The Mortal Presidency: Illness And Anguish In The White House

by Robert E. Gilbert

The first full account of sickness and death in the nation's highest office concludes that the responsibilities of president take a severe physical and emotional toll on whomever holds that office. National ad/promo.

Genres: Politics, History, American History

336 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 1992

Reviews

[Brian S. Wise · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. (If Letterboxd can do half stars, so can Goodreads.)

[Ray Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

That many of our presidents have dealt with health issues is well known. Several have died in office and several have had to step aside temporarily. Of the 20th century presidents, FDR's having been paralyzed by polio comes to mind, Kennedy's well hidden pain issues and illness, however, I wouldn't have considered Reagan, Coolidge and Eisenhower. After a brief overview of the health impacts of being an American president and the surprisingly bad statistics, Gilbert sketched the lives, health issues and the impact on the presidency of illness in the administrations of these five 20th century presidents.

It is clearly in the best interest of the president to maintain a strong appearance. Reagan's cancer was minimized as was the impact of the assassination attempt, but both had impacts on the way his administration worked and a lasting impact on the office. Gilbert enlightens us on the details of the death of Coolidge's child and his depression throughout his presidency. I also had no idea how sickly Eisenhower was and how his infirmary resulted in his chief of staff and Vice President Nixon running the government.

This is excellent history, well researched, well written and fascinating.

[Alexandros Soultos · Rating 1 out of 5]

Possibly the driest book on the presidency i've ever read. The accounts and insights to the ailments of the presidents discussed are of some interest, though trivial. The author fails to establish the importance of his subject.

[Julier · Rating 4 out of 5]

How stress and the potential for psychological illnesses make the modern presidency a dangerously unhealthy office. Concludes with discussion of 25th amendment plus suggestions for the White House.