John Adams
David McCullough
Simon & Schuster
5/22/2001
Audiobook
751
In this powerful, epic biography, David McCullough unfolds the adventurous life-journey of John Adams, the brilliant, fiercely independent, often irascible, always honest Yankee patriot -- "the colossus of independence," as Thomas Jefferson called him -- who spared nothing in his zeal for the American Revolution; who rose to become the second President of the United States and saved the country from blundering into an unnecessary war; who was learned beyond all but a few and regarded by some as "out of his senses"; and whose marriage to the wise and valiant Abigail Adams is one of the moving love stories in American history.
Mornings on Horseback
David McCullough
Simon & Schuster
1981
445
Mornings on Horseback: The Story of an Extraordinary Family, a Vanished Way of Life, and the Unique Child Who Became Theodore Roosevelt is the brilliant biography of the young Theodore Roosevelt. Hailed as a masterpiece by Newsday, it also won the Los Angeles TimesBook Prize for Biography. Now with a new introduction by the author,Mornings on Horseback is reprinted as a Simon & Schuster Classic Edition.
Mornings on Horseback is about the world of the young Theodore Roosevelt. It is the story of a remarkable little boy, seriously handicapped by recurrent and nearly fatal attacks of asthma, and his struggle to manhood: an amazing metamorphosis seen in the context of the very uncommon household (and rarefied social world) in which he was raised.
This book describes Roosevelt’s youth and how TR’s father pushed him and all of his siblings from an early age both by his constant positive encouragement and by his own tireless examples. The level of attention the Roosevelts gave to excelling them selves and their society is really evident in this book. The Roosevelt’s were extremely wealthy and their wealth was put to good use exposing their children to as much culture and as many experiences as their money would allow. Through this, The strong family ties come through in the time and attention that his father gives to his children.
Woodrow Wilson
Louis Auchincloss
Penguin Lives
March 2000
144
One of our most esteemed writers and critics paints a deeply insightful portrait of the greatest political mastermind of a century
Our twenty-eighth president was, says Louis Auchincloss, "the greatest idealist who ever occupied the White House." And who better than Auchincloss, with his penchant for quirky personalities and fascination with fin-de-sicle society, to explore this complex persona?
Woodrow Wilson sheds new light on Wilson's upbringing and career, from the grim determination that enabled him to overcome dyslexia to the skillful dance of isolationism and intervention in World War I to the intransigence that--despite his most cherished vision--caused the Senate's rejection of the League of Nations. Here, from the dynamic figure whose ringing speeches hypnotized vast crowds to the gentle voice reading poetry aloud and the comic star of family skits and charades to the rising academic and president of Princeton who made the giant leap into politics are all the triumphs and final tragic irony of this flawed apostle of world peace.
Auchincloss brings too much of his own political opinions and recent events. Other than that, it was informative and brought up new information about Wilson that I hadn’t realized before such as his temper and the multiple strokes he had before the major one that took him out of action in the White House.
John Adams
