Critical Essays on American Presidents

Explore the Greatness of American Presidents

Want to know what makes a president great? Look no further than The American Presidents. This collection of articles is the ideal resource for students, scholars, and the general public looking to analyze and evaluate the presidential careers of the men who have held the office since 1789. This volume features insights from leading presidential historians in the United States, offering perspectives on what makes a president great, mediocre, or something in between.

In The American Presidents, contributors were tasked with evaluating their subjects, rather than writing straightforward biographies. Each author approached their subject in a way that best illustrated the strengths and weaknesses of the president under consideration, without strict patterns imposed by the editor. Despite their differences, all forty-one presidents who have held office were exceptional men in one way or another. Even presidents usually associated with representing the common folk, like Andrew Jackson and Harry Truman, were nothing short of extraordinary and singular politicians, able to lead and represent the country through the challenges of their times.

Some presidents, like Ulysses Grant and Herbert Hoover, achieved brilliance in other fields but had presidencies considered unsuccessful. The book explores the seeming paradox of how insight, sensitivity, and competence can suddenly become nontransferable when a man reaches the White House, offering multiple perspectives on this and other issues.

In examining the ways in which challenges affect presidential greatness, the book highlights Theodore Roosevelt's awareness that the prosperity and peace during his presidency ironically prevented him from achieving the greatness enjoyed by Washington and Lincoln. The book also discusses how the personal characteristics of the president, from the patrician aloofness of Washington to the moody introspection of Lincoln to the noisy exuberance of Theodore Roosevelt, have affected their performance.

The American Presidents also includes special features such as 41 signed essays by leading experts, illustrated with portraits of the presidents, selected bibliographies, at-a-glance summaries of each president's achievements, useful charts and tables on cabinet members, first ladies, and vice presidents from Washington to Clinton, as well as addresses and websites for major presidential libraries. With all of these features, the collection provides a comprehensive exploration of the greatness of American presidents.

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