My Tips on Choosing a Good Biography

The lessons I learned through trial and error during my Presidential reading plan

After reading through a biography of every US President and having read through biographies of other historical figures, it is apparent that not all biographies are created equal. The best biographies tend to be read like a story and are engaging. Unfortunately, not all biographies fit the bill when it comes to being engaging. I will also note that I do not typically read autobiographies as the subject tends to tell their side of the story and are naturally biased toward their own story. When a figure writes their own biography, you can glean insights into their thinking and life, but it is often only through the lens in which they view the world. Here are my criteria for a good biography, whether it is a US President or any other figure throughout history:

1. It must be unbiased (mostly)

The best biographies, in my opinion, leave you with little to no idea where the author stands on their own opinion of the person. This is not always true as some authors are glowing about their subject and it shows, but an author who is overly critical or interjects harsh but unfounded criticisms, leave a reader wondering if they are getting a full picture of the person.

2. The story is engaging

The best biographies read like a work of fiction and are told in narrative form. They are enjoyable to read and the story makes you want to continue. For many of the biographies I read, it was like watching a miniseries and I had to pause for life but was left wanting to come back to the story to see how it goes.

3. The biographer does not insert themselves into the story (unless they were actually there)

Some biographies are written by cabinet members or someone who personally knew the subject. I tried to avoid those if I could as they tended to be more biased toward or against the president. The best biographers give you the story and allow you to come to your own conclusions.

4. The best biographers are historians, not journalists (with some exceptions)

The older presidents tend to have biographies written by historians whereas the more modern historical figures tend to be written by journalists. I prefer to read the historical account if available because they tend to see the president’s life from a larger perspective. This gets harder to find if you read the more modern biographies of modern presidents. Typically, historians agree that it is difficult to judge a president until 20-30 years after their term has ended.

5. Includes enough details to tell the full story but not overwhelm you with facts

Some biographers tend to overwhelm you with facts and details. It is easy to get lost in the names of some of the cabinet members or congressional members in the period of time. This makes for a long and dull journey through a section if you are not engaged. The best biographers give you enough details but keep the story going.

6. The biography must be long enough to tell the full story but not overly long

For some of the biographies I have read, I was left wondering how the editor did not decide to cut major portions that left the reader bogged down. A good biography can be 1,000 pages long (like Washington by Ron Chernow) and leave you wanting more at the end. Another biography may be 500 pages and leave you counting down to when it ends.

7. Must be well researched

This may seem pretty straight forward, but you want a biographer who has done extensive research and is good at getting to the point and knowing what to give and what to omit.

8. Price can be a factor

Sometimes, the choice of biography comes down to lack of options, availability, or price. Some of the Presidential biographies I found were hundreds of dollars so I went with the cheaper option, even if was a lower rated biography.

There are so many biographies out there, it can be hard to know how to choose the most enjoyable option. This is the criteria that I used when choosing a good biography for my Presidential reading project. I actually enjoyed the process and at times, it felt like a treasure hunt to find the right biography at used bookstores.

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This post is a continuation of my presidential reading series. If you haven’t read the other articles in this series. Check out these posts:

My Journey Through the Presidents

My Top 10 Presidential Biographies

How To Succeed in Reading Through a Biography of Every US President