American Presidential Biography: A Wishlist ...
 
 







  
Ronald Reagan and the Triumph of American Conservatism (Library of American Biography Series) (2nd Edition)1 review
Jules Tygiel

Longman, 2006

Must-Read for Conservatives

Dr. Jules Tygiel uses simple, forthright prose to assess the accomplishments and evaluate the legacy of one of America's most popular presidents.His admiration for Ronald Reagan's political skills is fairly balanced with his reservations about some of the unfinished business of the two-term ...
  
  











  



  
Calvin Coolidge9 reviews
David Greenberg

Times Books, 2006

Another of those brief biographies in the American Presidents series

+ A President between Two Worlds
+ Balanced and Enlightening
+ A decent introduction to Silent Cal
  
  











  



  
Theodore Rex (Modern Library Paperbacks)199 reviews
Edmund Morris

Modern Library, 2002

An Excellent Portrait of a Great President

+ An Excellent Portrait of a Great President
+ A Window into Roosevelt's Presidency
+ Bully! (In a good way, mostly)
+ Good, but not as good as "The Rise"
  
  











  



  
Andrew Jackson: The Course of American Empire, 1767-1821. Vol. 116 reviews
Robert V. Remini

The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998

Top-notch biography

+ Jackson is a rich subject; and Remini does him justice
+ Excellent biography of a remarkable man
+ Great biography of a great but deeply flawed man.
  
  











  



  
John Quincy Adams: (The American Presidents Series)22 reviews
Robert V. Remini, Arthur M. Schlesinger

Times Books, 2002

Wonderful brief biography of John Quincy Adams

+ Remini for the defense, your honor....
+ John Quincy Adams and American Nationalism
+ Some favoritism for Jackson
  
  











  



  
James Madison: (The American Presidents Series)26 reviews
Garry Wills, Arthur M. Schlesinger, 2002

Well written addition to the series

+ Small man, big accomplishments, lackluster president
+ James Madison's Presidency
+ Far more than a president
+ Succeeds admirably in its goals
  
  











  



  
Washington: The Indispensable Man1 review
James Thomas Flexner

Little, Brown and Company, 1974

A good, condensed read

This work by James Thomas Flexner is a condensed version of his four-volume history of George Washington. It's clear from reading this shorter work why the author at first felt the need for four volumes on the Father of our Country; Washington's life needs space to properly relate. But for those ...
  
  











  



  
Polk: The Man Who Transformed the Presidency and America15 reviews
Walter R. Borneman

Random House, 2008

Superb Biography of Polk

+ Obscurity and Greatness
+ Polk: The Man Who Transformed Presidency and America
+ James K. Polk - An Underappreciated President
+ Less of a biography than a survey of the times
  
  











  



  
James Madison and the Creation of the American Republic (Library of American Biography Series) (3rd Edition)7 reviews
Jack Rakove

Longman, 2006

A very well-written short biography of Madison

+ Wonderful!
+ Biography of a Man and his Ideas

Initially, I had reservations about reading such a short book on such a complex and important figure as James Madison. Indeed, there are aspects of Madison's life that Rakove should have written more, particularly Madison's personal life and his famous, life-of-the-party wife, Dolly. On the ...
  
  











  



  
James Madison: Writings: Writings 1772-1836 (Library of America)6 reviews
James Madison

Library of America, 1999

James Madison Speaks for Himself

+ James Madison: Writings: Writings 1772-1836 (Library of America)
+ One way to approach this book and others in the Library of America
+ Constitutional Questions?
+ Enormous selection and chronology
  
  











  



  
Ulysses S. Grant (The American Presidents)13 reviews
Josiah Bunting, Arthur M. Schlesinger

Times Books, 2004

Grant as President: Another fine entry in this series

+ Five Stars as Biography, Four Stars as History
+ A New Look at President Grant
+ A Man of Great Character
  
  











  



  
FDR: The Beckoning of Destiny 1882-1928
Kenneth S. Davis

Putnam, 1972

In this extraordinary biography, Roosevelt's life is set against the backround and events of almost half a century to show how the man and his career were shaped by the world in which he lived. Inside Flap Copy In this extraordinary biography, Roosevelt's life is set against the backround and events of almost half a century to show how the man and his career were shaped by the world in which he ...
  
  











  



  
Means of Ascent (The Years of Lyndon Johnson, Volume 2)78 reviews
Robert A. Caro

Vintage, 1991

Amazing look at politics in Texas

+ As Good as Advertised
+ 1948 Texas Senate Race
+ Journalistic History at its Best -- but Most Heartless
+ Taught me to loathe Lyndon, love Lady Bird, and admire Coke
  
  











  



  
Ulysses S. Grant : Memoirs and Selected Letters : Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant / Selected Letters, ...20 reviews
Ulysses S. Grant

Library of America, 1990

A Masterpiece

+ Superb
+ Thoughtful and Compassionate
+ U.S. Grant in his own words...
+ Review of Memoirs of US Grant
  
  











  



  
James Madison: A Biography33 reviews
Ralph Ketcham

University of Virginia Press, 1990

Essential reading for understanding James Madison

+ A Comprehensive Study of a Significant Man's Life
+ The Research Man

I will start this review by saying that this book is not for the casual reader. To enjoy this book, you have to have a serious interest in the life and political thought of James Madison. The writing style, while certainly not as bad as other reviews have stated, is a straightforward academic ...
  
  











  



  
FDR: The War President, 1940-1943: A History11 reviews
Kenneth S. Davis

Random House, 2000

An inscrutable mystery......

+ Our Century's Greatest President
+ FDR's Sins
+ Thoughtful and provocative
  
  











  



  
Master of the Senate: The Years of Lyndon Johnson137 reviews
Robert A. Caro

Knopf, 2002

johnson and more

+ A Treatise on Leadership
+ When is the 4th volume coming out?
+ Magisterial
+ Good insight into LBJ
  
  











  



  
An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy, 1917-196378 reviews
Robert Dallek

Little, Brown and Company, 2003

American Politics: Red in Tooth & Claw

+ Essential Reading But...
+ Adequate First Kennedy Biography
+ Very Impressive
+ Well Done!
  
  











  



  
An American Life51 reviews
Ronald Reagan

Pocket, 1999

Ronaldus Magnus in his own words.

+ Discover a segment of US history straight from one if its great history makers
+ Excellent beginning to end
+ Ronald Reagan's Autobiography
+ a history lesson on the 80's
  
  











  



  
James Madison and the Struggle for the Bill of Rights (Pivotal Moments in American History)13 reviews
Richard Labunski

Oxford University Press, USA, 2008

Democracy in Action

+ Detailed Political History
+ A New Perspective
+ A fascinating piece of history
  
  











  






   



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