Book Review: The Autobiography of Calvin Coolidge

           In My Top Ten President “Biographies” I included “Coolidge” by Amity Shlaes. As a follow-up Ms. Shlaes has worked with Matthew Denhart to produce an annotated version of Calvin Coolidge’s autobiography. I recommend reading this version of his autobiography.

            As originally written, Coolidge makes several references that make it difficult to fully understand the context of what he is writing about. Shlaes and Denhart do a nice job of explaining the more arcane entries without going overboard with footnotes and commentary. In this way, they allow the 30th President’s narrative to flow smoothly and for the reader to focus on enjoying and getting to know Coolidge.

            This not a long work. Indeed, the autobiography can be read in about 3 hours. So, it is at the opposite end of the spectrum from Bill Clinton’s “My Life” which weighs in at about 1000 pages. This seems wholly appropriate when comparing and contrasting the notoriously taciturn Coolidge with the, uh, loquacious Clinton.

            Coolidge’s book is not what I would call a page-turner. His style, as one would expect, is simple and direct. Without seeming overly focused on posterity, Coolidge comfortably transports the reader back to a time when politics seemed more honorable, less partisan and, almost innocent. I did find myself vacillating between thinking Coolidge was genuinely in awe of the fact that he, of all people, ended up in the White House versus speculating that he was extremely cagey behind a façade of New England country boy. Undoubtedly, the truth was somewhere in the middle, as always.

            Irrespective of his true nature, Coolidge delivered a succinct portrait of his life. His narrative is, to be sure, filled with plenty of bromides regarding the American Dream, the importance of hard work, the necessity of thrift, etc. but it also delivers some beautiful or insightful prose that is unusual in the realm of Presidential biography. For example, his description of his mother and her early death moved me to tears not only because of the subject, but because of the imagery he invoked.

            He discusses the moral aspect of not attacking an opponent but also highlights the practical political strategy of not providing a platform for his adversary when he advocates “a silence which avoids creating a situation where one would otherwise not exist, and the bad taste and the danger of arousing animosities and advertising an opponent by making any attack on him.” Since Coolidge appears to never have lost an election, modern politicians might consider his approach…

            While Coolidge was not immune to lapses of ego, he made it clear that humility is critical to a successful Presidency. “When a man begins to feel that he is the only one who can lead in this republic, he is guilty of treason to the spirit of our institutions.” He may not have been perfect but he appears to have spent little time boasting of his accomplishments as has become all too common among our leaders.

            Surprisingly, Coolidge spends very little time on the actual events of his Presidency. Instead, and of more value, there is a full chapter where he details the duties and the typical day of the President. He clearly was a master of “work-life balance.” His list of daily activities is almost exhausting standing alone but the list is interspersed with tips for delegation and personal renewal. One gets the impression that being busy was more second nature than burden for Coolidge.

            As I said about Amity Shlaes’ biography of Coolidge, it is no mean feat to make Coolidge interesting because he seemed so committed to not being of great interest. But, like Ms. Shlaes’ work, his autobiography captures a President that a lot of us would like to see come around again.

            Finally, I share my favorite passage from Coolidge’s autobiography and one of my favorite passages from any Presidential inaugural speech.

From his autobiography, he writes about politicians, singling out neither Republicans or Democrats:

“Although I have been associated with it for many years, I always found difficulty in understanding [the political mind]. It is a strange mixture of vanity and timidity, of an obsequious attitude at one time and a delusion of grandeur at another time, of the most selfish preferment combined with the most sacrificing patriotism. The political mind is the product of men in public life who have been twice spoiled. They have been spoiled with praise and spoiled with abuse. With them nothing is natural, everything is artificial. A few rare souls escape these influences and maintain a vision and a judgment unimpaired. They are a great comfort to every President and a great service to their country. But they are not sufficient in number so that public business can be transacted like a private business.”

From his 1925 inaugural speech, also written by Coolidge (he was one of the last Presidents to write his own speeches). : 

“I favor the policy of economy, not because I wish to save money, but because I wish to save people. The men and women of this country who toil are the ones who bear the cost of the Government. Every dollar that we carelessly waste means that their life will be so much the more meager. Every dollar that we prudently save means that their life will be so much the more abundant. Economy is idealism in its most practical form.

If extravagance were not reflected in taxation, and through taxation both directly and indirectly injuriously affecting the people, it would not be of so much consequence. The wisest and soundest method of solving our tax problem is through economy. Fortunately, of all the great nations this country is best in a position to adopt that simple remedy. We do not any longer need wartime revenues. The collection of any taxes which are not absolutely required, which do not beyond reasonable doubt contribute to the public welfare, is only a species of legalized larceny. Under this republic the rewards of industry belong to those who earn them. The only constitutional tax is the tax which ministers to public necessity. The property of the country belongs to the people of the country. Their title is absolute. They do not support any privileged class; they do not need to maintain great military forces; they ought not to be burdened with a great array of public employees. They are not required to make any contribution to Government expenditures except that which they voluntarily assess upon themselves through the action of their own representatives. Whenever taxes become burdensome a remedy can be applied by the people; but if they do not act for themselves, no one can be very successful in acting for them.

The time is arriving when we can have further tax reduction, when, unless we wish to hamper the people in their right to earn a living, we must have tax reform. The method of raising revenue ought not to impede the transaction of business; it ought to encourage it. I am opposed to extremely high rates, because they produce little or no revenue, because they are bad for the country, and, finally, because they are wrong. We can not finance the country, we can not improve social conditions, through any system of injustice, even if we attempt to inflict it upon the rich. Those who suffer the most harm will be the poor. This country believes in prosperity. It is absurd to suppose that it is envious of those who are already prosperous. The wise and correct course to follow in taxation and all other economic legislation is not to destroy those who have already secured success but to create conditions under which every one will have a better chance to be successful. The verdict of the country has been given on this question. That verdict stands. We shall do well to heed it.

These questions involve moral issues. We need not concern ourselves much about the rights of property if we will faithfully observe the rights of persons. Under our institutions their rights are supreme. It is not property but the right to hold property, both great and small, which our Constitution guarantees. All owners of property are charged with a service. These rights and duties have been revealed, through the conscience of society, to have a divine sanction. The very stability of our society rests upon production and conservation. For individuals or for governments to waste and squander their resources is to deny these rights and disregard these obligations. The result of economic dissipation to a nation is always moral decay.”

The NY, NJ and DC Presidents outdoor tour

I decided to do a tour of President sites as well as spending some time in the Library of Congress to do research for the sequel to A Presidents Story. The Library of Congress was great and the librarians there were very helpful. Unfortunately, the other sites were still not allowing visitors indoors so I strolled the grounds of several places (in the record setting East Coast heat!). I’ve included some pictures below.

First Presidents stop was in the cemetery in Menands, New York to see Chester Alan Arthur’s grave. As happens so often with these more obscure Presidents, it took a bit of searching to finally find the grave tucked away in a remote corner.

The plot for Arthur’s wife “Nell” and children. There are not a lot of pictures of Nell Arthur particularly since she died before her husband became President. But, based on the pictures that are out there, I suspect she was one of the prettier Presidential wives. Looked a bit like Olivia de Havilland in Gone with the Wind.

Lindenwald, Martin Van Buren’s home near Kinderhook, New York. This was the most disappointing to not be allowed inside, particularly since Van Buren figured so prominently in A Presidents Story. The comment I probably received more than any other on the book was “Wow, I want to read more about Van Buren!”

A section of the Old Post Road which was apparently a main thoroughfare in Upstate New York in those days. Lindenwald sat strategically next to the road which led many traveling politicians to stop off, pay their respects and share a bit of gossip with Van Buren.

FDR’s place at Hyde Park. I don’t know what the inside looks like but the outside appears due for some upkeep. The grounds are beautiful, however.

Franklin and Eleanor.

Apparently there was a spectacular view of the river from this spot just off the side of the main residence…until FDR got done planting 300 trees that grew…a lot.

The family dogs apparently share space near FDR and Eleanor at the plot shown above.

The stables at Hyde Park. I’m sure there were a lot of political jokes at this poor horse’s expense.

FDR and Churchill outside the first Presidential Library which, again, was not open. The graffiti covered cut outs are from the Berlin Wall after the Iron Curtain fell.

It was a Roosevelt day as I moved on to Sagamore Hill and Teddy Roosevelt’s place. Like Hyde Park, the setting was beautiful.

Nope, the inside of the house was closed here as well. But, I did find one window that didn’t have the shades drawn. This is what passes for a bootleg for a Presidents geek.

As near as I can tell, Teddy wasn’t one for sitting on porches and enjoying the view but, he definitely had the option at Sagamore Hill.

Like John Tyler, TR had a section set aside as a cemetery for family pets. I don’t know what else but there appears to have been a couple small dogs and at least one whole horse buried here.

TR’s grave is just down the road from Sagamore Hill. It’s a nice plot befitting a President but, as you would expect with him, it’s a robust climb to get to…particularly when it’s 98 degrees out.

Stopped in Princeton, New Jersey to see Grover Cleveland, his wife and daughter Ruth’s graves. Legend has it that Baby Ruth candy bars were named for his daughter who was born while he was President.

This was one of the all time great bonus discoveries. About 50 yards from President Cleveland and family, there was Aaron Burr!

Westland Mansion in Princeton is privately owned now but it was the home of Grover Cleveland after he was President.

This was one of the homes where Woodrow Wilson lived when he was teaching at Princeton. It too is private. I felt a little creepy sneaking around taking pictures of people’s homes but I suspect I was not the first.

I did a quick stop in Philadelphia and did the Independence Hall/Liberty Bell thing. I really liked that George Washington’s chair was the only piece of furniture that remained from the big events at Independence Hall.

Wilson’s home in DC after he left the Presidency. Again, not open but nice neighborhood. It’s near the embassies which is a great area if you have not been. Wilson is buried in the National Cathedral in DC that is also still closed…and they wouldn’t let me get close enough to take a picture through the window.

William Howard Taft’s grave at Arlington Cemetery. As I always say, if he didn’t exceed his Mama’s expectations by being both President and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, she was a hard woman.

Finally, the other reason for this trip was to see the Washington Nationals play in their home park. I’ve now seen all but one team play in their home park. But I had no idea that the Nationals mascots were George, Thomas, Abe and Teddy. Almost too much fun for one Presidents/Baseball enthusiast to absorb in one go.

Book Review: A. Lincoln by Ronald C. White

Over 15,000 books have been written about Abraham Lincoln. Around ten have been written about Martin Van Buren, give or take five. This disparity is part of the reason I wrote A Presidents Story. I wanted to shine a light on those Presidents that might, at best, have been mentioned in your U.S. History class on that one day devoted to what happened between Washington and the Revolution, on the one hand, and Lincoln and the Civil War, on the other. Through the internet, I have been heartened to discover that there are other Presidential history nerds like myself out there, but our numbers are not legion. We all share a curiosity about those Presidents that received little attention from historians or history teachers.

That said, there is no denying that Lincoln is a fascinating figure who served at a critical juncture in U.S. history. I have collected some Lincoln biographies and have read several books on the Civil War (including Freedom by William Safire which I highly recommend). Anyone else who has the slightest scholarly tendencies has read similar books. In short, I was not looking for another Lincoln biography to read, particularly when my list of biographies of other Presidents remains daunting.

Then I read American Ulysses by Ronald C. White. As I said in my Top Ten List of President Biographies, I loved it. White’s other significant work before his biography of Grant was A. Lincoln. After picking the book up several times, I decided White’s work on Grant earned an expectation that I would at least try reading his work on Lincoln.

A. Lincoln may be better than American Ulysses. I am not sure I learned anything particularly new about Lincoln but White really is a gifted biographer and writer. He has a talent for finding interesting material on his subject and weaving it into a compelling story that proceeds at a comfortable pace and never bogs down in the minutiae of a life. Lincoln’s shortcomings are developed to ground him in humanity but, in the process, the 16th President becomes more heroic rather than less.

I respect Lincoln because of the difficulty of the time in which he served and, I believe, he tried his best to accommodate many competing considerations. But, like all of us, he was not perfect. His suspension of habeas corpus was not his finest hour and there are valid arguments that his approach to the war may have cost many more lives than necessary. Hindsight is 20/20 but, even excluding those animated by racism, it is fair to question whether Lincoln’s tactics consigned us to 100 years of civil rights abuses that were little better than slavery itself or whether the process could only be hastened by the War and the Emancipation Proclamation.

A. Lincoln does not set out to resolve these questions. Instead, White gives us a much fuller understanding of who Lincoln was, how he was influenced and how he went about addressing problems. Much like I tried to do with the lesser known Presidents in A Presidents Story, White gives the Civil War and Lincoln’s assassination their due but the book truly shines when discussing the lesser known moments in Lincoln’s life and career. I finished the book still pondering whether Lincoln made the right calls as President but having a greater appreciation for what it was about his past that caused him to reach the decisions he made.

Ultimately, I concluded that Ronald White has not used his platform in A. Lincoln or American Ulysses to make me more or less of a fan of either of his subjects. He held my interest in order to make me more informed. I can take it from there.

A Quick Trip to LBJ's Ranch

Kay and I did a whirlwind trip to Texas to see friends and family. My sister and brother-in-law had the delightful idea of driving over to see LBJ’s ranch near Johnson City while we were in the Hill Country.

LBJ’s collection of signed pictures from his predecessors. I would like to have this very much.

LBJ and family gravesites. True to form, LBJ’s stone is just a bit higher than the rest.

The reconstructed home where LBJ was born. With an open hall right down the middle, it’s an interesting design and probably makes sense given the Hill Country heat.

It was cold that day but there were some glimpses of Spring’s coming attractions.

The Amphicar. Apparently LBJ had a habit of failing to tell guests that the drive he was taking them on would include a drive across Lake LBJ. That was usually when the meaning of the name of the car would dawn on them.

The Ranch House. LBJ would often have cabinet meetings under the large tree on the left. Given his reputation for not honoring personal space, I suspect his cabinet members enjoyed his outdoor meetings more than being confined within four walls with him. LBJ would have been a social distancing nightmare.

Happy Presidents Day! A Couple More Good Biographies

I am busy doing research for another book but that doesn’t mean I am not still reading new Presidential Biographies. I have read a couple of good ones recently. “Wilson” by A. Scott Berg came out in 2013. Berg’s book takes a thorough look at Woodrow Wilson and, because it is even-handed, has all the marks of real history. Wilson was not the typical career politician who slogged his way through multiple offices to become President. He was an academic for the vast majority of his career. This makes for an interesting contrast with how other Presidents approached the office. I have read about Wilson’s battle for the League of Nations enough times that that portion of the book dragged a bit for me but, otherwise, I found “Wilson” to be well worth the effort.

“Richard Nixon: The Life” by John A. Farrell came out in 2017 and is an excellent treatment of Nixon. The only biography I had read on Nixon prior to this was Nixon’s autobiography which was a little sad for all of its defensiveness. Farrell provides a balanced look at Nixon, truly fleshing out the man’s talents and exposing his deep flaws. In the process, he provides a road map of how a bipartisan impeachment comes about and why Nixon knew that he would not survive a trial in the Senate, prompting his resignation. “Richard Nixon: The Life” is that rare biography that informs but manages to double as high drama. I really liked this one.

A Few President Sites in London and the South

Did a recent trip to London to see family and then to the South to hit a few new baseball stadiums. I can’t help stopping at Presidential sites when they’re close by.

I was surprised to see this on a side street in London. I’m pretty sure his residency here was very short. As described in A Presidents Story, Van Buren did a brief stint as Jackson’s Minister to Great Britain while he was manipulating John Calhoun out of Jackson’s favor.

FDR and Churchill sharing a laugh in Central London.

Jimmy Carter’s Museum and Library in Atlanta. There is a fair amount of construction going on currently so you might want to hold off rushing for a visit. It’s worth visiting though. The Museum and Library are pretty basic and not particularly exciting but it is in one of the prettiest settings I’ve been to for a Presidential site. In the summer at least there is a nice outdoor market. Georgia peaches are justifiably famous.

They have one of the more faithful reproductions of the Oval Office I’ve run across.

I admit to being a bit of a Rosalynn Carter fan.

Always cool to see how big historic moments start simply.

FDR’s “Little White House” in Warm Springs, Georgia. He first started going here to “take the baths” on the theory that it might help him with his polio induced paralysis.

They have a nice museum there. Despite being paralyzed from the waist down, FDR loved to drive and had hand operated cars manufactured for that purpose.

FDR died at the Little White House.

The Little White House is one of those sites that I highly recommend. It is little changed from when FDR passed away which I always find very interesting and remarkable.

Book Review: The Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant

            Lillian Cunningham is a reporter for the Washington Post. By her own admission, she is not a Presidential scholar but that did not stop her from hosting a 44 week podcast called “Presidential.” I listened to the entire podcast and decided that there is something to the idea that if you want to learn about something in depth, teach it. It took Lillian’s lack of preconception to allow her to portray each President in a refreshing way. For example, each week Lillian would ask the question “What could I expect if I was set up on a blind date with this President?” Sounds hokey but it actually turned out to be a brilliant question for opening up a conversation about the personality and character of each President. For people without an in depth knowledge of the Presidents, “Presidential” is an accessible introduction to the subject. 

            Each week Lillian would have 2 or 3 guests who would help her tell the story of the President being discussed that week. Usually, the guests were noted experts like David McCullough or other prominent biographers as well as subject matter specialists from the Library of Congress. For Ulysses S. Grant, however, Lillian did not have a guest who had particular expertise on Grant but, as I recall, a couple Post reporters with knowledge of the Civil War and Reconstruction. These guests agreed ahead of their appearance that it would be helpful to read Grant’s Memoirs. It was their comments on that podcast that led me to read the Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant. I have had a copy of the memoirs for several years but have never been able to bring myself to dive in. I am glad I finally did.

            Grant wrote his memoirs during his race against cancer with the hope that his story would provide financial security for his wife. Published by Mark Twain after Grant’s death, the book was, to say the least, a bestseller. It more than accomplished his goal of securing Julia Grant’s future. 

            As I have said previously, while I love Presidential history, I am not much of a military historian. Grant’s memoirs are almost entirely a recounting of his service in the Mexican and Civil Wars. His Presidency is not discussed. Notwithstanding this, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed Grant’s writing and description of events. I admit to skimming over a few of the minor battles particularly since I recently read Ronald White’s excellent biography of Grant where he deals with Grant’s military exploits in some depth. 

            Grant was a fascinating if unlikely military hero. As he makes clear, he was not enthused about attending West Point. When his father told him he was going to go to the military academy he responded that he would not. His father replied that he thought Ulysses would and, if he thought so, then Ulysses better think so too. The lines of authority in families were a little clearer then.

            After West Point, Grant hoped to do his minimum service and then get out of the military. Unfortunately, the Mexican War disrupted that plan. While Grant thought that war was an unjust war that the United States should be ashamed of provoking, he does appear to have enjoyed his time in Mexico. His description of his life south of the border is rife with interesting details and humorous anecdotes. And it undoubtedly played a significant role in preparing him for his star turn in the Civil War or, as he referred to it, “the rebellion.”

           “My experience in the Mexican War was of great advantage to me afterwards. Besides the many practical lessons it taught, the war brought nearly all the officers of the regular army together so as to make them personally acquainted…Graduating in 1843, I was at the military academy from one to four years with all cadets who graduated between 1840 and 1846—seven classes. These classes embraced more than fifty officers who afterwards became generals on one side or the other in the rebellion…The acquaintance thus formed was of immense service to me in the war of the rebellion—I mean what I learned of the characters of those to whom I was afterwards opposed…The natural disposition of most people is to clothe a commander of a large army whom they do not know, with almost superhuman abilities. A large part of the National Army, for instance, and most of the press of the country, clothed General Lee with just such qualities, but I had known him personally, and knew that he was mortal; and it was just as well that I felt this.”

            Ultimately, Grant did get out of the military and pursued a variety of vocations, all of which were unmitigated failures. He had no longing to return to the military but felt a responsibility to serve the Union when the Civil War broke out. Over half the book details his rise to leadership of the Union Army. 

            An example of the clarity of Grant’s narrative is his explanation of the importance of Vicksburg to the Union Army. While I obviously learned a bit about the battle for Vicksburg in school and have even visited the cemetery at Vicksburg, one paragraph from Grant was all it took to illuminate why he was determined to take Vicksburg.

            “Vicksburg was important to the enemy because it occupied the first high ground coming close to the river below Memphis. From there a railroad runs east, connecting with other roads leading to all points of the Southern States. A railroad also starts from the opposite side of the river, extending west as far as Shreveport, Louisiana. Vicksburg was the only channel, at the time…connecting the parts of the Confederacy divided by the Mississippi. So long as it was held by the enemy, the free navigation of the river was prevented. Hence its importance.”

            Unlike the Mexican War, Grant had no reservations about the cause he was fighting for in the Civil War:

            “There was no time during the rebellion when I did not think…that the South was to be more benefited by its defeat than the North. The latter had the people, the institutions, and the territory to make a great and prosperous nation. The former was burdened with an institution abhorrent to all civilized people not brought up under it, and one which degraded labor, kept it in ignorance , and enervated the governing class. With the outside world at war with this institution, they could not have extended their territory. The labor of the country was not skilled, nor allowed to become so. The whites could not toil without becoming degraded, and those that did were denominated “poor white trash.” The system of labor would have soon exhausted the soil and left the people poor. The non-slaveholders would have left the country, and the small slaveholders must have sold out to his more fortunate neighbor. Soon the slaves would have outnumbered the masters, and, not being in sympathy with them, would have risen in their might and exterminated them. The war was expensive to the South as well as to the North, both in blood and treasure, but it was worth all the cost.”

            Several of the Presidents in A Presidents Story believed that slavery would run its course and not be able to survive economic reality. In the quote above, Grant appears to have held the same belief which leads one to question whether the war really was worth the cost of over 600,000 lives (almost more than all other United States wars combined). Combined with constitutionally questionable restrictions on civil liberties, the necessity and prosecution of the war is certainly, at a minimum, debatable. Grant’s response to this concern was given in his characteristically frank assessment of the Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton:

            [Mr. Stanton] never questioned his own authority, and…always did in war time what he wanted to do. He was an able constitutional lawyer and jurist; but the Constitution was not an impediment to him while the war lasted. In this latter particular I entirely agree with the view he evidently held. The Constitution was not framed with a view to any such rebellion as that of 1861-1865. While it did not authorize rebellion it made no provision against it. Yet the right to resist or suppress rebellion is as inherent as the right of self-defence, and as natural as the right of an individual to preserve his life when in jeopardy. The Constitution was therefore in abeyance for the time being, so far as it in any way affected the progress and termination of the war.”

Suffice it to say that Ulysses S. Grant was more of a “living document” than “originalist” type of guy when it came to interpretation of the Constitution.

            Perhaps the most striking aspect of the memoirs is Grant’s reflections on leadership. He is unsparing with those who he held in low esteem but that list never includes the soldiers that did the actual fighting under his direction (or, for that matter, the rank and file of the opposition). I thought the following was probably gratifying to those who served under him and who read his memoirs after he died:

            “The armies of Europe are machines: the men are brave and the officers capable; but the majority of the soldiers in most of the nations of Europe are taken from a class of people who are not very intelligent and who have little interest in the contest in which they are called upon to take part. Our armies were composed of men who were able to read, men who knew what they were fighting for, and could not be induced  to serve as soldiers, except in an emergency when the safety of the nation was involved, and so necessarily must have been more than equal to men who fought merely because they were brave and because they were thoroughly drilled and inured to hardships.”

            Grant’s final chapter was the only slightly disappointing moment in his memoirs. The conclusion was perplexing for a book that, up to that point, was reasonably linear, clear and compelling. While Grant begins the final chapter with an homage to the lofty goal of ending slavery as the need for the Civil War, he quickly veers to events in Mexico during the War Between the States. He criticizes European countries for attempting to influence and control Mexico while the United States was distracted with its own problems. While this was understandably annoying, it was not at all the expected final topic.

Ultimately, I concluded that Grant had three passions in his life: 

1. His wife, 

2. Preserving the Union through ending slavery, and 

3. Travel, particularly his time in the West and Mexico.  

Having thoroughly dealt with the first two through the writing and publishing of his memoirs, he must have felt the need to make one last plea on Mexico’s behalf to assuage his oft-stated guilt over the Mexican War. In any event, it was an odd finale.

If you enjoy military history conveyed through honest and, often, clever writing, Grant’s memoirs are for you. As mentioned previously, If you want a broader take on Grant, Ronald White’s American Ulysses is an excellent treatment.

Brad

The Ohio Presidents Tour

For a Presidents nerd such as myself, Ohio is Presidents Mecca. Eight Presidents were either born in Ohio or lived there a substantial part of their lives. Between our 17th President Andrew Johnson and our 28th President Woodrow Wilson, every President was either from Ohio or New York. The Presidents with Ohio connections were (by number):

9. William Henry Harrison

18. Ulysses S. Grant

19. Rutherford B. Hayes

20. James A. Garfield

23. Benjamin Harrison

25. William McKinley

27. William Howard Taft

29. Warren G. Harding

I decided to tour as many sites as I could for a week in addition to attending the Dayton Book Expo. I made it to sites for each of these Presidents with the exception of Grant. Here are some pictures:

This is Rutherford B. Hayes’ home in Fremont, Ohio. It was called Spiegel Grove. They did not allow picture taking inside the house which was unfortunate because most of the furnishings are original from when Hayes and his family lived in the house. It started as a 4000 square foot house but eventually was 21,000 square feet. One of my favorite President homes ever.

President Hayes was buried a short walk from the house. Despite winning one of the most controversial elections in our history, he appears to have still enjoyed a reputation for high integrity. After he left office he and his wife continued to serve for many worthy causes. If he had lived a hundred years later he would have been known as a civil rights activist.

This was too good to resist, particularly for an old BP hand. Hayes’ birthplace in Delaware, Ohio hasn’t been given a real prominent display.

James Garfield’s home just outside of Cleveland in Mentor. They only give tours on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays so I was only able to walk around the perimeter. Garfield was quite an orator so, even though it was still unseemly for a candidate to openly campaign to be President, Garfield gave a lot of speeches from this front porch in 1880. It was the first of a series of “Front Porch Campaigns” for the next several elections. Wouldn’t it be nice to just go to the candidate’s house and hear him or her speak? Would save a lot of money and a lot of grandstanding I suspect…

This is William McKinley’s tomb in Canton, Ohio. It is apparently the largest monument for any of our Presidents. I was very surprised by this one.

A bit about McKinley. By all accounts, a really decent guy. I visited the Pro Football Hall of Fame while I was in Canton as well. I really like football but did find it a little sad that mine was the only car in the parking lot at the McKinley Memorial but the Hall of Fame parking lot was packed.

McKinley was very devoted to his wife Ida who suffered from epilepsy. Legend has it that when she would have a seizure her husband would calmly throw a ‘kerchief over her head’ until the seizure abated. Sounded a bit cold to me but the contemporary accounts always seem to be touched by the whole display.

Warren G. Harding’s home in Marion, Ohio. It is closed for refurbishing but I braved the rain and cold to get this picture…just for you.

This is the monument to Harding in Marion. Again, I was surprised by the grandeur of this. Ohio makes a fuss over its Presidents.

Harding’s and his wife’s graves. He turned out to be less than savory in many ways so, again, I was surprised.

William Howard Taft’s childhood home in Cincinnati. They don’t have a lot of the original furnishings so I can’t say I recommend it highly. It may also have something to do with the fact that I managed to hit the house at the same time as a busload of senior citizens from upstate New York who were not nearly as curious about Taft as they were about where they were going to stop and eat next.

Taft is a favorite of mine. He was the only man to serve as President and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. If that didn’t make his Mama proud, she was a hard woman. I liked this early time lapse sequence of him finding out he had been nominated to run for President.

William Henry Harrison’s tomb at North Bend, Ohio. You will recall that Harrison died after only a month in office. This site is way out of the way but it’s a lovely spot.

I thought the entrance to the tomb was cool.

I find it amazing when one of the 44 people who have held our highest office is tucked away in a tomb that you really have to be looking for to find.

The view from Harrison’s tomb. This is standing in Ohio looking across the river at Kentucky. It reminded me of Alexis de Tocqueville’s vivid description of the stark contrast between free Ohio and slaveholding Kentucky during the 1840s. The passage is quoted in Part IV, Chapter 1 of A Presidents Story. Read it again—I think it’s one of the best arguments ever against slavery.

Finally, I visited Benjamin Harrison’s house in Indianapolis. Even though he was born and raised in Ohio, the 23rd President became a Hoosier. He was the grandson of William Henry Harrison.

Harrison collected canes. Apparently, they were considered quite a fashion accessory in the late 19th century, whether you needed one or not.

A local whittler made Harrison a cane with the face and name of every President that preceded Harrison carved into it. I wanted it.

Harrison’s home is another hidden treasure. The majority of the items in the house belonged to the Harrison family. This is the bed where both he and his first wife Caroline died. The guide said that Caroline died while Harrison was running for reelection in 1892. After she died, he suspended his campaign. Remarkably, his opponent Grover Cleveland suspended his campaign as well to show his respect for the First Lady. One of those “oh for the good old days” moments.

Harrison had an outstanding reputation in Indianapolis that was only tarnished late in life when he remarried. This is his second wife. It’s also his first wife Caroline’s sister’s daughter or, in other words, his niece. That was a bit creepy to me.

My last stop was to visit the cemetery in Indianapolis where President Harrison is buried. His first wife is on one side, his second wife (and niece) is on the other. Might be an awkward afterlife.

Nice Bit of Press for A Presidents Story

https://hooverbookreviews.wordpress.com/2019/04/02/a-presidents-story-by-brad-mckim/

My Top Ten President "Biographies"

Since A Presidents Story was published I have been asked by several people to name my favorite President biographies. I usually throw a few titles out but, given how many I have read and how many I have enjoyed, I am usually a little tongue-tied when I try to respond. I decided for this month’s update to settle on my “Top Ten.” I note, however, that if I had to name my top 20, numbers 11 through 20 would not be far behind the list below. I have also included two “bonus picks” that were indispensable to my research for and writing of A Presidents Story.

Inevitably, some people will wonder how I could leave off well known works like, e.g., David McCullough’s John Adams or Truman, Ronald Chernow’s Washington, Carl Sandburg’s books on Lincoln, Edmund Morris’ The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt or Dumas Malone’s series on Jefferson. While these books are all well done (and, in the case of Chernow’s book on Washington, extremely well written), I admit to preferring books about the lesser known Presidents (thus, my focus in A Presidents Story). Additionally, while I truly admire the depth and quality of the research that went into some of these “classics”, even I can find all the detail to be a bit of a grind. 

With that (click on each title to be linked to the Amazon page for that book),

 My Top Ten Biographies

 1.   Hoover: An Extraordinary Life in Extraordinary Times (2017) by Kenneth Whyte: Those who know me will not be surprised that a Herbert Hoover biography tops my list. I have probably read more biographies on Hoover than any other President. Eugene Lyons was the biographer who first brought Hoover to life for me and educated me on how much my U.S. History classes and the standard treatments of Hoover left out. Mr. Lyons was an unabashed Hoover fan as were many of the other biographers of Hoover (Coolidge’s and FDR’s biographers tend to not be as enamored with Hoover). Whyte’s recent book, however, is one of the most balanced biographies I have ever read. He does not shy away from describing Hoover’s faults and flaws but it is clear that Whyte warmed to his topic as his research progressed. By the end the author did a thorough job of objectively examining his subject and is still left in awe of the 31st President’s accomplishments over an “extraordinary life.” Finally, the quality of Whyte’s writing is such that this was the only time I remember getting choked up while reading a President’s biography.

 2.   Franklin Pierce: New Hampshire’s Favorite Son (2004), Volume 1 and Franklin Pierce: Martyr For the Union (2007), Volume 2 by Peter Wallner: Prior to 2004, it was almost 75 years since the last book on Franklin Pierce. When I saw that a new biography came out on Pierce, I was delighted because, up to that point, I only had a very small reprint of an old campaign biography. That little book allowed me to say I had biographies on all the Presidents but it was not exactly a scholarly work. The pleasant surprise was that Peter Wallner’s two volume biography of Pierce is excellent. It is a balanced treatment that dispels many myths about Pierce. Additionally, Wallner’s writing style is engaging and well-paced. As I allude to in A Presidents Story, Pierce was a bit of a tragic figure of unfulfilled potential. While the comparison is not perfect, the country was optimistic about the young, charismatic Pierce at the time of his election, much like it would be a little over a hundred years later at the election of JFK. Wallner details this phenomenon as well as Pierce’s fall from grace through circumstances largely beyond his control in a very readable but scholarly manner.

 3.   The Presidents Club: Inside the World’s Most Exclusive Fraternity (2012) by Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy: This is technically not a President’s biography and it probably does not even qualify as a scholarly work. Nonetheless, it is one of my favorites. The authors explore the relationships between the Presidents and their predecessors starting with Truman (and his relationship with Hoover) and running through the first couple years of Barack Obama’s term. It is fascinating to read about the unlikely alliances and surprising tensions between these men. The book brilliantly illustrates why the Presidency is the job that one has to have done to understand. 

 4.   Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President (2011) by Candice Millard: This book about the assassination of 20th President James A. Garfield is written and reads like a novel. But it is well researched and does an excellent job of not only telling a riveting tale but of illuminating Garfield, another man of great charisma whose election in 1880 buoyed a weary nation. Millard is a gifted historical writer who also wrote a gripping account of Theodore Roosevelt’s adventures in the Amazon after his Presidency in her book The River of Doubt.

 5.   American Ulysses: A Life of Ulysses S. Grant (2016) by Ronald C. White: I struggled for, literally, decades to find a good biography on Ulysses S. Grant. The wait turned out to be worth it when I read this recent work by White a couple years ago. White’s writing style is engaging and he has a talent for determining where going into greater detail will not cause him to lose the reader and knowing when to take note and move on. For me, shifting the view I have developed about a President over a lifetime of study is hard but White changed my perspective on Grant significantly. Probably somewhat to White’s dismay, Ron Chernow’s work on Grant came out shortly after American Ulysses and likely cost White some sales. I have not yet read Chernow’s book but I will and I expect it will be very good. But whether Chernow succumbed to the desire to demonstrate the depth of his research or, conversely, instills confidence in the reader that he is relaying the important stuff (as White did) remains to be seen.          

 6.   The Years of Lyndon Johnson: The Path to Power (1982), Means of Ascent (1990), Master of the Senate (2002), The Passage of Power (2012) by Robert Caro: Yes, this is really four books. Four long books. But Caro is a good writer and diligent researcher to say the least. The wonder of Caro’s work on LBJ is that he is able to organize his long, well-researched work into a compelling story that, at times, is very hard to put down. My childhood memories of Johnson as a slow speaking, somewhat taciturn person could not have been further from the reality of the man Caro describes. My main criticism is that Caro clearly embarked on this project because of his personal zeal for the Civil Rights Act that Johnson helped shepherd to passage. Because of this, at times Caro becomes so absorbed in the minutiae of the passage of the Act that he distracts from his usual well-paced writing. The second volume (Means of Ascent) was probably the weakest entry of the four books but, like the sixth Harry Potter book, was probably necessary to set up what came next. Caro is 83 and supposedly hard at work on the final volume that will cover LBJ’s Presidency and death. 

 7.   His Excellency: George Washington (2004) by Joseph J. Ellis: Joseph Ellis won the Pulitzer Prize for “Founding Brothers” which is his best known work. While I enjoyed “Brothers” and found his book on John Adams (“Passionate Sage”) reasonably interesting, neither of them caused me to want to go out and find more of his books. So I did not have high hopes for this relatively short book on the first President. Perhaps because of my belief that Washington stands head and shoulders above all our other Presidents, I may have been more favorably inclined toward the subject matter. At any rate, Ellis says in the preface that he set out to write an accessible work that would focus tightly on Washington’s character. He frames the task before him perfectly when he says “Benjamin Franklin was wiser than Washington; Alexander Hamilton was more brilliant; John Adams was better read; Thomas Jefferson was more intellectually sophisticated; James Madison was more politically astute. Yet each and all of these prominent figures acknowledged that Washington was their unquestioned superior…Why was that?” He answers the question adroitly and convincingly.

 8.   A Time to Heal: The Autobiography of Gerald R. Ford (1979): I admit to having a soft spot for Gerald Ford. The only President to not go through an election process to become President, I believe he was one of our most Presidential and dignified leaders. In this age of poll-watching and soaring (but largely meaningless) rhetoric, he was a humble man and not a gifted speaker. Unfortunately, these qualities count for little in modern politics and among those who report on current events. For example, despite probably being one of the best athletes to ever occupy the White House, the media and entertainment industry relentlessly portrayed Ford as a bumbling klutz. So, to me, it is important that Ford had a platform to tell his story. Those who feel “well-informed” because they read newspapers and watch TV will learn of a different man than the one portrayed to them. Most poignantly, Ford explains in detail why he pardoned Nixon knowing full well that he was dooming his chance at being elected President in his own right. From his position of leadership, he understood that, as tantalizing as Watergate was to the press and to Washington D.C. as a community, the country needed to get past a “third rate burglary” and focus on bigger issues (e.g., the Cold War, the door to China that Nixon left open and spiraling inflation rates, to name a few). For those bent on punishing Nixon, Ford wisely recognized that, in terms of “paying the price,” few things could exceed the disgrace of resigning the presidency. He weighed the pros and cons and did what he (not the polls or media) felt was best for the country…and inarguably bad for him personally. There are more spellbinding Presidential autobiographies but none as important. 

 9.   Coolidge (2013) by Amity Shlaes: I suspect I would have been a supporter of Calvin Coolidge had I lived when he was President. I think his inaugural address is a classic that should be required reading for all Americans. But, as a public and historical figure, it is pretty hard to argue that Coolidge was anything other than pretty dull. And there are a few short parts of this book that are pretty dull. But the fact that most of it is not struck me as quite an accomplishment. So, while I can probably get by without reading another Coolidge biography for a while, I am looking forward to reading more by Amity Shlaes.

10. Fraud of the Century: Rutherford B. Hayes, Samuel Tilden and the Stolen Election of 1876 (2003) by Roy Morris, Jr.: Like The Presidents Club and Destiny of the Republic, this is not, technically, a biography. But given that most people know little about Rutherford B. Hayes (our 19th President) and this book tells one a lot about Hayes, close enough. This is a very well done book that tells an engrossing tale. But, more than that, it is an important story for modern Americans to know. While I will not contend that our current political climate is healthy, we have lots of examples in our history where citizens could rightfully question whether the republic could survive. The election of 1876 was one of those times. That Hayes could prevail in such an unseemly election yet have few question his personal honesty and integrity speaks volumes about our current inability to not personalize the political…and to not politicize the personal.

Bonus Pick #1: The Health of the Presidents (1960) by Rudolph Marx, M.D.: I probably stumbled across this book on a bargain table somewhere and would be surprised if I paid more than a dollar or two. If so, that was one of the best bucks I ever spent. Dr. Marx did a fascinating job of detailing the various infirmities of our Chief Executives. I referred to this book many times to develop anecdotes for A Presidents Story or to just check to see what the mood of a particular President might have been at the time I was describing him since our mood is so often linked to our current state of health. I met a doctor at a book festival last year who had written a book on the history of medicine. When I started to describe this book to him he interrupted and said “Oh, you mean Dr. Marx’ book.” That gave me some confidence about my source.

Bonus Pick #2: The President’s House Volumes 1 and 2 (1986) by William Seale: Seale’s book, published by the White House Historical Association, is a gold mine of information about the evolution of everything about the White House including its inhabitants, its architecture, its accessibility and so much more. I routinely went here first when I was trying to capture the feel for the White House at any particular time in A Presidents Story. It is also two simply lovely volumes that look nice on any bookshelf.

Finally, if you are interested in really diving into Presidential Biographies in a big way, there is a website developed by a gentleman named Stephen Floyd who set out to read a biography on each President in a three year span. The whole idea appears to have kind of got away from him as he ended up taking six years and read several books on most Presidents. Anyway, he developed a wonderful website entitled My Journey Through the Best Presidential Biographies where he reviews the books he has read and provides a forum for other enthusiasts. I found the site after a high school history teacher recommended it to me. I have read many of the books Steve Floyd reviews and with minor differences think he does a good job of assessing the different biographies. Take a look and, happy reading!

Brad 

A Presidents Story and Your Book Club

I have received a couple requests for questions that folks can use for their book clubs so, here you go:

Book Club Discussion Questions for A Presidents Story

1.    Did the format of the book work? Was it easier to follow historical events in this historical novel than in, for example, a high school or college text book? Was it difficult to sort out fact from fiction?

2.    What surprised you most in the book? Were there historical events of which you were previously unaware? If so, does your knowledge of those events change your current view of history, politics, people or the United States as a country?

3.    Which President was your favorite and why? Which was your least favorite and why? Which President would you like to learn more about?

4.    Was the advent of political parties a positive development for the United States or not?

5.    In Part III, Chapter 2 in the section from October 1842, the history of the abolitionist movement is briefly described. Would you have been an abolitionist and, if so, would you have been a “gradualist” or a “radical”? Why?

6.    Given the attitudes of most of Lincoln’s predecessors toward the institution of slavery, was the Civil War inevitable? 

7.    Several of the Presidents depicted in A Presidents Story were military war heroes. Why do you think early America was prone to electing military officers as President?

8.    Several of the Presidents’ wives (e.g., Abigail Adams, Dolly Madison, Sarah Polk, Abigail Fillmore) influenced the views of their husbands. How do you think early America would have differed if women had the same ability to vote and participate in the political process that they do today?

9.    Which of the Presidents between 1800 and 1860 made the biggest impact?

10.  What was your reaction to de Tocqueville’s observations that Lincoln reads in Part IV, Chapter 1?

November Update--Book Festivals and More Presidents sites

October took me to book festivals in Williamsburg, Virginia and Fort Worth, Texas. The book festivals are great places not just to showcase A Presidents Story but to meet other authors and the locals who come and book shop. I learn something new about marketing my book and have several great conversations at each event. I’ve added a few pictures below of the events as well as from some of the historical Presidential sites Kay and I visited along the way. All of the President sites I visited were for Presidents that figure prominently in my book, so, if you’ve read the book, here are some shots for the movie!

At the Williamsburg Festival. I was given the table right by the entrance which I thought was great. I learned that you actually want to be somewhere in the middle…

This is John Tyler’s home at Sherwood Forest Plantation. I highly recommend visiting this site near Charles City, Virginia. It is the only President’s home that has remained continuously in the same family right up to the present day.

As described in my book, Sherwood Forest was filled with Tyler’s many children and their numerous pets. So there is a fairly extensive pet cemetery which includes President Tyler’s long time horse.

Berkeley Plantation is also near Charles City, Virginia. It is where William Henry Harrison (9th President) was born. His father Benjamin Harrison was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and one of Virginia’s most prominent citizens. The delightful tour guide said that no less then ten U.S. Presidents were in this house at one time of another.

John Tyler’s gravesite in Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond.

Somewhat to my surprise, James Monroe’s tomb was just a few steps away from Tyler’s in Hollywood Cemetery. Jefferson Davis is also buried in the same cemetery. Not shown here is Elizabeth Monroe’s modest plot at the side of President Monroe’s impressive structure. Not sure how that’s going over in the afterlife.

We moved on to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania where Kay got chummy with this fellow.

I don’t know if I just don’t have high testosterone levels or what, but I’ve never been much of a war history buff. I’ve always preferred the personalities and issues of the day than tales of strategy and slaughter. Nonetheless, Gettysburg is impressive and sobering.

Our 15th President, James Buchanan, graces the cover of A Presidents Story. We visited his home in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The estate was called Wheatland and it is a very well maintained historical site. The older gentleman who led us on a tour of the home was funny, knowledgeable and, in Kay’s words, “adorable.”

Wheatland is filled with many original items from Buchanan’s life. This is the room where he died.

Buchanan’s grave in Lancaster at Woodward Hill Cemetery. He was not a popular figure by the time he left the Presidency but his gravesite is well manicured befitting a man who held our highest office.

My table at the Fort Worth Book Festival. One of the things I learned early in this process is that chocolate is a fairly sure-fire magnet for getting people to come take a peek at your book.

My Take on Hamilton

After my sister and niece saw the play Hamilton, they gushed with praise. My nephew asked an excellent question: “What happens in that theatre?” 

All I knew about Hamilton was that it was based on Ron Chernow’s book, that most of the cast were black actors and actresses and that the music was rap. A musical based on a Chernow biography with actors that look nothing like the real-life characters they portrayed in a rap musical all sounded like a questionable combination at best. Additionally, several people wondered if I would have problems with its historical accuracy. So, with some reticence, I saw Hamilton in London recently. The answer to my nephew’s question is “I am not entirely sure what happens in that theatre, but it is amazing.”

To deal with the preliminaries, using diverse actors and actresses is not yet another strained effort by the entertainment industry to show how inclusive it is, but instead is part of the essence of the play. Race is one small part of the import of the show. And the rap music (which isn’t usually my thing) goes from odd to enchanting by about the third line. Rap is really used as the bridge between some incredibly original and engrossing songs. Rap tells the story, the songs reveal the characters. 

In terms of history, while I might quibble with a few discrete pieces, Hamilton is a well-informed documentary. I was a little distraught about its treatment of Thomas Jefferson (the actor who played Jefferson was short while Jefferson was quite tall for his day and the actor who played James Madison could have been an NFL linebacker while Madison was all of 5’ 4”). That, however, was not the point. The point was that Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison were debating the critical issues of the late 18th century, irrespective of what they looked like. And that debate was not recast to fit our modern notions of acceptability, it was about the issues that they actually debated. For example, monetary policy for the new country is debated (or rapped about) in surprisingly faithful terms. Imagine being entertained by an argument about monetary policy that pays homage to the importance of monetary policy. Yes, I know, hard to imagine.

While it is easy to get multiple messages from Hamilton,I was most taken with the fact that, in the end, the play is 1) a primer on the passage of the United States Constitution and 2) gives George Washington the adoration that is his due. I am often asked who I think our greatest President was and I always respond with “Easy. It’s George Washington. There never would have been a second President if he had not been humble enough to recognize the need to step aside after two terms. He also believed it was vital to hear competing points of view to make sound decisions. So, he put Jefferson and Hamilton in his cabinet and had them fight it out, to their frustration, but to his (and the country’s) benefit.” This is a large part of the genius of Hamilton. There are several scenes where Jefferson and Hamilton debate and maneuver while Washington thoughtfully listens. It may not sound gripping, but, it is. When Washington’s character sings “Teach Them to Say Goodbye,” I wept.

The star of the show, however, is the Constitution. There is little effort made to “dumb it down” or make it something other than what it was and is. At the time of its passage, it was controversial and not particularly popular. But it was the compromise that was needed to bring disparate states together that gave them some hope of survival. The play conveys this but also gives a preview of how the brilliance of the document would come to define us as a nation. In a remarkably subtle fashion, you realize long after you have forgotten that the actors and actresses are mostly people of color and are telling the early history of the United States through rap music that, without the Constitution, those actors and actresses would not be able to tell the story they are telling. 

It is all the fashion today to discount our founders because many of them were slaveholders, an indisputably horrible practice. Nonetheless, it was common throughout the world at that time. But the Constitution that those same founders crafted was also the beginning of the end of slavery and most of those founders (including Hamilton, Jefferson and Madison) knew it. The Civil War was a tragedy of human loss, the causes of which can also be debated. But, among its causes, it resulted from the tension created by a Constitution that ultimately could not coexist with human bondage.

What happens in that theatre is a tribute to what is exceptional about our past with little gloss or distortion, just accessibility. Hamilton is a history lesson about our shared values. No liberals, no conservatives. Just a celebration of why they exist.  

September Update and the 2018 Midwest Presidential historical sites tour

At the Truman Library and Museum in Independence, Missouri. I've always believed that Harry Truman had to be the  most surprised of all our Presidents that he ended up as President.

Abraham Lincoln's home in Springfield, Illinois. Born in Kentucky but this is where he came of age as a lawyer and politician. Remarkably well maintained with about 60% of the furnishings being originals that belonged to Lincoln and his family.

Lincoln's desk in his house which seemed a bit awkward for a 6' 4" man.

These marbles were dug up in the back yard during the most recent restoration of Lincoln's home. There is little doubt that they belonged to Lincoln's children.

Lincoln's Tomb in Springfield.

Went on to Tampico, Illinois to see Reagan's birthplace. To say that Tampico is out of the way is an understatement. But it was worth the drive as there are some wonderful folks in Tampico who take a lot of pride in their favorite son. He was actually born in an apartment above the bank in the picture.

Reagan was born in this room.

Even though Reagan's family was not well off, the apartment that they rented above the bank was actually pretty nice. There was a small adjacent apartment with a window that opened between the two apartments. The smaller apartment was rented by a woman who would watch Reagan when Reagan's mother had to go out. They would pass the baby back and forth through the window. This was a letter that Reagan sent her on her 93rd birthday just before he took office.

Reagan lived in this house in Tampico for a few years as well. It's privately owned but still seemed odd to see toys and yard equipment laying about.

Finally, I went to one of my favorite places in the world, the Herbert Hoover Museum and Library in West Branch, Iowa. If you get a chance, go visit. Hoover was a fascinating man no matter what your high school history books may have told you and West Branch is a delightful little town.

I had the privilege of doing a book signing event in the lobby of the Hoover Museum and Library. Here I am with Tom Schwartz, Director of the Museum and Library and a very nice fellow. Tom was also instrumental in putting together the Lincoln Museum and Library in Springfield which is a must see as well.

One More Print Copy Update

So, a funny thing happened on the way to getting print copies out to those who ordered them online. Print copies were originally supposed to ship by June 19. On June 19, however, several of you may have noticed that Amazon and Barnes & Noble both had messages saying that A Presidents Story was "Temporarily Out of Stock." The Publisher informed me that the problem was that the printer they recently switched to turned out to not be up to the task. They have switched back to their old printing service and now, on Amazon at least, print copies are "In Stock" and can be shipped. Barnes & Noble and other online sellers should be updated soon. So, if you previously tried to order a print copy online, you should meet with greater success now. Sorry about any inconvenience. 

Several book signing events have been scheduled for late summer and fall--just check out the "Events" tab. Tomorrow I will be at the America's Founding Father Exhibit on the road to Mt. Rushmore from 9:30 to 1:00. Thanks again for the interest and the support!

Brad

June Update: Book Signings and Reactions...So Far

My undergraduate degree in college was in Business with an emphasis on Marketing. I wish I could say that my degree has been helpful in promoting A Presidents Story but it really hasn’t. My son’s Masters in Marketing, on the other hand, has been very helpful. After a few months at this, I can safely say that Marketing now bears little resemblance to Marketing 35 years ago. 

One thing that has survived over the years is book signing events by authors. The head of History Publishing Company, the publisher of my book, told me that the most fun of the whole process is the book signings. He said it is a thrill to meet new people who share an interest in the topic of your book. While my first book signing at the Crook County Library consisted mainly of local friends and neighbors, my publisher was right. It was a blast. I have scheduled several more signings and am working on others. Keep checking the “Events” tab for updates.

My focus so far has been on local events with some events in the Midwest. This Fall I would like to get to the East Coast and to Southern California. If you know of a possible location for a book signing (or heck, if you own a bookstore!) please let me know.

A few interesting reactions to the book so far:

1.    After reading the book I have had a few people tell me who their favorite President was in the novel. Since one of my goals was to highlight these Presidents, obviously, I was delighted to hear about these readers’ selections. I am equally interested to hear who you liked most (or least).

2.    I have had several people ask “Why is James Buchanan on the cover” of A Presidents Story? The answer is I don’t know. But the publisher sent the proposed cover and it struck me as right. Prior to that, I contemplated a cover with some sort of montage of pictures of all 14 Presidents featured in the novel. When I received the publisher’s proposed cover, however, it occurred to me that Buchanan was an interesting choice and made the book less likely to be viewed purely as a history book. I never discussed it further with the publisher because it made sense to me and, apparently, also made sense to the publisher. I doubt that the cover will ever engender a debate like the meaning of the lyrics of “American Pie” or the symbolism in “Waiting for Godot” but, for my purposes, it added a bit of intrigue to the process!

3.    A couple people caught a few minor typos in the original edition. The publisher has sent in revisions to try and correct those for future versions (so, who knows, if it becomes a bestseller, maybe the typo versions will be more valuable someday!). The only egregious typo, however, occurs late in the book where the results of the election of 1856 are set out. Those results got lost in a formatting vortex so, when you get to that point, here is the table as it should appear:

                           Buchanan            Fremont            Fillmore

Electoral Vote        174                              114                              8

Popular Vote          1,836,072                    1,342,345                    873,053

Thanks again to those of you who have bought the book and once more to those of you who have read it. I will add pictures and stories from the signings as we go the rest of this year. Have a great summer!

Brad

Print version available for Pre-order!

As of today, you can pre-order print copies of A Presidents Story online at bradmckim.com simply by clicking on the Amazon or Barnes & Noble link. Pre-ordered books will ship on June 18 or 19. 

We had our first book signing event on May 11 at the Crook County library in Sundance, Wyoming. Thanks to everyone who turned out on a foggy night in the old West!

Print Version

Heard from the publisher today that the print version of A Presidents Story will be available starting June 17. Thanks!

Countdown and Print Version

Just a quick update on the rollout of the book. In two weeks the eBook version will be coming out and showing up on your Kindles and Nooks if you've pre-ordered. I have received several inquiries about print versions. The publisher, History Publishing Company, advises me that print versions will be available for purchase starting in June (exact date coming soon). I have received advance copies to be sold at book signing events. I am working on setting up several events here in the Black Hills for this Spring and Summer as well as at some of the Presidential historical sites in late Summer and early Fall. You can check under the "Events" tab as I add appearances. The first event will be a benefit for the Crook County Public Library in Sundance, Wyoming on May 11 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. I'll do a short talk, answer questions and then sign books. Half of all proceeds will go to the Library.

Thank you to all for the encouragement and support so far--this has been quite the education as I wade into the world of literary marketing!

History Publishing Press Release