The Best Presidential Writing: From 1789 to the Present

by Craig Fehrman (Editor)

A sweeping and groundbreaking treasury of the most essential presidential writings, featuring a mix of the beloved and the little-known, from stirring speeches and shrewd remarks to behind-the-scenes drafts and unpublished autobiographies.

From the early years of our nation’s history, when George Washington wrote his humble yet powerful Farewell Address, to our current age, when Barack Obama delivered his moving speech on the fiftieth anniversary of the Selma-to-Montgomery marches, America’s presidents have upheld a tradition of exceptional writing. Now, for the first time, the greatest presidential writings in history are united in one monumental the very best campaign orations, early autobiographies, presidential speeches, postpresidential reflections, and much more.

In these pages, we see not only the words that shaped our nation, like Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation and Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Infamy speech, but also the words of young politicians claiming their place in our history, including excerpts from Woodrow Wilson’s Congressional Government and Obama’s career-making convention speech, and the words of mature leaders reflecting on their legacies, including John Adams’s autobiography and Harry S. Truman’s Memoirs . We even see hidden sides of the presidents that the public rarely noted outdoorsman Teddy Roosevelt’s great passion for literature or sunny Ronald Reagan’s piercing childhood memories of escorting home his alcoholic father.

Encompassing notable favorites like Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address as well as lesser-known texts like Thomas Jefferson’s Notes on the State of Virginia and James Polk’s candid White House diary, The Best Presidential Writing showcases America’s presidents as thinkers, citizens, and leaders.

More than simply a curation of must-read presidential writings, this unique collection presents the story of America itself, told by its highest leaders. Even the most famous speeches find new meanings or fresh connections when read in this sweeping context, making The Best Presidential Writing a trove full of insight and an essential historical document.

Genres: History, Politics, American History, Nonfiction, American

512 pages, Hardcover

First published October 13, 2020

About the author

Craig Fehrman, a journalist and historian, spent five years writing and researching This Vast Enterprise. His first book, Author in Chief, was described by Thomas Mallon in The Wall Street Journal as “one of the best books on the American presidency to appear in recent years.” Fehrman lives in Indiana with his wife and children.

Reviews

[Andy Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

From George Washington to Donald Trump, this is a valuable compilation of many papers, speeches, and books.

My favorite passage was from James Polk's diary. Who knew he was so cranky and sick of meeting with countless citizens and politicians seeking patronage jobs? And the thought of the President being forced to meet in person with drop in citizens is so interesting!

I also learned that John Adams was a math nerd and John Quincy Adams a fan of literature. Must have run in the family.

[Sarmat Chowdhury · Rating 3 out of 5]

Compiling the best writings from American Presidents, Fehrman curates what he believes to be the best of the repertoire from Presidents. Ranging from speeches they gave from the State of the Unions, their autobiographies and even their other writings that were not necessarily related to their political aspirations.

While the book was theoretically supposed to have writings from all 45, the book only consists of 38 Presidents, and some have more samples included compared to others (one President getting five samples, another getting only one). And while Fehrman attempted to keep the book away from politics, and put very little commentary on the how and why he chose the samples that he did.

While the writings varied between the Presidents and their selections, it as interesting to see that certain Presidents had more examples provided compared to others, one of the more disappointing aspects of the book was the lack of commentary or explanation why each sample was chose for the President in question.

While the book is good to have for those who want to have some writings from Presidents on hand, I will say that from a book looking at analysis perspective, there are better options to choose from.

[Jess Ferguson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

The book needed more editorial explanation for methods of choosing which writings to include. Why completely skip several presidents? Why does George W. Bush only rate 1 single page speech for all his writing and 8 years of presidency?

[Avinash Veeraraghav · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's a lot to read in here - Fehrman picks up on the wisdom of many of America's Commanders in Chief. Some of the excerpts - such as Lincoln's Gettysburg Address and FDR's Infamy speech - are well-known. Others, like Millard Fillmore musing over striking his instructor, are not. Anyone who dabbles in presidential history may be curious to see the inner machinations of the many men who have occupied the highest office in the land. It's worth a read - a bit of a slow one, since there isn't really a narrative - but a good one nonetheless.

Note that not every president is covered in this book; also, it only goes into Donald Trump's first term. This book was published before Joe Biden took office.

[Tom Stevens]

Great book, but ending with Trump's Art of the Deal was like a turd after dinner mint.

[Michelle Schulten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspiration and sadness. We've lost and forgotten so much.

[Larry J · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a lot. I feel like I have to confess - I did not read every speech.