How to Get Rid of a President Lib/E: History's Guide to Removing Unpopular, Unable, or Unfit Chief Executives

by David Priess

A vivid political history of the schemes, plots, political maneuvering, and conspiracies that have attempted-successfully and not-to remove unwanted presidents

To limit executive power, the Founding Fathers created fixed presidential terms of four years, giving voters regular opportunities to remove their leaders. Even so, Americans have often resorted to more dramatic paths to disempower the chief executive. The American presidency has seen it all, from rejecting a sitting president's renomination bid and undermining their authority in office to the more drastic methods of impeachment, and, most brutal of all, assassination.

How To Get Rid of a President showcases the political dark arts in action: a stew of election dramas, national tragedies, and presidential departures mixed with party intrigue, political betrayal, and backroom maneuvers. This briskly paced, darkly humorous voyage proves that while the pomp and circumstance of presidential elections might draw more attention, the way that presidents are removed teaches us much more about our political order.

Genres: History, Politics, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Presidents, American History, Historical

Audio CD

First published November 13, 2018

Reviews

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every president’s time in office is fleeting and, willingly or not, they’ve each had to turn power over to the next person. After two terms, President George Washington, the original, happily stepped aside upon the election of John Adams. William Henry Harrison wasn’t so lucky, becoming the first president to die in office after a mere thirty-one days. For each person who assumes the great position, it’s much less a question of when they’ll leave, but, rather, how they’ll leave.

Author David Priess explores this expertly, considering how each of the previous forty-four presidents have ultimately left the highest office in the land. The result is a compendium of vignettes suggesting the typical transition of power in the United States has been anything but peaceful. Impeachment remains the most obvious way of removing a president, but it remains one of the least used methods. After all, Richard Nixon resigned over the pressure from growing bipartisan calls for his impeachment. And George H.W. Bush was knocked aside during his reelection bid—the most democratic was of removing a president.

Reading about the more famous stories are fascinating, but Priess excels when he gets deep into the research of less obvious cases. He breaks the book up by listing the various ways a president can be removed, ranging from losing an election to being declared unable to serve. The latter section is particularly startling. His portrait of Henry Clay, who consistently lost out on the presidency through various circumstances, also deserves special mention. For being so brief, it’s deeply effective.

It’s hard to imagine this type of book being released without the current backdrop in American politics. For anyone hesitant to pick up another book featuring forty-five, it should be noted that he’s only mentioned briefly, though he creeps over each page. The good news is that, within these pages, it becomes apparent that we’ve seen serious tribulations before and we always manage to get through them. The only question is, how?

Note: I received a free ARC of this book through NetGalley.

Review also posted at https://pluckedfromthestacks.wordpres...

[David Wineberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Priess thinks we’re so wound up in the miasma of the Trump administration, we have lost sight of history. He is right. The United States has always been like this. Presidents are routinely reviled by many, blocked by Congress, subject to threats and assassinations, and are forever under siege to efforts to remove them early. For every “shocking” Trump manoeuver, there seems to be a removal precedent we should examine. In How to Get Rid of a President, Priess has collected the stories and the background to 45 presidents’ worth of intrigue. He has divided them into their modi operandi in a valuable and most entertaining compendium.

Four out of 45 US presidents have been assassinated. Many more escaped attempts or plots. One in ten was defeated seeking a second term. One in four had a psychiatric ailment. (Which, by the way, is the average across the whole population.) There is also impeachment, popular since the 1820s, attempted numerous times, with little success. Any politician who dislikes the president can make a complaint that Congress will consider and send to the Judiciary Committee. Where it is usually left to die. Finally, the 25th amendment provides a rationale for removing a president incapacitated mentally or physically. This now includes brief periods of anesthesia for surgery. Dick Cheney was President of the United States for eight hours one day, and sent his daughter an official letter from the Oval Office to commemorate it.

Samuel Tilden lost the presidency to Rutherford Hayes by one electoral vote, despite an overwhelming win in the popular vote. Hillary Clinton’s loss pales in comparison. A hastily assembled committee of politicians and judges decided the election in the face of conflicting and competing electoral college reported outcomes. So Bush v Gore is nothing new either. The committee awarded ALL the contested electoral college votes to Hayes, giving him that one vote majority. The Hayes election included both parties bribing official election returning officers, in addition to the voter suppression tactics we think of as a new plague.

Just as gripping are the stories of those who did not get elected, not even winning the nomination. Men of extraordinary quality, experience and vision who didn’t have the fashionable military record, or who were assassinated before the vote, or who fell afoul of the party dinosaurs. Men like Henry Clay, James Blaine and Robert Kennedy never got their shot, and the country was usually not better off for it. Clay for one, lost the nomination to a soldier, who went on to do nothing of note. Soldiers made fashionable candidates - almost sure winners. Jackson, Taylor, Harrison and Grant, for example. Didn’t matter that they might never have run for anything before, had no legislative experience and no platform. Winning was (and is) more important than a quality candidate.


Congress has always fought with the president. The founders set it up that way. It so hated Andrew Johnson, it would override his vetoes the same day he issued them. It eventually impeached him, then failed to convict, because he had broken no laws, and the thought of his constitutionally mandated replacement as president was too much to stomach. Sound familiar?

Many presidents were inexperienced in office, ineffective in politics and unable build bridges not only to the opposition, but to their own parties. Priess says. Some actually recognized they were unfit. Harding admitted: “I am not fit for office and should never have been here.” But he fulfilled his term.

Some became ill or infirm, and until Eisenhower implemented a real succession plan, their entourages simply hid the fact the president was not in control. Grover Cleveland had his entire upper jaw removed in a makeshift surgery on a borrowed boat, by the light of a single bulb attached to a battery. Because he didn’t want anyone to know he had cancer and needed surgery. The operation was hidden as a simple sailing from New York to Boston. Surgeons implanted a prosthetic jaw, and corrected it until people wouldn’t notice. Wilson was incapacitated by a stroke – and more – and his wife and doctor kept everyone away, leaving them to run the presidency. The games were – and are – endless, and Priess has done us a fine service putting it into perspective.

David Wineberg

[Conor Ahern · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book concerns America's history of consternation with its presidents, and what it has tried or threatened to do to remove them from office or render them impotent. Far and away, aside from perhaps assassination, the easiest way to pretermit a presidency seems to be by ensuring that the guy doesn't get reelected. Aside from that, there's impeachment, which historians/constitutional scholars seem to agree is a political action and doesn't need to be grounded on any specific action, or the easier but less official practice of denying the agenda of any president and overriding his veto--in other words, using a supermajority of the legislature to replace the executive for most practical purposes, as was done when the impeachment of anti-Reconstruction Andrew Johnson failed to oust him from office.

One point this book really emphasizes is that impeachment is not an absolute last measure, to be avoided except in the absolute worst circumstances. It was not intended to be "the worst thing ever," or some sort of nuclear option. But I do think that's what we've come to regard it as. When Constitutional mechanisms are never exercised, they tend to acquire a totally unfounded patina of extremeness. For example, there are two ways to amend the Constitution--one is by amendment and one is by calling a constitutional convention; because we have literally never used the latter and only used the former, the latter seems more "extreme," even if there's no evidence that the Founders thought of or intended for it to be that way.

I found myself thinking a lot about the much-exalted "wisdom" of the Founders while reading this. There is ample evidence that the Founders thought the Constitution would and should be rewritten very often, and the fact that there were twelve amendments to it within its first fifteen years is testament to the intended mutability of the document. But the document itself and all of its internal mechanisms were promulgated with a lot of (flawed) assumptions in mind. The Founders, to their credit, really thought highly of the educated citizen. They were probably living in the apex of civic, democratic virtue over the past two millennia, so we can't really blame them, but they really thought that people were not very susceptible to manipulation or dishonest/corrupt politicians, and really approached the whole project of government with some pretty rosy opinions about how human nature operates and what people could be trusted to do. They also didn't anticipate the rise of political parties or the varieties of "truth" available to the modern citizen, and made few provisions for either in the workings of the Constitution. This oversight is particularly evident in the impeachment mechanism.

Centuries later we have an executive whose power has mushroomed beyond the Founders' comprehension (the result of both Democratic and Republican administrations, it must be said). We have political partisanship that seems a far more powerful and consistent motivator than truth or the commonweal. And we have at least one party that understands that, in the short run at least, from a partisan point of view it's far better to have a flawed, corrupt, disgrace of a president of your own party than to admit fault and take responsibility for wrongdoing to ensure the preservation of non-partisan institutions/norms. This is why (I predict) Trump will never be impeached, and probably why no president ever will be impeached. Even in the very depths of Trump's popularity, I can't imagine him getting more than 2-5 GOP Senators to convict him, and that will never be enough to satisfy the Constitution's 2/3 requirement.

I was speaking with a friend recently about Nixon. Analysis of Nixon is a surprisingly small portion of this book, but one thing is certain: Nixon could have destroyed the White House tapes, and he could have been more obstructive. He could have taken the Senate to the brink and seen what they might have done to him, even if they ultimately followed through with impeaching him (which I think they would have). He didn't, and this is because, for all of his flaws, Nixon had some small interest in institutional legitimacy and the preservation of the system above his own nearly limitless self-interest. My friend mused that if Nixon were more Trumpian, he never would have been impeached, and I think that also might be true. Certainly at the onset of the Watergate revelations Republicans treated all initial evidence with skepticism, using terms we are now supersaturated with, such as "witch hunt" and accusations of a partisan hack job. I guess it's possible--entertaining a different counterfactual--that if Nixon had had Mitch McConnell as his Senate Majority Leader, he would have doubled down and avoided impeachment, but we will never know.

While we know that executive power has been growing exponentially and the Legislature is increasingly unwilling to use its powers to check a president, particularly when a majority has a president of its own party, what we haven't really been exposed to until recently are the ideas that a president is basically above the law. While impeachment is undeniably the method by which a president can be removed from power, if we all agree that a president is extremely unlikely to be impeached, whether they have a Democrat or a Republican Senate, then essentially the president is above the law. Even in the unlikely event that there is enough political will to prosecute the crime after the four- or eight-year term of a president, there really isn't anything that we can rely on to interrupt the presidency of someone whom we know or strongly suspect has committed serious crimes, even if those crimes were in service of installing him in the office in the first place. And this is the case even though the Vice President--in every conceivable scenario a person of the same party as the president--would be installed in his stead. This really points to a cult-of-personality model of democracy, a type of divine king whose powers are finite but whose impunity is anything but.

What would the Founders think?

[Stewart Sternberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a presidential history book masquerading as political rhetoric. Priess approaches his topic carefully, with wit, and most importantly, with academic distance. Don't expect shocking revelations here, just fact, history told as it should be, with from a primarily unbiased perspective.

[Diane Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Executive will be always increasing here, as elsewhere, till it ends in a monarchy.” Benjamin Franklin. How to Get Rid of a President describes the true stories of how former Presidents were removed from office.

Ben didn’t need to worry as there are many ways to remove an unpopular President from office. Here are the eight explored in the book:
1. Rejected by the party in the next election
2. Undermined by others
3. Dismissed preemptively
4. Displaced by death
5. Taken out by force
6. Declared unable to serve
7. Impeached and removed
8. Shoved aside at the polls

How to Get Rid of a President Is a dense read chock full of examples of bad Presidents and their comeuppance. If you believe Trump is bad, you should read the story of Andrew Johnson, who is in most of the chapters as both parties tried desperately to get him out of the oval office. Nixon’s own staffers set a precedent of ignoring his often crazy or drunken executive orders. Despite democrats’ frequent calling for it to be used, impeaching a President is difficult to do and has never led to a sitting President’s removal.

This book is an important look into presidential politics. It is recommended for history buffs but also anyone unhappy with our current President. The stories here make him and even Hillary, if she had won, look good by comparison. 4 stars!

Thanks to the publisher, PublicAffairs, and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Alice Forsythe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many people might assume that this is about our current occupant of the White House and therefore either be more inclined or disinclined to read it. Instead it is a general stroll through the trials and tribulations of our 45 presidents. As the author details many our presidents have had a series of difficulties. Some were personal, including illnesses or the loss of a child. In other cases, despite having won the vote, some presidents just weren't that popular once in office thereby leading to political strife.
I read this book as an audiobook. Because the author doesn't address the points he makes in a strictly linear manner it can be confusing. Or at least at times it was for me. I might wait for the paperback so as to better understand the points he makes. Having it as a physical book will allow me to pinpoint and reread the ideas he presents so as to better understand.

Of course, each to their own. The audio version was well done. I'm only stating my preference. Either way it's worth the read.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those of you looking for a good overview of times that the US has looked to remove a president throughout our history, Priess' book is a timely addition to the literature. This book gives readers a great birds eye view of historical anecdotes, stories, and detail about some little known pieces of our history.

I found the stories of the 19th century presidents (particularly John Tyler) to be quite interesting, as I knew so little about the details of their presidencies before reading this book. Some parts of Andrew Johnson's presidency appear to be repeating themselves today (a willingness to go out to attend rallies with 'the people.').

I recommend this book highly!

[Hazel Bright · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-researched description of the ways Americans can get rid of their executive leaders. It's not just impeachment or assassination, either. It's also the democratic process, as well as some rather depressing party machinations a la Henry Clay. The author suggests that Trump's erratic behavior (this was pre-Mueller) is not impeachable, and even as liberal as I am and as much as I would love to see Trump impeached, I found his argument compelling.

[Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Informative read on presidential history and various methods presidents have been removed or nearly removed from office. This is one of the best books I've read about presidential history and there were nuggets of unknown information in each situation to take away, even when you think you knew the story well.

[Sayo -bibliotequeish- · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really interesting.
It touched on different Presidents over the years who left office before their term ended. Whether by sickness, assassination, or impeachment.
It also had honourable mentions in would be presidents who failed to make it to the White House.

With so much attention surrounding the White House and those currently in the Presidents Administration, I think many people will enjoy this book, and find it entertaining and informative.

[Nathan Casebolt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book reminds me of nothing so much as Robin Williams’ line in Disney’s “Aladdin,” referring to the genie’s bondage to the lamp: “It's part and parcel of the whole Genie gig. Phenomenal cosmic powers, itty-bitty living space.”

America’s presidents have always felt cramped by the superhuman demands of an office from which someone, somewhere, is always trying to dislodge them. David Priess, a former CIA officer responsible for daily intelligence briefings of high federal officials, reminds us of this paradoxical reality: that the most powerful chair in the world comes with an ejection seat.

This is by design. The Founders, suspicious of a monarch’s perpetual power, strove for a balance of authority and accountability. Priess sketches this history well in his discussions of debates over presidential term limits, regular elections, and impeachment.

But there are more ways to dispose of a president than voting him out or convicting him of “Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.” A president may find himself shorn of effective power by insubordinate friends or ascendant enemies. He might die in office, or be killed. By the 22nd Amendment (1951), he must leave office after two terms. By the 25th Amendment (1967), he can be declared mentally or physically unfit to serve and removed.

Perhaps the most creative chapter, and the one I most enjoyed, is entitled “Dismissed Preemptively.” Men like Henry Clay, whom Priess crowns with the dubious honor of being “the best president we never had,” found themselves barred from an office they desperately wanted. Corruption in the election of 1876 rerouted the presidency from Samuel Tilden to Rutherford Hayes. Sometimes the simplest way to remove a president is before they become one.

I found the book well written, well organized, and competent. If you don’t have a basic grasp of presidential history, be aware the book jumps around. You might be in John Tyler’s antebellum administration, turn the page, and find yourself with Richard Nixon. You’ll learn a lot, but the history is anything but linear.

This is an informative yet easy read, though you won’t find anything groundbreaking here. If you want deep critiques of presidential authority, the balance of powers, or the American political experience, look elsewhere. As the Brits would say, it does exactly what it says on the tin: tells the tale of what happened to American presidents who left office (or never gained it) against their will.

One final note of interest: while digging around, I learned that Nebraska was the first state to ratify the 25th Amendment. Know that if a president ever loses capacity to discharge the duties of the office, we Huskers stand ready to drag him or her out by the heels. Hashtag America, and Go Big Red!

[Doninaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s easy to misjudge this book’s content after reading its title. A more accurate assessment is obtained from the sub-title (“History’s Guide to Removing Unpopular, Unable, or Unfit Chief Executives”). In this book, author Priess looks at presidents (or presidential aspirants) whose unusual situations adversely affected their terms.

The book groups presidents whose terms were decided or influenced in similar manners. So, chapters exist such as:

• Rejected by their Party (John Tyler, Henry Clay, Lyndon B. Johnson)
• Displaced by Death (William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor, Franklin Roosevelt)
• Taken Out by Force (Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield, William McKinley)
• Declared Unable to Serve (Grover Cleveland, Woodrow Wilson)
• Impeached and Removed (Andrew Johnson, Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton)
• Shoved Aside at the Polls (John Quincy Adams, Martin Van Buren, William Howard Taft)

For each case, the author presents concise but fact-filled accounts. Priess describes event backgrounds (assassination attempts, impeachment votes) and explores relevant issues (presidential security, line of succession).

Especially with presidents having multiple causes for removal, content tends to overlap between chapters. However, this is not a major distraction.

Inevitably, the last chapter deals with the current situation. No historical remedy seems to exactly fit an unusual presidential behavior that falls short of indisputable unpopularity, inability, or lack of fitness, and where Congress does not act.

The author indicates that impeachment is an inherently political process with potential unintended consequences. As President Ford stated, “An impeachable offense is whatever a majority of the House of Representatives considers it to be at a given moment in history.” Priess points out that personal dislike and policy differences, themselves, are not grounds for impeachment. Yet, even an impeachment that doesn’t result in a conviction serves as a strong form of censure.

Finally, Priess returns to constitutionality. While the founding fathers struggled to balance the circumstances of their time, their solutions were not flawless. The author questions whether established methods can address a troubled presidency, given the impacts of global technology and social media. He closes by discussing a constitutional amendment.

I found this book an interesting read and a focused refresher on presidential history.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

David Priess reviews ways to get rid of presidents, including preemptively a la Hillary Clinton and Russian interference in our last election, and impeachment which is rolling along in the House now for Trump. In the era before Trump, I would have thought the airing of Trumps incompetence and increasingly obvious Treason, Bribery and High Crimes and Misdemeanors (“acts harming the state or its institutions”) during this impeachment would, at the least, result in getting rid of him at the ballot box. At best the Senate should convict and remove. We no longer live in that world. But I’m still a big supporter of at least impeaching him and let the State of NY go after him when they can.

President Tyler saw his “cabinet quite en masse, …suffered ejection by his own party, …faced an impeachment resolution in the House of Representatives, …sought but failed to gain renomination.” Clearly, this should all happen to Trump, plus removal from office and prosecution for his many crimes. At a minimum, the legislature and cabinet officials should stymie his worst instincts and “neutralize his intent and purpose.” as, apparently, they have been doing. Haldeman slow-walked some of Nixon’s more dangerous commands by telling himself Nixon was letting off steam and didn’t really mean what he said. As Nixon descended into alcohol and poor mental health, several of his aids took over without telling anyone, including Nixon.

Lying about a president’s health has also been done long before Trump to pretend they are fit for office and carrying out their duties. Woodrow Wilson’s wife and doctor covered also for him while he was incapacitated.

The 25th Amendment is necessary yet implausible. Trump tests the high bar every day.

How to Get Rid of A President was an amusing read and a refresher on American executive office failings.

[Hilary Marcus · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first, I found the organization of the book a bit challenging, as each chapter is by topic ("Impeached and Removed", for example) versus a chronological treatment. But once I devoted more time to reading, a chapter at a time let's say, I found it fascinating and well done. So timely, as we have just impeached a president for the third time in U.S. history, this book gives great perspective to what we are enduring. The final chapter, "Presidents, Processes and the People," raises an important question -- when is it time to look at amending the constitution because the original framers could not anticipate everything? I highly recommend this book to all who are wondering how we can continue to counter presidential power given this "chaos candidate", and if now is truly THE WORST moment in U.S. history.

[Betsy Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

"If a significant percentage of the public remains strongly behind a president despite behavior that, while repugnant, doesn't rise to the level of damaging the constitutional order itself, then undermining that president politically or just waiting for the next election to make a better case to the voters seem better strategies than impeachment. Undermining an unpopular president through means short of impeachment generally works; attempting prematurely to impeach a generally popular president risks damaging the whole political process."

I think David Priess might need, at the very least, a new foreword for this book.

As a woman who never missed an opportunity to lean political in every paper I ever wrote, one of my favorites was my 8th Grade History Project, an exhaustive history of political parties in America. I haven't thought about the "Know Nothing Party" since I was 13.

[Scott Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Audiobook) Solid overview of the history of the presidency, at least from the perspective of how presidents can leave or are forced out of the office when it is not their primary choice. It covers the one-term presidents, those that did not seek renomination or were not selected for that; those that died in office or resigned, etc. It spans the range from constitutional considerations to personal choices. Some did leave after the customary two terms, only to regret their choices and try for that elusive third term. Only FDR got that 3rd and 4th before his death and the revision of the constitution. Ultimately, it is not that easy to remove a president, or for one to just simply leave office.

Overall, a solid audiobook, but the rating would be the same regardless of format. Readable, informative, and it doesn’t drag too much.

[Melinda M · Rating 4 out of 5]

How to Get Rid of a President: History's Guide to Removing Unpopular, Unable, or Unfit Chief Executives by David Priess is an interesting look at the history of Presidents who all have had people whether the general population or members of Congress or business people who have wanted to get them out of office or made their terms hard. David Priess looks at eight different ways to remove The President of The United States. It was interesting to read about Presidents who are not discussed much such as John Taylor. If you think what is going on today is abnormal , you need to read this.


I received a copy thru a Goodreads Giveaway.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is not exactly an instruction manual. Up front, I will state that I was not driven to act on anything just on the basis of the book title alone. Haha.

With that said, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book because it tackled not just the different forms of presidential removals in the US but also ascensions, almost-presidents, and various political maneuverings in US history. It also showed how the US presidency as an institution has endured seismic political shifts and has evolved through the years to keep up with the changing world.

My favorite chapter would have to be Chapter 3. I got to know more about the US presidents that never were.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t put this book down. I looked at this book as an example for the upcoming administration, and there is actually a lot more checks and balances than one may think and if you need any semblance of Hope right now just look at the leader of South Korea, who tried to institute martial law, and shut down the media and was impeached for this act when Trump inevitably abuses power the way we know he will we must use our system to the fullest. They also talk about how the reason why there are midterm elections are because if a president is acting out of line the American people can then send a new Congress to keep the president in check

[Roryz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title of this book is provocative, no doubt inspired by the current political sentiments. but the book is mostly historical gossip, if you will, chatty tidbits about past American presidents and their health, accidents that had occurred, and their mental health issues.
Much of what I thought I knew about our presidents was debunked or explained in some, but not a lot, detail.
The book was compelling, but not deeply engrossing, and there’s only a few pages at the end discussing the current political scenario.
I felt a bit manipulated by the title.
Still, well researched and presented.

[Bill Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating look at the various ways American presidents have left office. From not getting re-nominated, to losing re-election, to dying in office, being assassinated, use of the 25th amendment and impeachment, Priess has crafted a quick-paced look at our history and grapples with the questions of how and when we ought to remove a president from office. The impeachment section is clearly relevant right now and gives an understanding of his impeachment has processed in the past.

A very interesting read for any fan of politics or history!

[Michael Carpenter · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining survey of the different ways Presidents have been removed (voted out, sidelined by their party, by death or assassination, impeachment, etc.).

The book, however, reads better as a series of essays on the different methods of presidential removal, not a coherent book. By dint of history, several Presidents pop up in different chapters (for instance, Andrew Johnson comes up in the chapters on presidents dying in office, being booted from the ballot by their party, and impeachment). But each time they are brought up, it is as if it is for the first time.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audio version ... fell for the old judging a book by its cover, originally thinking that the book would focus on Nixon, Clinton, Andrew Johnson and, given the timing, Trump. However, it's far more wide ranging and just about touches on every president and indeed many of the players behind the scenes. Great book and have the hard cover sitting on my shelf ready for a more thorough read over Christmas.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are interested in the history of the conflicts that have led to presidents being considered or have actually experienced the impeachment process this is a book you should consider. It goes through the history of how the impeachment process was established and how it has evolved over time. It goes through the complexities and challenges of the impeachment process and what its role has been and how it has evolved throughout history.

[Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very measured and even-handed historical look at how potentially negative presidential circumstances have quite naturally been resolved -- through such instances as assassination, natural death, obfuscation, impeachment, elections, and subversion. Knowing that presidential politics have always been dramatic and potentially filled with peril makes me feel better when the current president seems so unlike anything we've had before. History really does repeat itself.

[Dana * · Rating 5 out of 5]

Required reading

Fantastic required reading. The author does an excellent job of breaking down scenarios and purposes for impeachment that make history easier to interpret from various angles. Well researched, documented, and analyzed. I was shocked to learn that so many presidents had their life threatened.. perspective gained

[Britt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has so many good trivia facts on Presidents while taking a look at the various ways people have tried to remove them from office. No matter how high a President’s rating is, there are always people working to remove them. I learned a ton, but found the information to be poorly organized at least via audiobook.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was ok. If you are looking simply for an oral history of how presidents leave office, this is a good read for you. If you want something more, like a thoughtful examination of the deeper issues of when or how a president should be removed, this book merely touches on them and you will be disappointed.

[Amit Bhattacharyya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learnt a lot

i found out about this book from NPR and decided to give it a try. it was really fascinating to learn how troubled our past presidencies have been, especially in the early days. it gave me comfort that we can heal from the current times and America’s best days are still ahead of us.

[Madras Mama · Rating 3 out of 5]

The proposed title, "How We Got Rid of Presidents," aptly encapsulates the book's essence, which navigates through a myriad of historical anecdotes and incidents about the removal of presidents. Despite this, the tome remains a compelling read, offering insights into both renowned and lesser-known figures in presidential history.