The Four Greatest Presidents

The author discusses the criteria for greatness in political leaders in the United States and chooses four Presidents whom he considers the greatest: George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Lyndon B. Johnson.

peak No Evil About Presidents. So say most textbooks, journalists, commentators, and even some historians. Not in this book.An eye opening look at all the evil done by presidents, mass murder, incompetence, and terrorism, and a look at the noblest presidents also.How many of these do you know?-Two presidents ordered genocide, and another collaborated with genocide.-Four presidents ordered chemical warfare. One ordered atomic warfare.-Two presidents pardoned mass murderers, one a war criminal who murdered women and children, the other a terrorist who blew up a plane.-At least four presidents ignored genocide. In one case he could have saved up to over a million lives.-Two other presidents, besides Bush, ordered the mass torture of prisoners.-Two living presidents may face war crimes trials.-One president ran for office as the candidate for terrorists.-Two presidents were members of the KKK, one of them initiated in the White House.-One president was so incompetent, the White House was burned down by the enemy.-One president holds the record for the most invasions of Latin America. Two other presidents are the only ones in the last 120 years to not try to overthrow governments in Latin America.-Four presidents strongly despised by many were actually our greatest presidents.-America's greatest president may have saved over a million lives. -America's greatest ex-president saved even more lives than that. He also helped bring democracy to 25 nations.-America's second greatest president headed off genocide, and prevented two wars.-For almost every evil president, there were far better men who might have won the election.-For almost every good president, there were also far worse men (and women) who could have won.The most insightful and damning expose of the presidency you will ever see. By a historian and professor, lively and not pulling any punches.

The complete rankings of our best -- and worst -- presidents, based on C-SPAN's much-cited Historians Surveys of Presidential Leadership. Over a period of decades, C-SPAN has surveyed leading historians on the best and worst of America's presidents across a variety of categories -- their ability to persuade the public, their leadership skills, their moral authority, and more. The crucible of the presidency has forged some of the very best and very worst leaders in our national history, along with everyone in between. Based on interviews conducted over the years with a variety of presidential biographers, this book provides not just a complete ranking of our presidents, but stories and analyses that capture the character of the men who held the office. From Abraham Lincoln's political savvy and rhetorical gifts to James Buchanan's indecisiveness, this book teaches much about what makes a great leader -- and what does not. As America looks ahead to our next election, this book offers perspective and criteria to help us choose our next leader wisely.

This New York Times bestselling “deep dive into the terms of eight former presidents is chock-full of political hijinks—and déjà vu” (Vanity Fair) and provides a fascinating look at the men who came to the office without being elected to it, showing how each affected the nation and world. The strength and prestige of the American presidency has waxed and waned since George Washington. Eight men have succeeded to the presidency when the incumbent died in office. In one way or another they vastly changed our history. Only Theodore Roosevelt would have been elected in his own right. Only TR, Truman, Coolidge, and LBJ were re-elected. John Tyler succeeded William Henry Harrison who died 30 days into his term. He was kicked out of his party and became the first president threatened with impeachment. Millard Fillmore succeeded esteemed General Zachary Taylor. He immediately sacked the entire cabinet and delayed an inevitable Civil War by standing with Henry Clay’s compromise of 1850. Andrew Johnson, who succeeded our greatest president, sided with remnants of the Confederacy in Reconstruction. Chester Arthur, the embodiment of the spoils system, was so reviled as James Garfield’s successor that he had to defend himself against plotting Garfield’s assassination; but he reformed the civil service. Theodore Roosevelt broke up the trusts. Calvin Coolidge silently cooled down the Harding scandals and preserved the White House for the Republican Herbert Hoover and the Great Depression. Harry Truman surprised everybody when he succeeded the great FDR and proved an able and accomplished president. Lyndon B. Johnson was named to deliver Texas electorally. He led the nation forward on Civil Rights but failed on Vietnam. Accidental Presidents shows that “history unfolds in death as well as in life” (The Wall Street Journal) and adds immeasurably to our understanding of the power and limits of the American presidency in critical times.

Of the forty-four presidents who have led the United States, nine made mistakes that permanently scarred the nation. Which nine? Brion McClanahan, author of The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Founding Fathers and The Founding Fathers' Guide to the Constitution, will surprise readers with his list, which he supports with exhaustive and entertaining evidence. 9 Presidents Who Screwed Up America is a new look back at American history that unabashedly places blame for our nation's current problems on the backs of nine very flawed men.

"Updated rankings from George Washington to Barack Obama."