Goodwin - I've put this one last on my list because I haven't finished it yet. I'm only about 250 pages in. It starts out very slow, but I'm enjoying it a lot more now that I'm getting into the exciting parts of the lives of the two main subjects. Doris Kearns Goodwin is a wonderful writer, and she has picked two excellent subjects, especially the larger-than-live Theodore Roosevelt. Two cautions: (a) this book is not as compelling as Team of Rivals, and (b) the author may have bit off too much subject material with the lives of two presidents and the institution of golden age journalism as well. Having said that, I expect to write a very favorable review of this book once I finish it.
Here are two books I recommend giving a miss. One has too much of a liberal slant, the other too much of a conservative slant. I prefer my presidential history to be as objective as possible.
1. The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies by Jonathan Alter (reviewed here - This isn't that bad a book, it's just skewed in its viewpoint. Alter admits to his liberal bias at the beginning, and if you share that world view, you'll probably enjoy this book a lot. I was looking for something more objective. At times, Alter is a brilliant historian who superbly explains the intricacies and nuances of presidential elections campaigns in the 21st century. When the author puts on his historian's hat, he's wonderful to read, but when he puts on his partisan hat, the book transitions from history to party talking points.
2. The Forgotten Conservative - Rediscovering Grover Cleveland, by John Pafford (reviewed here - I gave this a bad review on Amazon and got savaged by fervent conservatives. I'm sorry, but there is so much more that a biographer could have done with Grover Cleveland. There is little substance to this book. Over 50 pages of the 214 page book are a reprint of a series of essays written by Cleveland himself. This is not, as it could have been, the biography of an interesting president, a man who certainly had many assets as a leader and as a politician. Instead of examining all aspects of Grover Cleveland, the author selects only those pieces which support the image of Cleveland that he has invented for himself, the one which supports Pafford's own political world view. The result is a disappointing biography lacking in substance, one which fails to tell us the whole story of Grover Cleveland. Unless you share the author's agenda, you can learn more about Grover Cleveland in a number of other academically objective biographies. The reader seeking an objective and intellectually honest assessment of Cleveland should avoid this book. This is my choice for worst Presidential biography of 2013.
There were a lot of other books about Presidents written in 2013 that look terrific, but that I didn't get a chance to read. These include:
1. Double Down: Game Change 2012 by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann - These guys did such a great job of telling the untold stories from the 2008 election, that I can't wait to read what they have to say about Obama vs. Romney. This is next on my list.
2. Theodore Roosevelt and the Assassin by Gerald Helferich - TR is so much fun to read about and the story of how he got shot during an election campaign, but finished his speech before getting medical attention, is such a great story. I can't wait to read all the rest of the details. The 1912 election campaign is a very interesting one to read about too.
3. Jefferson and Hamilton: The Rivalry That Forged a Nation by John Ferling - The story of the rivalry between these two historical giants and strong personalities is a history geek's delight.
4. Gerald Ford: An Honorable Life by James Cannon - The title describes the man, and the circumstances of Ford's ascendency to the Presidency make for a great story begging to be told.
Those are just some of the great books that I've read and wasn't able to read this year. I hope 2014 will be just as strong a year. Here's hoping!
Finally, here are some other books about presidents, not written in 2013, that I was able to read this past year:
1. Mutual Contempt: Lyndon Johnson, Robert Kennedy and the Feud that Defined a Decade by Jeff Shesol (reviewed here)
2. Franklin Pierce: Martyr for the Union by Peter Wallner (reviewed here)
3. The Death of American Virtue: Clinton vs. Starr by Ken Gormley (reviewed here)
4. Impeached: The Trial of President Andrew Johnson and the Fight For Lincoln's Legacy by David O. Stewart (reviewed here)
5. The Presidents and Prime Ministers: Washington and Ottawa Face to Face and the Myth of Bilateral Bliss by Lawrence Martin (reviewed here)
6. Benjamin Harrison by Elisabeth P. Myers (reviewed here)
7. Taft 2012: A Novel by Jason Heller (reviewed here)
8. Zachary Taylor: Soldier, Planter, Statesman of the Old Southwest by K. Jack Bauer (reviewed here)