The List: Three Great Bios About Three Low-Ranked Presidents
Tyler, Hoover, and Carter
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Yesterday, I sent you my Art of Manliness piece on my 10 favorite biographies of American presidents. Honestly, if you’re into history, there’s a good chance you’ve read a lot of those. They’ve ended up as classics of the genre, and for good reason. You see those same books on plenty of lists. Today, I’m giving my premium subscribers a few ideas for lesser-known POTUS books about some of our lower-ranked presidents. Though the careers of these men aren’t often celebrated, these books about them should be.
President without a Party: The Life of John Tyler by Christopher Leahy
Given the tumultuous life and presidency of John Tyler, I’m amazed there aren’t more books about him. William Henry Harrison’s death in 1841 created a true constitutional crisis, but Tyler jumped in, assumed the position, and ran the show with no hesitation. His life and career provided plenty of drama, including being kicked out of his political party and pledging loyalty to the confederacy during the Civil War (even if he did try to convene a council to reconcile the two sides).
Yet, Tyler generally falls into the black hole of presidents between Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln who’ve been long ignored by authors. Thankfully, Leahy has resurrected Tyler from the graveyard of history and has provided a magnificent biography of our 10th president. He’s not a character you’ll come to like, but you will come away with a deeper knowledge of antebellum America and the forces that collided in Tyler’s life to make him the perfect figure for understanding that time period.
Hoover: An Extraordinary Life in Extraordinary Times by Kenneth Whyte
Hoover, in people’s imaginations (or at least those with an interest in history), is the laughingstock of 20th century presidents. Hoover-villes, the Great Depression, the ascension of one of our greatest presidents right after he left office . . . it’s not a pretty picture on initial blush.
While this book does not exonerate Hoover, it does put him in the context of the era much better than anything else I’ve read. I came away not quite liking Hoover, but sure not laying the ills of the Great Depression on him either. Major world events most often hinge on the confluence of a number of factors rather than just the actions of a single person. Also, Hoover was one of the true heroes of World War I—a feat which he does not get nearly enough credit for.
This is a great book about a surprisingly compelling man who ended up in exactly the wrong job at exactly the wrong time.
His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, A Life by Jonathan Alter
His Very Best is just about everything I want and hope for in a big presidential biography. Alter tells an incredibly compelling story, clears up a lot of myths people have about Jimmy Carter (and the 70s in general), gives the reader an incredibly personal look at the man himself, and convincingly makes the case for the importance (not necessarily effectiveness) of his presidency.
Thus far, the consensus on Carter has basically been that he wasn’t good as president but is as decent a human being as exists. That story isn’t entirely rewritten, but Alter does add the necessary nuances. The Carter administration was far more impactful than it seems, but was largely done apart by two things: the ultra-conservative presidency of Ronald Reagan and the overshadowing of foreign affairs—mainly the Iran hostage situation.
Though it’s nearly 700 pages, this book is as readable as a big bio gets. Carter has been due for a re-examination; Jonathan Alter did the job admirably.
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Sincerely,
Jeremy