Exploring Top Books of Shelfari

Inventing a Nation: Washington, Adams, Jefferson (American Icons Series)

Inventing a Nation: Washington, Adams, Jefferson (American Icons Series)

by Gore Vidal

A New York Times bestseller One of the master stylists of American literature, Gore Vidal now provides us with his uniquely irreverent take on America’s founding fathers, bringing them to life at key moments of decision in the birthing of our nation. “Pure Vidal. . . . Inventing a Nation is his edgy tribute to the way we were before the fall.”—Los Angeles Times Book Review “<Vidal offers> details that... (more)

Lincoln

by David Herbert Donald

David Herbert Donald's Lincoln is a stunningly original portrait of Lincoln's life and presidency. Donald brilliantly depicts Lincoln's gradual ascent from humble beginnings in rural Kentucky to the ever- expanding political circles in Illinois, and finally to the presidency of a country divided by civil war. Donald goes beyond biography, illuminating the gradual development of Lincoln's character,... (more)

Gerald R. Ford: The 38th President, 1974-1977 (The American Presidents)

Gerald R. Ford: The 38th President, 1974-1977 (The American Presidents)

by Douglas Brinkley

The “accidental” president whose innate decency and steady hand restored the presidency after its greatest crisis When Gerald R. Ford entered the White House in August 1974, he inherited a presidency tarnished by the Watergate scandal, the economy was in a recession, the Vietnam War was drawing to a close, and he had taken office without having been elected. Most observers gave him little chance of success,... (more)

The Candidate: Behind John Kerry's Remarkable Run for the White House

The Candidate: Behind John Kerry's Remarkable Run for the White House

by Paul Alexander

An all-access pass to the inner workings of the Kerry campaign, the grooming of the candidate, and how decisions get made and who will be making them in the run up to the November election. Two years ago, veteran journalist and biographer Paul Alexander wrote a piece for Rolling Stone magazine that now seems prophetic: He named John Kerry as the candidate who would emerge as the Democratic front-runner in... (more)

Washington: The Indispensable Man

by James Thomas Flexner

James Buchanan: [The American Presidents Series] (The American Presidents)

James Buchanan: [The American Presidents Series] (The American Presidents)

by Jean H. Baker

A provocative reconsideration of a presidency on the brink of Civil War Almost no president was as well trained and well prepared for the office as James Buchanan. He had served in the Pennsylvania state legislature, the U.S. House, and the U.S. Senate; he was Secretary of State and was even offered a seat on the Supreme Court. And yet, by every measure except his own, James Buchanan was a miserable failure as... (more)

Grover Cleveland: (The American Presidents Series)

Grover Cleveland: (The American Presidents Series)

by Dr. Henry F. Graff

A fresh look at the only president to serve nonconsecutive terms. Though often overlooked, Grover Cleveland was a significant figure in American presidential history. Having run for President three times and gaining the popular vote majority each time -- despite losing the electoral college in 1892 -- Cleveland was unique in the line of nineteenth-century Chief Executives. In this book, presidential historian... (more)

George W. Bush Out of Office Countdown Handbook: Hang in There, It's Almost Over!

George W. Bush Out of Office Countdown Handbook: Hang in There, It's Almost Over!

by Inc. Sourcebooks

Hang in there--it's almost over! Much of the nation has been counting the days since the first inauguration of the president who said, "I'm the commander--see, I don't need to explain--I do not need to explain why I say things. That's the interesting thing about being president." Yes, there is hope--and now you can count down the days while enjoying: * the best of Bush bloopers and... (more)

Great Political Wit

by Robert J. Dole

Famous for his delectably dry humor, Senator Bob Dole brings us the ultimate bipartisan book: some of his favorite witticisms, hilarious remarks, and wry observations of the great political figures of this century. Bob Dole's political career may not have taken him to the White House, but he did pick up some great stories along the way. In this delightful collection, the longtime United States senator shares his... (more)

Murdering McKinley: The Making of Theodore Roosevelt's America

Murdering McKinley: The Making of Theodore Roosevelt's America

by Eric Rauchway

When President William McKinley was murdered at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York, on September 6, 1901, Americans were bereaved and frightened. Rumor ran rampant: A wild-eyed foreign anarchist with an unpronounceable name had killed the commander-in-chief. Eric Rauchway's brilliant Murdering McKinley restages Leon Czolgosz's hastily conducted trial and then traverses America with Dr. Vernon... (more)

William McKinley: [The American Presidents Series] (The American Presidents)

William McKinley: [The American Presidents Series] (The American Presidents)

by Kevin P. Phillips

A bestselling historian and political commentator reconsiders McKinley's overshadowed legacy By any serious measurement, bestselling historian Kevin Phillips argues, William McKinley was a major American president. It was during his administration that the United States made its diplomatic and military debut as a world power. McKinley was one of eight presidents who, either in the White House or on the... (more)

Great Presidential Wit (...I Wish I Was in the Book): A Collection of Humorous Anecdotes and Quotations

Great Presidential Wit (...I Wish I Was in the Book): A Collection of Humorous Anecdotes and Quotations

by Robert J. Dole

Famous for his deadpan humor, New York Times bestselling author Senator Bob Dole here brings us his favorite witticisms and hilarious remarks of this country's commanders in chief. Great Presidential Wit collects the former senator's favorite funny stories and remarks by and about American presidents -- from George Washington to George W. Bush. Senator Dole tackles the assignment of ranking the presidents from... (more)

Theodore Roosevelt: (The American Presidents Series)

Theodore Roosevelt: (The American Presidents Series)

by Louis Auchincloss

An intimate portrait of the first president of the 20th century The American century opened with the election of that quintessentially American adventurer, Theodore Roosevelt. Louis Auchincloss's warm and knowing biography introduces us to the man behind the many myths of Theodore Roosevelt. From his early involvement in the politics of New York City and then New York State, we trace his celebrated military... (more)

The Nobel Peace Prize Lecture

by Jimmy Carter

The Nobel Lecture was delivered by Jimmy Carter on December 10, 2002, at the ceremony in Oslo, Norway, where he received the Nobel Prize for Peace.

Stories in His Own Hand: The Everyday Wisdom of Ronald Reagan

Stories in His Own Hand: The Everyday Wisdom of Ronald Reagan

by Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan loved to tell stories. Sometimes he used them to break the ice, or to prove a point, but very often he used them to inspire, to uplift, and to remind his listeners of what matters most in life. Recently, in the archives of the Reagan Library, researcher Kiron Skinner unearthed a trove of handwritten Reagan manuscripts from the late 1970s, over 650 in all, which included some priceless examples of... (more)

Day Lincoln Was Shot

by Jim Bishop

Gripping, minute-by-minute account of the day President Lincoln was struck down by an assassin's bullet in Ford's Theatre. Parallels of the activities of the President with those of his assassin in an unforgettable, suspense- filled chronicle. 320 pages.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the White House: Humor, Blunders, and Other Oddities from the Presidential Campaign Trail

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the White House: Humor, Blunders, and Other Oddities from the Presidential Campaign Trail

Charles Osgood, one of America's favorite news personalities, offers a rib-tickling compendium of anecdotes from the last seventy years of presidential campaigns.

Veeps: Profiles in Insignificance

by Bill Kelter

It's a tired but true cliche that every American Vice President is just a heartbeat away from the most powerful job in the world - a job they've often never really interviewed for. Who are these people? Over more than 200 years, the American voters have sent a platoon of rogues, cowards, drunks, featherweights, doddering geriatrics, bigots, and atrocious spellers to Washington D.C. to sit one bullet, cerebral... (more)

Andrew Jackson: The Course of American Empire, 1767-1821. Vol. 1

Andrew Jackson: The Course of American Empire, 1767-1821. Vol. 1

by Robert V. Remini

"Superb professional history that moves boldly beyond the scholar's monograph to make the American past alive and exciting for the general reader." -- Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., 1984 National Book Award jury report Available in paperback for the first time, these three volumes represent the definitive biography of Andrew Jackson. Volume One covers the role Jackson played in America's territorial expansion, bringing... (more)

The Course of American Democracy, 1833-1845

The Course of American Democracy, 1833-1845

by Robert V. Remini

Available in paperback for the first time, these three volumes represent the definitive biography of Andrew Jackson. Volume One covers the role Jackson played in America's territorial expansion, bringing to life a complex character who has often been seen simply as a rough-hewn country general. Volume Two traces Jackson's senatorial career, his presidential campaigns, and his first administration as President. The... (more)

Shelfari Book Activity

Tags: presidential

by Gore Vidal

by David Herbert Donald

by Douglas Brinkley

by Paul Alexander

by James Thomas Flexner

by Jean H. Baker

by Dr. Henry F. Graff

by Inc. Sourcebooks

by Robert J. Dole

by Eric Rauchway

by Kevin P. Phillips

by Robert J. Dole

by Louis Auchincloss

by Jimmy Carter

by Ronald Reagan

by Jim Bishop

by Bill Kelter

by Robert V. Remini

by Robert V. Remini