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The Honest Book of Presidents: The Men Who Shaped America
America’s most trustworthy resource delivers a refreshing guide to the American presidency and US history.
Only forty-five men have held the title President of the United States. In this concise yet powerful collection of presidential biographies, PragerU — in collaboration with leading historians, political thinkers, and bestselling authors — takes you inside the lives of the leaders who have steered America through its 250-year story. From the most revered to the most reviled, each president’s journey reveals personal dramas and struggles, tragedies, and triumphs.
The Honest Book of Presidents pushes back against today’s revisionist history with a fresh, fact-driven look at our nation’s leaders. You’ll
Why George Washington was “the indispensable man.”Why we owe such a big debt to James Monroe. How John Tyler proclaimed himself to be President. And made it stick.Why Abraham Lincoln thought the South was bluffing when they threatened civil war. How the mild-mannered Calvin Coolidge made “the Roaring Twenties” possible. Why Harry Truman dropped the atomic bomb on Japan.How Gerald Ford sacrificed his presidency to save the country from national suicide. Why Bill Clinton might have been the luckiest of all the presidents. Along the way, you’ll see how presidents wrestled with their flaws, rose to moments of greatness, and shaped the nation’s destiny on their way to founding new political parties, winning wars, and defending liberty.
We owe our freedom to these leaders. They set America on the path we still follow. Their lives — complex, flawed, and inspiring — are windows into the American story itself.
The Honest Book of Presidents is a bold, much-needed guide to the men who made America and to the enduring ideals that still define it.
Only forty-five men have held the title President of the United States. In this concise yet powerful collection of presidential biographies, PragerU — in collaboration with leading historians, political thinkers, and bestselling authors — takes you inside the lives of the leaders who have steered America through its 250-year story. From the most revered to the most reviled, each president’s journey reveals personal dramas and struggles, tragedies, and triumphs.
The Honest Book of Presidents pushes back against today’s revisionist history with a fresh, fact-driven look at our nation’s leaders. You’ll
Why George Washington was “the indispensable man.”Why we owe such a big debt to James Monroe. How John Tyler proclaimed himself to be President. And made it stick.Why Abraham Lincoln thought the South was bluffing when they threatened civil war. How the mild-mannered Calvin Coolidge made “the Roaring Twenties” possible. Why Harry Truman dropped the atomic bomb on Japan.How Gerald Ford sacrificed his presidency to save the country from national suicide. Why Bill Clinton might have been the luckiest of all the presidents. Along the way, you’ll see how presidents wrestled with their flaws, rose to moments of greatness, and shaped the nation’s destiny on their way to founding new political parties, winning wars, and defending liberty.
We owe our freedom to these leaders. They set America on the path we still follow. Their lives — complex, flawed, and inspiring — are windows into the American story itself.
The Honest Book of Presidents is a bold, much-needed guide to the men who made America and to the enduring ideals that still define it.
307 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 4, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
October 12, 2025
Prager U is not an actual university or school. This book is a work of fiction not facts. This is unsettling in the world of books and information that Harper Collins would publish something like this.
March 21, 2026
Full disclosure - I am a huge fan of PragerU. Many apparently are not but that would be their loss. For those that rate a book a 1 star just because it was produced by PragerU is sad, ridiculous, and ignorant to some degree. Rate a book based upon its content and value, not based upon your presupposed prejudice for goodness' sake. I found this book easy to read and valuable since it brought many contributors together to write a succinct, fact-driven summary on each of our presidents. You will learn a ton and also not be bored out of your mind. Sure, there is a conservative take on some of the actions taken by previous presidents. But I found it balanced overall and gave credit where credit was do for those that have held the highest office of the land.
November 26, 2025
The title of this book grabbed my attention right away. After reading the description, I knew I wanted to pick it up. Seeing the words Honest and Presidents together made me curious—how could those two ideas really go hand in hand?
The book gives each presidential term its own chapter, and if a President served more than once, their terms are separated, which makes things really easy to follow. I’m not a Presidential historian, but I do have a background in history, and I found the material about the early Presidents' stories I have previously read, and new, genuinely engaging information. Even if you don’t know much about our country’s early leaders or the office itself, there are plenty of interesting and surprising details throughout the book that keep it enjoyable.
I’ve had some trouble with what seems like bias in how the more recent presidencies are described. Maybe it’s because I lived through those years and saw some of the effects firsthand, or maybe it’s simply because I’m not looking at things the way a historian might. I’m not a scholar, just someone who genuinely enjoys learning about the past. And I really believe that if we don’t take history seriously, we’re bound to repeat it.
I would give this book more stars if it weren't for the bias shown in the final chapters of the book.
The book gives each presidential term its own chapter, and if a President served more than once, their terms are separated, which makes things really easy to follow. I’m not a Presidential historian, but I do have a background in history, and I found the material about the early Presidents' stories I have previously read, and new, genuinely engaging information. Even if you don’t know much about our country’s early leaders or the office itself, there are plenty of interesting and surprising details throughout the book that keep it enjoyable.
I’ve had some trouble with what seems like bias in how the more recent presidencies are described. Maybe it’s because I lived through those years and saw some of the effects firsthand, or maybe it’s simply because I’m not looking at things the way a historian might. I’m not a scholar, just someone who genuinely enjoys learning about the past. And I really believe that if we don’t take history seriously, we’re bound to repeat it.
I would give this book more stars if it weren't for the bias shown in the final chapters of the book.
February 4, 2026
Each of the blurbs is by a different person, so the tone varies more wildly than I've ever seen in any book claiming to be historical. Some of the contributors take their jobs seriously, but others are so painfully transparent in their political allegiances that they don't even pretend to hold onto even the slightest notions of objectivity. Older presidents are given much more respectful entries due to the fact that no one would dare raise a stink about ol' Rutherford B. Hayes or Millard Fillmore. But once you get to FDR, all bets are off. And once you get to Biden? Woof. Niall Ferguson really sold out his intellectual credibility for this book; it's rather sad.
If you want an honest book about the Presidents with short essays on each, you best look elsewhere. Start with The Complete Book of US Presidents.
If you want an honest book about the Presidents with short essays on each, you best look elsewhere. Start with The Complete Book of US Presidents.
July 2, 2026
Definitely biased, sometimes hagiographic, but otherwise a good survey of American Presidents. I would recommend this or a book like this in lieu of reading all the presidential biographies, as an introduction to presidents you'd like to learn more about, or as a primer before starting a more arduous trek through American history, specifically the presidency.
Happy 250th, America. It may not have been a long, but it's been full.
Happy 250th, America. It may not have been a long, but it's been full.
January 28, 2026
This should really be called "The subjective collection of essays kind of about presidents."
September 27, 2026
I agree with most reviewers that this is an excellent book for anyone who wants a basic but broad understanding of how our presidents have built America.
Presidents John Tyler and James Polk greatly expanded U.S. territory, adding Texas, Oregon, and California in the years surrounding the Mexican-American War. President Hayes fought the corrupt political patronage at the time, supporting the development of a professional civil service that was then legislated in the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act signed by President Chester Arthur in 1883. Seven years later, President Benjamin Harrison signed the Sherman Antitrust Act, the federal government's first step in limiting monopolies such as those in oil, steel, and railroads. Twelve years later, President Teddy Roosevelt became a “Trust Buster” when he filed a landmark antitrust lawsuit against the Northern Securities Company under the Sherman Antitrust Act.
This is just a small sample of how relatively unknown presidents (with the exception of Teddy Roosevelt) made significant contributions to America. There are many more examples in this generally excellent book curious readers will appreciate.
For me, the weakest chapter in the book was Chapter 35, "Franklin Roosevelt: The Great Depression." The author claims "As the years passed, the recovery stayed away," yet offers no substantiating data. From the Depression’s low point in 1933 to 1940, the U.S. economy grew substantially: real GDP rose 63 percent, and the number of employed civilians increased from 38.8 million to 47.5 million, although unemployment remained high. Corporate profits, before taxes, increased from $1.8 billion to $10.6 billion. The chapter drips with disdain for Roosevelt and ends bizarrely with the sentence "President Franklin Roosevelt himself put the 'great' in the Great Depression."
I was also surprised by how little discussion was given to the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. "Trump was convinced the election had been stolen. On January 6, 2021, he encouraged a large crowd to march to the Capitol. Partly because of woefully inadequate policing, the protest ran out of control." That's it. The most serious attack on the Capitol since the British burned it in 1814 only gets three sentences.
Overall though, the book, with two notable exceptions in my opinion, is well balanced and worth reading--and gifting to children and young adults.
Presidents John Tyler and James Polk greatly expanded U.S. territory, adding Texas, Oregon, and California in the years surrounding the Mexican-American War. President Hayes fought the corrupt political patronage at the time, supporting the development of a professional civil service that was then legislated in the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act signed by President Chester Arthur in 1883. Seven years later, President Benjamin Harrison signed the Sherman Antitrust Act, the federal government's first step in limiting monopolies such as those in oil, steel, and railroads. Twelve years later, President Teddy Roosevelt became a “Trust Buster” when he filed a landmark antitrust lawsuit against the Northern Securities Company under the Sherman Antitrust Act.
This is just a small sample of how relatively unknown presidents (with the exception of Teddy Roosevelt) made significant contributions to America. There are many more examples in this generally excellent book curious readers will appreciate.
For me, the weakest chapter in the book was Chapter 35, "Franklin Roosevelt: The Great Depression." The author claims "As the years passed, the recovery stayed away," yet offers no substantiating data. From the Depression’s low point in 1933 to 1940, the U.S. economy grew substantially: real GDP rose 63 percent, and the number of employed civilians increased from 38.8 million to 47.5 million, although unemployment remained high. Corporate profits, before taxes, increased from $1.8 billion to $10.6 billion. The chapter drips with disdain for Roosevelt and ends bizarrely with the sentence "President Franklin Roosevelt himself put the 'great' in the Great Depression."
I was also surprised by how little discussion was given to the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. "Trump was convinced the election had been stolen. On January 6, 2021, he encouraged a large crowd to march to the Capitol. Partly because of woefully inadequate policing, the protest ran out of control." That's it. The most serious attack on the Capitol since the British burned it in 1814 only gets three sentences.
Overall though, the book, with two notable exceptions in my opinion, is well balanced and worth reading--and gifting to children and young adults.
October 30, 2026
The Honest Book of Presidents, edited by Allen Estrin, offers a fast-paced overview of every U.S. president while challenging readers to think critically about the stories and myths often attached to political leaders. Rather than presenting each president as flawless, the book highlights both accomplishments and failures, creating an engaging introduction to American history.
One aspect I appreciated was how the book examined presidents from different eras through the same critical lens, rather than automatically celebrating every decision they made. The sections discussing figures such as Andrew Jackson and Richard Nixon stood out because they explored both achievements and controversies, making the historical analysis feel more balanced and thought-provoking. I also enjoyed the book’s direct, conversational style, which kept a potentially dense topic moving quickly and made complex historical events easier to understand. A weakness, however, is that some chapters move so quickly that important events and policies receive only brief explanations. Even so, the book encourages readers to question common narratives and examine historical figures more carefully. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy history, politics, and debates about leadership, especially high school students interested in American government. I give The Honest Book of Presidents 4 out of 5 stars for its engaging approach, insightful commentary, and willingness to present presidents as complicated human beings rather than untouchable icons.
One aspect I appreciated was how the book examined presidents from different eras through the same critical lens, rather than automatically celebrating every decision they made. The sections discussing figures such as Andrew Jackson and Richard Nixon stood out because they explored both achievements and controversies, making the historical analysis feel more balanced and thought-provoking. I also enjoyed the book’s direct, conversational style, which kept a potentially dense topic moving quickly and made complex historical events easier to understand. A weakness, however, is that some chapters move so quickly that important events and policies receive only brief explanations. Even so, the book encourages readers to question common narratives and examine historical figures more carefully. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy history, politics, and debates about leadership, especially high school students interested in American government. I give The Honest Book of Presidents 4 out of 5 stars for its engaging approach, insightful commentary, and willingness to present presidents as complicated human beings rather than untouchable icons.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 11, 2026
Every Citizen Should Read This Book
I appreciated how tastefully each president was treated. It was a daunting task but worth the effort. The book achieves its goal of providing a fundamental understanding of each president during his time in office. Having lived and participated during the time from Eisenhower to our present day, I was a little disappointed in the handling of issues during the Eisenhower years. He was the first president to actively address civil rights since reconstruction. Truman may have commanded segregation of the armed forces, but Eisenhower made it happen and then singlehandedly dessegregated Washington D.C. Twice, during his two terms of office, he sponsored civil rights legislation only to have it gutted by LBJ,Storm Thurmond, JFK,and the Dixiecrats. His subsequent vetting and appointments of Federal judges helped insure civil rights legislation when it was finally passed. You cannot justifiably talk about him without addressing his commitment of troops to Little Rock, Arkansas to guarantee admittance of black students to Central High School.
I appreciated how tastefully each president was treated. It was a daunting task but worth the effort. The book achieves its goal of providing a fundamental understanding of each president during his time in office. Having lived and participated during the time from Eisenhower to our present day, I was a little disappointed in the handling of issues during the Eisenhower years. He was the first president to actively address civil rights since reconstruction. Truman may have commanded segregation of the armed forces, but Eisenhower made it happen and then singlehandedly dessegregated Washington D.C. Twice, during his two terms of office, he sponsored civil rights legislation only to have it gutted by LBJ,Storm Thurmond, JFK,and the Dixiecrats. His subsequent vetting and appointments of Federal judges helped insure civil rights legislation when it was finally passed. You cannot justifiably talk about him without addressing his commitment of troops to Little Rock, Arkansas to guarantee admittance of black students to Central High School.
January 22, 2026
This book consists of a short (less than 1,000 words) essay on each individual who has held the office of U.S. President. As the essays are short, only brief biological information about the individual is provided before the essayist proceeds to comment on particular/unique aspects of the individuals. While I knew much of the information regarding the most famous (Washington, Jefferson Lincoln, T.R. FDR) and the recent presidents, it was the updates on those presidents who don’t get much “air time” in most history classes I found interesting. The format of the book makes for a very quick read and while each essayist clearing has a bias, I felt they did a reasonable job of covering the good and the bad of each president.
March 29, 2026
I wanted to find a book that has a good overview of the Presidents, so that I could start to learn about each of them. This book has a decent overview of each one, but each chapter is the text of a video they released on the Presidents.
Overall it’s decent information, but I was left wanting more information about each President. What were the main bills they worked on? What years did they serve (can figure it out but would be nice to have it printed somewhere)?
With the length this book is, they probably could not have packed more information in it, so in that sense it is good and you can go find more information about the Presidents that interest you
Overall it’s decent information, but I was left wanting more information about each President. What were the main bills they worked on? What years did they serve (can figure it out but would be nice to have it printed somewhere)?
With the length this book is, they probably could not have packed more information in it, so in that sense it is good and you can go find more information about the Presidents that interest you
April 28, 2026
This book is highly editorialized with biased revisionist history. Sure the facts are there but twisted and remarked upon in passive aggressive, childish rhetoric. Insulting every president who wasn’t a republican. Leaving Biden out entirely. Not at ALL honest. Received as a very unexpected gift and our family spent the evening doing ironic dramatic readings of some of the more absurd takes (of which there are many) before I threw it under a recliner to collect dust until the gifter comes to visit. Oh and FYI PragerU is not actually a university. You’re welcome!
June 8, 2026
I was surprised at how consistently the authors shared good thing that each president had done and, while I'm not at all drawn to short stories, novellas, or essays, this book gave a great sweeping picture of the progress (using that loosely here) of our United States. I'd recommend this book highly, especially to those homeschooling their children. While you probably are like me, unlikely to ever pick up a tome about each president, this book grabs the highlights and keeps your attention to the last page. Well done, Prager U and each of the authors!
October 11, 2025
Prager "University" isn't a university, but rather a right-wing YouTube channel associated with Christian nationalist views. It's not a reliable source of information (the page I link to provides a detailed explanation of this point), and Harper should be ashamed of publishing a book promoting it.
ETA: What do you know, Harper is owned by News Corp. So no surprise it would be party to this vile project.
ETA: What do you know, Harper is owned by News Corp. So no surprise it would be party to this vile project.
May 24, 2026
An overview of America's presidents....What we should have learned in elementary school.
The authors try valiantly to stay neutral on whether the individual presidents' policies were good, wise or moral, but rather on their effectiveness in implementing those policies. Cognizance is taken of how well those policies solved the perceived problems. Nevertheless it is a useful overview and a quick refresher.
The authors try valiantly to stay neutral on whether the individual presidents' policies were good, wise or moral, but rather on their effectiveness in implementing those policies. Cognizance is taken of how well those policies solved the perceived problems. Nevertheless it is a useful overview and a quick refresher.
July 25, 2026
An enjoyable read that surveys each of our presidents and gives a neutral to more conservation perspective on who they were and how they impacted our country. Each profile is on the short side and to the point making it for a more entertaining experience. Each profile is written by a different author whose background is also listed. A lot of these people seem to have an association with the particular university behind the book which I was not familiar with.
July 14, 2026
I have read several books on the presidents. I enjoyed how short the chapters were on each president. Also that each chapter was written by a different individual . So it was from a variety of perspectives. I have a new appreciation for some I knew very little about. I taught 5th grade in Los Angeles and if I was still teaching would add this book to my library.
September 7, 2026
Very easy and informative book. The mini-bios of each president serve as a starting point for the curious. These 3 page essays give enough history and high and low lights to at least enable conversations by the reader and certainly can pique interest into further research and full biographies. It's definitely worth the easy read.
November 16, 2025
A brief overview of all the Presidents
Each President is discussed very briefly. Although I have read books on several Presidents, I now learned just enough about some I would never have thought about, so that I now want to delve deeper into them.
Each President is discussed very briefly. Although I have read books on several Presidents, I now learned just enough about some I would never have thought about, so that I now want to delve deeper into them.
January 5, 2026
All the things you didn't know
Enjoyed learning about the lives and accomplishment of all our presidents. The format was bite size, giving me the basics without bias. It was a good refresher course in civics.
Enjoyed learning about the lives and accomplishment of all our presidents. The format was bite size, giving me the basics without bias. It was a good refresher course in civics.
July 2, 2026
This book is a work of fiction. PragerU is not a school. It was picked up by me, by mistake and I quickly learned the truth about it after a little research. It is scary that books like this are being read and believed.
July 20, 2026
This was a great snapshot about each president and events during their presidency. This was a book of essays from different writers. Each essay was less than 1000 words which made it a quick and interesting read. Would definitely recommend.
November 26, 2025
A required read to understand our Commander in Chiefs
A can’t put down until finished read, please continue you read it all. Then ruminate on what you’ve just finished
A can’t put down until finished read, please continue you read it all. Then ruminate on what you’ve just finished
January 4, 2026
Interesting reviews but
The presidential reviews were interesting but the reviewing authors accomplishments were unnecessarily long and should have been in the appendix.
The presidential reviews were interesting but the reviewing authors accomplishments were unnecessarily long and should have been in the appendix.
January 31, 2026
Probably geared for a younger reader, this book still provides brief, accurate assessments of the Presidents.
February 19, 2026
Basic info on all Presidents, yet more than most know
Fun quick read. If you want the basics presented fairly, this book is for you. If you want all the details, look elsewhere.
Fun quick read. If you want the basics presented fairly, this book is for you. If you want all the details, look elsewhere.
April 30, 2026
I feel like this book was full of lies and not factual at all..
July 8, 2026
I enjoyed reading about all the different presidents. Great book to read as we celebrated the 250th anniversary of our country.
July 8, 2026
Really enjoyed this book! It’s short and to the point, but still hits all the major events of each presidency as well as the historical and cultural landscape at the time
July 24, 2026
Every essay is less than 1000 words. Incredibly readable. Fair.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews