Books

Belinda Bradburn

Professional I

What is the best book on American presidential history?

September 19, 2011 6:13 AM PDT · Flag · 6 answers

Frank McPartland

Specialist III

The Complete Illustrated Guide to the Presidents of America: An aut...

The Complete Illustrated Guide to the Presidents of America: An authoritative history of the American presi...

This unparalleled illustrated reference book is a fascinating guide to the 43 statesmen that have held the highest-ranking political office in the United States' government. read more...

Nice pics and facts about EVERY American president. Great for becoming familiar with these great men of American history.

✔ Highest voted answer

Reply · Send thanks · posted 243 days ago · 10 people agree

Bobby Alistair-Hicks

Specialist III

George Washington (The American Presidents Series)

A premier leadership scholar and an eighteenth-century expert define the special contributions and qualifications of our first president Revolutionary hero, founding president, and first citizen of the young republic, George Washington was the mos... read more...

This is a pretty good read on George Washington... it's one of many books in "The American Presidents' series.
It's sort of a general overview of his life and presidency, and has a lot of interesting facts, stories and discussions about our nation's first president. It's well written and researched, and I learned a lot of neat stuff.
Something I didn't like about it is that it wasn't particularly interesting or different compared to other writings I've read on president Washington. It wasn't bad or boring, but it lacked passion and deep insight. It doesn't dig very deep into his mind or motives or anything.
But it does present a lot of facts and is historically accurate, and for that I am thankful.

Reply · Send thanks · posted 243 days ago · 8 people agree

Kristin Walden

Professional I

The History Buff's Guide to the Presidents (Key People, Places, and...

The History Buff's Guide to the Presidents (Key People, Places, and Events)

Americans have named schools, counties, rivers, cities, and even their own children after U.S. presidents. Their work is in our laws, their words adorn our monuments, and their countenances appear in a trillion places (mostly on our currency). As ... read more...

this is a cool book and it is exactly what i was looking for... it's like a trivia guide to the presidents. like if you were on Cash Cab and they asked one question about a president, the answer would probably be in this book.
it lays out timelines and chronologically ordered facts and pictures to help you gain an overview of our presidents.
great coffee table book. fun to know these random facts.... i mean come on, these are the men that helped create this wonderful country! gotta show a little respect.

Reply · Send thanks · posted 243 days ago · 4 people agree

Becca Hansen

Specialist I

The Greatest Presidential Stories Never Told: 100 Tales from Histor...

The Greatest Presidential Stories Never Told: 100 Tales from History to Astonish, Bewilder, and Stupefy

What most of us don't know about our presidents could fill a book—and this just happens to be that book! From the archives of The History Channel® comes a treasure trove of quirky presidential history that will truly astonish, bewilder, and stupe... read more...

I actually own a couple really interesting Presidential history books but this one was the most intriguing. It seemed a little less history and more story. Did you know Jimmy Carter claimed to have seen a UFO? Did you know that counterfeiters tried to steel Lincoln's body? Some of it is very strange, very interesting, but all of it is fascinating. It's definitely a must read.

Reply · Send thanks · posted 243 days ago · 1 person agrees

Lance Reynolds

Specialist III

Fortunate Son: George W. Bush and the Making of an American President

This new edition of the candid and controversial biography of George W. Bush offers an incisive look at Bush’s questionable military history, disastrous business ventures, and the issues surrounding the 2000 presidential election. New essays and i... read more...

I'm throwing this out there not to be controversial, but because it is a very interesting read that everyone - Bush fans or otherwise - should read. Has a lot of very controversial topics from cocaine use to Iraq disasters. One moment you love him and the next you're wondering, do the same rules that apply to most americans not apply to George W?
Very interesting stuff, well researched and presented.

Reply · Send thanks · posted 243 days ago · 1 person agrees

Cassandra Valentino

Specialist II

For the President's Eyes Only: Secret Intelligence and the American...

For the President's Eyes Only: Secret Intelligence and the American Presidency from Washington to Bush

From the co-author of KGB: The Inside Story and an acknowledged authority on the subject comes "the most important book ever written about American intelligence."--David Kahn, author of The Codebreakers and Hitler's Spies read more...

This book is absolutely fascinating! A must read if you love American history. It is about how our leaders influenced and shaped our secret American intelligence agencies. Interesting to see the roll each president played in the integration and development of these agencies, as well as how they affected the presidents.
i love espionage and intelligence stuff, I find it so interesting! This book is so cool I highly suggest it.

Reply · Send thanks · posted 243 days ago · 1 person agrees

Voting Summary

1.	The Complete Illustrated Guide to the President...	35% agree
2.	George Washington (The American Presidents Series)	29% agree
3.	The History Buff's Guide to the Presidents (Key...	16% agree
4.	For the President's Eyes Only: Secret Intellige...	6% agree
5.	Fortunate Son: George W. Bush and the Making of...	6% agree