United States Presidents

George Washington was an American soldier, statesman, and Founding Father who worked as the nation's first president from 1789 to 1797. Washington was called leader of the Continental Army by the Continental Congress, and he led the Patriot forces to triumph in the American Revolutionary War.

Stuart E. Eizenstat was at Jimmy Carter’s side from his political rise in Georgia through four years in the White House, where he served as Chief Domestic Policy Adviser. He was directly involved in all domestic and economic decisions as well as in many foreign policy ones. Famous for the legal pads he took to every meeting, he draws on more than 7500 pages of notes and 350 interviews of all the major figures of the time, to write the comprehensive history of an underappreciated president—and to give an intimate view on how the presidency works.

Offering a profound and comprehensive exploration of the life and legacy of this legendary military strategist, this eye-opening biography seeks to dispel the mystery around the first president of the United States, championing the daring achievements and the triumphs against the odds that helped him lead the American Revolutionaries to victory against the British Empire.

Goodwin describes the broken friendship between Teddy Roosevelt and his chosen successor, William Howard Taft. With the help of the "muckraking" press, Roosevelt had wielded the Bully Pulpit to challenge and triumph over abusive monopolies, political bosses, and corrupting money brokers. Roosevelt led a revolution that he bequeathed to Taft only to see it compromised as Taft surrendered to money men and big business. The rupture led Roosevelt to run against Taft for president, an ultimately futile race that gave power away to the Democrats.

On October 3, 1807, Thomas Jefferson was contacted by an unknown traveler urgently pleading for a private "interview" with the president, promising to disclose "a matter of momentous importance". By the next day, Jefferson held in his hands two astonishing manuscripts whose history has been lost for over two centuries. Authored by Muslims fleeing captivity in rural Kentucky, these documents delivered to the president in 1807 were penned by literate African slaves, and written entirely in Arabic.

In his landmark memoir The Road Taken, Patrick Leahy looks back on a life lived on the front lines of American politics. As the senior-most member and de facto dean of the chamber, Senator Leahy has been a key author of the American story. Leahy established himself as a moral leader and liberal pioneer over four decades spanning nine presidential administrations. American history comes alive in this gripping story of a master political leader and consummate legislator. Leahy takes you inside the room as pivotal moments in our nation’s history play out.

John Quincy Adams: The Often Ignored Sixth President of the United States tracks the life and times of John Quincy Adams from boyhood until his death. John Quincy was the first case of the son of a president of the United States taking office after the father. In many ways, the two President Adams were similar in temperament and in performance. Neither understood politics; neither had the common touch. Both of them were scholars, and in another era might have made a career of teaching or research.

Often remembered as the president who died shortly after taking office, William Henry Harrison remains misunderstood by most Americans. Before becoming the ninth president of the United States in 1841, Harrison was instrumental in shaping the early years of westward expansion. Robert M. Owens now explores that era through the lens of Harrison’s career, providing a new synthesis of his role in the political development of Indiana Territory and in shaping Indian policy in the Old Northwest.

William Howard Taft never wanted to be president and yearned to serve as chief justice of the United States. In this assessment, author Jeffrey Rosen reveals Taft's crucial role in shaping how America balances populism against the rule of law. Taft approached each decision as president by asking whether it comported with the Constitution, seeking to put Roosevelt's activist executive orders on firm legal grounds. But unlike Roosevelt, who thought the president could do anything the Constitution didn't forbid, Taft insisted he could do only what the Constitution explicitly allowed.

Andrew Jackson was an American attorney, soldier, and statesman who acted as the seventh president of the U.S. from 1829 to 1837. Jackson rose to prominence as a basic in the US Army and served in both homes of Congress before being chosen to the presidency.

Kamala Harris is one of our country's most awe-inspiring political figures, dawning on a new age as the first - but not last - Black and Asian American female vice president. Having spent her entire career smashing glass ceilings and influencing the next generation of young women, Harris has completely redefined what it means to be a woman in politics. In We’re Speaking, Palepu connects illuminating stories from Harris’ unique biography with tactical advice about learning to own the power of your multitudes.

Ulysses S. Grant is perhaps one of the most unsung heroes of American history. He was one of the crucial leaders of the American Civil War. After all, it was due to Grant’s actions that the Battles of Shiloh and Vicksburg were won. And it was through Grant that the final terms of the Confederacy’s surrender were signed.

On January 12, 2021, the majority staff of the House Judiciary Committee released the first public staff report detailing the events of January 6, 2021, when insurrectionists broke into the US Capitol. The event occurred as the House and the Senate met in a Joint Session of Congress, with the Vice President presiding, to count the Electoral College’s votes for President. In response, the House of Representatives called for the impeachment of President Donald J. Trump.

Volumes have been written about George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson, but no previous work captures the intimate and vital details the way Inventing a Nation does. Vidal's consummate skill takes you into the minds and private rooms of these great men, illuminating their opinions of one another and their concerns about crafting a workable democracy.

Martin van Buren was an American attorney and statesman who acted as the United States' eighth president between 1837 to 1841. He was the ninth ruler of New York, the 10th US Secretary of State, and the eighth vice president of the United States. He was a creator of the Democratic Party. With the support of well-known leaving president, Andrew Jackson, and the Democratic Party's organizational strength, he won the 1836 presidential election. He was the third and last incumbent vice president to be chosen president till 1988.

The drama of the life of the second president of the United States has been stirringly chronicled both in print and on television. Yet, the life of John Adams is so rich in history, emotion, power, and tragedy that no medium can entirely contain its essence. Hearing the story of his life is to be introduced to a nation, new and untried, that would rise to prominence in no small part due to his legacy of leadership.

POTUS & Faith was created with the objective of exploring what US presidents have said on the topics of God, scripture, prayer, religious freedom, and other matters of faith.

From plantation owner to diplomat to US president, James Monroe was known for his tenacity in pursuing what he thought was right, while also being honored for his fair policies, such as the Monroe Doctrine and policies to develop the country’s infrastructure. Explore more of the captivating life of James Monroe.

Clotel; or, The President's Daughter: A Narrative of Slave Life in the United States is an 1853 novel by the author and playwright William Wells Brown. Set in the early 19th century, it is the story of Clotel and her sister Althesa, who are fictional slave daughters of Thomas Jefferson. It is considered the first novel published by an African American and explores the destructive effects of slavery on African American families, the difficult lives of mixed-race people, and the degraded and immoral condition of the relationship between master and slave.

Although one can speak of Thomas Jefferson in a tediously factual way, he was an enigma. Historically, he is noted for writing the Declaration of Independence, which was a daring and courageous statement of the rights of Americans and, indeed, of all people. Hidden beneath the many cloaks of legalistic terminologies that he was fond of using, all the strengths and vulnerabilities of Jefferson as a man were there, too. Like many people of today, he had a difficult childhood. He also liked to party while in college and loved to play the fiddle.