#Presidential Books

[deadpresidents]

GROVER CLEVELAND •Grover Cleveland: A Study In Courage by Allan Nevins (BOOK) •An Honest President: The Life and Presidencies of Grover Cleveland by H. Paul Jeffers (BOOK | AUDIO) •A Secret Life: The Lies and Scandals of President Grover Cleveland by Charles Lachman (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) •A Man of Iron: The Turbulent Life and Improbable Presidency of Grover Cleveland by Troy Senik (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

BENJAMIN HARRISON •Benjamin Harrison: Hoosier Warrior, 1833-1865 by Harry J. Sievers (BOOK) •Benjamin Harrison: Hoosier Statesman, 1865-1888 by Harry J. Sievers (BOOK) •Benjamin Harrison: Hoosier President, 1889-1893 by Harry J. Sievers (BOOK)

WILLIAM McKINLEY •In the Days of McKinley by Margaret Leech (BOOK) •President McKinley: Architect of the American Century by Robert W. Merry (BOOK | KINDLE) •William McKinley and His America by H. Wayne Morgan (BOOK | KINDLE) •The Triumph of William McKinley: Why the Election of 1896 Still Matters by Karl Rove (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

THEODORE ROOSEVELT •The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) •Theodore Rex by Edmund Morris (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) •Colonel Roosevelt by Edmund Morris (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) •Edmund Morris Trilogy •The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey by Candice Millard (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) •Mornings On Horseback: The Story of an Extraordinary Family, a Vanished Way of Life, and the Unique Child Who Became Theodore Roosevelt by David McCullough (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) •T.R.: The Last Romantic by H.W. Brands (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT •The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism by Doris Kearns Goodwin (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) •William Howard Taft: An Intimate History by Judith Icke Anderson (BOOK) •Chief Executive to Chief Justice: Taft Betwixt the White House and Supreme Court by Lewis L. Gould (BOOK | KINDLE)

WOODROW WILSON •Wilson by A. Scott Berg (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) •Woodrow Wilson: A Biography by John Milton Cooper Jr. (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) •When the Cheering Stopped: The Last Years of Woodrow Wilson by Gene Smith (BOOK | KINDLE) •The Ordeal of Woodrow Wilson by Herbert Hoover (BOOK) •The Moralist: Woodrow Wilson and the World He Made by Patricia O'Toole (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

WARREN G. HARDING •The Shadow of Blooming Grove: Warren G. Harding in His Times by Francis Russell (BOOK) •The Available Man: The Life Behind the Masks of Warren G. Harding by Andrew Sinclair (BOOK) •1920: The Year of the Six Presidents by David Pietrusza (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) •The Ohio Gang: The World of Warren G. Harding by Charles L. Mee Jr. (BOOK | KINDLE)

CALVIN COOLIDGE •Coolidge by Amity Shlaes (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) •The High Tide of American Conservatism: Davis, Coolidge, and the 1924 Election by Garland S. Tucker III (BOOK | KINDLE)

[fictionadventurer]

The more I learn about Civil War politics, the more I'm convinced that Lincoln's most impressive and useful leadership trait was that he never let his pride get in the way of doing his job.

Other people in Lincoln's position would have come to Washington with something to prove. They'd have resented the insults and tried to disprove them. They'd have tried to seize power and credit, rejected help, spent a lot of time trying to reach a certain level of respect.

Lincoln's response to, "You're just a backwoods lawyer with no executive experience who makes too many dumb jokes," was pretty much always, "Yeah. And?" He had no interest in petty personal power plays. He had a country to run. There was a war on. It didn't matter what people thought of him so long as the job got done.

He was aware of his personal shortcomings and was always willing to accept advice and help from people who had more knowledge and experience in certain areas. He presided over a chaotic Cabinet full of abrasive personalities who thought they were better and smarter than him, but he kept working with them because they could get the job done. For example: Stanton was absolutely horrible to him when they were both working as lawyers. Just incredibly mean on a personal level. But when Lincoln needed someone to replace Cameron, he swallowed his pride and appointed Stanton as Secretary of War, where Stanton proceeded to be mean to everyone in the world, but he whipped that department into shape and kept it running efficiently through a very chaotic war. Pretty much no one except Lincoln would have been able to put up with that. He could put up with people who were personally difficult if they could do the job he needed them to do--which he was only able to do because his own ego didn't get in the way.

Lincoln's example is a prime demonstration of how humility isn't underrating yourself--it's being so secure in your own abilities and identity that you don't need to attack anyone or defend yourself to prove your worth. He knew his shortcomings, but he also knew his strengths. He was willing to give other people credit for successes and take blame upon himself for failures if it kept things running smoothly. He was secure enough in his own power that he could deal generously--but firmly--with people who tried to undermine him. In a city full of huge egos, in a profession that rewards puffed-up pride, that levelheaded humility is an extremely rare trait--which is what made it so impressive and effective.

[shinobicyrus]

Hey, yanno how Climate Change is a real thing that is tangibly, at this moment, affecting our world?

Well it turns out, the wealthy and their investment firms have been seeing the mounting evidence that oil companies have had for decades and are slowly starting to think more long-term about their portfolios in the face of rising sea levels, more extreme weather, and the myriad of ways climate crises are affecting...well. Everything. Maybe this means they invest more into sustainability, green energy, building more resilient infrastructure, or carbon offsets. Some of it, of course, is simple corporate greenwashing, but there are those that are taking this trend and packaging it into something called ESG (Environmental, Social, and corporate Governance).

Now some people would say this is predictable, even sensible. Just the good ol’ Free Market(tm) rationally responding to market forces and a changing world.

But those people would be fools! Insidious fools! For conservative sorcerers have come out with a new cursed phrase to explain this new market trend: Woke Investing.

What makes this investing “woke?” Well, much like how conservatives normally flounder when trying to define a word they stole from black people, “Woke Investing” essentially just means any kind of capital investment that they, the fossil fuel billionaire class and their sycophants, don’t personally profit from.

One of these aforementioned sycophants is Andy Puzder, conservative commentator, fellow at The Heritage Foundation, and former fast-food CEO. He calls this kind of so-called woke investing “socialism in sheep’s clothing,” further explaining in leaked audio of a closed-door meeting:

“My father's generation's challenge was the Nazis, who, by the way, were, of course, very proud socialists[citation fucking needed]. The challenge of my generation was the communists, who were, of course, very committed socialists. The challenge of your generation is ESG investing, and it's more insidious than communism or the Nazis.”(source)

You heard it here first, folks. Not investing as much in fossil fuels is more insidious than the Third Fucking Reich.

As usual, the Heritage Foundation is putting their petro-chemical donor’s money where their mouth is. Bills are being proposed to blacklist banks that don’t invest in key state industries, such as West Virginia coal or Texas oil. Fourteen states have already passed bills to restrict ESG-type investing, with Florida Governor Ron “Bullies Kids for Wearing Masks” Desantis leading the charge.

In other words, Climate Denial has reached such a point that so-called Free Market Conservatives who claim to hate big government are trying to make it illegal for banks, investment firms, and financial institutions to make any financial decisions that acknowledges Climate Change is real.

[samwisethewitch]

TW: This post contains explicit discussions of white supremacy and the alt-right, including mentions of racism and antisemitism.

One of my most impactful recent library reads was Sisters In Hate by Seyward Darby, and I want to take a moment to encourage other white Americans to check it out as we prepare for next years' presidential election and all the shit it's going to kick up.

Sisters In Hate is a book about the role of women in American white supremacist movements and specifically in the alt-right. Darby does a really excellent job of showing just how critical white women are to these hate movements. The book also gives us a detailed look at what radicalization looks like and how that process can be different for different genders.

The book is divided into three sections, each of which follows a real woman through her radicalization into the alt-right. I especially want to draw Tumblr's attention to the story of Ayla, a self-proclaimed "polyamorous, raw foodist-vegan, feminist, pagan" whose radicalization started in college with natural living and homebirth and ended with her running a popular tradwife blog and speaking at the Unite the Right rally.

I think a lot of leftists and liberals feel that we're too smart, or too educated, or too savvy to fall for white supremacist recruitment schemes. We are not. Intelligent, college-educated, left-leaning people are radicalized every day. Some of them are less overtly hateful, like your college friend who starts voting Republican in their 30s. Some of them are like Ayla, and their radicalization takes them all the way to the other end of the political spectrum until they're openly and genuinely calling for a white ethnostate with the same passion they once used to advocate for feminism, racial equity, and queer rights. And we need to remember that any one of us intelligent, college-educated, left-leaning white folks could be in her position, which is why it's so important to learn about radicalization tactics so we can recognize and resist them.

I'm not gonna lie -- this book is hard to read. The text contains racial slurs, white supremacist rhetoric, antisemitism, and anti-Black racism. All of this is condemned by the author, but Darby doesn't shy away from showing just how vile this movement is. I had to take a lot of breaks from this book and read it over several weeks, but I'm very glad I did because I feel like I needed this information.

White supremacist recruitment efforts are going to pick up in the next year, especially if Tr*mp is the Republican nominee for president. Stay informed and stay ready.

[favoritejohn]

NEWSFLASH: President Suh arrives in NYC 🗽

[quotespile]

Ultimately a hero is a man who would argue with the gods, and so awakens devils to contest his vision.

Norman Mailer, The Presidential Papers

[xumoonhao]

took out red white and royal blue or w/e the fuck its calked as an e book. i wanna see how bad it is

[tomorrowusa]

Never mind being president, Ron DeSantis is unfit to govern even 1 of the 50 states.

[myplasticadversary]

Placing my bet in the hat now that McLennon is going to have some kind of Destiel Nov 5 moment next year

[deadpresidents]

deadpresidents.tumblr.com/POTUS_Books

Okay, I finished the list of recommended books about each individual President! As, I've mentioned, I had to break it up into more installments than I had hoped because of Tumblr's weird limits, but I did it and it's on the internet now forever.

Although, I couldn't fit everything in one post, I did make a page (linked above) that has the links to each group of Presidents. That page of links is also linked on the homepage of my blog (deadpresidents.tumblr.com).

The list is not definitive. I'm sure I forgot some awesome books. I definitely got carried away with the more recent Presidents and couldn't limit myself to one or two suggestions, so I'll eventually go back and add more recommended books to the earlier Presidents.

deadpresidents.tumblr.com/POTUS_Books

[fictionadventurer]

If I were to write a serious history book, it'd probably be about the wife of a famous figure in American history. Every time I read about some Great Man, I always find myself fascinated by his wife there in the background--a hugely vital part of his life, with a front-row seat to all the history connected with him, often not able to engage with it directly but still having a huge impact on the people involved. Her entire life was shaped by whatever career her husband chose, but that doesn't mean she wasn't her own person--with her own thoughts and beliefs and opinions and interests--or that what she was doing wasn't important.

I'd make sure to respect her by keeping the focus, not on what she couldn't do, or what she'd have been able to do in modern times, but what she did do in the times that she lived in, because the things that women did were vital, even if they rarely got the spotlight. I'd want to spotlight it.

[ohimsummer]

one time in elementary school (5th grade) I got in trouble and the teacher said I couldn’t go to recess but I was like “meh” bc i dgaf but then they also went “can’t go to the library this afternoon either”. and u might as well have just kicked my fucking kneecaps in bc it would’ve been the same pain

[thebongomediaempire]

It takes a true dimwit to make an already terrible war into an unbearable hell on earth... But, that's what happens when you have a draft.

[bargainsleuthbooks]

The Old Lion: A Novel of Theodore Roosevelt by Jeff Shaara #ARC #BookReview #StMartinsPress #NetGalley

I know a lot about #TheodoreRoosevelt so I was curious about an upcoming #HistoricalFiction book, #TheOldLion by #JeffShaara. How much was right and how much was exaggerated? You'd be surprised. #NetGalley #ARC #BookReview #TeddyRoosevelt #USPresident

In one of his most accomplished, compelling novels yet, acclaimed New York Times bestseller Jeff Shaara accomplishes what only the finest historical fiction can do – he brings to life one of the most consequential figures in U.S. history – Theodore Roosevelt – peeling back the many-layered history of the man, and the country he personified. From the mid-nineteenth century to the early twentieth…

[laguettler]

[bookloveravenue]

Frat Wars (book 3): Presidential Chaos by Saxon James

Two houses. Two Presidents. One hell of a happy ending.

Zeke

Being President of a frat house means everything is on my shoulders. Idiot brothers, epic pranks, a list of organizational duties long enough to make my eyes bleed. None of it fazes me. But senior year is almost over, and I’m ready to take a step back. Until the hazing rumors start. I might not know where they’re coming from, but I know they’re total BS. Now, instead of dialing back the stress, we’ve broken the number one rule on the row: Don’t get the dean’s attention. I need to find out who’s driving the lies. And all evidence points to one person.

Charles

I never wanted to become Kappa President. The appointment was made easier, though, when none other than Zeke Ariston took over Sigma house. I’ve always been … drawn to him. Fascinated. And maybe a little attracted too. Pity I’ve never been more than an afterthought to him. But when rumors start to circulate about hazing, and the sources lead back to my house, it puts me square on Zeke’s radar. I want to help him get to the bottom of it all. And with his attention finally on me, I want to tell him how I feel.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60674303-frat-wars

********

February 18, 2023

My Review: 5/5 Stars

As the presidents of the rivaling frat houses, Charles and Zeke are known to exchange heated words whenever a prank by the other house occurs. Or more like Zeke loves when Charles turns into a red faced spitfire while Zeke plays it cool and enjoys the view of a riled up Charles. It's no secret that these two will protect their houses and face against one another. But what no one knows is that these two have been secretly hooking up at times when the they can actually manage to get away for a quiet and in the dark hook up. They act like they are strangers, but things cross the lines and names are said, the game changes. But that isn't all. No, someone is targeting Zeke's frat house. And though it may point to Charles's at first, Zeke is quick to strike him off the list. Instead, he asks for help. Together, they'll have to piece together is out causing chaos and giving the Greek houses a bad name before they get shut down for good. All the while, the feelings that these two have for one another are about to become harder and harder to resist. For Charles, he has always had a crush on Zeke. And when Zeke agreed to hook ups, he knew it would be both an amazing and terrible thing. But he can't resist Zeke, who gets him tongue tied and actually seems to like him and want to be with him. A future may not be possible but he won't turn away from Zeke. For Zeke, falling for Charles is a slow and steady start that morphs into something passionate and suddenly hard to resist. It's like he finally gives himself a chance to open his eyes to what is in front of him instead of the future of being in the Olympics for swimming. He never wandered from his goal, but for the first time, he sees something beside the gold and wants it. Badly. I adored these two. They were so sweet and their chemistry was great. You can't help but cheer for them to find a way to be together. Probably my favorite of the trilogy. This was definitely a fun series!