The Best Biographies of Every President: A Guide

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It is common to hear someone say one of their goals is to read a biography of every president. We are drawn to biographies because we are storytelling creatures. America’s story has always been a story about people: the leaders they elected, the innovators who changed the world, the soldiers who defended freedom, the entrepreneurs who built industries, and the ordinary Americans whose courage shaped our nation’s character. Seeing American history through the stories of the presidents is a great way to learn our history. But it can be a daunting challenge to begin. Certain presidents have many options to choose from, with selections ranging from full-life portraits to specialized studies. A deep-dive study into foreign policy will not satisfy the desire for a cradle-to-grave overview. Some books are better reads than others. As someone who has read multiple biographies on every president (including all of those listed here), I offer you the fruits of my labor. I hope this my own experiences and recommendations can guide you on this reading journey. I will note presidential memoirs, as that may be of interest to some readers. I have provided comments on the recommended books. The list will conclude with a recommendation of the top biographies to help you begin your journey.

Table of Contents

1. George Washington (1789–1797)

George Washington is too great a president for one biography to capture. Here are the best four.

The Best Biography: First, James Thomas Flexner is Washington’s best biographer. All of his work on Washington is excellent. He wrote a four-volume series (1,825 pages) that remains the definitive biography. This work received a special Pulitzer Prize citation, the National Book Award, and coined the iconic concept of Washington as the “indispensable man.” Washington wrote the book on the presidency. Everything he did set precedent, including his most important acts for the young nation—serving two terms to give the young nation a time of stable leadership, and stepping down after two terms to establish the peaceful transfer of power. Later, Flexner wrote a shorter single-volume biography (402 pages) which was more than a condensed abridgment; it was a new work with new research and detail that did not make it into the larger biography. Flexner was not only a great historian; he was also a very good writer. Sadly, this combination is rare. He wrote history as a narrative, as a story, without getting bogged down into dense, dry, unnecessary detail. He humanized Washington without mythmaking or modern cynicism. Washington was a deeply emotional, passionate, and fallible man. He grew from his mistakes and experiences. His contradictions are explored. Because of the scope, Flexner is able to explore why and how Washington thought the way he did, made his decisions, the frontier campaigns, and the internal policy debates. The larger work is broken up into the following volumes: George Washington, The Forge of Experience, 1732–1775 (1965); George Washington in the American Revolution, 1775–1783 (1968); George Washington and the New Nation, 1783–1793 (1970); George Washington, Anguish and Farewell, 1793–1799 (1972). The single-volume biography is Washington: The Indispensable Man (1974).1

1. James Thomas Flexner, George Washington, 4 vols. (Boston: Little, Brown, 1965–1972); Flexner, Washington: The Indispensable Man (Boston: Little, Brown, 1974).

A Cinematic Biography: Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow (2010).2 Chernow might be America’s best living biographer. This book won the Pulitzer Prize for biography. Chernow had access to the largest archive of Washington’s personal papers and used them to great effect. At 817 pages, Chernow doesn’t have the scope Flexner did to dig as deeply into Washington’s mind to explore all his complexities. Like Flexner, Chernow is a narrative historian, crafting his work as a grand story. He breaks the “marble statue” myth to present a man who was passionate, loved dancing, and was a brilliant hunter and horseman. Chernow also reflects our time. His writing feels written for the screen. It is very vivid, engaging, cinematic, and sweeping in presentation. He focuses on themes modern audiences are more concerned about than they were in Flexner’s day, such as Washington’s fiery temper, deep insecurities about his lack of a formal education, how he handled grief, his complex ties with his difficult mother, his infatuation with Sally Fairfax, his partnership with Martha, and his evolving moral discomfort with slavery.

2. Ron Chernow, Washington: A Life (New York: Penguin Press, 2010).

Concise: His Excellency: George Washington by Joseph J. Ellis (2004).3 This much shorter biography (275 pages) might be ideal for someone who wants a more condensed portrait of Washington. Ellis writes in a very engaging, elegant, and accessible style and presents a humanized Washington. He presents a great synthesis and analysis of Washington, especially his character. Because the scope is much smaller, Ellis focuses on select personal and political contexts that were key turning points. Some important episodes are completely skipped. If you have read either Flexner or Chernow you won’t find anything new here, as everything Ellis covers is dealt with by them in greater detail. But if you want a biography that doesn’t have the grand and monumental narrative scope and depth of Flexner or Chernow, this is a great choice.

3. Joseph J. Ellis, His Excellency: George Washington (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2004).

Washington’s Faith: George Washington’s Sacred Fire by Peter A. Lillback (2006).4 Lillback is a theologian and president of Westminster Theological Seminary. This massive 1,208-page book is the most detailed and comprehensive analysis of Washington’s faith. It analyzes Washington’s personal papers, letters, journals, diaries, manuscripts, library, church records, and personal papers of his closest confidants. With a mountain of evidence he argues against the modern academic view that Washington was a detached Deist, systematically breaking down the common arguments. He concludes Washington was a conventional, practicing Anglican whose public and private life was heavily shaped by Christian principles. In other words, Washington was an orthodox Christian. If you have seen the debates regarding Washington’s faith and want to explore it further, there is no better resource. I was convinced within the first 200 pages.

4. Peter A. Lillback, with Jerry Newcombe, George Washington’s Sacred Fire (Bryn Mawr, PA: Providence Forum Press, 2006).

2. John Adams (1797–1801)

Engaging: John Adams by David McCullough (2001).5 McCullough was one of the best American historians. He was widely read because he was a master writer and storyteller. He told history as a story. He wrote in a rich, engaging narrative style that captured the drama and vitality of the people and times he wrote about. His biography of Adams won the Pulitzer Prize for biography. The work is grounded in primary sources, including diaries and personal letters. The personal flaws and virtues of Adams are fully displayed. He had a fiery patriotism, and was very candid in his thoughts regarding the nation. Adams was brilliant, stubborn, and emotionally vulnerable. His relationship with Abigail (his “dear friend”) is one of the great romances of American history, with over 1,000 surviving, deeply revealing letters. He deflected the nation away from a potential war with France (the Quasi-War), yet supported the unconstitutional Sedition Act which made it illegal to criticize the government.

5. David McCullough, John Adams (New York: Simon and Schuster, 2001).

Scholarly: John Adams by Page Smith (1962).6 This two-volume biography (1,138 pages) is the definitive biography of Adams. It won the Bancroft Prize. This biography was written shortly after the public release of the Adams family papers. It is the most scholarly and academic treatment of Adams. Smith’s writing isn’t on the same level as McCullough. It is a rigorous read at times, yet it is not too dense. But neither is it an exciting read. It goes into exhaustive detail, especially about Adams’s public life and political philosophy. But Smith does present a fair, clear, and humanized Adams. If you desire the definitive account, this is it.

6. Page Smith, John Adams, 2 vols. (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1962).

3. Thomas Jefferson (1801–1809)

First, Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meacham (2012).7 While not as gifted a writer as Chernow or McCullough, Meacham writes in an engaging, flowing style, and does not get bogged down in the details. He presents a fast-paced narrative of Jefferson’s life and use of power. He presents Jefferson’s vast array of passions (science, music, gardening, architecture, etc.) in such a way the reader becomes interested in those same topics. He presents Jefferson not just as a philosopher, but as a master political operator who acted pragmatically in his use of power. He would compromise, even in contradiction to his views, to achieve his purposes. Jefferson espoused a philosophy of states’ rights and limited government, yet when he left office the government was larger and had more power than when he entered office. He oversaw a plan of infrastructure improvements, bought the Louisiana Territory, led the nation in the Barbary War (the first international war, first preemptive war, and first war on terror), and almost killed the economy with the Embargo Act. Meacham gives a highly critical look at Jefferson’s relationship with slavery, concluding that he highly likely fathered children with Sally Hemings.

7. Jon Meacham, Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power (New York: Random House, 2012).

Second, Dumas Malone’s six-volume biography, Jefferson and His Time, is the definitive biography of Jefferson.8 This work earned the Pulitzer Prize for biography and took thirty-eight years to complete. The 3,069-page biography is a meticulously researched, scholarly, and extremely detailed examination of Jefferson’s letters, records, and philosophy. For example, 1,153 pages are dedicated just to Jefferson’s presidency. The attention to detail makes this a dense and slow read. Malone focused on Jefferson’s intellectual development, his character, and changing worldview. He was very favorable to Jefferson, who is presented as a majestic, principled symbol of American democracy. He firmly rejected the claim that Jefferson fathered children with Sally Hemings. If you desire a deep dive into everything Jefferson, Malone is the place to go. The six volumes are: Jefferson the Virginian (1948); Jefferson and the Rights of Man (1951); Jefferson and the Ordeal of Liberty (1962); Jefferson the President: First Term, 1801–1805 (1970); Jefferson the President: Second Term, 1805–1809 (1974); The Sage of Monticello (1981).

8. Dumas Malone, Jefferson and His Time, 6 vols. (Boston: Little, Brown, 1948–1981).

Third, American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson by Joseph J. Ellis (1997).9 As the title suggests, this book is a character study of Jefferson and his contradictions, exploring his internal defenses, self-deception, and his ability to hold contradictory ideas without tension. Ellis writes in an engaging and elegant style, and has a nuanced, balanced view of Jefferson as a self-deluding idealist with psychological contradictions. It is presented in a non-linear format and is not meant to be a full biography. Ellis presented a different take than both Meacham and Malone and is worth reading alongside those fuller biographies.

9. Joseph J. Ellis, American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1997).

4. James Madison (1809–1817)

First, James Madison: A Biography by Ralph Ketcham (1971).10 Ketcham’s biography is the definitive single-volume biography of Madison. It is scholarly, and while well written and accessible to general readers, it is also dry and dense in places. This is a common issue with Madison biographies; perhaps it isn’t surprising given most of Madison’s public life centered on deep political philosophy and debate. During his term, Madison led the nation in the War of 1812. Ketcham was an early editor of the Madison papers and thus had direct familiarity with Madison’s letters and manuscripts, allowing him to find details and contexts never available to prior biographers. Because Madison was dry, reserved, and very private his personality and character was difficult for biographers to capture. Ketcham was able to look past the public mask to his strengths, weaknesses, and his relationships, especially with Dolley. Ketcham well balanced Madison’s early life, work on the Constitution, and political career. He is balanced in his view of Madison, at times favorable and other times critical.

10. Ralph Ketcham, James Madison: A Biography (New York: Macmillan, 1971).

Second, the definitive biography of Madison is Irving Brant’s six-volume biography.11 At 2,786 pages it is unmatched in scope and in exhaustive research. Brant’s writing was very dry, dense, and academic. Focused on primary sources and political papers, it presents a deep dive into Madison’s political philosophy, his role in writing and defending the Constitution, and practical use of power. Brant had a very protective and defensive view of Madison and was particularly focused on separating facts from political myths crafted by Madison’s political foes. If you already have a background in Madison’s historical era and you desire the deepest dive possible on Madison, Brant is the place to go. The six volumes are: The Virginia Revolutionist (1941); The Nationalist (1948); Father of the Constitution (1950); Secretary of State (1953); The President (1956); Commander in Chief (1961).

11. Irving Brant, James Madison, 6 vols. (Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill, 1941–1961).

5. James Monroe (1817–1825)

The Best New Biography: James Monroe: A Life by Tim McGrath (2020).12 The first major biography of Monroe in fifty years, McGrath’s writing is highly readable, engaging, and accessible. He presents history as a narrative, using lively prose and colorful descriptions. Because Monroe’s personal letters were burned after his death, a common practice at the time, much was lost regarding Monroe’s personal life. McGrath used newly uncovered primary sources which added detail to Monroe’s life that were previously missing, including personal relationships and struggles with slavery. McGrath gives a balanced portrait of Monroe’s achievements and flaws, presenting a humanized account. Standout sections include Monroe’s service during the War of 1812 (in which he holds the record of being the only person in history to hold two Cabinet positions simultaneously—Secretary of State and Secretary of War) and his domestic and foreign policy achievements as president, most significantly, the Monroe Doctrine. The last president of the Founding era, Monroe was the most politically unified and popular president since Washington. He had the distinction of being the only president after Washington to run unopposed for reelection.

12. Tim McGrath, James Monroe: A Life (New York: Dutton, 2020).

The Best Old Biography: James Monroe: The Quest for National Identity by Harry Ammon (1971).13 This biography stood for fifty years as the definitive biography of Monroe. This is an exhaustively researched, dense, and detailed academic biography. Ammon writes in a dry, scholarly, and detached manner. Its primary focus is on Monroe’s political life and development of foreign policy. If you want a more detailed academic biography than McGrath provides, Ammon is the next best alternative.

13. Harry Ammon, James Monroe: The Quest for National Identity (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1971).

6. John Quincy Adams (1825–1829)

John Quincy Adams: Militant Spirit by James Traub (2016).14 Although there have been several worthy biographies of Adams, the one I put above the rest is Traub. His writing is engaging and accessible for general readers. While scholarly, it never gets bogged down. He used Adams’s extensive diary to present his thoughts on everything, especially his anti-slavery leadership. Therefore, Adams’s complex strengths and weaknesses are on full display. His rigid, prickly exterior is peeled back to reveal intense self-doubt and overwhelming family expectations. Traub has a balanced and fair view of Adams. Adams is presented as a vital link from the Founding era to the Civil War era. Traub presents Adams’s presidency as an awkward interlude in his overall life of service that included the roles of diplomat, Secretary of State, and member of the House of Representatives. He was the only president to serve in the House of Representatives after his presidency, where he served seventeen years.

14. James Traub, John Quincy Adams: Militant Spirit (New York: Basic Books, 2016).

7. Andrew Jackson (1829–1837)

The best and definitive biography of Jackson is Robert V. Remini’s 1,346-page, three-volume biography.15 It won the National Book Award. If you prefer something less time-consuming, Remini published a single-volume abridgment, which also stands as the best single-volume biography. All Jackson biographies that came after relied heavily upon Remini’s work. Remini is a storyteller historian. He writes with a lively pace and his narrative is both powerful and engaging. He makes the political battles highly accessible to general readers. Yet, the biography is scholarly and deeply researched. Remini spent decades in Jackson archives and uses that detail to great effect in his narrative without becoming dense and slow. He brilliantly maps out the key people and events around Jackson, the transformation of the presidency and the nation, and the birth of the modern party system. Jackson was arguably the most important president between Washington and Lincoln, changing the office dramatically to a new activist presidential model. He dramatically grew the power of the presidency more than any of his predecessors, used his veto power more than all his predecessors combined, and his use of the spoils system grew a large government bureaucracy that diminished states’ rights. Jackson bravely stood against the growing nullification crisis. There is one major weakness with Remini: he does not present a balanced view of Jackson. He admires Jackson to the point that he frequently views events too much from Jackson’s perspective. While acknowledging Jackson’s flaws (such as his violent temper, slaveholding, and brutal mistreatment of the Indians) Remini rationalized them as misguided or minimized Jackson’s role. Despite this flaw, there is no better biography of Jackson. The three volumes are: Andrew Jackson and the Course of American Empire, 1767–1821 (1977); Andrew Jackson and the Course of American Freedom, 1822–1832 (1981); Andrew Jackson and the Course of American Democracy, 1833–1845 (1984). The single-volume biography is The Life of Andrew Jackson (1988).

15. Robert V. Remini, Andrew Jackson, 3 vols. (New York: Harper and Row, 1977–1984); Remini, The Life of Andrew Jackson (New York: Harper and Row, 1988).

8. Martin Van Buren (1837–1841)

Martin Van Buren: America’s First Politician by James M. Bradley (2024).16 The first biography of Van Buren in forty years, Bradley was the editor of Van Buren’s papers and thus in a unique position to write the new definitive biography. Martin Van Buren is the most important American most people have never heard of. He was the foundational architect of the modern political party system and the father of the Democrat Party. Bradley presents a fair and balanced view of Van Buren, confronting his moral compromises. He gives good insight into the building of a political party. However, Bradley’s writing is overly dense, especially in political details and contextualization, and lacks emotional depth into Van Buren’s personal life so that Van Buren feels elusive. A very good, helpful, and short supplemental volume would be Robert Remini’s Martin Van Buren and the Making of the Democratic Party (1959).

16. James M. Bradley, Martin Van Buren: America’s First Politician (New York: Oxford University Press, 2024); Robert V. Remini, Martin Van Buren and the Making of the Democratic Party (New York: Columbia University Press, 1959).

9. William Henry Harrison (1841)

Old Tippecanoe: William Henry Harrison and His Times by Freeman Cleaves (1939).17 Cleaves’s biography remains definitive due to the lack of any other options. With the shortest presidency in history (thirty-one days), he has been neglected. His two major contributions bookended his presidency: he ran the first modern presidential campaign (with voter mobilization, slogans, rallies, parades, musical numbers, imagery, and mass merchandising) and he died. Cleaves drew heavily from Harrison’s personal letters, regional records, and contemporary accounts. He treats Harrison fairly and in a balanced way. While his month-long presidency is briefly treated, the majority of the book is, understandably, focused on his pre-presidency years. The book’s major weakness is it has little insight into Harrison’s personal life, personality, and relationships.

17. Freeman Cleaves, Old Tippecanoe: William Henry Harrison and His Times (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1939).

10. John Tyler (1841–1845)

President Without a Party: The Life of John Tyler by Christopher J. Leahy (2020).18 This was the first biography of Tyler in eighty years. This definitive account uses exhaustive archival primary source research to bring Tyler and his world to life in engaging prose that never feels dry. It is a comprehensive and nuanced account of the first vice president to assume the office upon the death of the sitting president. He brought stability to that potential constitutional crisis by setting the precedent we know today: he immediately took the oath of office and claimed the presidency rather than accepting a diminished “acting” caretaker role. He would also be the only former president to support the Confederacy, eventually being elected to the Confederate Congress. Leahy balances Tyler’s public and private life, presenting him as a pragmatic politician who sought middle-of-the-road solutions and whose family suffered due to his political ambitions. He is balanced in his evaluation of Tyler’s strengths and moral failings.

18. Christopher J. Leahy, President Without a Party: The Life of John Tyler (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2020).

11. James K. Polk (1845–1849)

Polk: The Man Who Transformed the Presidency and America by Walter R. Borneman (2008).19 This was the first major biography of Polk in forty years and the best available. Borneman writes in an engaging and brisk prose and never becomes dry. Borneman shows how Polk achieved every goal he had (reducing tariffs, restoring the independent Treasury, settling the Oregon boundary, and acquiring California), permanently expanding presidential war powers in the Mexican-American War, and filling in the modern map of the mainland United States, making it truly a nation from “sea to shining sea”—all within a single term. Borneman presents a balanced portrait of Polk, humanizing a man who outwardly was an introverted relentless worker while presenting Polk’s weaknesses, including the aggressiveness of the Mexican War and its consequences. Borneman’s main weakness was in rushing Polk’s early years before his political career and he lacks a deep exploration of Polk’s relationship with his wife.

19. Walter R. Borneman, Polk: The Man Who Transformed the Presidency and America (New York: Random House, 2008).

12. Zachary Taylor (1849–1850)

Zachary Taylor: Soldier, Planter, Statesman of the Old Southwest by K. Jack Bauer (1985).20 This is the best biography of Taylor, the general of the Mexican War and the second president to die in office. Bauer used archival sources and Taylor’s papers previously unavailable to historians to present the best scholarly, comprehensive, and balanced portrayal of Taylor’s life and career to date. He gives a good and fair treatment of Taylor’s sixteen-month presidency, his defiant opposition to the expansion of slavery, and fierce stance against the threats of secession. Unfortunately, the book is dry, dense, and a slog to read due to its extreme amount of detail, especially in detailing everyday military logistics during the Mexican War.

20. K. Jack Bauer, Zachary Taylor: Soldier, Planter, Statesman of the Old Southwest (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1985).

13. Millard Fillmore (1850–1853)

Millard Fillmore: Biography of a President by Robert J. Rayback (1959).21 This is the definitive and best biography of Fillmore because there are no other options. Rayback had access to unused primary sources, including over 8,500 letters between Fillmore and his allies and rivals. These alternate primary sources overcame the issue historians had in studying Fillmore’s presidency because his son burned most of his presidential papers upon Fillmore’s death. In doing so, Rayback challenged the long-standing consensus of Fillmore as a weak, pompous placeholder. He was able to show tenacity and purpose beneath Fillmore’s quiet demeanor. However, Rayback’s portrayal of Fillmore is the book’s key weakness. He is uncritically favorable, even to the point of flattery. He consistently defends Fillmore, downplaying his controversies and weaknesses in the Compromise of 1850 and enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Act.

21. Robert J. Rayback, Millard Fillmore: Biography of a President (Buffalo, NY: Buffalo Historical Society, 1959).

14. Franklin Pierce (1853–1857)

Peter A. Wallner’s two-volume (637-page) biography was the first Pierce biography in seventy years, and is the definitive and best option.22 Wallner’s prose is very easy to read and expressive. Wallner was the first to use modern research methods, newly discovered primary sources, and local archives. He gives an in-depth look at Pierce’s early life, legal career, and political rise. He excels at balancing politics with Pierce’s personal life; his struggle with alcoholism and grief over the horrific train accident that killed his son right in front of him just before his inauguration are handled with care. Wallner’s examination of Pierce’s highly volatile presidency is exhaustive, concluding that Pierce was an honest, principled man who tried to hold a fracturing nation together. His tragic downfalls, such as the consequences of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, were driven by large forces beyond his ability to control. Pierce was close friends with Confederate President Jefferson Davis before and after the war. During the war Pierce supported the Union but opposed Lincoln and blamed him for the conflict, keeping up a warm correspondence with Davis. Wallner tends at times to be overly complimentary to Pierce, and his conclusions that Pierce was a tragic figure who tried his best but faced circumstances outside his control might be unconvincing given many of Pierce’s policies accelerated the country toward the Civil War. The two volumes are: Franklin Pierce: New Hampshire’s Favorite Son (2004); Franklin Pierce: Martyr for the Union (2007).

22. Peter A. Wallner, Franklin Pierce: New Hampshire’s Favorite Son (Concord, NH: Plaidswede Publishing, 2004); Wallner, Franklin Pierce: Martyr for the Union (Concord, NH: Plaidswede Publishing, 2007).

15. James Buchanan (1857–1861)

President James Buchanan: A Biography by Philip S. Klein (1962).23 Klein’s biography remains the best and definitive portrait of Buchanan, our only president who never married. He was once engaged, but his fiancée died suddenly and mysteriously; deeply devastated, he never married. Klein gave full coverage to Buchanan’s long life of public service as a congressman, senator, ambassador to Russia and Great Britain, and Secretary of State based on the primary sources and modern evidence. Buchanan led the Mormon War. Klein’s weakness is he is too forgiving of Buchanan’s flaws. He excused or minimized Buchanan’s major leadership failures on the eve of the Civil War. He, likewise, does not give a final assessment of Buchanan’s presidency and legacy. He also does not delve much into Buchanan’s private life, including why he never married. Buchanan wrote the first presidential memoir, Mr. Buchanan’s Administration on the Eve of the Rebellion.

23. Philip S. Klein, President James Buchanan: A Biography (University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press, 1962); James Buchanan, Mr. Buchanan’s Administration on the Eve of the Rebellion (New York: D. Appleton, 1866).

16. Abraham Lincoln (1861–1865)

As with the first five presidents, Abraham Lincoln is a man for whom a single biography does not suffice. Here are the best four:

My Favorite: With Malice Toward None: A Life of Abraham Lincoln by Stephen B. Oates (1977).24 My favorite Lincoln biography, Oates was a storyteller historian and wrote in an engaging narrative style that has a quick pace and emotional warmth. He bridged academic scholarship with a flow that average readers will enjoy. Oates presents a fair and balanced account of the Great Emancipator, the man who both freed the slaves and saved the Union. Oates was able to strip away the marble statue myth and reveal the human Lincoln, his strengths and flaws. He presents Lincoln as a visionary, proactive, and pragmatic statesman who drove events, details how Lincoln moved morally, deliberately, and strategically on slavery, and how preserving the Union drove Lincoln’s decisions in the Civil War. He dives deep into Lincoln’s lifelong struggle with deep depression and his complex relationship with his wife.

24. Stephen B. Oates, With Malice Toward None: The Life of Abraham Lincoln (New York: Harper and Row, 1977).

Lincoln’s Personal Development: A. Lincoln: A Biography by Ronald C. White Jr. (2009).25 In many ways, White’s biography may be better than Donald’s (see below) because it incorporates sources unavailable to Donald and is written in a flowing, engaging style that appeals to general readers. White fills a great need in Lincoln biographies with a unique and profound exploration of Lincoln’s moral and spiritual evolution. Through private, unpublished notes, White traces Lincoln’s subtle shift from someone who mocked Christianity to a leader driven to Christ while grappling with theological questions during the Civil War. Lincoln deeply wrestled with questions of providence and God’s will. He also highlights Lincoln’s ability to see things from other people’s perspectives as the foundation of his political wisdom. White also shows great insight into Lincoln’s speeches and private writings to show his thinking process as he worked through moral and constitutional issues. He presents a flawed Lincoln, but an active and moral leader.

25. Ronald C. White Jr., A. Lincoln: A Biography (New York: Random House, 2009).

The Definitive Biography: Lincoln by David Herbert Donald (1995).26 Donald’s biography replaced Oates as the definitive biography. Donald wrote with a calm, detailed academic prose. Donald condensed his lifetime of study on Lincoln into this book. Drawing extensively from Lincoln’s personal papers and legal records, it is written entirely from Lincoln’s perspective, restricting information and context to what Lincoln knew and experienced rather than through a historical hindsight perspective. Writing in this way, Donald breaks through the mythology to show a flawed yet master politician who succeeded by out-maneuvering rivals and allowing them to defeat themselves. Unlike Oates, Donald presents Lincoln as a more hesitant, passive, and reactive leader, shaped more by circumstance and public pressure. Donald spent less time than Oates on Lincoln’s personal life, focusing more on his public life. Ironically, limiting the perspective to Lincoln, while leading to the book’s strength, is also its weakness. By using the limited perspective, major historical turning points and national trends are glossed over, the power and impact of Lincoln’s words and speeches are often underplayed, and it leads to the passive view of Lincoln’s leadership which downplays his proactive, agonizing inner decisions.

26. David Herbert Donald, Lincoln (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1995).

Dispelling Myths: The Lincoln Nobody Knows by Richard N. Current (1958).27 This book is a great supplement to a full biography as it presents a study of the obscure and misunderstood facets of Lincoln’s career and private life and dispels popular myths. It examines Lincoln’s conflicts, paradoxes, and possible contradictions: was he an illegitimate child? Did he love another woman? Did he become a Christian? What were his personal views on slavery and African Americans? Was he a great military leader or an amateur? Lincoln comes across as a pragmatic, skillful leader who balanced morality with political survival. Current wrote in a brisk and clear style that is very easy to read.

27. Richard N. Current, The Lincoln Nobody Knows (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1958).

17. Andrew Johnson (1865–1869)

Andrew Johnson: A Biography by Hans L. Trefousse (1989).28 Trefousse’s biography is the definitive account of Johnson, and he balances academic depth with fair analysis of Johnson without villainizing him or making him a martyr. While not dense, the book is written in a dry academic style. Trefousse presents Johnson as a tragic, stubbornly rigid figure attached to Jacksonian ideals and agrarianism out of step with post-Civil War America, emancipation, and industrialization. He discards myths that arose around Johnson, such as his alcoholism, while also being candid about Johnson’s racism and lack of vision. Johnson went from being a poor tailor, to Tennessee governor, to a United States Senator. A staunch Unionist who opposed secession, he remained in the Senate and joined Lincoln on a unity ticket in 1864. After winning his impeachment trial by a single vote he became the only former president to return to the Senate. Trefousse was a leading historian on the Reconstruction era allowing him to place Johnson in his time and analyze his political decisions and their consequences. He gives a fair and level-headed treatment of Johnson’s impeachment, acknowledging the dubious nature of the charges while holding Johnson accountable for the legacy of his actions, especially regarding civil rights.

28. Hans L. Trefousse, Andrew Johnson: A Biography (New York: W. W. Norton, 1989).

18. Ulysses S. Grant (1869–1877)

Grant by Ron Chernow (2017).29 Chernow, America’s best living biographer, has written the definitive portrait of Grant. He is a master storyteller, who tells Grant’s story with smooth, engaging writing. Pulling from new sources, this masterfully researched biography balances Grant’s early years, private life, military career, and presidency. Chernow honestly evaluates Grant’s struggles with alcohol and other failures, the scandals administration members were involved in, and corrects myths that Grant was a butcher during the Civil War and a failure as president. He presents Grant as a great general and visionary president who was aggressive in his use of federal power to crush the KKK and protect the rights of newly freed blacks. He does a good job showing Grant’s relationship with his wife and a deep humility. Grant was also a great writer. He wrote what is considered one of the greatest memoirs in history, The Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant (1885).

29. Ron Chernow, Grant (New York: Penguin Press, 2017); Ulysses S. Grant, Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, 2 vols. (New York: Charles L. Webster, 1885–1886).

19. Rutherford B. Hayes (1877–1881)

Rutherford B. Hayes: Warrior and President by Ari Hoogenboom (1995).30 The first biography of Hayes in forty years, this is the definitive biography. Hoogenboom writes in a dry style, with dense prose and a stalled pace due to excessive details. Through extensive use of Hayes’s journals, letters, and diaries, Hoogenboom successfully replaced the myth of Hayes as an accidental and weak leader with a deeply researched and nuanced defense of his life, character, and political leadership. His section on Hayes’s Civil War service is thrilling. Hayes served with courage, being wounded multiple times. After the controversial election of 1876 which Hayes possibly lost, Hayes is presented as a successful president who defended civil service reform, education, and racial equality while his choices were restrained by the election and a hostile Congress. Although successful in presenting a convincing portrait of Hayes, Hoogenboom’s weakness is in being too uncritical and entirely defensive of Hayes. He occasionally glosses over policy failures such as the end of Reconstruction or the Strike of 1877 as simply consequences of limited options. He also fails to capture Hayes’s emotional motivations or worldview.

30. Ari Hoogenboom, Rutherford B. Hayes: Warrior and President (Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1995).

20. James Garfield (1881)

Garfield: A Biography by Allan Peskin (1978).31 While there have been more recent biographies of Garfield, Peskin’s remains my favorite. It stood as the definitive biography for fifty years, and more recent accounts have overreached in trying to present Garfield as a modern progressive. Despite the academic nature of the biography, Peskin writes in a smooth, brisk narrative that remains witty and lacks academic dryness. Peskin used letters and records to chronicle each era of Garfield’s life with balanced weight: from a canal boy, a college president, a preacher in the Disciples of Christ, a Union general, congressman, and the second president assassinated after just six-and-a-half months in office. He gives a balanced view of Garfield, highlighting political missteps, compromises, and personal complexities while remaining positive about him. The biography strangely shies away from much examination of Garfield’s emotional life and his family relationships. If you are interested in a deeper account of Garfield’s assassination and the medical malpractice that ensued during the eighty days he lingered after being shot, the book for you is the gripping Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard (2011).

31. Allan Peskin, Garfield: A Biography (Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 1978); Candice Millard, Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President (New York: Doubleday, 2011).

21. Chester A. Arthur (1881–1885)

Gentleman Boss: The Life of Chester Alan Arthur by Thomas C. Reeves (1975).32 Arthur was difficult for biographers to cover because his personal papers and documents were burned at his death. Reeves overcame this through interviews with Arthur’s descendants (including his grandson) and through scattered archives and new manuscript collections. Because of this the book is a bit weak in detailing Arthur’s early years. But he does a great job in providing essential context for the circles and political issues surrounding Arthur. Reeves effectively chronicled Arthur’s transformation from a corrupt party machine politician who Garfield chose as his vice president to get the backing of Arthur’s puppet masters into a principled reformer president who governed with dignity and took on the very system he had been a part of. Reeves was the first to reveal Arthur’s secret fatal battle with Bright’s disease. The book is well written, but does become a bit dry and tedious in certain areas—especially deep dives into administrative policy and foreign affairs.

32. Thomas C. Reeves, Gentleman Boss: The Life of Chester Alan Arthur (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1975).

22. / 24. Grover Cleveland (1885–1889, 1893–1897)

Some readers will be surprised to see two biographies for Grover Cleveland. Yet Cleveland was more important than most people think. My first recommendation is Grover Cleveland: A Study in Character by Alyn Brodsky (2000).33 Cleveland holds several distinctions: Until Donald Trump in 2024, he was the only president to serve two nonconsecutive terms, he was the only president to get married inside the White House, and he was the only Democrat elected between 1856 and 1912 (perhaps, ironically, because his policies were more in line with the Republicans than his Republican challengers were). Brodsky’s biography of Cleveland is my favorite. While being an academic biography it never becomes dense or dry. Brodsky is a storyteller historian, who writes a vibrant, narrative-driven portrait of Cleveland and focuses on what made Cleveland unique: his unyielding moral fiber. It is the clearest, most engaging and energetic Cleveland biography. It is also very clear on complicated policy issues. Brodsky focuses heavily on Cleveland’s personal life and presents him as a complex human being. He gives balance to all aspects of Cleveland’s life: his early years, time as a rough-and-tumble trial lawyer, governorship, and presidency. He is fair in his critique of Cleveland, criticizing his political naivety and stubborn mistakes, and is also convincing in his positive reevaluation of some of Cleveland’s controversial decisions. He convincingly presents Cleveland’s rigid, principled constitutionalism, honesty, and morality as shaping his decisions.

33. Alyn Brodsky, Grover Cleveland: A Study in Character (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2000).

Second, Grover Cleveland: A Study in Courage by Allan Nevins (1932).34 This biography won the Pulitzer Prize for biography and remains the definitive biography of Cleveland in terms of scholarly depth and comprehensiveness. Nevins had access to primary sources and a closeness to the time that later biographers did not have. Like Brodsky, Nevins argues Cleveland’s defining trait was his morally stubborn, unyielding character, rigid adherence to constitutional principles, and political independence, and shows how those admirable characteristics led to both his victories and failures. He explains the complex policy issues with clarity, and thoroughly explains Cleveland’s political contexts. The book’s primary weaknesses are it drags and gets bogged down during dense policy deep dives and neglects Cleveland’s personal life and family relationships.

34. Allan Nevins, Grover Cleveland: A Study in Courage (New York: Dodd, Mead, 1932).

23. Benjamin Harrison (1889–1893)

Harry J. Sievers’s three-volume (1,023-page) biography remains the best and definitive option because there are no others available.35 Harrison was the grandson of William Henry Harrison, the only grandfather-grandson presidencies. He also had the unfortunate circumstance of being stuck between Cleveland’s two terms, becoming largely a historical footnote. Sievers had decades of exclusive access to the Harrison papers, writing the first biographical study of Harrison. He treats his early life, Civil War heroism, legal career, and presidency equally, giving Harrison’s perspective as historical events unfolded. That personal perspective sometimes caused Sievers to become bogged down in needless day-to-day details. Sievers focused on Harrison’s character and personality rather than offer a dry political study, including his deep faith, legal perspective, and personal tragedies such as the death of his first wife. He also presents a fair look at Harrison’s failures and flaws. Sadly, the weakest part of the biography is the coverage of Harrison’s presidency. It doesn’t give a thorough analysis of his administration, legislative impact, or larger legacy. The three volumes are: Benjamin Harrison: Hoosier Warrior (1952); Benjamin Harrison: Hoosier Statesman (1959); and Benjamin Harrison: Hoosier President (1968).

35. Harry J. Sievers, Benjamin Harrison: Hoosier Warrior (Chicago: Henry Regnery, 1952); Sievers, Benjamin Harrison: Hoosier Statesman (New York: University Publishers, 1959); Sievers, Benjamin Harrison: Hoosier President, 1968).

25. William McKinley (1897–1901)

William McKinley and His America, Revised Edition by H. Wayne Morgan (2003).36 McKinley was the first president of the twentieth century, led during the Spanish-American War, was a beloved president who connected with average Americans, and was the third president to be assassinated. There have been many recent biographies of McKinley, and Morgan’s is my favorite. He was a storyteller, and told McKinley’s story in a vivid narrative. He was able to make tedious policy topics into engaging narratives and clearly explain their importance for today. He uses extensive research to provide a perfect balance in McKinley’s private life and public life, giving a portrait of a complex and deeply human man. We see a man who had great warmth, humor, tact, patience, and dedicated himself to caring for his frail, epileptic wife until his death. The book is almost evenly divided between McKinley’s pre-presidency (including childhood, his heroism in the Civil War, congressional career, and governorship) and presidency. Morgan convincingly argues that McKinley was a shrewd, intentional, and active leader who transitioned America into the modern world and onto the world stage.

36. H. Wayne Morgan, William McKinley and His America, rev. ed. (Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 2003).

26. Theodore Roosevelt (1901–1909)

The Best Biography: Edmund Morris is Roosevelt’s best biographer. Nobody does Teddy better than Morris. His three-volume (1,929-page) biography is the definitive and best biography of Roosevelt, and it’s hard to imagine it ever being bested. The work won the Pulitzer Prize for biography and the National Book Award. Morris was a storyteller historian, writing in colorful, energetic prose, matching Roosevelt’s nature. In his hands Roosevelt’s story feels like an epic adventure, mirroring his life. Morris spent decades of exhaustive research in Roosevelt’s journals, diaries, letters, rough drafts, and his contemporaries. He was able to capture Roosevelt’s inner complexities and his drive. Morris’s storytelling ability immerses us on a journey with Roosevelt through his sickly, asthmatic childhood, his drive to overcome his frailties, his travels through the Badlands, charging up Kettle Hill with the Rough Riders, expeditions in the African jungle, the presidency, and his tragic decline. The action events are presented with cinematic clarity. Morris presents a very balanced and fair assessment of Roosevelt, judging him on the basis of his time and not our own. The three volumes are: The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt (1979), Theodore Rex (2001), and Colonel Roosevelt (2010).37

37. Edmund Morris, The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt (New York: Coward, McCann and Geoghegan, 1979); Morris, Theodore Rex (New York: Random House, 2001); Morris, Colonel Roosevelt (New York: Random House, 2010).

Two Roosevelt Vignettes: Mornings on Horseback by David McCullough (1981) and The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey by Candice Millard (2005).38 These two books are not full biographies. They are deeper looks at two eras of Roosevelt’s life. Both McCullough and Millard are excellent writers and storytellers who write in smooth, clear, and engaging prose. They can grip you into the story. McCullough’s book is the story of Roosevelt’s younger years, from his childhood, his young adulthood and the tragic loss of his mother and first wife on the same day (Valentine’s Day), through his time in the Badlands, just before he launches his political career. Millard’s book is the suspenseful adventure story of Roosevelt’s expedition down the Amazon River in 1914 and what his team (including his son) must do to survive. Roosevelt wrote his memoir, Theodore Roosevelt: An Autobiography (1913).

38. David McCullough, Mornings on Horseback (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1981); Candice Millard, The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey (New York: Doubleday, 2005); Theodore Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt: An Autobiography (New York: Macmillan, 1913).

27. William Howard Taft (1909–1913)

The Life and Times of William Howard Taft by Henry Pringle (1939).39 This two-volume (1,079-page) biography is the best and definitive biography largely because there are no others. Pringle had unlimited access to the Taft family papers (which have remained restricted to later historians) and was able to interview Taft’s children. The result was a very balanced account that brings Taft out from under the shadow of Roosevelt and judges him on his own terms. Due to the amount of detail, the writing often becomes dense and dry. Taft comes across as warm-hearted and possessing a keen legal mind, more suited for the judiciary than the presidency. Taft was the heaviest president at over 340 pounds (requiring the installation of a larger bathtub in the White House), served as the governor of the Philippines, and the only former president to sit on the Supreme Court, where he served as a transformational Chief Justice. A potential rival for best biography may be coming in November 2026 with the release of William Howard Taft: A Great American Life by Walter Stahr.

39. Henry F. Pringle, The Life and Times of William Howard Taft, 2 vols. (New York: Farrar and Rinehart, 1939).

28. Woodrow Wilson (1913–1921)

Wilson is the next president to get multiple biographies as one of the most impactful men in American history. Wilson was the only true academic president, and introduced modern liberalism into American politics.

Wilson the Man: Woodrow Wilson: A Biography by John Milton Cooper Jr. (2009).40 Cooper spent decades studying Wilson’s archives, letters, and contexts, and culminated his career in this biography. An academically dense biography, the book can become dry. He sees Wilson as a philosophical academic, his background in political science shaping his leadership. Often seen as a rigid puritanical figure, Cooper shows a man of warmth, humor, devoted to his family, and driven by complex motives. He clearly shows the philosophy behind Wilson’s policies. Cooper takes a balanced view of Wilson, presenting him as a consequential and visionary leader, while also critiquing his dark legacy of racism, segregation of the military, and severe suppression of civil liberties. Despite these critiques, Cooper occasionally rationalizes major presidential overreaches by attributing them to Wilson’s leadership style rather than active complicity. Having led the nation through World War I, Wilson suffered a stroke and lingered for seventeen months before his term ended; his wife Edith hid the severity of his condition and carried out his presidential duties, becoming de facto the first female president.

40. John Milton Cooper Jr., Woodrow Wilson: A Biography (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2009).

Wilson’s Political Philosophy: If you desire a deep dive into Wilson’s political philosophy, I recommend Woodrow Wilson and the Roots of Modern Liberalism by Ronald J. Pestritto (2005).41 Pestritto convincingly argues that Wilson’s writing and policies represent a radical departure from the founding principles of the American Constitution. Wilson rejected the Founders’ belief in permanent, unchanging natural rights and a fixed human nature and was the chief architect of the liberal assault on the separation of powers and the creator of the modern administrative state. He believed government and the Constitution must organically evolve to meet the changing needs of the times (the living Constitution view). He argued the system of checks and balances was outdated, an inefficient barrier to progress. Thus, power should be moved from Congress to unelected, scientific experts who could run an efficient bureaucracy free from political factionalism. The president should be a visionary leader who interprets and shapes the public will, bypassing constitutional limits.

41. Ronald J. Pestritto, Woodrow Wilson and the Roots of Modern Liberalism (Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2005).

29. Warren G. Harding (1921–1923)

First, The Jazz Age President: Defending Warren G. Harding by Ryan S. Walters (2022).42 There is no great biography of Harding available. Running against liberalism, he promised a return to “normalcy,” and would die in office after just over two years. Walters’s book is the best on Harding’s presidency and legacy, but it doesn’t cover his life prior to his election. It is easy to read, focused, and fast-paced. Walters is convincing that Harding was an underrated president, remembered more for the cabinet scandals than his actual accomplishments. Walters is convincing on Harding’s economic revival (for just one example, he inherited a depression with 12 percent unemployment and using tax cuts, reduced spending, and budget balancing, unemployment dropped to 3 percent), foreign policy accomplishments (Washington Naval Conference and disarmament), and civil rights policies (racial reconciliation and anti-lynching advocacy in the South).

42. Ryan S. Walters, The Jazz Age President: Defending Warren G. Harding (Washington, DC: Regnery History, 2022).

Second, The Shadow of Blooming Grove: Warren G. Harding in His Times by Francis Russell (1968).43 This book is recommended because it provides the best early life and pre-presidency coverage of Harding available. Russell’s book is an engaging, colorful, detailed, yet deeply flawed book. Russell was able to use Harding’s personal papers as soon as they became available. As a result the book revealed the drama of Harding’s personal life, yet it was so focused on sensationalism, Harding’s sex life, and forced theories (since debunked) that it is tabloidesque. The Harding family sued to block the publication of Harding’s mistress’s letters, and as such literal blank marks are used to signify where text was omitted. Russell’s coverage of Harding’s presidency is poor. He focuses on the numerous cabinet scandals, largely ignoring or minimizing Harding’s actual policy accomplishments, such as notable civil rights policies and growing the economy.

43. Francis Russell, The Shadow of Blooming Grove: Warren G. Harding in His Times (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1968).

30. Calvin Coolidge (1923–1929)

The Definitive Biography: Coolidge by Amity Shlaes (2013).44 The best and definitive biography of Coolidge, Shlaes used archival material to trace Coolidge’s early years and steady rise in state government. The book is dry and dense when detailing policy, with a mechanical pace when transitioning between events and policy details. Shlaes presents Silent Cal’s quiet political style as an intentional, highly successful strategist and a dedicated statesman whose focus on cutting the national debt, lowering taxes, and limiting government intervention brought the prosperity of the Roaring Twenties. Federal revenues increased and debt decreased. As a result, Coolidge was a popular president. Coolidge viewed government office as a duty to protect the people’s individual liberty and moral framework, not as a tool to control them. While Shlaes judges Coolidge based in his own time, she successfully shows how his policies are still relevant today.

44. Amity Shlaes, Coolidge (New York: Harper, 2013).

Second, Coolidge: An American Enigma by Robert Sobel (1998).45 This was the first Coolidge biography in thirty years and until Shlaes’s biography it was the definitive account. Sobel wrote in a clear, straightforward style that made complex policy discussions easy to follow. Sobel discredited established myths about Coolidge as passive, lazy, or accidental and showed his political restraint was a deliberate, purposeful, principled, and rational philosophy of government. He showed how Coolidge’s economic choices of budget and tax cutting aimed at shrinking the post-war debt. Coolidge wrote his memoir, The Autobiography of Calvin Coolidge (1929).

45. Robert Sobel, Coolidge: An American Enigma (Washington, DC: Regnery, 1998); Calvin Coolidge, The Autobiography of Calvin Coolidge (New York: Cosmopolitan Book Corporation, 1929).

31. Herbert Hoover (1929–1933)

Hoover: An Extraordinary Life in Extraordinary Times by Kenneth Whyte (2017).46 Whyte wrote with engaging clarity with a steady pace without becoming dense or dry. Whyte was able to rescue Hoover from the cloud of the Great Depression with a balanced, deeply researched look at how an orphaned boy became an international mining engineer, a global humanitarian who saved millions from starvation during and after World War I, a master administrator, and a forgotten progressive. Ironically, while president his progressive economic policies mirrored the New Deal, he later changed his mind and led the conservative opposition to the New Deal. He went on to have a lengthy thirty-two-year post-presidency. Whyte deeply analyzed Hoover’s economic policies, decisions, and philosophy in light of the Great Depression. He did become overly defensive of Hoover’s actions during the Depression and focused so much on monetary policy to analyze it that he tended to gloss over the human misery and Hoover’s contradictory responses. Otherwise, Whyte is fair in critiquing his political failures, withdrawn personality, intense insecurity, and social awkwardness. Ultimately he presents Hoover as a man of contradictions: deeply compassionate in humanitarianism yet rigid in public policy. Hoover wrote his memoirs, The Memoirs of Herbert Hoover (1951) in three volumes: Years of Adventure (1874–1920); The Cabinet and the Presidency (1920–1933); and The Great Depression (1929–1941).

46. Kenneth Whyte, Hoover: An Extraordinary Life in Extraordinary Times (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2017); Herbert Hoover, The Memoirs of Herbert Hoover, 3 vols. (New York: Macmillan, 1951–1952).

32. Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1933–1945)

Roosevelt was the only president to be elected more than twice (four times). Roosevelt led through two massive crises: the Great Depression and World War II. Roosevelt picked up the liberal legacy from Wilson. No one will be surprised that I was compelled to recommend multiple FDR biographies.

Roosevelt’s Life: FDR by Jean Edward Smith (2007).47 There are many biographies of Roosevelt to choose from. Smith’s biography is my favorite. He did an excellent job combining extensive research with depth, psychological insight, covering Roosevelt’s entire life, balancing his private life and public life, all while writing with a fast, engaging pace and clarity that does not get bogged down and dense. Smith benefitted from new primary source material while also benefitting from existing research. His coverage of Roosevelt’s war leadership was very strong, but he was too forgiving of Roosevelt’s New Deal policies and his attacks on political opponents. While Smith openly admires Roosevelt, he was critical of Roosevelt’s flaws, including the Japanese internment camps, Roosevelt’s Supreme Court packing scheme, and his numerous affairs and treatment of his wife. While Roosevelt is seen as inspiring (especially in his battle with polio in forging personal resilience), he is also presented as a cold and calculating political strategist.

47. Jean Edward Smith, FDR (New York: Random House, 2007).

The Best Critiques: New Deal or Raw Deal? How FDR’s Economic Legacy Has Damaged America by Burton W. Folsom Jr. (2008) and The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression by Amity Shlaes (2007).48 These books bring balance to Smith’s biography by showing convincingly that Roosevelt’s New Deal policies did not end the Depression; in fact they prolonged and deepened the Depression. Folsom was an economic historian and argued that high taxes, price-fixing, farm subsidies, minimum wage laws, welfare, and market interventions discouraged business investment and kept unemployment high throughout the 1930s. Roosevelt ran on a platform of balancing the federal budget and reducing spending, but instead massively expanded government debt and federal power. The long-term legacy has been hindrances to productivity and free-market growth. Many of the programs were designed more to secure patronage and votes for the Democrat Party than to achieve economic recovery. Shlaes argued that Hoover’s high tariffs and Roosevelt’s New Deal regulations created a climate of regime uncertainty. This froze private investment, keeping unemployment high and artificially lengthening the Depression.

48. Burton W. Folsom Jr., New Deal or Raw Deal? How FDR’s Economic Legacy Has Damaged America (New York: Threshold Editions, 2008); Amity Shlaes, The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression (New York: HarperCollins, 2007).

33. Harry Truman (1945–1953)

Truman by David McCullough (1992).49 This is the best and definitive biography of Truman. McCullough was a great historian and a master storyteller, who won the Pulitzer Prize for this biography. He wrote an engaging and compelling narrative, combined with deep, decades-long research into Truman’s personal letters, especially his letters with his wife, Truman’s archives, and interviews with Truman’s family, friends, and political contemporaries. He painted an intimate, balanced portrait of an ordinary American thrust into the presidency during World War II upon Roosevelt’s death. He captured his boyhood as a farmer, heroism in World War I, failed business venture before entering politics, and his private life, especially his relationship with his wife. He emphasized Truman’s integrity, courage, lack of pretense, and strong moral core in his political decisions. He is fair and clear in his analysis of Truman’s difficult decisions, such as dropping the atomic bomb, and does not hide Truman’s flaws or mistakes. Truman wrote his presidential memoirs in two volumes: Year of Decisions (1955) and Years of Trial and Hope (1956).

49. David McCullough, Truman (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1992); Harry S. Truman, Memoirs, 2 vols. (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1955–1956).

34. Dwight Eisenhower (1953–1961)

Eisenhower in War and Peace by Jean Edward Smith (2012).50 There are a number of good Eisenhower biographies; Smith’s is my favorite. The writing can be dense at times and overly detailed despite the use of footnotes to add interesting details without slowing down the narrative. It convincingly ended the myth of Ike as a well-meaning amateur, and showed him as a shrewd, complex strategist who successfully managed military leadership in World War II and the Cold War. Eisenhower personally crafted a public image as an easygoing, amateurish bumbler who got lucky as a tactical smokescreen to conceal his real intentions from opponents and the media. He kept a firm hand on policy and budgets, expanding Social Security, designing the Interstate Highway System, and led in passing civil rights legislation and desegregating schools. Smith balances Eisenhower’s public life with his private life, and is unflinching in his coverage of Eisenhower’s affair during World War II and his consideration of divorcing his wife before being blocked by General Marshall. Despite this, Smith clearly loves Eisenhower and occasionally glossed over or excused his policy mistakes. Eisenhower wrote his memoirs, The White House Years, in two volumes: Mandate for Change (1953–1956) (1963) and Waging Peace (1956–1961) (1965).

50. Jean Edward Smith, Eisenhower in War and Peace (New York: Random House, 2012); Dwight D. Eisenhower, The White House Years, 2 vols. (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1963–1965).

35. John F. Kennedy (1961–1963)

Surprisingly, there is no great biography of Kennedy’s full life, and two complementary biographies must be recommended.

First, An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy 1917–1963 by Robert Dallek (2003).51 Dallek successfully balanced Kennedy’s public life and private life until his political career; at that point Kennedy’s private life and relationships (including his wife) are neglected. He had unprecedented access to private medical and family archives, giving fresh context for his early life and revealing the severity of his chronic back pain, Addison’s disease, and daily heavy drug treatments. While Dallek rejects the Camelot myth and is clear about Kennedy’s health issues and his womanizing and affairs, he unconvincingly argues that these personal flaws did not impair his decision-making or leadership. Unlike Reeves, Dallek is convincing that Kennedy’s tax-cut policies were positive. His evaluation of Kennedy’s pragmatic handling of the Cold War is fantastic, but his coverage of Vietnam is unrealistic. He uncritically buys into the myth that if reelected Kennedy would have gotten us out of Vietnam despite his troop buildup and statements to the contrary just before his death. Reeves was much stronger in his analysis of Vietnam. The book ends abruptly after the assassination, with little time on the aftermath or the impact of Kennedy’s death and his legacy.

51. Robert Dallek, An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy, 1917–1963 (Boston: Little, Brown, 2003).

Second, A Question of Character: A Life of John F. Kennedy by Thomas C. Reeves (1991).52 In many ways, Reeves’s biography is superior to Dallek and is a needed complement. He completely destroys the media’s Camelot myth and successfully argues (contra Dallek) that Kennedy’s personal flaws hindered his decision-making and shows the deep divide between Kennedy’s words and actions. He also shows how Kennedy’s father left a lasting amoral influence. Reeves was the first to fully show Kennedy’s reckless sex life, health cover-ups, and exaggerated claims about his early life. He is not convincing in his critique of Kennedy’s tax-cut policies. Reeves gives clear, readable explanations for complex Cold War events, and is convincing in his analysis of Vietnam and in his argument that Kennedy was a staunch Cold Warrior and tough anti-communist who would take aggressive action regardless of the moral or legal consequences. While Reeves gives some consideration to Kennedy’s legacy, he glosses over the assassination. Reeves’s main weakness is he often writes in a harsh tone.

52. Thomas C. Reeves, A Question of Character: A Life of John F. Kennedy (New York: Free Press, 1991).

The Assassination: Due to both of the above biographies lacking a look on Kennedy’s assassination and legacy, I recommend Case Closed: Lee Harvey Oswald and the Assassination of JFK by Gerald Posner (1993) and Camelot and the Cultural Revolution: How the Assassination of John F. Kennedy Shattered American Liberalism by James Piereson (2007).53 The need for a great biography may be fulfilled by Fredrik Logevall, whose first-of-three volumes was published in 2020, JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917–1956.

53. Gerald Posner, Case Closed: Lee Harvey Oswald and the Assassination of JFK (New York: Random House, 1993); James Piereson, Camelot and the Cultural Revolution: How the Assassination of John F. Kennedy Shattered American Liberalism (New York: Encounter Books, 2007); Fredrik Logevall, JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917–1956 (New York: Random House, 2020).

36. Lyndon Baines Johnson (1963–1969)

Both sides of the political aisle recognize that Lyndon B. Johnson fundamentally changed America. Here are the best three biographies.

The Best: First, the best and definitive biography is Robert Caro’s four-volume set (2,825 pages), The Years of Lyndon Johnson (a fifth volume is forthcoming).54 As of 2026, it ends just after his presidency begins. Caro is a vivid storyteller historian who has an unmatched ability to bring the settings and people to life so you can picture the time and place. He spent decades interviewing everyone who had any connection to Johnson, including mail carriers, ranch hands, and childhood friends. He moved to Texas and used court ledgers to show how Johnson’s first election to the Senate in 1948 was stolen. He tells an epic narrative of Johnson’s life and use of power with unmatched contextual understanding. He often steps back from Johnson’s life to give the big picture. He begins in the desolate Texas area where Johnson grew up without electricity to explain his obsessive hunger for power. He gives an overview history of the Senate to explain how it functioned so readers will understand how Johnson mastered the Senate. Caro convincingly presents Johnson as a complex, cynical, ruthless political operative who used personal cruelty and dishonesty to achieve his goals, yet also as someone who genuinely wanted to help the marginalized. Although Caro documents Johnson’s racism and use of civil rights legislation to achieve power, he is less convincing at his attempt to prove his argument that Johnson eventually had a genuine desire for civil rights for blacks. Caro’s biography may not be for everyone. Its extreme length and excessive amount of detail create a slow pace. The volumes are: The Path to Power (1982); Means of Ascent (1990); Master of the Senate (2002); and The Passage of Power (2012).

54. Robert A. Caro, The Years of Lyndon Johnson, 4 vols. (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1982–2012).

A Single Volume: Lyndon B. Johnson: Portrait of a President by Robert Dallek (2004).55 This is the best single-volume biography of Johnson if you don’t want to commit to Caro. It also has the benefit of covering his presidency. Dallek had access to hundreds of manuscript collections, histories, and White House tapes. Dallek presents a fair, insightful look at Johnson’s political genius and deep flaws, although sometimes Dallek does excuse Johnson’s behavior. Johnson is painted as a complex man with noble aims and a hunger for raw power. He is convincing that Johnson’s decisions in Vietnam were disastrous, a tragic result of his indecisiveness and personal insecurities. But he is too forgiving of Johnson’s Great Society programs. Like Caro, he argues that Johnson’s drive to help the marginalized came from his early life of poverty. The book neglects Johnson’s private family life and is a bit dry at times.

55. Robert Dallek, Lyndon B. Johnson: Portrait of a President (New York: Oxford University Press, 2004).

The Problems with the Great Society: Losing Ground: American Social Policy 1950–1980 by Charles Murray (1984) and Great Society: A New History by Amity Shlaes (2019).56 These books bring balance to Caro and Dallek’s biographies by showing convincingly that Johnson’s Great Society programs did not alleviate poverty, but instead increased poverty, incentivized permanent government dependency, altered family structures, resulted in the rise of single-mother families, and unintentionally harmed the poor and minorities. Positive trends in reducing crime, poverty, and discrimination slowed down or reversed after the Great Society. Johnson wrote his memoirs, The Vantage Point: Perspectives of the Presidency 1963–1969 (1971).

56. Charles Murray, Losing Ground: American Social Policy, 1950–1980 (New York: Basic Books, 1984); Amity Shlaes, Great Society: A New History (New York: Harper, 2019); Lyndon Baines Johnson, The Vantage Point: Perspectives of the Presidency, 1963–1969 (New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1971).

37. Richard Nixon (1969–1974)

Richard M. Nixon: A Life in Full by Conrad Black (2007).57 There are several recent biographies of Nixon, all of them problematic. The biography that would constitute the best biography is tainted by plagiarism and false claims based on interviews that did not occur. The other options are either extremely favorable and forgiving or overwhelmingly negative and damning. None are balanced. My favorite is Black’s pro-Nixon biography because he accepts Nixon’s actual accomplishments. Most biographers get bogged down in petty grievances with Nixon, mired in Watergate, unwilling to grant Nixon any achievements. Black benefited from personal interviews with Nixon and key administrative figures. Black treats Nixon as a political titan operating on a global stage. He has a convincing analysis of Nixon’s foreign policy brilliance, including his Cold War policies, his Vietnam strategy which ended the war, and opening relations with China. Black successfully separates Nixon’s successes from his personal paranoia and the aftermath of the Watergate break-in. Black is not convincing in other policy areas such as his defense of Nixon’s continuation and deepening of Great Society programs and environmental policies. While Black clearly shows Nixon did not know anything about the Watergate break-in until afterward, he is also totally forgiving and dismissive of Nixon’s obstruction of justice in the cover-up when he ordered the CIA to stop the FBI investigation. He argues instead that Nixon’s downfall was the result of personal loyalty to backstabbing subordinates and political retaliation by his adversaries and the media. While there is truth to this argument, it needed balance acknowledging the obstruction of justice. Besides being apologetic for Nixon, Black writes in heavy academic prose that makes the book dense at times. After being the only president to resign, Nixon made a major political comeback by becoming a writer and statesman regarding foreign and Cold War policy.

57. Conrad Black, Richard M. Nixon: A Life in Full (New York: PublicAffairs, 2007).

For a deeper look at Watergate and its aftermath I recommend Silent Coup: The Removal of a President by Len Colodny and Robert Gettlin (1991).58 Nixon wrote his memoir, RN: The Memoirs of Richard Nixon (1978).

58. Len Colodny and Robert Gettlin, Silent Coup: The Removal of a President (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1991); Richard Nixon, RN: The Memoirs of Richard Nixon (New York: Grosset and Dunlap, 1978).

38. Gerald Ford (1974–1977)

An Ordinary Man: The Surprising Life and Historic Presidency of Gerald R. Ford by Richard Norton Smith (2023).59 This is the best and definitive biography of Ford, the only president never elected on a presidential ticket. Smith writes with a storyteller’s engaging, fast-paced prose, but for general readers it might be dry and dense during political analysis. Smith spent a decade researching Ford, and benefitted from personal access to Ford, hundreds of interviews, and thousands of newly released documents. He presents a corrective to the view of Ford as a bumbling joke, elevating him to a consequential and pragmatic leader. Smith presents a deeply human man who struggled with childhood insecurities resulting from his alcoholic biological father and feelings of abandonment, struggles with his stutter, and bad temper. Smith provides great coverage of Ford’s courageous and costly act of pardoning Nixon and provides a balanced view of Ford that critiques his flaws while honoring his integrity. Ford wrote his memoir, A Time to Heal: The Autobiography of Gerald R. Ford (1979).

59. Richard Norton Smith, An Ordinary Man: The Surprising Life and Historic Presidency of Gerald R. Ford (New York: Harper, 2023); Gerald R. Ford, A Time to Heal: The Autobiography of Gerald R. Ford (New York: Harper and Row, 1979).

39. Jimmy Carter (1977–1981)

His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life by Jonathan Alter (2020).60 This is the best and definitive biography of Carter. Alter’s goal is to end the consensus view of Carter as a well-meaning failure. Alter benefited from interviews with Carter, family members, and administration officials, and previously unavailable diaries, histories, and letters. We see Carter’s journey from a rural peanut farmer, Georgia governor, to president. Although sympathetic to Carter, Alter does paint Carter as an intense, prickly man with a difficult temperament. He also critiques some of Carter’s failures, such as the Iranian hostage crisis and his tension with Congress. However, Alter often glosses over political analysis and legislation details in favor of themes. While Alter is nuanced on Carter’s post-presidential meddling in foreign policy, he doesn’t acknowledge that his actions undermined official foreign policy, were harmful interference, and accommodated foreign dictators. Alter fails to be convincing in his goal of redeeming Carter’s reputation because he forgives Carter’s weak leadership, struggles, failures, and political dysfunction. He reinterprets them as noble foresight. Given Carter’s poor economic management (stagflation), weak foreign policy during global crises like the Iranian Revolution, and his self-righteous political style, Alter fails to redefine Carter’s presidency as anything but a failure. Carter wrote his memoirs, Keeping Faith: Memoirs of a President (1982).

60. Jonathan Alter, His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life (New York: Simon and Schuster, 2020); Jimmy Carter, Keeping Faith: Memoirs of a President (New York: Bantam Books, 1982).

40. Ronald Reagan (1981–1989)

Reagan was the most important conservative president of the twentieth century. Many readers likely skipped directly to this section. For that reason, I have several recommendations:

The Definitive Treatment: Reagan: The American President by Larry Schweikart (2019).61 This is the best and definitive biography of Reagan. Schweikart is a storyteller historian, who writes in an engaging, fast narrative style that is clear and easy to read and balances Reagan’s public life and private life. Schweikart had access to never-before-seen documents and sources from the Reagan archives and clearly examined Reagan’s goals, intentions, and motivations. Schweikart convincingly shows that Reagan was a pragmatic, visionary, highly intellectual, and competent leader who masterfully unified his economic and foreign policy goals and understood how interconnected they were. The reader journeys with Reagan as he saved seventy-seven people as a lifeguard, spent time as a sports announcer, led a student protest in college, pursued his Hollywood career, battled Communists as he headed the Screen Actors Guild (the only president to lead a labor union), served his combative tenure as governor of California, and educated himself across a wide spectrum of issues with a deep intellectual grasp. Schweikart was the first biographer to reveal Reagan’s initiative to create a North America energy zone (the forerunner to NAFTA), that Reagan crafted the Simpson-Mazzoli Act years before it passed, the internal administration battles Reagan faced to his economic recovery and Cold War policies, and that Reagan became the first president to fully grasp the nature of Islamic terrorism. Schweikart presents a convincing and balanced portrait of Reagan’s accomplishments and failures. Reagan had a unique connection with the American people through his speaking ability. His economic policies resulted in economic growth that broke inflation and resulted in 14 million net new jobs and spawned almost twenty-five years of prosperity. Reagan restored America’s optimism and self-confidence, and won the Cold War without firing a shot. Schweikart is convincing in his criticism of Reagan’s push for the amnesty bill, government growth, the peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, and subordinates who nearly enmeshed him in an impeachable offense in the Iran-Contra scandal.

61. Larry Schweikart, Reagan: The American President (New York: Post Hill Press, 2019).

Reagan and the Cold War: The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism by Paul Kengor (2006) and The Peacemaker: Ronald Reagan, the Cold War, and the World on the Brink by William Inboden (2022).62 These are complementary books that detail Reagan’s defeat of the Soviet Union and ending the Cold War. Both argue that Reagan’s deliberate strategies played the central, decisive role in the defeat of the Soviet Union. Kengor shows Reagan’s lifelong ideological crusade against communism in a chronological full life biography that traces Reagan’s anti-communist worldview from his early years through his ideology, convictions, and religious and moral opposition to the Soviets. Kengor shows Reagan had a clear plan to destroy the Soviets and not just manage containment and often fought institutional resistance to achieve total victory over communism. Inboden gives a comprehensive look at his administration’s foreign policy and crisis management, focusing narrowly on Reagan’s presidency.

62. Paul Kengor, The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism (New York: Regan/HarperCollins, 2006); William Inboden, The Peacemaker: Ronald Reagan, the Cold War, and the World on the Brink (New York: Dutton, 2022).

Reagan’s Impact: The Age of Reagan: The Fall of the Old Liberal Order, 1964–1980 (2001) and The Age of Reagan: The Conservative Counterrevolution, 1980–1989 by Steven F. Hayward (2009).63 This two-volume set chronicles the political rise, presidency, and broader legacy of Reagan, and how he reshaped America. The first volume provides political context by focusing on the fifteen years leading up to Reagan’s presidency, showing the decline of liberalism and the rise of conservatism. The second volume covers Reagan’s presidency, evaluating his unified vision of foreign and domestic policy and battles with congressional Democrats and moderate Republicans. Hayward wrote in an engaging narrative style that turns political shifts into compelling drama. He used extensive primary sources. He has a balanced perspective, critiquing Reagan for failing to shrink government, the growing deficits, and stumbling during Iran-Contra.

63. Steven F. Hayward, The Age of Reagan: The Fall of the Old Liberal Order, 1964–1980 (Roseville, CA: Prima Publishing, 2001); Hayward, The Age of Reagan: The Conservative Counterrevolution, 1980–1989 (New York: Crown Forum, 2009).

Reagan’s Faith: God and Ronald Reagan: A Spiritual Life by Paul Kengor (2004).64 This spiritual biography filled an important gap in Reagan research. Kengor convincingly argued that Reagan’s deeply rooted Christian faith served as the foundational driving force behind his personal life, political philosophy, and Cold War strategies and that it is impossible to fully understand Reagan’s presidency without understanding his faith and spiritual journey. Kengor dug deep into Reagan’s letters, early records, speech drafts, and accounts from close associates. Beginning in Reagan’s childhood where he was heavily influenced by his devout mother and the Disciples of Christ church and became a Sunday school teacher, this upbringing fostered his lifelong optimism and political rhetoric. Reagan’s lifelong opposition to the Soviets, which he viewed as an inherently evil, atheistic system that suppressed religious freedom, gave him the sense of a personal, divine mission to confront the Soviet Union. Though Reagan chose not to regularly attend church during his presidency out of security logistics, Reagan chose instead to bring the church inside the presidency through speeches and personal letters. Kengor wrote in a clear and engaging style.

64. Paul Kengor, God and Ronald Reagan: A Spiritual Life (New York: Regan Books, 2004).

Reagan’s Memoirs: Reagan wrote two memoirs, Where’s the Rest of Me? The Ronald Reagan Story (1965) and An American Life (1990).65 He also wrote the only book to be written by a sitting president while in office, Abortion and the Conscience of a Nation (1984), in which he condemned the Roe v. Wade decision, drew a parallel to slavery and the Dred Scott decision, and established the sanctity of life principle (a society cannot diminish the value of unborn human life without ultimately undermining the moral value of all human lives). He warned that legal abortion would lead to other forms of devaluing life. This book helped cement the pro-life movement within the Republican Party.

65. Ronald Reagan, with Richard G. Hubler, Where’s the Rest of Me? The Ronald Reagan Story (New York: Duell, Sloan and Pearce, 1965); Ronald Reagan, An American Life (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1990); Ronald Reagan, Abortion and the Conscience of a Nation (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1984).

41. George H. W. Bush (1989–1993)

Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush by Jon Meacham (2015).66 This is the best biography of Bush. Meacham wrote as a storyteller, crafting a uniquely intimate, balanced, and psychologically deep portrait of Bush as he goes from Texas to near death in World War II, leading the CIA, and then the vice presidency. Meacham had exclusive access to Bush’s private audio diary and years of interviews which helped him create a raw look inside the presidency and personal reflections. He used personal journals and letters from Bush’s wife and family to flesh out his private life and personal relationships. Meacham gives a balanced perspective of Bush by examining the core tension within Bush—his ambition required to win power and his modest decency in using it, and his extremely successful foreign policy accomplishments and domestic policy struggles. In addition, you should read George W. Bush’s unique biography of his father, 41: A Portrait of My Father (2014). Bush wrote a memoir about his foreign policy, A World Transformed (1998).

66. Jon Meacham, Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush (New York: Random House, 2015); George W. Bush, 41: A Portrait of My Father (New York: Crown Publishers, 2014); George Bush and Brent Scowcroft, A World Transformed (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1998).

42. Bill Clinton (1993–2001)

Clinton’s Life: First in His Class: A Biography of Bill Clinton by David Maraniss (1995).67 There is no full life biography of Clinton yet. This is the best biography of Clinton’s pre-presidential years. Maraniss shows how a boy from a troubled, dysfunctional childhood engineered his path to the presidency, building his political persona at Georgetown, Oxford, and Yale. With investigative rigor, he gained a rare collection of letters and documents; he interviewed over 400 family members, friends, and colleagues, and key insiders who gave him intimate revelations about Clinton’s personal and political life. Maraniss shows Clinton as a complex personality: brilliant, empathic, untiring, but also evasive, undisciplined, and eager to please. He convincingly shows that Clinton’s troubled childhood, lack of a biological father, and desperate need for approval was connected to his later political ambition and charm. Maraniss has two weaknesses. First, the narrative slows down noticeably during Clinton’s time as governor. Second, he treats Clinton’s scandals (such as Whitewater) as tangential issues.

67. David Maraniss, First in His Class: A Biography of Bill Clinton (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1995).

Clinton’s Presidency: The Survivor: Bill Clinton in the White House by John Harris (2005).68 This is the best volume on Clinton’s presidency. Harris wrote in a readable, fast-paced style. It manages to steer a course between hero-worship and partisan attack to get at how Clinton actually governed. He revealed Clinton’s undisciplined daily routines and endless policy reexaminations, how his personal flaws and political habits constantly threatened to derail his presidency, while also crediting Clinton’s pivot to moderate governance in fiscal and domestic policies. Clinton is presented as a politician who is both undisciplined and strategically brilliant. He gives credit for major policy wins and severe critiques for major policy failures. Harris has two major weaknesses. He does not present an analysis of Clinton’s legacy. And while Harris does present an overall balanced view of Clinton, he was too forgiving and unconvincing of Clinton’s obstruction of justice and perjury, instead characterizing Clinton’s scandals and actions in the Monicagate proceedings as products of personal indiscipline rather than calculated deceit, and all the scandals are self-inflicted wounds driven by emotional neediness. Clinton wrote his memoir, My Life (2004).

68. John F. Harris, The Survivor: Bill Clinton in the White House (New York: Random House, 2005); Bill Clinton, My Life (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2004).

43. George W. Bush (2001–2009)

Bush’s Life: First Son: George W. Bush and the Bush Family Dynasty by Bill Minutaglio (1999).69 There is no full life biography of Bush yet. This is the best biography of Bush’s pre-presidential years. Minutaglio wrote a clear narrative of a complex and ambitious political figure. He interviewed over 300 people, from childhood friends, fraternity brothers, business associates, political operatives, and family members. As a result, Minutaglio wrote a well-balanced account of Bush. He traced the deep psychological shadow cast by Bush’s father and grandfather, and how those expectations drove him to rebellion and eventual conformity. He chronicles Bush’s college years, his business stumbles in the Texas oil business, ownership of the Texas Rangers baseball team, and struggles with alcohol.

69. Bill Minutaglio, First Son: George W. Bush and the Bush Family Dynasty (New York: Times Books, 1999).

Bush’s Presidency: Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House by Peter Baker (2013).70 This is the best volume on Bush’s presidency. Baker conducted 277 high-level interviews, and deep archival research of thousands of private notes, memos, and internal documents to present Bush and Cheney as an inseparable team, rejecting the myth that Bush was an inactive puppet and Cheney was the puppet master. He argues their alignment created aggressive national security policies but their eventual estrangement reshaped Bush’s second term. He writes with a vivid, quick pace, so that we can picture being in the room during major crises like 9/11, the Iraq War, and the 2008 subprime mortgage crisis. Baker’s portrayal is balanced. He humanizes Bush, exposing his private doubts, intense pressures, and ideological blind spots. Baker also contextualizes policy failures and complex policy accomplishments. Bush wrote his memoir, Decision Points (2010).

70. Peter Baker, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House (New York: Doubleday, 2013); George W. Bush, Decision Points (New York: Crown Publishers, 2010).

44. Barack Obama (2009–2017)

Obama’s Life: Rising Star: The Making of Barack Obama by David Garrow (2017).71 There is no full life biography of Obama. This is the best volume of his pre-presidential years. Built off of exhaustive research, including nine years investigating primary sources, public records, Chicago archives paper trails, memos, early organizational notes from the 1980s, and over 1,000 interviews of people from Obama’s childhood, colleges, and Illinois politics, Garrow’s work challenges all political myth-making and carefully self-crafted narratives to give a clear portrait of the real Obama. He explores Obama’s early relationships and intellectual shifts and shows how a private, ambitious man carefully shaped his public identity to align with a grand political destiny. Obama comes across as politically pragmatic and ambitious and hollow.

71. David J. Garrow, Rising Star: The Making of Barack Obama (New York: William Morrow, 2017).

Obama’s Presidency: Crimes Against Liberty: An Indictment of President Barack Obama (2010) and The Great Destroyer: Barack Obama’s War on the Republic (2012) by David Limbaugh.72 There is no great single volume yet fully covering Obama’s presidency. These are the best books covering his presidency; they function as a comprehensive two-part overview of Obama’s first term with rigorous research. They are a convincing, scathing critique of Obama’s policies and actions and how they impacted individual rights, giving comprehensive, encyclopedic coverage of Obama’s policies, speeches, and appointments. The arguments are built on extensive documentation, including a vast number of footnotes, sourcing quotes, and news articles to ground the arguments. Special attention is given to healthcare reform, the economic stimulus package, regulatory overreach, fiscal policy, and national defense. Obama wrote his memoir, A Promised Land (2020). A second volume is forthcoming.

72. David Limbaugh, Crimes Against Liberty: An Indictment of President Barack Obama (Washington, DC: Regnery, 2010); Limbaugh, The Great Destroyer: Barack Obama’s War on the Republic (Washington, DC: Regnery, 2012); Barack Obama, A Promised Land (New York: Crown, 2020).

45. / 47. Donald Trump (2017–2021, 2025–present)

Trump’s legacy is still being written. But there are two excellent biographies already available. First, A President Like No Other: Donald J. Trump and the Restoring of America by Conrad Black (2020).73 This portrait of Trump includes both pre-presidential years and part of his first term. Black wrote in a lively, witty, fast-paced narrative style that turned politics into exciting drama. Black rejects partisan hysteria for grand historical context and sophisticated political analysis. He convincingly treated Trump as the product of deep, epochal shifts in American culture, placing his rise in the context of a decaying political establishment, and analyzed policy with serious weight. He also convincingly paints a portrait of Trump as a populist hero fighting a hostile political and media establishment, and he presents Trump’s media style as strategic showmanship rather than random impulse. And he analyzes Trump’s governing style.

73. Conrad Black, A President Like No Other: Donald J. Trump and the Restoring of America (Washington, DC: Regnery Gateway, 2020).

Second, The Case for Trump, 2024 Edition by Victor Davis Hanson (2024).74 This is one of the two best biographies of Trump, focused mostly around his political rise and first term. Hanson evaluates Trump through the lens of classical history and deep societal shifts. He compares Trump to a classical tragic hero or disruptive outsider rather than a traditional politician and uses historical perspective to explain why conventional political norms failed. An outsider without traditional political debts could challenge stagnant structures. He convincingly argues that Trump recognized the alienation of middle-class Americans in the industrial heartland and rural interior and identified the disconnect between coastal elites and interior workers ignored by both parties. And Trump’s unfiltered persona functioned as authentic defiance to the establishment. Hanson had a balanced perspective of policy outcomes, judicial appointments, border security, and economic revival. He convincingly argues Trump’s policy disruptions were a necessary shock to a drifting political order. Hanson has a follow-up volume coming in September 2026, The Counterrevolution: The Fall and Rise of Donald Trump and the MAGA Movement.75 Trump also wrote a pre-presidential memoir, The Art of the Deal (1987).76

74. Victor Davis Hanson, The Case for Trump, rev. ed. (New York: Basic Books, 2024); Donald J. Trump, with Tony Schwartz, Trump: The Art of the Deal (New York: Random House, 1987).

75. Victor Davis Hanson, The Counterrevolution: The Fall and Rise of Donald Trump and the MAGA Movement (New York: Basic Books, 2026).

76. Donald J. Trump with Tony Schwartz, Trump: The Art of the Deal (New York: Random House, 1987).

46. Joe Biden (2021–2025)

Joe Biden: A Life of Trial and Redemption, Updated Edition by Jules Witcover (2019).77 This is the best book on Biden’s pre-presidential years. Witcover was a Washington journalist who chronicled Biden’s entire political career in real time. It is unmatched in depth, personal nuance, and balance in its portrayal of Biden. He covers Biden’s gaffes, failings, and personal flaws while being resilient in the face of tragic grief—including the death of his wife and daughter in 1972, his son in 2015, and in his personal health and family trials. Witcover is particularly helpful in covering Biden’s early years in the Senate and in detailing his various roles, foreign affairs experience, and his style of dealmaking. The major weakness of the book is Witcover occasionally slips into an approving political overview rather than a critical evaluation. He tends to excuse or pivot from Biden’s gaffes and political mistakes as minor missteps. The first book covering Biden’s presidency appears to be his own memoir, Promise Me, America, coming in November 2026.

77. Jules Witcover, Joe Biden: A Life of Trial and Redemption, updated ed. (New York: William Morrow, 2019).

Conclusion: Where do I Start?

Knowing where to begin reading presidential biographies can be a challenge. You have a few options to choose from. First, you could start at the beginning and work your way through the presidents chronologically (this would be my personal choice). Second, you could select a few presidents who are of personal interest to you and begin to read through those first. Third, you could begin with the most recent presidents. Fourth, you could begin with a few selected volumes that might help you get into your reading journey. If this latter option is what you desire, I recommend picking up one of the most significant presidents of various eras and reading a biography about them. After a few volumes you should be ready to journey on your own.

I recommend starting with George Washington and reading either the Flexner or Chernow biography. Second, read about Abraham Lincoln, either the Oates or White biography. Third, read Schweikart’s Reagan biography. After those selections be brave and journey onward. Happy reading!

†

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Author

  • Tony Mizer is a PhD student in systematic and historical theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS), Louisville, Kentucky. He is a member of Third Avenue Baptist Church, Louisville, Kentucky. A native of Sweetwater, Tennessee, he has a Master of Divinity in Theology and Christian ministry from SBTS. He was a youth ministry leader at Highview Baptist Church, Louisville, Kentucky (2011–2013), and Pastor of Education at Fairview Baptist Tabernacle in Sweetwater, Tennessee (2014–2021). He writes regularly forThe Evergreen Society.

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Picture of Tony Mizer

Tony Mizer

Tony Mizer is a PhD student in systematic and historical theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS), Louisville, Kentucky. He is a member of Third Avenue Baptist Church, Louisville, Kentucky. A native of Sweetwater, Tennessee, he has a Master of Divinity in Theology and Christian ministry from SBTS. He was a youth ministry leader at Highview Baptist Church, Louisville, Kentucky (2011–2013), and Pastor of Education at Fairview Baptist Tabernacle in Sweetwater, Tennessee (2014–2021). He writes regularly forThe Evergreen Society.

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