I know he was never president but the Chernow biography of Alexander Hamilton is excellent and will expand your knowledge of that time period. Did you read Chernow’s Biography of Grant?
I did read Hamilton and Grant by Chernow along with Washington. All we're incredible! He has a biography of Mark Twain coming out next year that I am excited to get my hands on. He is so good!
A good book about that time period Is The True Flag. The subtitle is Theodore Roosevelt, Mark Twain, and the birth of American Empire. The author is Stephen Kinzer, another excellent author. The book is all about the momentous decision regarding whether or not America should become an overseas empire
I love this project you’ve taken on! I have read dozens of presidential biographies and find them a great way to learn history. I would love to see your list. And I’m inspired to create my own list. I’ve been doing this for years but I never thought of doing it chronologically. I’ve tended to focus on a time period. Last year I read the Hoover biography by Kenneth Whyte, and I recently finished The Jazz Age President, about Warren Harding. It’s not a biography, it just looks at some of the myths surrounding Hardings presidency. It’s excellent and I highly recommend it. What biography of Harding did you read?
Thank you for your feedback! It really is a great way to read thriugh history. I really liked White's biography of Hoover. It barely missed my top 10. I read the American President's Series small biography of Harding. I thought about doing the Jazz Age President but didn't choose that one for this project since it wasn't a full life bio.
I am working on a list of the biographies that I chose and a couple of other Presidential posts. Stay tuned!
My New Year’s resolution in 2023 was to read a biography of every president from Washington to LBJ. I posted the following on Facebook in September 2023 when I reached my goal.
Okay, it’s done. I finished LBJ’s biography today. That completes my 2023 New Year’s resolution to read at least one biography on every president from Washington to Lyndon Johnson. I have to say I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. I learned a lot and changed my opinion about many things I thought I knew. I certainly changed my opinion about several presidents, some rose in my estimation, more fell.
I have been boring my family to death in the past eight months with statements that usually began with, “Did you know that during President such and such’s administration. . .” I appreciate the fact that they were able to appear interested.
Now, if you’re still with me, let me bore everyone one last time.
I read 38 biographies on 36 presidents. The numbers don’t match because I read three biographies on Theodore Roosevelt and two dual biographies (Adams- Jefferson and Roosevelt-Taft). The longest was President Truman (992pgs) and the shortest was John Tyler (only 54pgs and that was too many). Total pages read: 14,775.
My favorite biography was Ron Chernow’s biography of Ulysses Grant, followed closely (in no particular order) by Doris Kearns Goodwin’s biography of Lincoln, volume one of Edmund Morris’s three-volume biography of Theodore Roosevelt, Kearns Goodwin’s dual biography of Teddy Roosevelt and William Howard Taft, Chernow’s biography of George Washington, and David McCulloch’s biography of Harry Truman.
If you’re interested in taking this project on, I highly recommend referencing the website below for reviews and recommendations.
Wow! That is impressive Daniel. I am so glad to hear of others doing this type of project. I told everyone I knew and they were impressed but all said "I could never do that.". Looks like some great reads!
This is great! I'm currently reading A Powerful Mind: The Self-Education of George Washington by Adrienne M. Harrison and am thoroughly enjoying that. The Rise of Theordore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris is up next.
A Powerful Mind sounds like it could be right up my alley! Thanks Paul! Morris work with Teddy Roosevelt is one of my reasons for deciding to read through a biography of each President. I read it years ago and it has stuck with me all these years later
I am curious as to whether your list includes any of the great historical biographies by H. W. Brands such as “T.R.”, “The First American”, “The Age of Gold”, “Lone Star Nation,” “Andrew Jackson”, “Traitor to His Class,” “American Colossus”, “The Man Who Saved the Union”, “Reagan”, “The General vs. the President”, “Heirs of the Founders”, “Dreams of El Dorado”, “The Zealot and the Emancipator”, “Our First Civil War”, “The Last Campaign”, “Founding Partisans”, and “America First”.
Thanks Bobby! He was a fascinating person! It would be interesting to think of him in politics in today's world! I was fascinated by his work on the League of Nations
I agree! The European treaty after WW1 was doomed from the start though and he new that it would unfold the way it did. Really interesting time and man for sure!
Super project. I have read quite a few myself. What one did you read for Coolidge? I found Amity Schlaes the best. I liked Evan Thomas’s Ike’s Bluff and Jon Meacham’s Quiet Man about Bush Sr. Have you considered reading about the men who came so close? Hubert Humphrey, Tom Dewey, or Al Gore? If they exist!
Thanks David! I did read Shlaes Coolidge. I will be posting my master reading list for which biographies I chose this week after many requests, so stay tuned. There were several characters that stood out that I want to read in the future, such as Churchill, Robert E Lee, Hitler, and many others. I will probably just space them out over the rest of my life! 😂
Excellent. I love biographies as well. One of the best memoirs however was Brian Mulroney’s, former Prime Minister of Canada. It is a tour de force in storytelling and an incomparable reflection on a life in politics. Just superb. Two thumbs up!
Was there a more obscure president who you came to admire more through your project? Like you, I love the Caro books on LBJ, although they’re not admiring of him
I would probably say Truman was my biggest surprise. I did not know much about him until this project and I grew to respect him through David McCullough's masterful bio of him. I also really enjoyed Hoover by Kenneth White. He gets a bad rap as well but White's book was a balanced account of how much good he did combined with how much he missed the great depression and it's impact.
I know he was never president but the Chernow biography of Alexander Hamilton is excellent and will expand your knowledge of that time period. Did you read Chernow’s Biography of Grant?
I did read Hamilton and Grant by Chernow along with Washington. All we're incredible! He has a biography of Mark Twain coming out next year that I am excited to get my hands on. He is so good!
A good book about that time period Is The True Flag. The subtitle is Theodore Roosevelt, Mark Twain, and the birth of American Empire. The author is Stephen Kinzer, another excellent author. The book is all about the momentous decision regarding whether or not America should become an overseas empire
Yes indeed! Wow! Mark Twain! I look forward to reading that!
Thanks for the tip!
I love this project you’ve taken on! I have read dozens of presidential biographies and find them a great way to learn history. I would love to see your list. And I’m inspired to create my own list. I’ve been doing this for years but I never thought of doing it chronologically. I’ve tended to focus on a time period. Last year I read the Hoover biography by Kenneth Whyte, and I recently finished The Jazz Age President, about Warren Harding. It’s not a biography, it just looks at some of the myths surrounding Hardings presidency. It’s excellent and I highly recommend it. What biography of Harding did you read?
Thank you for your feedback! It really is a great way to read thriugh history. I really liked White's biography of Hoover. It barely missed my top 10. I read the American President's Series small biography of Harding. I thought about doing the Jazz Age President but didn't choose that one for this project since it wasn't a full life bio.
I am working on a list of the biographies that I chose and a couple of other Presidential posts. Stay tuned!
My New Year’s resolution in 2023 was to read a biography of every president from Washington to LBJ. I posted the following on Facebook in September 2023 when I reached my goal.
Okay, it’s done. I finished LBJ’s biography today. That completes my 2023 New Year’s resolution to read at least one biography on every president from Washington to Lyndon Johnson. I have to say I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. I learned a lot and changed my opinion about many things I thought I knew. I certainly changed my opinion about several presidents, some rose in my estimation, more fell.
I have been boring my family to death in the past eight months with statements that usually began with, “Did you know that during President such and such’s administration. . .” I appreciate the fact that they were able to appear interested.
Now, if you’re still with me, let me bore everyone one last time.
I read 38 biographies on 36 presidents. The numbers don’t match because I read three biographies on Theodore Roosevelt and two dual biographies (Adams- Jefferson and Roosevelt-Taft). The longest was President Truman (992pgs) and the shortest was John Tyler (only 54pgs and that was too many). Total pages read: 14,775.
My favorite biography was Ron Chernow’s biography of Ulysses Grant, followed closely (in no particular order) by Doris Kearns Goodwin’s biography of Lincoln, volume one of Edmund Morris’s three-volume biography of Theodore Roosevelt, Kearns Goodwin’s dual biography of Teddy Roosevelt and William Howard Taft, Chernow’s biography of George Washington, and David McCulloch’s biography of Harry Truman.
If you’re interested in taking this project on, I highly recommend referencing the website below for reviews and recommendations.
https://bestpresidentialbios.com/curriculum/
If you want to borrow any of my books, just message me. I’ve listed them below.
*Washington, A Life by Ron Chernow
*Friends Divided: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson by Gordon Wood
James Madison by Richard Brookhiser
The Last Founding Father: James Monroe and Nation’s Call to Greatness by Harlow Giles Unger
John Quincy Adams by Harlow Giles Unger
The Life of Andrew Jackson by Robert V. Remini
Martin Van Buren by Ted Widmer
William Henry Harrison by Steven Otfinoski
John Tyler by Jane C. Walker
Zachary Taylor by Deborah Kops
A Country of Vast Designs: James K. Polk, The Mexican War, and the Conquest of the American Continent by Robert W. Merry
Millard Fillmore by Dan Santow
James Buchanan by Jean H. Baker
*Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Grant by Ron Chernow
Impeached: The Trial Of Andrew Johnson and The Fight for Lincoln’s Legacy
Rutherford B. Hayes by Hans L. Trefousse
Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President [James Garfield] by Candice Millard
The Unexpected President: The Life and Times of Chester A. Arthur by Scott S. Greenburger
A Honest President: The Life and Presidencies of Grover Cleveland by H. Paul Jeffries
Benjamin Harrison by Charles Calf
President McKinley: Architect of the American Century by Robert W. Merry
*The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris
The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey by Candace Millard
*The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and The Golden Age of Journalism by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Woodrow Wilson: a Biography by John Milton Cooper, Jr.
Warren G. Harding by John W. Dean
Coolidge by Amity Shlaes
Hoover: An Extraordinary Life in Extraordinary Times by Kenneth Whyte
FDR by Jean Edward Smith
Truman by David McCullough
Eisenhower in War and Peace by Jean Edward Smith
An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy by Robert Dallek
Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream by Doris Kearns Goodwin
*Pulitzer Prize
Wow! That is impressive Daniel. I am so glad to hear of others doing this type of project. I told everyone I knew and they were impressed but all said "I could never do that.". Looks like some great reads!
This is great! I'm currently reading A Powerful Mind: The Self-Education of George Washington by Adrienne M. Harrison and am thoroughly enjoying that. The Rise of Theordore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris is up next.
A Powerful Mind sounds like it could be right up my alley! Thanks Paul! Morris work with Teddy Roosevelt is one of my reasons for deciding to read through a biography of each President. I read it years ago and it has stuck with me all these years later
I am curious as to whether your list includes any of the great historical biographies by H. W. Brands such as “T.R.”, “The First American”, “The Age of Gold”, “Lone Star Nation,” “Andrew Jackson”, “Traitor to His Class,” “American Colossus”, “The Man Who Saved the Union”, “Reagan”, “The General vs. the President”, “Heirs of the Founders”, “Dreams of El Dorado”, “The Zealot and the Emancipator”, “Our First Civil War”, “The Last Campaign”, “Founding Partisans”, and “America First”.
Jim Guleke
T.R. is the only Brand I have read so far! I really enjoyed his writing and will definitely add some of the others to my future readings
Great read! I'm currently reading about Woodrow Wilson or first and only scholar president.
Thanks Bobby! He was a fascinating person! It would be interesting to think of him in politics in today's world! I was fascinated by his work on the League of Nations
I agree! The European treaty after WW1 was doomed from the start though and he new that it would unfold the way it did. Really interesting time and man for sure!
Super project. I have read quite a few myself. What one did you read for Coolidge? I found Amity Schlaes the best. I liked Evan Thomas’s Ike’s Bluff and Jon Meacham’s Quiet Man about Bush Sr. Have you considered reading about the men who came so close? Hubert Humphrey, Tom Dewey, or Al Gore? If they exist!
Thanks David! I did read Shlaes Coolidge. I will be posting my master reading list for which biographies I chose this week after many requests, so stay tuned. There were several characters that stood out that I want to read in the future, such as Churchill, Robert E Lee, Hitler, and many others. I will probably just space them out over the rest of my life! 😂
Excellent. I love biographies as well. One of the best memoirs however was Brian Mulroney’s, former Prime Minister of Canada. It is a tour de force in storytelling and an incomparable reflection on a life in politics. Just superb. Two thumbs up!
I’m working on it. I think it provides a perspective that is truly needed.
And yes, the Caro four volumes on LBJ are fantastic! You really get a good sense of the man. I can’t wait until the fifth volume is published!
I hesitated to tackle the Caro project but am so glad I did! I can't wait for the next one as well!
It would be nice to see your list.
I think you have inspired me. I do have a collection of most bios. 2025 is the start.
Awesome! Keep me posted on how it goes!
I am working on it. Stay posted!
This is an impressive and very interesting feat!
Thank you!
Which ones had the fewest biographies?
There were several who had little coverage. I will be coming out with a few more posts about my reading through the Presidents! Stay posted!
Was there a more obscure president who you came to admire more through your project? Like you, I love the Caro books on LBJ, although they’re not admiring of him
I would probably say Truman was my biggest surprise. I did not know much about him until this project and I grew to respect him through David McCullough's masterful bio of him. I also really enjoyed Hoover by Kenneth White. He gets a bad rap as well but White's book was a balanced account of how much good he did combined with how much he missed the great depression and it's impact.
Okay so why are we in this mess?
😂 I am afraid it would take more than reading books to sort that one out!
Wondering who you read for Nixon?
I read Richard Nixon by John A. Farrell. Here is a link to my top 10 presidential bios. Nixon made the list.
https://open.substack.com/pub/ryandhall/p/my-top-10-presidential-biographies?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=jdmug
Being Nixon by Evan Thomas is really good!
Thank you! Reading that now 😊
Truman by McCullough is good ... I have a bunch of books about Ike and Jimmy Carter on the bookshelf.