The History Buff's Guide to the Presidents

by Flagel, Thomas R.

• ISBN13: 9781581826135
• ISBN10: 1581826133
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-10-01
• Publisher: Cumberland House

Summary

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. Using detailed top-ten lists, historian Thomas R. Flagel offers a provocative new look at an astonishingly resilient institution. With diligent research, he explores the best, worst, largest, and most controversial facets of an office that some feared would become a monarchy, others hoped would represent all of the people, and John Adams wanted to call "High Highness, the President of the United States of America, and the Protector of their Liberties."

Author Biography

Thomas R. Flagel teaches history at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Table of Contents

Prologue	p. 9
Presidential Character
Top Ten Prepresidential Careers	p. 15
Top Ten Presidential Pastimes	p. 27
Top Ten Overtly Religious Presidents	p. 41
Top Ten Machiavellian Presidents	p. 55
Elections
Top Ten Closest Races	p. 71
Top Ten Landslides	p. 85
Top Ten Most Controversial Elections	p. 99
The Domestic Sphere
Top Ten Debt Presidencies	p. 117
Top Ten Veto Presidents	p. 131
Top Ten Conflicts with the Supreme Court	p. 145
Top Ten Notable Pardons and Commutations	p. 158
Top Ten Assassinations and Attempts	p. 170
Foreign Affairs
Top Ten Doctrines	p. 189
Top Ten Achievements in Diplomacy	p. 203
Top Ten Most Successful Commanders in Chief	p. 221
Top Ten Least Successful Commanders in Chief	p. 240
The Inner Circle
Top Ten Most Influential First Ladies	p. 257
Top Ten Vexing Family Members	p. 272
Top Ten Alterations to the White House	p. 285
Top Ten Most Powerful Offices in the West Wing	p. 297
Top Ten Biggest Scandals	p. 310
Epilogue	p. 327
Lists of the Presidents	p. 335
Notes	p. 347
Bibliography	p. 377
Index	p. 393
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