Recommendations for presidential biographies

Does anyone have any recommendations for enjoyable presidential biographies to read this summer?  My only request is that it's not dull and dry.  I'm particularly interested in any presidents from LBJ onward.   grin 


Being Nixon by Evan Thomas has gotten good reviews, plus I think it's an easy read. There are also separate books on Obama by David Remnick (The Bridge) and Jonathan Alter which are interesting, latter is more day-to-day of the first term. Jon Meacham did one on Bush 41, don't know much about that one. And of course the Caro series on LBJ.


Mornings on Horseback by David McCullough, a 1981 biography of the 26th President of the United States Theodore Roosevelt written by popular historian David McCullough,covering the
early part of Roosevelt's life.

Great accessible history writing.




McCullough's "Truman" is also very accessible in a manner that befits its subject.

A nice companion to the Caro series on LBJ (which still hasn't gotten too deep into his presidential term yet) is the Michael Beschloss-edited three-book series of LBJ's tape transcripts. It ranges from illustrative to humorous (the Haggar Pants conversation) to downright creepy (his post-assassination conversations with Jackie Kennedy).

I enjoyed "Being Nixon" and though not technically presidential biographies, I loved Rick Perlstein's "Before the Storm" (which covers Barry Goldwater's rise in the GOP), "Nixonland" and "The Invisible Bridge" (about Reagan's rise). 


I am a fan of Garry Wills. You might want to check out Nixon Agonistes or Reagan's America.


U.S. Grant. No particular title. The guy had honor.



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