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Calvin Coolidge: The Man from Vermont
This vintage book contains a detailed biography of Calvin Coolidge. John Calvin Coolidge Jr. (1872-1933) served as the President of the United States between 1923 and 1929. Originally a Republican lawyer from Vermont, he worked his way up the political ladder before becoming the governor of Massachusetts. He was elected as the vice president of the United States after his decisive response to the Boston Police Strike of 1919, and succeeded president Warren G. Harding upon his death in 1923. Contents "Yankee Ancestry and Vermont Environment", "Birth and Boyhood", "Preparing for College", "Early Days in Northampton", "The Horizon Widens", "Up The Political Ladder", "A Friend Appears", "Lieutenant Governor", "Governor of Massachusetts", "The Boston Police Strike of 1919", "In National Politics", etc. Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. We are republishing this volume now in an affordable, high-quality edition complete with a specially commissioned new introduction. "Calvin Coolidge - The Man From Vermont" was first published in 1939.
1005 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1940
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About the author
Claude Fuess
34 books2 followersClaude Moore Fuess, educator, historian and author, was born in Waterville, N.Y., in 1885. He received the M.A. (1906) and Ph.D (1912) degrees from Columbia University. Fuess taught English at Phillips Academy, Andover, from 1908 to 1933, and was appointed headmaster there in 1933. He was the author or editor of more than 30 books and numerous articles.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 29, 2023
This was a very enjoyable and informative book. I felt that the author did a good job of using sources that would seem conflicting for the sake of understanding that somewhere between the ideology of some and the dislike of others lies the true Calvin Coolidge.
December 2, 2015
http://bestpresidentialbios.com/2015/...
Published in 1939, Claude Fuess’s “Calvin Coolidge: The Man from Vermont” is one of the earliest cradle-to-grave biographies of Coolidge. Fuess was a historian, author and educator who spent four decades at Phillips Academy (first as a teacher and then as headmaster). He died in 1963 at the age of 78.
Although not quite an “authorized” biography, Fuess’s book benefited from special access he was granted to Coolidge’s private correspondence (by the former First Lady) as well as the personal papers of Frank W. Stearns (granted by Stearns himself, a close friend and political adviser to Coolidge). Despite its advanced age this remains one of the best-known scholarly studies of Calvin Coolidge.
This biography has the reputation of being friendly to its subject and it does not take long for the evidence to support that claim. Fortunately, the author’s fondness for his subject is never heavy-handed and there is no discernible effort to conceal Coolidge’s flaws or peculiarities. Once the timeline reaches Coolidge’s presidency, however, the book becomes almost uncomfortably defensive in tone.
Coolidge’s early years are covered with such care and clarity that one quickly suspects this must be the definitive exploration of Coolidge’s life. But while the biography is comprehensive and often quite detailed it is more a study of the man than a detailed review of his politics or presidency. A reader unfamiliar with Coolidge will learn a great deal about his political career, but his time on the national scene undoubtedly receives less coverage than is deserved.
In many ways Coolidge presents a biographer with special challenges; his personality does not lend itself to a dynamic, engaging narrative. Yet the best feature of Fuess’s biography is the robust (if not quite colorful) portrait of Coolidge which emerges from its pages. Instead of closely following the daily political grind endured by Coolidge, Fuess focuses more on his interactions with the people who surrounded him during his life (most often during his political career).
Some of the book’s most interesting insights are provided by Coolidge himself. Fuess liberally quotes from his Autobiography and, with equal frequency, from correspondence between Coolidge and Frank Stearns. But the modern reader eventually wishes the author had access to a wider variety of primary sources and could have provided a broader array of perspectives.
The book’s final chapter provides a lengthy reassessment of Coolidge’s legacy and a detailed review of his personality and character. Even in these closing pages there is too little emphasis on his family life; his wife finally receives a bit more of the attention she deserves but his private temperament (alleged to have been volatile) is largely ignored. But no matter your opinion of the Coolidge presidency, the author’s analysis of his virtues and deficiencies for the nation’s highest office is compelling.
Overall, Claude Fuess’s biography of Calvin Coolidge proves to be a well-written, interesting and thought-provoking exploration of the life of the 30th president. Because it lacks a more detailed review of his presidency and political philosophies, this cannot be considered a perfect biography of Coolidge. But as a character study and an often-fascinating exploration of his life it is highly successful.
Overall rating: 3¾ stars
Published in 1939, Claude Fuess’s “Calvin Coolidge: The Man from Vermont” is one of the earliest cradle-to-grave biographies of Coolidge. Fuess was a historian, author and educator who spent four decades at Phillips Academy (first as a teacher and then as headmaster). He died in 1963 at the age of 78.
Although not quite an “authorized” biography, Fuess’s book benefited from special access he was granted to Coolidge’s private correspondence (by the former First Lady) as well as the personal papers of Frank W. Stearns (granted by Stearns himself, a close friend and political adviser to Coolidge). Despite its advanced age this remains one of the best-known scholarly studies of Calvin Coolidge.
This biography has the reputation of being friendly to its subject and it does not take long for the evidence to support that claim. Fortunately, the author’s fondness for his subject is never heavy-handed and there is no discernible effort to conceal Coolidge’s flaws or peculiarities. Once the timeline reaches Coolidge’s presidency, however, the book becomes almost uncomfortably defensive in tone.
Coolidge’s early years are covered with such care and clarity that one quickly suspects this must be the definitive exploration of Coolidge’s life. But while the biography is comprehensive and often quite detailed it is more a study of the man than a detailed review of his politics or presidency. A reader unfamiliar with Coolidge will learn a great deal about his political career, but his time on the national scene undoubtedly receives less coverage than is deserved.
In many ways Coolidge presents a biographer with special challenges; his personality does not lend itself to a dynamic, engaging narrative. Yet the best feature of Fuess’s biography is the robust (if not quite colorful) portrait of Coolidge which emerges from its pages. Instead of closely following the daily political grind endured by Coolidge, Fuess focuses more on his interactions with the people who surrounded him during his life (most often during his political career).
Some of the book’s most interesting insights are provided by Coolidge himself. Fuess liberally quotes from his Autobiography and, with equal frequency, from correspondence between Coolidge and Frank Stearns. But the modern reader eventually wishes the author had access to a wider variety of primary sources and could have provided a broader array of perspectives.
The book’s final chapter provides a lengthy reassessment of Coolidge’s legacy and a detailed review of his personality and character. Even in these closing pages there is too little emphasis on his family life; his wife finally receives a bit more of the attention she deserves but his private temperament (alleged to have been volatile) is largely ignored. But no matter your opinion of the Coolidge presidency, the author’s analysis of his virtues and deficiencies for the nation’s highest office is compelling.
Overall, Claude Fuess’s biography of Calvin Coolidge proves to be a well-written, interesting and thought-provoking exploration of the life of the 30th president. Because it lacks a more detailed review of his presidency and political philosophies, this cannot be considered a perfect biography of Coolidge. But as a character study and an often-fascinating exploration of his life it is highly successful.
Overall rating: 3¾ stars
September 12, 2021
Written in the late 1930's by an author who had a chance to interview the man and many who knew him directly, CF finds many good things to say about Coolidge and his accomplishments. These can be summed up largely by a statement in the last chapter that two qualities stand out - common sense and sound character. CF makes a good case at least for these attributes. Coolidge seemed to act in the publics best interest rather than personal greed or ambition. He frequently refused offers of advancement, at least at first. CF also admits that much of his positive contribution is passive rather than active. In an era of seeming prosperity, Coolidge didn't innovate or advocate large new programs such as Wilson did.
CF acknowledges that Coolidge's era led to the Crash, but denies that Coolidge of anyone else could have done anything to stop it. CF doesn't do much reporting of the hardships suffered by large numbers in the population who did not enjoy the era's supposed prosperity. He does cite some statistics that hint at this however. Likewise, he said little about race problems.
Coolidge is described in terms which we would recognize as a true conservative when it comes to the Federal government. Coolidge was totally resistant to doing things which he believed belonged in the court of local and state government. CF cites this defense of Coolidge more than once.
The book is long, but not as long as it seems if you ignore copious footnotes. However, many of them contain pertinent anecdotes. CF focuses as much or more on Coolidge's speeches and philosophies than on events. CF cites countless names of individuals involved in the events he does describe. I believe this may be in part because many of those names would be far more familiar to people who lived through those times than they are to us today.
This book would not have been my preference in order to familiarize myself with historical and political events of the period, but it was one of the few resources I had available in that regard.
CF acknowledges that Coolidge's era led to the Crash, but denies that Coolidge of anyone else could have done anything to stop it. CF doesn't do much reporting of the hardships suffered by large numbers in the population who did not enjoy the era's supposed prosperity. He does cite some statistics that hint at this however. Likewise, he said little about race problems.
Coolidge is described in terms which we would recognize as a true conservative when it comes to the Federal government. Coolidge was totally resistant to doing things which he believed belonged in the court of local and state government. CF cites this defense of Coolidge more than once.
The book is long, but not as long as it seems if you ignore copious footnotes. However, many of them contain pertinent anecdotes. CF focuses as much or more on Coolidge's speeches and philosophies than on events. CF cites countless names of individuals involved in the events he does describe. I believe this may be in part because many of those names would be far more familiar to people who lived through those times than they are to us today.
This book would not have been my preference in order to familiarize myself with historical and political events of the period, but it was one of the few resources I had available in that regard.
February 27, 2021
Finished
This biography is too dated. Written 80 years ago by one of Coolidge’s greatest fans. For all its length, not a lot can be discerned concerning this obscure president or his times. As the reader labors through it, he will inevitably pick up a few trivial insights regarding the 1920’s while constantly wondering if it’s a worthwhile expenditure of his time.
This biography is too dated. Written 80 years ago by one of Coolidge’s greatest fans. For all its length, not a lot can be discerned concerning this obscure president or his times. As the reader labors through it, he will inevitably pick up a few trivial insights regarding the 1920’s while constantly wondering if it’s a worthwhile expenditure of his time.
April 24, 2020
I enjoy (occasionally?) reading book written in the mid-twentieth century (like this one from 1940). Less hyperbole, nostalgic turns of phrase, and a straight-forward presentation. I appreciate the Calvin Coolidge type - a man of few words, with common sense and sound character, who gets the job done. Most interesting TIL: he was sworn-in as President by his father at the home cabin in Vermont.
At ~1,000 pages, I assume no stone was left unturned. A bit of a slog, but I am happy to have read it.
At ~1,000 pages, I assume no stone was left unturned. A bit of a slog, but I am happy to have read it.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews