The Presidents of the United States of America

by Frank Freidel

Presents a one page biography along with a reproduction of the Official White House portrait for each of the first 41 United States Preidents. The last three are presented in official photographs.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Politics, American History, Biography, Presidents

87 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 1982

About the author

Frank Burt Freidel was a professor of history at Harvard University and the first major biographer of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He received his B.A. (1937) and M.A. (1939) from the University of Southern California before graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1942 with a doctorate in history. He taught at a number of colleges before joining the faculty of Harvard University, where he taught from 1955 until his retirement in 1981.

Reviews

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading the facts in this book. The book included a lot of facts I did not know! I plan to use a lot of the information with my classroom!

[Feasibly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Old Hickory.

His Accidency.

In your hands, my dissatisfied fellow countrymen, and not in mine, is the momentous issue of civil war. The government will not assail you...You have no oath registered in Heaven to destroy the government, while I shall have the most solemn one to preserve, protect and defend it.

I was born Feb. 12, 1809, in Hardin County, Kentucky. My parents were both born in Virginia, of undistinguished families - second families, perhaps I should say. My mother, who died in my tenth year, was of a family of the name of Hanks...My father...removed from Kentucky to...Indiana, in my eighth year...It was a wild region, with many bears and other wild animals still in the woods. There I grew up...Of course when I came of age I did not know much. Still somehow, I could read, write, and cipher...but that was all.

That this nation...shall have a new birth of freedom.

A puzzled pathos, as of a man with a problem before him of which he does not understand the terms.

This will settle the question whether the President is registering clerk of the Senate or the Executive of the United States...shall the principal port of entry...be under the control of the administration or under the local control of a factional senator.

I must go to dinner, but I wish it was to eat a pickled herring a Swiss cheese and a chop at Louis' instead of the French stuff I shall find.

Steward of the people: I did not usurp power, but I did greatly broaden the use of executive power.

I don't remember that I ever was President.

No one but the President seems to be expected...to look out for the general interests of the country.

His political genius was his talent for effectively doing nothing: This active inactivity suits the mood and certain of the needs of the country admirably. It suits all the business interests which want to be let alone...And it suits all those who have become convinced that the government in this country has become dangerously complicated and top-heavy.

Well, Baruch, many times I say only 'yes' or 'no' to people. Even that is too much. It winds them up for twenty minutes more.

I feel I no longer fit in with these times.

There must be no second class citizens in this country.

Build a great society, a place where the meaning of a man's life matches the marvels of man's labor.

Issues surrounding personal indiscretions with a young woman White House intern.

[Kevin Keating · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice summary of the accomplishments of the presidents up to Nixon. Great portraits of each one. A little biased as far as the 34-37th presidents as it is kinda issued by the govt. Glad I read it. Will now rip it up and put the portraits on the wall.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Trent Marv · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty decent short overview of some president up to the year 1996.

[Austin Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Any book that I see on Presidential compilations, I try to read.

President Chester A. Arthur passed The Pendleton Act which is a federal law established in 1883 that decided that government jobs should be awarded on the basis of merit instead of political affiliation.

George Hunt Pendleton (July 19, 1825 – November 24, 1889) was a Representative and a Senator from Ohio. Nicknamed "Gentleman George" for his demeanor, he was the Democratic nominee for Vice President of the United States during the Civil War in 1864, running as a peace Democrat with war Democrat George B. McClellan; they lost to Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson. He is best known as the principal author of the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883.

Seemingly unrelated to Major General Joseph Henry Pendleton (June 2, 1860 – February 4, 1942) was a United States Marine Corps general for whom Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is named.

[Amber the Human · Rating 4 out of 5]

My parents bought this for me when I was in second grade, visiting the White House with them. While I have pulled it off the shelf many times over the years (it is quite battered), it was usually as a reference or to browse through it. So I have finally read it. It's pretty funny the way the author is fine with bashing past president's mistakes, but the ones that are (were) still alive get much sweeter treatment. Anyway, pretty concise, and easier to lie on the couch with than a Wikipedia page. Good souvenir all in all, I would say. PS - Since it was published in 1990, George Bush has no end year on his term dates. But when Clinton won, I wrote it in in pen.

[Tara van Beurden · Rating 3 out of 5]

While at Bill Clinton’s Presidential Library I picked up this book and another about the First Ladies. It outlines every president up to Clinton, with a brief outline of their time as President, particularly the highlights or events they are known for. This was a great book for getting general trivia style knowledge about the long list of powerful men who have held the role of ‘Leader of the Free World’. A good introduction.

[George Majchrzak · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick primer for Presidents up to Reagan in his first term, the book glosses over each one's chief accomplishments but doesn't delve too deeply into their failures as men or as leaders. Otherwise, Buchanan or Johnson (17th) would have been much longer. Still, it was a fun, quick read.

[Shishir · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brief read