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A review by rtwilliams16
Author in Chief: The Untold Story of Our Presidents and the Books They Wrote by Craig Fehrman
4.0
Author In Chief is a history of books by U.S. presidents and their bookish lives. Fehrman argues that there are two types of presidential books: campaign and legacy books. Campaign books are written before the future president runs for office. These books have tended to provide the future president with some national notoriety before a successful presidential run, or in the case of Calvin Coolidge, a vice-presidential run. Legacy books are retrospectives that former presidents use to reflect on their presidencies. These books can be used to settle scores or to provide historians a first draft of what went on behind the scenes. Each chapter covers one or two presidential books and how they fit in the context and innovations of the book industry in the time that it was published. It begins with Jefferson’s [b:Notes on the State of Virginia|1230425|Notes on the State of Virginia|Thomas Jefferson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348420060l/1230425._SX50_.jpg|294213] and ends with Obama’s [b:Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance|88061|Dreams from My Father A Story of Race and Inheritance|Barack Obama|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1352340675l/88061._SY75_.jpg|86032] and [b:The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream|9742|The Audacity of Hope Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream|Barack Obama|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386925614l/9742._SY75_.jpg|1716451].
I really enjoyed this book and liked it more than I thought I would. Fehrman is a great storyteller. I was very surprised to learn that many presidents had ghostwriters and that this practiced started in George Washington's presidency (Madison and Hamilton wrote GW's speeches and addresses). Readers will learn that ghostwriting would become a constant feature in presidential writing even into the 21st Century (ie. JFK's [b:Profiles in Courage|830364|Profiles in Courage|John F. Kennedy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347378709l/830364._SX50_.jpg|95117] is a notable example, Reagan's [b:Where's The Rest Of Me?: The Autobiography Of Ronald Reagan|524643|Where's The Rest Of Me? The Autobiography Of Ronald Reagan|Ronald Reagan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1275373832l/524643._SX50_.jpg|512506] is an obscure example). Fehrman does a good job explaining what writing was like for the various presidents, many of whom found the practice of writing very difficult (hence the ghostwriters, or the prolonged process of finishing their books, a la Clinton and Obama). Not only does Fehrman give the reader a good grasp of the kind of writer each president was, he also focuses on their reading lives. He covers the books that presidents read at early ages as well as when they were in the presidency. The final section of the book covers the current Blockbuster book era and the effect the era had on presidential books. Since books in this era are mostly published to make a profit, the writing quality tends to be lackluster. Fehrman makes a good case that ultimately the reader does not benefit from reading these bad political books. The only benefit is that when a well written campaign or legacy book comes around, it has the potential to sell well.
Overall, this is definitely a book that students of history and the presidency will enjoy. Hopefully at the end you will come away with a list of presidential books you want to check out.
I really enjoyed this book and liked it more than I thought I would. Fehrman is a great storyteller. I was very surprised to learn that many presidents had ghostwriters and that this practiced started in George Washington's presidency (Madison and Hamilton wrote GW's speeches and addresses). Readers will learn that ghostwriting would become a constant feature in presidential writing even into the 21st Century (ie. JFK's [b:Profiles in Courage|830364|Profiles in Courage|John F. Kennedy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347378709l/830364._SX50_.jpg|95117] is a notable example, Reagan's [b:Where's The Rest Of Me?: The Autobiography Of Ronald Reagan|524643|Where's The Rest Of Me? The Autobiography Of Ronald Reagan|Ronald Reagan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1275373832l/524643._SX50_.jpg|512506] is an obscure example). Fehrman does a good job explaining what writing was like for the various presidents, many of whom found the practice of writing very difficult (hence the ghostwriters, or the prolonged process of finishing their books, a la Clinton and Obama). Not only does Fehrman give the reader a good grasp of the kind of writer each president was, he also focuses on their reading lives. He covers the books that presidents read at early ages as well as when they were in the presidency. The final section of the book covers the current Blockbuster book era and the effect the era had on presidential books. Since books in this era are mostly published to make a profit, the writing quality tends to be lackluster. Fehrman makes a good case that ultimately the reader does not benefit from reading these bad political books. The only benefit is that when a well written campaign or legacy book comes around, it has the potential to sell well.
Overall, this is definitely a book that students of history and the presidency will enjoy. Hopefully at the end you will come away with a list of presidential books you want to check out.