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The Forgotten Conservative: Rediscovering Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland is truly the forgotten a man of dignity, integrity, and courage often overlooked by the history books. Historian and author John Pafford reveals a president who deserves more attention. Cleveland might not have presided over deeply troubled times, but he set a standard for principled leadership in office that is especially relevant today.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
January 15, 2015
I have a personal goal to read at least one biography of every American president. This time I randomly chose Grover Cleveland and decided upon The Forgotten Conservative because I found the title compelling for a biography about a Democratic president. Unfortunately, upon completion, I did not come away with a very good sense of this President or of how he lead the U.S. during his two non-consecutive terms. It is is a relatively short biography, but nonetheless, Mr. Pafford falls short of presenting anything near an unbiased view of his subject. To make matters more regrettable, his writing is about as colorful as Cleveland was charismatic.
Cleveland was indeed a conservative Democrat, which in my mind did not make him either a good or a bad one. The manner in which the two principal political parties in American history have morphed over time, and, in particular, the Democratic Party between the presidencies of Cleveland and Wilson, is a fascinating story. Examining Cleveland's presidency is a bridge to our understanding of modern day political parties, and is therefore of continuing interest.
How does Mr. Pafford do in handling his subject? I would have preferred reading a biography that was more persuasive and less biased in presenting Cleveland's record. Like many other presidential biographers, Mr. Pafford cannot resist placing his subject in the pantheon of presidential rankings. Astonishingly, his book crescendos to the last sentence on a discordant note: "Grover Cleveland deserves to be remembered and hailed as one of the best American presidents." If there is any real merit in this accolade, this book does not persuade.
To reach his conclusion, Mr. Pafford is more of an apologist than a biographer. For example, on the greatest domestic issue of Cleveland's second term, and perhaps of his entire presidency, the Panic of 1893, Mr. Pafford concludes that, well, it could have been worse and that perhaps Cleveland prevented the Panic from becoming the Great Depression. If so, how? If the length of Mr. Pafford's book did not provide an opportunity to explore this subject in greater depth, he would have done better to avoid such an unconvincing conclusion.
Mr. Cleveland was a man of great personal integrity, and in that rubric he undoubtedly warrants a high mark in presidential rankings. But Pafford's overabundance of references to this admirable trait begin to wear on the reader. I say this not to belittle Mr. Cleveland's character, but to underscore the shortcomings of Mr. Pafford's writing style. A biographer with a more eloquent approach would undoubtedly have covered the same material without such tedious repetition.
A man of great courage? I do not doubt it when it came to Cleveland's vigorous defense of the gold standard and a limited role for government. That Cleveland choose the correct course for the country at that point in time Mr. Pafford does persuade. But I question how Cleveland can be viewed as particularly courageous on social issues of the day. By the late 19th century, I should think that an individual of great courage would have supported women's suffrage, and would not have been a huge fan of the Supreme Court's decision in Plessy v. Ferguson.
Plessy v. Ferguson was the infamous decision that held that separate but equal facilities were constitutionally sanctioned. Not that the President's opinion of the decision would or should have swayed the Court's ruling, but Mr. Pafford does make clear that Cleveland thought It was a sound one. Perhaps of limited relevance, but certainly of interest, is the fact that the Court's presiding justice at the time was Melville Fuller, a Cleveland appointee. Yes, an historical figure's social views should be considered in light of the times in which he lived. But by the late 19th century, views on women suffrage and race equality were hardly new.
I think I would have liked Cleveland the man, but I was not wild about this biography. I do not think independently of reading the Forgotten Conservative I would have concluded that Cleveland was one of America's best presidents, nor was I convinced of that ranking having read this book. I do not, however, regret having selected Mr. Pafford's biography, as I learned quite a bit, and I can now check off Presidents 22 and 24 with one relatively short tome. But I do hope to revisit the life of Grover Cleveland with another biography once I get a bit further down my list.
Cleveland was indeed a conservative Democrat, which in my mind did not make him either a good or a bad one. The manner in which the two principal political parties in American history have morphed over time, and, in particular, the Democratic Party between the presidencies of Cleveland and Wilson, is a fascinating story. Examining Cleveland's presidency is a bridge to our understanding of modern day political parties, and is therefore of continuing interest.
How does Mr. Pafford do in handling his subject? I would have preferred reading a biography that was more persuasive and less biased in presenting Cleveland's record. Like many other presidential biographers, Mr. Pafford cannot resist placing his subject in the pantheon of presidential rankings. Astonishingly, his book crescendos to the last sentence on a discordant note: "Grover Cleveland deserves to be remembered and hailed as one of the best American presidents." If there is any real merit in this accolade, this book does not persuade.
To reach his conclusion, Mr. Pafford is more of an apologist than a biographer. For example, on the greatest domestic issue of Cleveland's second term, and perhaps of his entire presidency, the Panic of 1893, Mr. Pafford concludes that, well, it could have been worse and that perhaps Cleveland prevented the Panic from becoming the Great Depression. If so, how? If the length of Mr. Pafford's book did not provide an opportunity to explore this subject in greater depth, he would have done better to avoid such an unconvincing conclusion.
Mr. Cleveland was a man of great personal integrity, and in that rubric he undoubtedly warrants a high mark in presidential rankings. But Pafford's overabundance of references to this admirable trait begin to wear on the reader. I say this not to belittle Mr. Cleveland's character, but to underscore the shortcomings of Mr. Pafford's writing style. A biographer with a more eloquent approach would undoubtedly have covered the same material without such tedious repetition.
A man of great courage? I do not doubt it when it came to Cleveland's vigorous defense of the gold standard and a limited role for government. That Cleveland choose the correct course for the country at that point in time Mr. Pafford does persuade. But I question how Cleveland can be viewed as particularly courageous on social issues of the day. By the late 19th century, I should think that an individual of great courage would have supported women's suffrage, and would not have been a huge fan of the Supreme Court's decision in Plessy v. Ferguson.
Plessy v. Ferguson was the infamous decision that held that separate but equal facilities were constitutionally sanctioned. Not that the President's opinion of the decision would or should have swayed the Court's ruling, but Mr. Pafford does make clear that Cleveland thought It was a sound one. Perhaps of limited relevance, but certainly of interest, is the fact that the Court's presiding justice at the time was Melville Fuller, a Cleveland appointee. Yes, an historical figure's social views should be considered in light of the times in which he lived. But by the late 19th century, views on women suffrage and race equality were hardly new.
I think I would have liked Cleveland the man, but I was not wild about this biography. I do not think independently of reading the Forgotten Conservative I would have concluded that Cleveland was one of America's best presidents, nor was I convinced of that ranking having read this book. I do not, however, regret having selected Mr. Pafford's biography, as I learned quite a bit, and I can now check off Presidents 22 and 24 with one relatively short tome. But I do hope to revisit the life of Grover Cleveland with another biography once I get a bit further down my list.
January 14, 2014
“Don’t just do something, stand there!”
I think most children can relate to the unrequited desire to help a cocooning butterfly. I remember the first time I saw one. She was struggling to escape her cocoon. I wanted to help. My father was much wiser. He warned me that trying to help could only hurt. She needed this time of struggle to strengthen her wings. Even when she had finally emerged, her battle was not over. It looked to me like her wings were wet as she tried to spread them out. I looked helplessly. My father continuing to assure me that nature must be allowed to take its course. I was delighted when she finally took to the sky.
I reckon the economy is something like that. The more we try to help, the worst we make things. If you were in grade school anytime in the last 50 years, you were taught the conventional wisdom that FDR saved the U.S. economy. He brought us out of the Great Depression, and his “New Deal” ushered in an age of income inequality.
I’ve read a few books that have challenged that notion. The Forgotten Conservative, while not explicitly on this topic, offers some insights. John Pafford describes Grover Cleveland as quite conservative in his politics, despite being a Democrat. Most fascinating was how Cleveland handled what at the time was the worst recession in American history. The recovery was speedy compared to recessions governed by liberal presidents such as Franklin Roosevelt and Barack Obama. Another example of conservative economics applied to a recession might be Ronald Reagan. If economists such as Milton Friedman and Thomas Sowell are believed, the endless tampering only serve to turn a recession into a depression.
I think most children can relate to the unrequited desire to help a cocooning butterfly. I remember the first time I saw one. She was struggling to escape her cocoon. I wanted to help. My father was much wiser. He warned me that trying to help could only hurt. She needed this time of struggle to strengthen her wings. Even when she had finally emerged, her battle was not over. It looked to me like her wings were wet as she tried to spread them out. I looked helplessly. My father continuing to assure me that nature must be allowed to take its course. I was delighted when she finally took to the sky.
I reckon the economy is something like that. The more we try to help, the worst we make things. If you were in grade school anytime in the last 50 years, you were taught the conventional wisdom that FDR saved the U.S. economy. He brought us out of the Great Depression, and his “New Deal” ushered in an age of income inequality.
I’ve read a few books that have challenged that notion. The Forgotten Conservative, while not explicitly on this topic, offers some insights. John Pafford describes Grover Cleveland as quite conservative in his politics, despite being a Democrat. Most fascinating was how Cleveland handled what at the time was the worst recession in American history. The recovery was speedy compared to recessions governed by liberal presidents such as Franklin Roosevelt and Barack Obama. Another example of conservative economics applied to a recession might be Ronald Reagan. If economists such as Milton Friedman and Thomas Sowell are believed, the endless tampering only serve to turn a recession into a depression.
December 23, 2014
This book is unfortunately marred by the politics of the writer. He is so determined to make his case for limited gov't and that expanded gov't involvement has destroyed individual effort and made people dependent that it colors everything he does. All those who opposed Cleveland are socialists, anything that paints a negative view is either ignored (the Philippine-American War) or glossed over (the atrocious labor conditions) in order to shoehorn Cleveland into the great category.
The author does a good job showing that Cleveland is generally a man of character and integrity making decisions that he thought best with integrity, but he ignores legitimate blemishes to make a two-dimensional picture. His affair and possible illegitimate child counters his espoused Christian ideas and he attacks the reporter who correctly reported on his surgery as a liar. A fairer look at this would have made a more complete picture.
Also, one sided is the fact that siding with business is portrayed as morally right even when admitting that industrialists were abusing their workers and that labor organization is morally wrong even when admitting that their claims were legitimate.
A case can be made for Cleveland as an above average President, unfortunately, the personal agenda of this author stops him from making that case.
The author does a good job showing that Cleveland is generally a man of character and integrity making decisions that he thought best with integrity, but he ignores legitimate blemishes to make a two-dimensional picture. His affair and possible illegitimate child counters his espoused Christian ideas and he attacks the reporter who correctly reported on his surgery as a liar. A fairer look at this would have made a more complete picture.
Also, one sided is the fact that siding with business is portrayed as morally right even when admitting that industrialists were abusing their workers and that labor organization is morally wrong even when admitting that their claims were legitimate.
A case can be made for Cleveland as an above average President, unfortunately, the personal agenda of this author stops him from making that case.
November 30, 2020
This is a very short biography of the 22nd, oh excuse me, 24th President of the United States. All in all, it is perfectly serviceable. I greatly expanded my knowledge of Grover Cleveland, which is to say, I went from knowing nothing about him to knowing the broad sweep of his life.
I see people complaining in the reviews about how this book doesn't go into much detail. Well, no. What do you expect? First of all, it's a 150 page book. You can only pack so much into 150 pages. Also, there is a reason he is a "forgotten" president. He isn't forgotten because he was a bad president. I think that Pafford does a great job of arguing that that is not true. However, he is forgotten because very little of historical note happened during his presidency. Most of what happened in Cleveland's presidency has little impact on our lives today.
Finally, I will note that this book has considerable conservative bias. This wasn't distracting for me, because I lean that way myself. However, be it known that Pafford does some editorializing throughout. He particularly hates Woodrow Wilson, I can't say I blame him, but if that distracts you, maybe go for another biography.
As an introduction to the life of Grover Cleveland, this book is perfectly fine.
I see people complaining in the reviews about how this book doesn't go into much detail. Well, no. What do you expect? First of all, it's a 150 page book. You can only pack so much into 150 pages. Also, there is a reason he is a "forgotten" president. He isn't forgotten because he was a bad president. I think that Pafford does a great job of arguing that that is not true. However, he is forgotten because very little of historical note happened during his presidency. Most of what happened in Cleveland's presidency has little impact on our lives today.
Finally, I will note that this book has considerable conservative bias. This wasn't distracting for me, because I lean that way myself. However, be it known that Pafford does some editorializing throughout. He particularly hates Woodrow Wilson, I can't say I blame him, but if that distracts you, maybe go for another biography.
As an introduction to the life of Grover Cleveland, this book is perfectly fine.
December 17, 2014
No insight. No Critique. No observation. No good!
December 8, 2018
This one was a bit of a disappointment. When shopping for a book on the internet, it’s best to never judge a book by its picture on the cover. When this book arrived in the mail, I was a bit surprised how puny it was. Part of that is my fault as the description clearly states that he length is only about 250 pages. When you add the fact that about 100 of those pages are appendices and notes, you end up with quite a narrow volume.
Narrow in quantity and quality. This book read more like a college student’s term paper. The author is a passionate conservative/libertarian who states a few times how FDR’s “New Deal” eventually ruined the nation. Fortunately, he keeps much of his vitriol at bay, but it does show a strong bias towards its subject matter when Cleveland, himself, was a staunch conservative. In fact Cleveland vetoed more bills than any other president mainly because he felt the government had no business helping anybody no matter how dire the need was. Such reflections do seem harsh 125 years in the future, but some would also make the argument that the pendulum has swung too far in the other direction.
None of this really matters though when evaluating quality. This book is simply too brief and too thin. By the time we get to (approx.) page 10, Cleveland is already Governor of New York. After one brief chapter, he’s running for President of the United States. So we have almost nothing of his early days. The book does list his major achievements as President but is simply devoid of any feeling or emotion. I don’t know how long it takes, on average, an author to write a strong biography, but if the average time was about one year, this one felt like it was completed in a couple of weeks.
We must then remember that biographies of minor presidents from the 18th and 19th centuries are hard to come by, and in many cases, a reader’s choices can be rather slim. Such was the case here. Recently, there was a book series titled ‘The American Presidents Series’ which devoted a brief narrative of all of the U.S. presidents. I’ve read a few of those only when there seemed to be nothing else easily available on a particular president. For the most part, those books are satisfactory when covering the more obscure leaders. I wish I read the volume that focused on Cleveland instead of this one by John Pafford. I would recommend that you do the same if you’d like to learn more about the man and get a somewhat detailed account of who he was and what he did. This one was too brief a tad too opinionated.
Narrow in quantity and quality. This book read more like a college student’s term paper. The author is a passionate conservative/libertarian who states a few times how FDR’s “New Deal” eventually ruined the nation. Fortunately, he keeps much of his vitriol at bay, but it does show a strong bias towards its subject matter when Cleveland, himself, was a staunch conservative. In fact Cleveland vetoed more bills than any other president mainly because he felt the government had no business helping anybody no matter how dire the need was. Such reflections do seem harsh 125 years in the future, but some would also make the argument that the pendulum has swung too far in the other direction.
None of this really matters though when evaluating quality. This book is simply too brief and too thin. By the time we get to (approx.) page 10, Cleveland is already Governor of New York. After one brief chapter, he’s running for President of the United States. So we have almost nothing of his early days. The book does list his major achievements as President but is simply devoid of any feeling or emotion. I don’t know how long it takes, on average, an author to write a strong biography, but if the average time was about one year, this one felt like it was completed in a couple of weeks.
We must then remember that biographies of minor presidents from the 18th and 19th centuries are hard to come by, and in many cases, a reader’s choices can be rather slim. Such was the case here. Recently, there was a book series titled ‘The American Presidents Series’ which devoted a brief narrative of all of the U.S. presidents. I’ve read a few of those only when there seemed to be nothing else easily available on a particular president. For the most part, those books are satisfactory when covering the more obscure leaders. I wish I read the volume that focused on Cleveland instead of this one by John Pafford. I would recommend that you do the same if you’d like to learn more about the man and get a somewhat detailed account of who he was and what he did. This one was too brief a tad too opinionated.
June 30, 2021
The title sounds like a punchline. but the book is, if possible, comically earnest. It's a hagiography of the President you know only for serving non-consecutive terms or (allegedly) fathering an illegitimate child. Per the good Mr. Pafford, Cleveland's anonymity was an act of principle, his lack of accomplishments a function of his belief in limited government, his tendency to project executive power solely by use of veto a brave attempt to strangle the American welfare state in its infancy. Such inertness, he boasts, was the reason that Cleveland is the only President aside from Franklin Roosevelt to win a majority of the popular vote in three consecutive elections. (Mr. Pafford does seem aware of the fact that Cleveland's popularity owed much to Southern voters who had a few less-than-honorable reasons for opposing an active Federal government, but doesn't dwell on this aspect of his hero's appeal.) All told, though, "The Forgotten Conservative" is quite informative not because it contains any pioneering scholarship - everything you read here is available elsewhere - but because it illustrates what the teaching of history would resemble if left to the design of conservative evangelicals. He bemoans the rise of secularism. He cites Ron Paul as a source. He takes gratuitous potshots at Franklin Roosevelt. And . . . this was my favorite . . . he glosses the injustices in American history, celebrating the end of Reconstruction by saying "white men were allowed to vote again" and saying the Haymarket Square labor activists who were executed for having radical beliefs were "tied to" the bombing plot that led to a riot. Let's call it Uncritical Race Theory.
September 1, 2021
The historical verdict on a president like Grover Cleveland is a hard one to determine. There is a sense that how you rate him is based on how you view the proper role of government and politics. This work rates Cleveland as an exemplar for conservative values and the role of limited government. Cleveland was one who make extensive use of the veto, mainly to limit the role and reach of the government. That he didn’t really face a war or existential threat (although the Panic of 1893 nearly got there) and that he was in the middle of a period when the Executive Branch was as weak as it would ever get during the administration does not help his rating.
Overall, this work is probably way too complementary of Cleveland, but with a dearth of writing and study on the man, there is not that much available for comparison. Most know of his personal life (the affair with the illegitimate child, but whether that was consensual or a rape, whether or not the woman was “loose” or a victim is harder to decipher, and this work does not make much of an effort to explore that aspect of his life), and that he is still to date the only man to serve two non-consecutive terms. The relationship with his wife is also one that would really raise eyebrows now, and the deception he used to deal with his mouth cancer in the midst of the 1893 panic that JP Morgan basically bailed out America’s money crisis would not sell so well today either.
Worth a read, but probably not much more than one.
Overall, this work is probably way too complementary of Cleveland, but with a dearth of writing and study on the man, there is not that much available for comparison. Most know of his personal life (the affair with the illegitimate child, but whether that was consensual or a rape, whether or not the woman was “loose” or a victim is harder to decipher, and this work does not make much of an effort to explore that aspect of his life), and that he is still to date the only man to serve two non-consecutive terms. The relationship with his wife is also one that would really raise eyebrows now, and the deception he used to deal with his mouth cancer in the midst of the 1893 panic that JP Morgan basically bailed out America’s money crisis would not sell so well today either.
Worth a read, but probably not much more than one.
July 2, 2021
This wasn’t a book I would have picked up on my own, but I accepted it as a gift from someone who knew I collected presidential literature. The back cover alone speaks to the moral and political hyperbole of its author, claiming Grover Cleveland was “America’s Most Principled President,” despite, first of all, the existence of others like Washington and Madison, and second of all, that “being principled” is impossible to quantify or qualify by any simplistic measure. All throughout this book are notes of peculiar partisanship, the placement of Reaganism on Cleveland, for example, when Reagan was arguably one of our least principled men to hold the office, with more than 100 of his administrative officials being indicted or imprisoned. Nevertheless, for someone hoping to get a general sense of Grover Cleveland as a man from our American lexicon, this will give you a Wikipedia-level glance. My recommendation, instead, would be to read Presidential Problems, written by Cleveland himself.
June 25, 2018
I liked that the author approached the book with an unbiased opinion/political bent. However, I felt like there was very little, if any depth, to the content. Where there was opportunity for depth, the author touched on subjects, people and places with very little explanation, essentially assuming the reader brings with them a wealth of knowledge about an era nearly 120 years in our past. I consider myself semi-informed, but I did a lot of side research to make this book more relevant to me.
The appendix was actually the best/most informative section. It gave me a much greater understanding of what the author was attempting to express regarding Cleveland's conservatism and unwavering belief in upholding the constitution.
I don't regret reading the book, but look forward to reading a better biography about Cleveland.
The appendix was actually the best/most informative section. It gave me a much greater understanding of what the author was attempting to express regarding Cleveland's conservatism and unwavering belief in upholding the constitution.
I don't regret reading the book, but look forward to reading a better biography about Cleveland.
August 31, 2021
As the only Democrat elected president in the period from Buchanan to Woodrow Wilson, Grover Cleveland deserves a good biography. Particularly since he served two non-consecutive terms, and was first elected in 1884 despite a scandal involving his illegitimate son. His response to his campaign staff when the scandal surfaced was unique: “Above all, tell the truth.” He was honest, forthright, and firmly believed in balancing the Federal budget.
Unfortunately, this is not a good biography. It's too short and poorly edited, but the worst part is that the author's political bias oozes out of nearly every page. I should have read the introduction, which blasts "mainstream" historians for failing to note that Cleveland believed in certain principles which might today be termed conservative.
Very disappointing.
Unfortunately, this is not a good biography. It's too short and poorly edited, but the worst part is that the author's political bias oozes out of nearly every page. I should have read the introduction, which blasts "mainstream" historians for failing to note that Cleveland believed in certain principles which might today be termed conservative.
Very disappointing.
May 22, 2019
Pretty uninformative. This is essentially just copy/pasting other biographies it feels like. Then at the end the author says he ranked Cleveland as a near great President. A few pages later he then says Cleveland deserves to be remembered as one of the best of all time.
There seems to be very little evidence provided in the rest of the book to support this thesis. Cleveland having a great character comes up a lot, but this is a President most known for allegedly assaulting Maria Halpin, denying her child was his, and having her thrown in an insane asylum. This author's revolutionary take on the subject is basically "some people think he did it, some people don't."
Really unclear why this book was written or what it adds to earlier biographies.
There seems to be very little evidence provided in the rest of the book to support this thesis. Cleveland having a great character comes up a lot, but this is a President most known for allegedly assaulting Maria Halpin, denying her child was his, and having her thrown in an insane asylum. This author's revolutionary take on the subject is basically "some people think he did it, some people don't."
Really unclear why this book was written or what it adds to earlier biographies.
April 21, 2019
“Speaking about the United States, he said: ‘It would not be in existence and it could not hope to live if it were not Christian in every fiber. That is what has made it and what will save it in all its perils. Whenever we have departed from this conception of life and thought, nationality has suffered, character has declined, and difficulties have increased. While slavery remained, we could not hope fully to work out Christian ideals, and whenever we overlook the fact that “righteousness exalteth a nation,” we pay the penalty.’”
August 7, 2022
Less Biography and more overview. The book covers none of Cleveland's early life, briefly mentions the scandal about his illegitimate child before brushing it off as probably just Cleveland saving face for his dead friend. To say it takes a rose colored look at Cleveland is a bit of an understatement. The book it's 3/4 information about Cleveland and a 1/4 bitching about people who don't like Cleveland.
February 5, 2024
I enjoyed this book and it’s angle on presidential conservatism. Knowing little about Cleveland, it was brief enough to give you an overview of his life and politics. The author also includes a historiography of biographical treatment of Cleveland over the decades that is also interesting to sequence.
December 10, 2017
An unremarkable book on an unremarkable president. I would have liked more insights on his decision making. Not a bad read, but a bit dull.
November 22, 2020
The other Cleveland biography was better.
January 5, 2021
The book title is more than right: I hadn't forgotten Cleveland was a conservative, I never fully appreciated the ways in which he was a conservative. This book tells that story well.
August 7, 2022
The epilogue of this book is too long, it is 1/4 of the book. The author is in love with Cleveland.
October 19, 2024
Propaganda masquerading (badly) as biography. Do not read. Since I want to learn about Cleveland, I'll need to look elsewhere.
March 30, 2025
This is a heavily biased and very brief book. There is way too much emphasis on Cleveland’s Christianity and very little on his moral transgressions.
March 30, 2018
I wavered between two and three stars, ultimately settling on three because the writing was competent for the most part. But it wasn't exciting. It was, "Grover Cleveland did this," and "Grover Cleveland did that," with a smug, annoying undertone of "Grover Cleveland was a good conservative LIKE ME and also a good Christian LIKE ME and he stood up against those bad liberals."
Nothing really exciting happened during Cleveland's presidency. The biggest issues were tariffs and whether the dollar should be based on gold or silver. Cleveland also liked to veto a lot. He might have had an affair and gotten a woman -- not his wife -- pregnant, or he might not have. Overall, it sounds like Cleveland was a decent person and a decent President, but not exciting in either category.
Nothing really exciting happened during Cleveland's presidency. The biggest issues were tariffs and whether the dollar should be based on gold or silver. Cleveland also liked to veto a lot. He might have had an affair and gotten a woman -- not his wife -- pregnant, or he might not have. Overall, it sounds like Cleveland was a decent person and a decent President, but not exciting in either category.
January 20, 2022
A concise but somewhat superficial coverage of the only U.S. President to serve two non-consecutive terms. I liked this book, but really wanted a tad more.
A more satisfying discourse on Cleveland can be found in the book "The President is a Sick Man". That book is primarily about Cleveland's oral cancer surgery on a yacht in Long Island sound.
A more satisfying discourse on Cleveland can be found in the book "The President is a Sick Man". That book is primarily about Cleveland's oral cancer surgery on a yacht in Long Island sound.
May 31, 2013
I enjoyed this book. Unfortunately, Grover Cleveland does not enjoy the vast amount of books written about him as does some of his contemporaries. In this era were "great presidents" are chosen based on the spoils of war and the amount of graft of the tax payers, Cleveland rightfully does not rate well.
Grover Cleveland is one of my favorite presidents. His fidelity to the Constitution is unequalled save for those who wrote it. He erred on the side of liberty as opposed to those in power theretofore which err on the said of central power.
The book was a great read. The author was fair in his description of the Maria Halpin scandal in my opinion. Other authors have either bypassed it or accused him outright. Reading this book piqued my interest in the history of Hawaii and how they came to be a state. The book describes Cleveland's opposition to the annexation.
In my opinion, Cleveland show us that political party ironically has no place in politics. He showed fidelity to the Constitution. Pleasantly absent in this book, which I found in the other two Cleveland books I read, were the connection to Clinton and the comparison of the present day politicians. I was worried that the book was a high-jacking by the Republican Party of Cleveland and his "Constitutional" way, since it also appears that the Democratic party has jettisoned Cleveland from their ranks.
Grover Cleveland is one of my favorite presidents. His fidelity to the Constitution is unequalled save for those who wrote it. He erred on the side of liberty as opposed to those in power theretofore which err on the said of central power.
The book was a great read. The author was fair in his description of the Maria Halpin scandal in my opinion. Other authors have either bypassed it or accused him outright. Reading this book piqued my interest in the history of Hawaii and how they came to be a state. The book describes Cleveland's opposition to the annexation.
In my opinion, Cleveland show us that political party ironically has no place in politics. He showed fidelity to the Constitution. Pleasantly absent in this book, which I found in the other two Cleveland books I read, were the connection to Clinton and the comparison of the present day politicians. I was worried that the book was a high-jacking by the Republican Party of Cleveland and his "Constitutional" way, since it also appears that the Democratic party has jettisoned Cleveland from their ranks.
June 2, 2013
Published by Regnery History in May of 2013
Grover Cleveland. Quick! Name me any fact about Grover Cleveland that you can think of!
Was he the one that was so fat that he got stuck in the bathtub? No, that was Taft.
Is he on the Mount Rushmore? No, those are Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and T. Roosevelt.
Was he a famous Civil War general that became president?
No, that was Grant, Garfield, Hayes and Harrison.
Was he the president who was elected, got beat running for his second term but ran again and then won so that you have to learn his name twice if your teacher makes you learn the presidents? Yes. That's him.
But, as John M. Pafford demonstrates in The Forgotten Conservative , Grover Cleveland was a man of contradictions. He was a uniquely principled man who was also mired in a sex scandal (the famous taunt went: ...
Read more at: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2013/...
Grover Cleveland. Quick! Name me any fact about Grover Cleveland that you can think of!
Was he the one that was so fat that he got stuck in the bathtub? No, that was Taft.
Is he on the Mount Rushmore? No, those are Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and T. Roosevelt.
Was he a famous Civil War general that became president?
No, that was Grant, Garfield, Hayes and Harrison.
Was he the president who was elected, got beat running for his second term but ran again and then won so that you have to learn his name twice if your teacher makes you learn the presidents? Yes. That's him.
But, as John M. Pafford demonstrates in The Forgotten Conservative , Grover Cleveland was a man of contradictions. He was a uniquely principled man who was also mired in a sex scandal (the famous taunt went: ...
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July 23, 2015
Every person in the world, including Muslims, should read this book. Her story is incredible! She is a very strong person and courageous. She has been vilified by the Muslim world and has to have body guards to protect her from her own family. In the conclusion of her book as she discounts the poo-poo's of westerners who don't believe her statisics, she tells that 6000 young girls from Muslim families are excised (genital mutilation) every day.
July 27, 2016
I had such high hopes for this book as an exploration of Cleveland's life from a conservative perspective, but what could have been a good biography is marred by the author's tendencies toward hagiography. Cleveland's achievements are accompanied by words like "obviously" and phrases like "of course." The author even tries to credit Cleveland with important Supreme Court decisions! I wish this book would've been better.
March 30, 2016
While this was an informative and interesting book, I am used to more detailed biographies. It was short and frankly little as far as new research. I would be interested in learning more about the man. The author did convince me that he is a "near great" President. In other words, the book created a thirst but did not quench it.
August 19, 2016
Enjoyable Perspective
As my first foray into the life and times of this great man, Pafford does a brilliant job of establishing President Cleveland's successful political victories while offering plausible explanations for his missteps. This book made me want to read more about Cleveland.
As my first foray into the life and times of this great man, Pafford does a brilliant job of establishing President Cleveland's successful political victories while offering plausible explanations for his missteps. This book made me want to read more about Cleveland.
January 28, 2014
Pretty dry and shallow. I wanted more in regards to his presidency and it seemed to gloss over a lot of the issues. For a two term president and the only democrat in a 50 year time span in the nation's history, 150 pages of bio is pretty thin.
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