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Coolidge: An American Enigma
In the first full-scale biography of Coolidge in a generation, Robert Sobel shatters the caricature of our thirtieth president as a silent, do-nothing leader.
Sobel instead exposes the real Coolidge, whose legacy as the most Jeffersonian of all twentieth-century presidents still reverberates today. Sobel delves into the record to show how Coolidge cut taxes four times, had a budget surplus every year in office, and cut the national debt by a third in a period of unprecedented economic growth.
Though his list of accomplishments is impressive, Calvin Coolidge was perhaps best known and most respected by his contemporaries for his character. Americans embraced Coolidge for his upstanding character, which came as a breath of fresh air after the scandal-ridden administration of Warren G. Harding. the sleaze that characterizes much of American political life today was absent in his administration.
In many respects Coolidge was of a bygone era. He was the last president who wrote his own speeches, who spent hours each day greeting White House visitors, who had only one secretary, and who didn't even keep a telephone on his desk. Yet he remains as relevant today as he was three-quarters of a century ago. Little wonder, then, that Ronald Reagan so admired Coolidge, whose programs in the 1920s presaged the recent movement towards smaller government and reduced taxes. (It was Reagan who ordered Coolidge's portrait to be placed in the White House Cabinet Room, next to Lincoln's and Jefferson's.)
Through research and analysis, Sobel reveals Coolidge's clear record of political successes and delivers the message that Coolidge had for our time--a message that speaks directly to our most important political debates.
Coolidge remains an enigma to Americans because he was so unlike any other politician, past or present. Coolidge rose to the highest office in the land without the politician's familiar trappings--the glad-handling, the glib tongue, the empty promises, the negative campaigning. He lacked charisma, presence, charm, or any of the qualities that would make a politician attractive to today's media. Coolidge's legacy is his deeds, not his words--which is exactly how he would have chosen to be remembered by history.
Coolidge: An American Enigma dispels the myths that have gathered around this underappreciated president and gives him the serious consideration he merits. With this timely and important biography, Sobel has surely challenged historians to reassess Calvin Coolidge.
Sobel instead exposes the real Coolidge, whose legacy as the most Jeffersonian of all twentieth-century presidents still reverberates today. Sobel delves into the record to show how Coolidge cut taxes four times, had a budget surplus every year in office, and cut the national debt by a third in a period of unprecedented economic growth.
Though his list of accomplishments is impressive, Calvin Coolidge was perhaps best known and most respected by his contemporaries for his character. Americans embraced Coolidge for his upstanding character, which came as a breath of fresh air after the scandal-ridden administration of Warren G. Harding. the sleaze that characterizes much of American political life today was absent in his administration.
In many respects Coolidge was of a bygone era. He was the last president who wrote his own speeches, who spent hours each day greeting White House visitors, who had only one secretary, and who didn't even keep a telephone on his desk. Yet he remains as relevant today as he was three-quarters of a century ago. Little wonder, then, that Ronald Reagan so admired Coolidge, whose programs in the 1920s presaged the recent movement towards smaller government and reduced taxes. (It was Reagan who ordered Coolidge's portrait to be placed in the White House Cabinet Room, next to Lincoln's and Jefferson's.)
Through research and analysis, Sobel reveals Coolidge's clear record of political successes and delivers the message that Coolidge had for our time--a message that speaks directly to our most important political debates.
Coolidge remains an enigma to Americans because he was so unlike any other politician, past or present. Coolidge rose to the highest office in the land without the politician's familiar trappings--the glad-handling, the glib tongue, the empty promises, the negative campaigning. He lacked charisma, presence, charm, or any of the qualities that would make a politician attractive to today's media. Coolidge's legacy is his deeds, not his words--which is exactly how he would have chosen to be remembered by history.
Coolidge: An American Enigma dispels the myths that have gathered around this underappreciated president and gives him the serious consideration he merits. With this timely and important biography, Sobel has surely challenged historians to reassess Calvin Coolidge.
462 pages, Hardcover
First published May 25, 1998
43 people are currently reading
1491 people want to read
About the author
Robert Sobel
86 books18 followersRobert Sobel was an American professor of history at Hofstra University, and a well-known and prolific writer of business histories. He was also a chess Master, who represented the United States at the 1957 and 1958 Student chess Olympiads; he defeated thirteen-year-old future World Champion Bobby Fischer at Montreal 1956.
Despite his prolific writings in business history, he is most famous for his single novel, For Want of a Nail, an alternate history of the United States.
Despite his prolific writings in business history, he is most famous for his single novel, For Want of a Nail, an alternate history of the United States.
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April 14, 2025
"The Do Nothing President” was one of the monikers given to Calvin Coolidge, the 30th president of the United States, 1923-1929. His critics thought he was just sitting in his office twiddling his thumbs the six years he was in office. Not so; he was a hard-working Yankee who grew up on a farm in Vermont and had a strong work ethic.
Another nickname for Coolidge was "Silent Cal". He enjoyed holding his cards close to the vest in all his life endeavors. His wife didn’t know what he was up to half the time in his personal life and Congress didn’t know what to expect sometimes in his political life. He did his job as president according to what he thought the Constitution instructed: to execute the legislation sent to him by Congress (in other words, the executive branch). According to the author, Robert Sobel, Ronald Reagan considered Coolidge the model Republican. Coolidge didn't try to pressure the House or Senate with many ideas except for lowering taxes. He wouldn't have been a Republican if he didn't do that.
He was a bit peculiar in the eyes of the Washington, DC elite. I tend to agree with them. Not in this book but in side-reading I discovered he had a pet raccoon that pretty much had the run of the White House. Luckily Mrs. Coolidge had a similar sense of humor and they had a solid marriage.
I enjoyed reading this biography of a "mediocre" president as he is described by many scholars. With the information provided by Sobel in his biography, I think Coolidge was the perfect president for the time he served. Americans at the time thought he was "the cat's pajamas". In fact he was criticized for not running for a second term. He got out just in time. The Great Crash of 1929 leading to the Great Depression of the 1930s occurred only a short time after the Coolidges vacated the White House. Upon moving the raccoon was donated to the National Zoo.
Another nickname for Coolidge was "Silent Cal". He enjoyed holding his cards close to the vest in all his life endeavors. His wife didn’t know what he was up to half the time in his personal life and Congress didn’t know what to expect sometimes in his political life. He did his job as president according to what he thought the Constitution instructed: to execute the legislation sent to him by Congress (in other words, the executive branch). According to the author, Robert Sobel, Ronald Reagan considered Coolidge the model Republican. Coolidge didn't try to pressure the House or Senate with many ideas except for lowering taxes. He wouldn't have been a Republican if he didn't do that.
He was a bit peculiar in the eyes of the Washington, DC elite. I tend to agree with them. Not in this book but in side-reading I discovered he had a pet raccoon that pretty much had the run of the White House. Luckily Mrs. Coolidge had a similar sense of humor and they had a solid marriage.
I enjoyed reading this biography of a "mediocre" president as he is described by many scholars. With the information provided by Sobel in his biography, I think Coolidge was the perfect president for the time he served. Americans at the time thought he was "the cat's pajamas". In fact he was criticized for not running for a second term. He got out just in time. The Great Crash of 1929 leading to the Great Depression of the 1930s occurred only a short time after the Coolidges vacated the White House. Upon moving the raccoon was donated to the National Zoo.
January 5, 2016
http://bestpresidentialbios.com/2016/...
When published in 1998, Robert Sobel’s “Coolidge: An American Enigma” was the first comprehensive biography of Coolidge to appear in over thirty years. Sobel was a professor of history at Hofstra University for four decades and a prolific author, focusing heavily on American business life. He died in 1999 at the age of 68.
Early in this 419 page book Sobel makes clear that his goal is to reintroduce this enigmatic and often misunderstood man and to catalyze a reconsideration of his legacy. He promises a fresh interpretation of Coolidge without major revelations and quickly gets to the business of dissecting traditional caricatures.
Sobel’s writing style is not flashy or colorful; instead it is straightforward and unpretentious. The book often reads like a relatively interesting history book rather than an engrossing character study, a weighty academic dissertation or even a traditional biography. And although the author’s desire to elevate history’s view of Coolidge is rarely in doubt, the book is generally well-balanced.
Sobel’s focus is almost always centered on Coolidge, but at times the reader feels as though the view might be through the long lens of a powerful telescope rather than one you might enjoy as a “fly on the wall” – or which you would savor observing the world through Coolidge’s own eyes.
Ironically, while the author’s intention is not to provide a detailed survey of Coolidge’s presidency, the five chapters covering his time in the White House are excellent – they are extremely well-organized and coherent. And Sobel’s discussions of the Republican Party’s presidential nomination processes in 1920 (when Harding was nominated) and 1924 (in which incumbent Coolidge was nominated) are fascinating.
But while Sobel promises the book will not provide a comprehensive review of Coolidge’s era, significant effort is expended describing the context of the times. The digressions can be useful (particularly to those who are historically-inclined) but take time away from the opportunity to understand Coolidge better. The Teapot Dome scandal, for instance, could have been dispatched in several paragraphs; instead, it occupies a dozen pages. Coolidge’s family life receives far less attention.
Sobel also feels compelled to periodically inject historical tidbits and trivia which, while usually interesting, can seem forced or out of place. And the narrative itself is frequently interrupted (or supplemented, depending on your perspective) by long quotes from Coolidge or his contemporaries. While adding supporting evidence to the discussion, they leave the reader feeling the book could have been meaningfully abbreviated without losing much punch.
Overall, Robert Sobel’s biography of Calvin Coolidge provides a solid if not vivid review of the thirtieth president’s life. Readers new to Coolidge will find it a useful, but not exhaustive, introduction which also provides a thoughtful critique of traditional caricatures and a reassessment of his career. Those more familiar with Coolidge will learn little new of him (personally or politically) but will wish Sobel had provided more insight into the fascinating contradictions embedded within his policies as well as his personality.
Overall rating: 3¾ stars
When published in 1998, Robert Sobel’s “Coolidge: An American Enigma” was the first comprehensive biography of Coolidge to appear in over thirty years. Sobel was a professor of history at Hofstra University for four decades and a prolific author, focusing heavily on American business life. He died in 1999 at the age of 68.
Early in this 419 page book Sobel makes clear that his goal is to reintroduce this enigmatic and often misunderstood man and to catalyze a reconsideration of his legacy. He promises a fresh interpretation of Coolidge without major revelations and quickly gets to the business of dissecting traditional caricatures.
Sobel’s writing style is not flashy or colorful; instead it is straightforward and unpretentious. The book often reads like a relatively interesting history book rather than an engrossing character study, a weighty academic dissertation or even a traditional biography. And although the author’s desire to elevate history’s view of Coolidge is rarely in doubt, the book is generally well-balanced.
Sobel’s focus is almost always centered on Coolidge, but at times the reader feels as though the view might be through the long lens of a powerful telescope rather than one you might enjoy as a “fly on the wall” – or which you would savor observing the world through Coolidge’s own eyes.
Ironically, while the author’s intention is not to provide a detailed survey of Coolidge’s presidency, the five chapters covering his time in the White House are excellent – they are extremely well-organized and coherent. And Sobel’s discussions of the Republican Party’s presidential nomination processes in 1920 (when Harding was nominated) and 1924 (in which incumbent Coolidge was nominated) are fascinating.
But while Sobel promises the book will not provide a comprehensive review of Coolidge’s era, significant effort is expended describing the context of the times. The digressions can be useful (particularly to those who are historically-inclined) but take time away from the opportunity to understand Coolidge better. The Teapot Dome scandal, for instance, could have been dispatched in several paragraphs; instead, it occupies a dozen pages. Coolidge’s family life receives far less attention.
Sobel also feels compelled to periodically inject historical tidbits and trivia which, while usually interesting, can seem forced or out of place. And the narrative itself is frequently interrupted (or supplemented, depending on your perspective) by long quotes from Coolidge or his contemporaries. While adding supporting evidence to the discussion, they leave the reader feeling the book could have been meaningfully abbreviated without losing much punch.
Overall, Robert Sobel’s biography of Calvin Coolidge provides a solid if not vivid review of the thirtieth president’s life. Readers new to Coolidge will find it a useful, but not exhaustive, introduction which also provides a thoughtful critique of traditional caricatures and a reassessment of his career. Those more familiar with Coolidge will learn little new of him (personally or politically) but will wish Sobel had provided more insight into the fascinating contradictions embedded within his policies as well as his personality.
Overall rating: 3¾ stars
March 24, 2025
Finally restarting my goal to read biographies of the US presidents in order, I turned to this one on Calvin Coolidge. He was the least familiar to me of the 20th century presidents. Born in Vermont, he studied at Amherst and began a law career in Massachusetts. Interested in politics, he began his political career at the bottom and worked his way up to being elected as Governor of Massachusetts and then Vice President for Warren G. Harding and President after Harding’s death in 1923.
His taciturn nature made him an unusual politician, avoiding the glad handing and back slapping of most of the politicians of the day and resulting in his nickname “Silent Cal.” Even though Harding’s presidency was clouded by scandals, Coolidge remained above the fray. His time in the presidency was known for moral rectitude. Unlike the image of him as a “do nothing”president, he was a staunch fiscal conservative, overseeing a balanced budget each year in office and supporting business during the prosperity of the “Roaring Twenties.” Even though he was a popular president, he chose not to run for office again in 1928.
Robert Sobel does a serviceable job of restoring Coolidge’s reputation as a good president and provides a very detailed description of his political life. Most fascinating to me were the ways that political bosses ran the nominating conventions at that time. In the long run, I certainly feel I came away with a solid understanding of the man.
His taciturn nature made him an unusual politician, avoiding the glad handing and back slapping of most of the politicians of the day and resulting in his nickname “Silent Cal.” Even though Harding’s presidency was clouded by scandals, Coolidge remained above the fray. His time in the presidency was known for moral rectitude. Unlike the image of him as a “do nothing”president, he was a staunch fiscal conservative, overseeing a balanced budget each year in office and supporting business during the prosperity of the “Roaring Twenties.” Even though he was a popular president, he chose not to run for office again in 1928.
Robert Sobel does a serviceable job of restoring Coolidge’s reputation as a good president and provides a very detailed description of his political life. Most fascinating to me were the ways that political bosses ran the nominating conventions at that time. In the long run, I certainly feel I came away with a solid understanding of the man.
February 4, 2012
There are very few books written on Calvin Coolidge but Robert Sobel's is one of the best. This book covers not only his presidency but the man behind the presidency which is what so many of the other books lost. Coolidge was a man who was in the right place at the right time during the end of bossism. He represented the small government values but recognized the areas where a balancing the budget and giving tax breaks to stimulate the economy. He stepped back and allowed consumerism to prosper while putting in place a government that acted responsibly following the Harding scandals. Included within this were the details of the Boston Police Strike while Coolidge was governor.
Overall I wish there had been a little more detail but it is a great account and gives you an excellent sense of this president.
Overall I wish there had been a little more detail but it is a great account and gives you an excellent sense of this president.
May 18, 2013
A very readable if not particularly deep biography of America's 30th President (1923-1928), Calvin Coolidge; a man, as someone said, who could be silent in six languages. Not a great President, but a good one, Coolidge was arguably the last chief executive of small-government and low-tax America. As such, he is admired by today's conservatives, but the truth is that it isn't really possible to return to that style of government, even if it is worth emulating. Professor Sobel's fine book will break some of the stereotypes of "Silent Cal" and confirm others.
March 31, 2012
Robert Sobel does a very good job depicting one of our least known presidents. Calvin `Silent Cal' Coolidge presided over one of the most prosperous times in our nation's history, but like many other successful presidents they get over shadowed by larger ones. Coolidge is described in this book as the `last nineteenth century president' and that is a fair title. Coolidge was admired by President Ronald Reagan and by libertarians today, although whether Coolidge would acknowledge any of them is an open question.
John Calvin Coolidge grew up in Vermont but as an adult he moved to Massachusetts to be a lawyer. He would marry Grace Goodhue and have two children together. Starting a career in local politics that would see him rising all the way to mayor; he moves up to the state senate where he is elected that body's president. He then earned the Republican nomination for Lt. Governor of Massachusetts where he would serve for three one-year terms under Samuel McCall.
In 1918, he ran for governor as a candidate against prohibition and for women's suffrage. He won the election and took office as Governor. His most famous action was when the Boston's police when on strike, Governor Coolidge declared it illegal and fired the strikers. This would inspire President Reagan during the air traffic controllers' strike.
"Now Coolidge took center stage. Meeting with reporters, he called the strike `desertion of duty' and he indicated complete support for Curtis, whose next step was to declare that the now vacant positions on the force would be filled by new recruits. The Central Labor Union petitioned Coolidge to reconsider and reinstate the strikers, talking vaguely of the possibility of a general strike. Important Boston businessmen who may have feared violence from the dismissed strikers supported this position. When they observed that the strike might cost him his office, Coolidge snapped back, `It is not necessary for me to hold another office.' But Coolidge having carefully considered his actions, knew that his position was quite popular, and bound to win rather than lose votes." p.142
In 1920, the Republicans nominated Governor Coolidge for vice president. He and Warren G. Harding prevailed over the team of Cox and Roosevelt. Coolidge became the first Vice President to attend Cabinet meetings but still had very little to do. Which turned out not to be a bad thing, for when President Harding's administration was rocked by scandal the Vice President remained untouched. Coolidge was visiting his father when the news came of Harding's death, his father, a public notary, swore his son in as president.
As, president Calvin Coolidge would almost get rid of the entire income tax--except to the richest one percent--, increased the estate tax, and establish the gift tax. His presidency was one of the most prosperous on record, and he was elected president in his own right in 1924, defeating John Davis. He was, unfortunately, the first president since Lincoln to lose a child in the White House. Calvin Jr., died of blood-poising due to an infected blister. Coolidge would unsuccessfully try to get an anti-lynching bill passed.
After the presidency he spent four years in retirement watching the country sink into the Great Depression under his successor Herbert Hoover. He would die shortly after the 1932 presidential election of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Sobel presents are very human Calvin Coolidge an unconventional politician who had unconventional success. Sobel presents not only Calvin Coolidge but his world, where Babe Ruth his sixty runs and Charles Lindbergh flew across the Atlantic solo.
John Calvin Coolidge grew up in Vermont but as an adult he moved to Massachusetts to be a lawyer. He would marry Grace Goodhue and have two children together. Starting a career in local politics that would see him rising all the way to mayor; he moves up to the state senate where he is elected that body's president. He then earned the Republican nomination for Lt. Governor of Massachusetts where he would serve for three one-year terms under Samuel McCall.
In 1918, he ran for governor as a candidate against prohibition and for women's suffrage. He won the election and took office as Governor. His most famous action was when the Boston's police when on strike, Governor Coolidge declared it illegal and fired the strikers. This would inspire President Reagan during the air traffic controllers' strike.
"Now Coolidge took center stage. Meeting with reporters, he called the strike `desertion of duty' and he indicated complete support for Curtis, whose next step was to declare that the now vacant positions on the force would be filled by new recruits. The Central Labor Union petitioned Coolidge to reconsider and reinstate the strikers, talking vaguely of the possibility of a general strike. Important Boston businessmen who may have feared violence from the dismissed strikers supported this position. When they observed that the strike might cost him his office, Coolidge snapped back, `It is not necessary for me to hold another office.' But Coolidge having carefully considered his actions, knew that his position was quite popular, and bound to win rather than lose votes." p.142
In 1920, the Republicans nominated Governor Coolidge for vice president. He and Warren G. Harding prevailed over the team of Cox and Roosevelt. Coolidge became the first Vice President to attend Cabinet meetings but still had very little to do. Which turned out not to be a bad thing, for when President Harding's administration was rocked by scandal the Vice President remained untouched. Coolidge was visiting his father when the news came of Harding's death, his father, a public notary, swore his son in as president.
As, president Calvin Coolidge would almost get rid of the entire income tax--except to the richest one percent--, increased the estate tax, and establish the gift tax. His presidency was one of the most prosperous on record, and he was elected president in his own right in 1924, defeating John Davis. He was, unfortunately, the first president since Lincoln to lose a child in the White House. Calvin Jr., died of blood-poising due to an infected blister. Coolidge would unsuccessfully try to get an anti-lynching bill passed.
After the presidency he spent four years in retirement watching the country sink into the Great Depression under his successor Herbert Hoover. He would die shortly after the 1932 presidential election of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Sobel presents are very human Calvin Coolidge an unconventional politician who had unconventional success. Sobel presents not only Calvin Coolidge but his world, where Babe Ruth his sixty runs and Charles Lindbergh flew across the Atlantic solo.
July 31, 2025
This was a really interesting book. I didn't know much about Coolidge. He was president between Harding and Hoover, and he was described as a man of integrity. Coolidge opposed government expansion, supported business, and empowered skilled people in his administration to do their best rather than trying to micromanage them. He is famous for being so taciturn, an admirable quality: "It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt."
September 30, 2011
If you read only one Coolidge biography in your life (and you probably would read only one), this is the one to go for (although, it's not like Jefferson or Lincoln, where you've got hundreds to choose from). While this isn't as partisan a book as it could be, Sobel is definitely a conservative critic, seeking to rescue Coolidge from the Bin of Forgotten Presidents. He is, however, willing to criticize Coolidge at times, especially on the issue of race relations.
If you've ever wondered how the Republican Part went from the big-government, let's-have-a-minimum-wage-and-an-income-tax, social justice, Teddy Roosevelt years to its current incarnation as a small-to-no government, no taxes party, Coolidge is an important stepping stone.
If you've ever wondered how the Republican Part went from the big-government, let's-have-a-minimum-wage-and-an-income-tax, social justice, Teddy Roosevelt years to its current incarnation as a small-to-no government, no taxes party, Coolidge is an important stepping stone.
April 30, 2013
If you are interested in reading about modern presidents you should add this to your list. Enigma is a great way to describe this man. His ascendency to the presidency was as a result of Hardings untimely and unexpected death. Coolidge, being an honorable man, carried out Hardings agenda in the remainder of the term. Elected for a second term he established his own. His presidency was one of prosperity and government surpluses. Whether his presidency was responsible for the market crash of 1929 and the Depression is arguable. It is interesting reading at this time of huge government debt and extremely high market valuation and a belief we are living beyond our means. Could we learn something from Coolidge's years?
July 25, 2011
Now, this is my kind of biography. Coolidge is interesting to me because he understood the roles of each of the offices he held, and never sought to do anything beyond the charters of those offices. Plus, for a man known as "Silent Cal", he was very quotable. The biography is great because Sobel focuses much more on accounting for the events of Coolidge's life than on flailing about trying to discover the psychology of the subject. Too many biographers try way too hard to look smart rather than to describe a subject's life, and end up failing at each. Sobel avoids that trap, and leaves Coolidge interpretation to the reader.
July 26, 2016
The best biography of Coolidge of the three that I've read. I would love to see a the policies/philosophy of Coolidge contrasted with the current administration. It would present such a STARK contrast. I would totally read that. In fact, maybe I'll write that...
November 18, 2012
President Reagan's favorite President. Government should not interfere with the business of business. My how things have changed. An excellent read.
September 21, 2024
John Calvin Coolidge, ‘Silent Cal ‘, was a Massachusetts politician who never lost an election & became President upon the sudden death of Warren Harding in 1923. A Cum Laude graduate of Amherst he made a classic climb up the political ladder: 1898-elected city councilman, 1890-appointed city solicitor, 1906-selected to the Massachusetts house of representatives, 1909-elected mayor, 1911-elected Massachusetts state senator,1914-chosen president of the Senate, 1915-elected, lieutenant governor, 1918, elected governor, 1920, elected US vice president, and finally in 1924, elected president.
He was not known as a ‘mixer’ but was rather shy and a bit of a loner. One poignant comment from a US Senator noted he usually had lunch alone in the Senate facing the window. Coolidge was unable to create positive relationships with Congress and this limited his legislative accomplishments when President.
Weaknesses in this bio IMO are: (1) there is literally almost nothing about Cal’s family/ relationships. “ He married Grace Goodhue and had 2 sons”- That’s it. (2) the footnotes are simply a bibliography w/ no insights, always a bad sign for me. (3) While there are many great quotes from Coolidge, I think the author relies too much on Cal’s autobiography which stops when he becomes President, the most critical time for a Presidential bio. Autobiographies are notorious for lapses of memory but perhaps his is better than most since he wrote it immediately after leaving office.
Strengths:(1) quality writing (2) great coverage of Boston police strike (3) wonderful description of behind the scenes maneuvering at political conventions ( ie., in 1924 the Democrats took 103 ballots to select a candidate !) (4) one of better bios in explaining the subject’s political philosophy. Cal was what today we would call the prototypical conservative Republican - limited role of government in people’s lives, tax cuts to stimulate the economy, reduced national debt and balanced budgets ( While Coolidge was President, the government ran SURPLUSES and reduced debt). He was Ronald Reagan before there was a Ronald Reagan.
A few of his better quotes:
1924-“ my administration does not intend to surrender to every emotional movement seeking remedies for economic conditions by legislation.”
“ I want the people of America to work less for the government and more for themselves. I want them to have the rewards of their own industry. That is the chief meaning of freedom.”
“ we cannot put everything up to the government without overburdening it.”
“ The chief business of American people is business. Our ideals create the prosperity.”
Upon deciding not to run for reelection in 1928, he said “ it is difficult for men in high office to avoid the malady of self delusion. They are always surrounded by worshipers. They are constantly assured of their greatness. They live in an artificial atmosphere of adulation and exultation, which sooner or later impairs their judgment.”
He was not known as a ‘mixer’ but was rather shy and a bit of a loner. One poignant comment from a US Senator noted he usually had lunch alone in the Senate facing the window. Coolidge was unable to create positive relationships with Congress and this limited his legislative accomplishments when President.
Weaknesses in this bio IMO are: (1) there is literally almost nothing about Cal’s family/ relationships. “ He married Grace Goodhue and had 2 sons”- That’s it. (2) the footnotes are simply a bibliography w/ no insights, always a bad sign for me. (3) While there are many great quotes from Coolidge, I think the author relies too much on Cal’s autobiography which stops when he becomes President, the most critical time for a Presidential bio. Autobiographies are notorious for lapses of memory but perhaps his is better than most since he wrote it immediately after leaving office.
Strengths:(1) quality writing (2) great coverage of Boston police strike (3) wonderful description of behind the scenes maneuvering at political conventions ( ie., in 1924 the Democrats took 103 ballots to select a candidate !) (4) one of better bios in explaining the subject’s political philosophy. Cal was what today we would call the prototypical conservative Republican - limited role of government in people’s lives, tax cuts to stimulate the economy, reduced national debt and balanced budgets ( While Coolidge was President, the government ran SURPLUSES and reduced debt). He was Ronald Reagan before there was a Ronald Reagan.
A few of his better quotes:
1924-“ my administration does not intend to surrender to every emotional movement seeking remedies for economic conditions by legislation.”
“ I want the people of America to work less for the government and more for themselves. I want them to have the rewards of their own industry. That is the chief meaning of freedom.”
“ we cannot put everything up to the government without overburdening it.”
“ The chief business of American people is business. Our ideals create the prosperity.”
Upon deciding not to run for reelection in 1928, he said “ it is difficult for men in high office to avoid the malady of self delusion. They are always surrounded by worshipers. They are constantly assured of their greatness. They live in an artificial atmosphere of adulation and exultation, which sooner or later impairs their judgment.”
March 6, 2025
I went in to this book not knowing a whole lot about Calvin Coolidge, other than the fact that Ronald Reagan really liked him, and conservative politicians invoke his name a lot. I was pleasently surprised by this biography. The biography makes no attempt to deify Coolidge, but neither does the author spend his time trying to destroy or critique Coolidge's political moves, personal life, policy, or presidency. The life of Coolidge, one of the most underrated presidents ever, should be read by everyone. An accidental vicepresident, he became an accidental president, and was then reelected in his own right in a landslide. How did he do it? He balanced the budget, promoted domestic tranquility, stopped strikes, inflation and unemployment, stood up to corrupt political party bosses... This is an intriguing read. There's no doubt that Coolidge was a great president. The book is well-written, and unlike other biographies I've read, is not too wordy (until Sobel starts describing economics)...
I would absolutely recomend this book to any lover of American history.
FIVE STARS!
I would absolutely recomend this book to any lover of American history.
FIVE STARS!
March 7, 2024
I wish the author had taken Calvin's Moniker to heart and remained silent on the subject. This was one tough book to get through. Hardly a scholarly approach, the book is rife with flimsy, hand picked arguments in support of Silent Cal's legacy. Any good biography includes colorful stories to illustrate a man (or woman's) character, but this author omitted the kind of anecdotes that help shape an influential picture of the man. This author is as bland as the President he admired. From what I could glean about Cal, he may have been the Will Rogers of all Presidents, his witty, stone faced quips often brilliant. He seemed like a good President, one whose example I wish current Presidents would emulate. On to Hoover! Hope the next biography isn't quite the vacuum this one was. ;)
May 12, 2024
This book took me forever to read, but not for lack of enjoyment. I think it was insightful and explained a lot of the negative views we hold of Cal, and while he probably stil isn't cracking my top 10 all time presidents, I feel like I better understand the man. The book is aptly named and filled my gap in knowledge of the Coolidge administration.
June 4, 2021
The chief business of the American people is business.
Quite possibly the most overused, and abused, quote of any President by people who have no idea what the full context of the quote is actually about. It wasn't a "pro-business" statement from the President who oversaw an incredible boom in business (some say unmatched by any other President), but it was actually a slap at the free press abusing and sensationalizing stories for the sake of selling newspapers. Later in the same speech is the quote Coolidge had hoped would catch on: The chief ideal of the American people is idealism. He later adds: No newspaper can be a success that fails to appeal to that element of our national life.
"Cool" Cal Coolidge, noted sometimes as the "Do Nothing" President, often quiet, reserved, and rarely speaking, has quickly become one of my favorites if for nothing else other than his purpose in everything he did. With WWI behind the US, and a time of peace at hand, Coolidge did what most people today believe they would do if they were President. He balanced the budget, cut back on spending (and, controversially today, but not back then, that actually included the military budget by quite a lot - people were anti-war, tired of war, and with WWI just ended, believed there wouldn't be another for quite some time). Once the budgets were balanced, and spending was reigned in, surpluses soon were found nearly everywhere. With those, Coolidge pushed for increased wages, for tax cuts, and within two years (the last year of Harding's term, the first of Coolidge's) the roaring 20's really started to roar!
People had money, inventions and titans of industry were blooming, the stock market was rising - and all because Calvin did the common sense thing most people wish government would do today: he made a conscious effort to stay out of the way and do nothing. His philosophy was that the Executive Branch was simply to sign off on the legislation Congress passed if it was good, and veto it if it was bad. But Calvin himself did not have his own agenda, platform, or even push any ideas other than to cut spending and balance the budgets, which most of America agreed with. Naturally, the Senate and Congress hated it.
Surprisingly, Calvin took death quite seriously, and sadly, his Presidency is marred with personal loss. Obviously, with Warren G. Harding passing away 3 years into his term, Calvin's Presidency was owed to that death. It actually saddened Calvin, and ironically, gave him a unique spot in the world of Presidents. At 2:47 am, needing a notary to swear him in, Calvin was sworn into office by his own father. In their house. Because his father was a notary. No other President, before or since, has done that.
But, more sadly, Calvin lost his youngest son in his second year in office. Shortly after that, he lost his father, one of his closest confidants in his life. Those losses are quite possibly the biggest reason Calvin did not run for a second term. His inward joy and appreciation for the role of public servant were gone. He was a quiet man to begin with, often not speaking at all while in meetings or when people visited him, and so his depression was missed by nearly everyone. He was quiet before, so they couldn't tell the difference.
When he did speak, he often had dry humor and quiet zingers that were often missed by his audience. Once, a lobbyist had come to visit him. The aide that was announcing him said that Calvin knew the lobbyist quite well, they had played poker together many times. "Is that why he needs the money?" Calvin asked, jokingly...but because of his quiet nature, the aide wasn't sure if Calvin was serious or not, and didn't know how to answer.
For many historians, playing "Monday Morning Quarterback" they'll say Calvin made mistakes that lead to the Great Depression. However, after reading this book, it's easy to see that Calvin actually may have prevented a large portion of the losses suffered had he run for re-election. Spending had gotten out of control, there were little to no regulations, and ironically, when a few (a very few) "economic experts" tried to warn Calvin about the bull markets turning bear - the slightest downturn being their "proof", the markets often bolted right back up again. Also, Calvin asked what he had the power to do, and based on the laws of that time, the answer was - nothing. It would've been seen as an incredible overreaching of federal power to interfere in businesses at the time.
Many economists can probably dive into the reasons and pitfalls and everything else about the Great Depression, but placing oneself in that time, without a crystal ball, it is really difficult to blame Calvin for "doing nothing" when a) he deliberately set out to stay out of the way and people (and businesses) loved him for it and b) even if he wanted to, he'd have to enforce legislation in order to be allowed to do anything, which was not the Republican style at the time.
Sadly, missing from this book is the taste of culture of the roaring 20's. It's ironic that the quiet, soft-spoken man lead the country through its most jubilant, roaring, hard partying times. Speak-easies (oh yeah, most of the people that voted for Prohibition were drinkers, but appearances had to be kept up), Al Capone, Pancho Villa, the automobile, "talkie" movies all were exploding, but they're rarely (if at all) mentioned in this book. Another notch in Coolidge's belt - as much as FDR is known for using the radio for his fireside chats, Coolidge was actually the first President to use the radio. His voice was the 4th most recognized in the country (musical singers took the top 3 spots - Will Rogers was 7th). In fact, for the one election Coolidge won, he didn't tour on campaign - he gave speeches over the radio.
Calvin was the last President to never fly in a plane. He thought the automobile was a bit of a fad and rarely used one. He only left the country once, and he rarely crossed the Appalachian mountains to see the rest of the country he presided over. And that was all fine with him, and the American people. There was no way of knowing what was coming down the pipe for America, so any mistakes, missteps, or blunders he may have made simply had no evidence of wrongdoing at the time. Including the stock market crash 6 months after he left office. Even one of the "financial experts" who patted his back for "predicting" the crash would happen in September of '29 (it happened in October) was the very same "expert" touting that 1929 would be the most prosperous year ever to Coolidge in 1928 before he left office.
His passing was sudden. He had gone for a walk, went upstairs, took off his jacket to shave, and collapsed to the ground and died. His wife had noted that he often grew tired. He had said himself that he felt the weight of bearing the responsibility of leading the country had taken its toll, but he was only 61, and to all those around him, was in apparent good health. So, just like his personality, it was quiet and it was quick, and on his tombstone, only his name, the dates, and the Presidential Seal. Very fitting for "Cool" Cal Coolidge.
I'd vote for him today if he came back, but as he noted upon leaving the White House, the world he knew has changed and is past. It was a new era, and he would not have known where to begin or what to do with it. If I had to put my finger on when America switched from the "old" time of our forefathers to the "modern" era - it would be here, with Coolidge as the last of the "old" world, and Hoover as the start of the "modern" one. Others may disagree, but the age of invention, the age of necessity, the age of America as a World Power was just dawning, even if we tried to remain isolationists as long as possible.
Quite possibly the most overused, and abused, quote of any President by people who have no idea what the full context of the quote is actually about. It wasn't a "pro-business" statement from the President who oversaw an incredible boom in business (some say unmatched by any other President), but it was actually a slap at the free press abusing and sensationalizing stories for the sake of selling newspapers. Later in the same speech is the quote Coolidge had hoped would catch on: The chief ideal of the American people is idealism. He later adds: No newspaper can be a success that fails to appeal to that element of our national life.
"Cool" Cal Coolidge, noted sometimes as the "Do Nothing" President, often quiet, reserved, and rarely speaking, has quickly become one of my favorites if for nothing else other than his purpose in everything he did. With WWI behind the US, and a time of peace at hand, Coolidge did what most people today believe they would do if they were President. He balanced the budget, cut back on spending (and, controversially today, but not back then, that actually included the military budget by quite a lot - people were anti-war, tired of war, and with WWI just ended, believed there wouldn't be another for quite some time). Once the budgets were balanced, and spending was reigned in, surpluses soon were found nearly everywhere. With those, Coolidge pushed for increased wages, for tax cuts, and within two years (the last year of Harding's term, the first of Coolidge's) the roaring 20's really started to roar!
People had money, inventions and titans of industry were blooming, the stock market was rising - and all because Calvin did the common sense thing most people wish government would do today: he made a conscious effort to stay out of the way and do nothing. His philosophy was that the Executive Branch was simply to sign off on the legislation Congress passed if it was good, and veto it if it was bad. But Calvin himself did not have his own agenda, platform, or even push any ideas other than to cut spending and balance the budgets, which most of America agreed with. Naturally, the Senate and Congress hated it.
Surprisingly, Calvin took death quite seriously, and sadly, his Presidency is marred with personal loss. Obviously, with Warren G. Harding passing away 3 years into his term, Calvin's Presidency was owed to that death. It actually saddened Calvin, and ironically, gave him a unique spot in the world of Presidents. At 2:47 am, needing a notary to swear him in, Calvin was sworn into office by his own father. In their house. Because his father was a notary. No other President, before or since, has done that.
But, more sadly, Calvin lost his youngest son in his second year in office. Shortly after that, he lost his father, one of his closest confidants in his life. Those losses are quite possibly the biggest reason Calvin did not run for a second term. His inward joy and appreciation for the role of public servant were gone. He was a quiet man to begin with, often not speaking at all while in meetings or when people visited him, and so his depression was missed by nearly everyone. He was quiet before, so they couldn't tell the difference.
When he did speak, he often had dry humor and quiet zingers that were often missed by his audience. Once, a lobbyist had come to visit him. The aide that was announcing him said that Calvin knew the lobbyist quite well, they had played poker together many times. "Is that why he needs the money?" Calvin asked, jokingly...but because of his quiet nature, the aide wasn't sure if Calvin was serious or not, and didn't know how to answer.
For many historians, playing "Monday Morning Quarterback" they'll say Calvin made mistakes that lead to the Great Depression. However, after reading this book, it's easy to see that Calvin actually may have prevented a large portion of the losses suffered had he run for re-election. Spending had gotten out of control, there were little to no regulations, and ironically, when a few (a very few) "economic experts" tried to warn Calvin about the bull markets turning bear - the slightest downturn being their "proof", the markets often bolted right back up again. Also, Calvin asked what he had the power to do, and based on the laws of that time, the answer was - nothing. It would've been seen as an incredible overreaching of federal power to interfere in businesses at the time.
Many economists can probably dive into the reasons and pitfalls and everything else about the Great Depression, but placing oneself in that time, without a crystal ball, it is really difficult to blame Calvin for "doing nothing" when a) he deliberately set out to stay out of the way and people (and businesses) loved him for it and b) even if he wanted to, he'd have to enforce legislation in order to be allowed to do anything, which was not the Republican style at the time.
Sadly, missing from this book is the taste of culture of the roaring 20's. It's ironic that the quiet, soft-spoken man lead the country through its most jubilant, roaring, hard partying times. Speak-easies (oh yeah, most of the people that voted for Prohibition were drinkers, but appearances had to be kept up), Al Capone, Pancho Villa, the automobile, "talkie" movies all were exploding, but they're rarely (if at all) mentioned in this book. Another notch in Coolidge's belt - as much as FDR is known for using the radio for his fireside chats, Coolidge was actually the first President to use the radio. His voice was the 4th most recognized in the country (musical singers took the top 3 spots - Will Rogers was 7th). In fact, for the one election Coolidge won, he didn't tour on campaign - he gave speeches over the radio.
Calvin was the last President to never fly in a plane. He thought the automobile was a bit of a fad and rarely used one. He only left the country once, and he rarely crossed the Appalachian mountains to see the rest of the country he presided over. And that was all fine with him, and the American people. There was no way of knowing what was coming down the pipe for America, so any mistakes, missteps, or blunders he may have made simply had no evidence of wrongdoing at the time. Including the stock market crash 6 months after he left office. Even one of the "financial experts" who patted his back for "predicting" the crash would happen in September of '29 (it happened in October) was the very same "expert" touting that 1929 would be the most prosperous year ever to Coolidge in 1928 before he left office.
His passing was sudden. He had gone for a walk, went upstairs, took off his jacket to shave, and collapsed to the ground and died. His wife had noted that he often grew tired. He had said himself that he felt the weight of bearing the responsibility of leading the country had taken its toll, but he was only 61, and to all those around him, was in apparent good health. So, just like his personality, it was quiet and it was quick, and on his tombstone, only his name, the dates, and the Presidential Seal. Very fitting for "Cool" Cal Coolidge.
I'd vote for him today if he came back, but as he noted upon leaving the White House, the world he knew has changed and is past. It was a new era, and he would not have known where to begin or what to do with it. If I had to put my finger on when America switched from the "old" time of our forefathers to the "modern" era - it would be here, with Coolidge as the last of the "old" world, and Hoover as the start of the "modern" one. Others may disagree, but the age of invention, the age of necessity, the age of America as a World Power was just dawning, even if we tried to remain isolationists as long as possible.
July 27, 2016
Spoiler alert: Luckiest President to serve simultaneously during peace time and a period of economic prosperity, enabling him to do nothing for little over 6 years.
Sobel attempts to vindicate and raise the profile of Calvin Coolidge beyond public perception and previous authors appraisals. Reminding us that he was one of Ronald Reagan's favorite Presidents. He takes pages to 'correct' the perception left by Arthur Schleinger Jr. in his book on Roosevelt, and an equal amount of pages justifying nobody could have predicted the market crash of 1929, comparing it with the Black Monday of 1987.
For the subject matter involved it is not a bad book, but it is definitely partisan in its portrayal. Any book that Robert Novak would suggest (as is his quote on the back of the book), has to be written so that a Republican is depicted in a good light.
Sobel attempts to vindicate and raise the profile of Calvin Coolidge beyond public perception and previous authors appraisals. Reminding us that he was one of Ronald Reagan's favorite Presidents. He takes pages to 'correct' the perception left by Arthur Schleinger Jr. in his book on Roosevelt, and an equal amount of pages justifying nobody could have predicted the market crash of 1929, comparing it with the Black Monday of 1987.
For the subject matter involved it is not a bad book, but it is definitely partisan in its portrayal. Any book that Robert Novak would suggest (as is his quote on the back of the book), has to be written so that a Republican is depicted in a good light.
December 16, 2011
Although at times slow and difficult for me to follow (I couldn't keep all of the party bosses straight) this story is an enjoyable look at Silent Cal. Written by a historian of the 20's (he continuously takes detours from Cal's like to tell bigger stories), the diversity is astounding. At times a very intimate book, at other times a broad philosophical look at the times, Robert Sobel brings life to a dead President. If anything, this makes me want to learn much more about the President who minded his own business.
September 12, 2012
An engaging biography that presents Coolidge as a kind of do-nothing Lincoln, which is not entirely a put-down: preternaturally honest, ahead of his time on race and gender, genuinely sympathetic toward the downtrodden and unsympathetic—and/but determined to do no more or less than what he believed he was elected to do, which in his extraordinarily strict separation-of-power model was not very much.
Read
August 6, 2011Good biography on "Silent Cal", and his story of implementing conservative ideals: preventing strikes by public workers, across the board tax cuts, lowering gov't spending, overseeing the roaring 20s, and that the "chief meaning of freedom is for people of America to work less for the gov't and more for themselves"
January 31, 2011
Coolidge has been dismissed by historians (until Reagan put him in vogue). I found him to be a far more interesting and accessible person than the image as the result of reading this book. The loss of his son to illness during his presidency was a memorable passage.
March 10, 2020
I’ve now read two biographies about the 30th President in addition to Calvin Coolidge’s short autobiography and I still feel as if he is a two-dimensional mystery man. I suppose that is a vote of confidence for the title Robert Sobel gave to his book on “silent Cal.” He called his work, “Coolidge: An American Enigma.”
Sobel’s biography of Coolidge is uneven. There are entire chapters that are engaging and insightful. Unfortunately, there are other sections that simply should have been edited out. About midway, he descends into a four page rant about Arthur Schlesinger. The point of this digression is a valid one; Sobel believes that Schlesinger (and other historians) have dismissed Coolidge as a lightweight simpleton. However, rather than stating that opinion and backing it up with examples of why he believes Schlesinger is mistaken, the author heads off into a personal attack capped off with the words, “This is wholly consistent with Schlesinger’s cynical interpretation of history.” The way Sobel handles this says a lot more about the author’s political leaning than it does about Coolidge.
As he enters the final chapters of Coolidge’s life, the author takes another detour as he discusses whether Coolidge should have seen the Depression coming and, if he could have done anything to prevent or moderated its depth. Again, a vital and valid topic. However, Sobel chooses to head into a lengthy discussion of the U.S. economy in 1997-1998. It should be noted that the book was published in 1998. As far as I can tell, the point of this particular divergence is to make sure that Bill Clinton, Alan Greenspan, and Clintonomics don’t get undue credit for a healthy economy. Again, too little to do with the subject of the biography. Part of all of this is explained by the fact that Sobel was a “business historian.” I don’t doubt that he knew his stuff and makes some valid points, but he wanders too far off topic to the detriment of the flow of the narrative.
All of that said, this book has its strong points. The mystery that was Calvin Coolidge wasn’t created by liberal biographers years after Coolidge’s death. Many contemporaries close to the President were as puzzled by the man as were the historians who have since tried to unravel the enigma. What occurs to many is that Coolidge was a really odd fit as a President during the” Roaring Twenties;” a time we associate with speakeasies, flappers, Jazz, Lindbergh, and fancy automobiles. In fact, I think that this is the easiest part to figure out. Most Americans were looking for a reassuring stillpoint at a time of great social change. Coolidge’s sparse and conservative approach was reassuring in a time of turmoil. The part that I find hard to fathom is what a man who guarded his inner thoughts vigorously was really like. We get humanizing glimpses of humanity and sensitivity at times of loss. It’s clear that the death of family members, especially his son Calvin Jr., had a tremendous impact on him.
It’s well known that Coolidge was one of Ronald Reagan’s personal heroes. Silent Cal’s embrace of small government and his vision that he governs best who governs least attitude helps explain a much later President. The parallels between Coolidge’s handling of the Boston police strike and Reagan’s actions with the Air Traffic Controllers action are significant.
Sobel rightly asserts that Coolidge can’t be neatly summed up with the phrase most closely associated with the 30th President. “The chief business of the American people is business” often gets misquoted as “the business of America is business,” and misses the fact that Coolidge truly did have a soft spot in his heart for the poor and those facing challenges not of their own making.
The problem with Coolidge was not that he was a heartless tool of big business. The idea that because he did little to tip the scales either in favor of business interests or the needy meant that things were simply left to pursue their own course is misleading. Sobel and some conservatives see Cal’s inactivity as a good thing and point out that Coolidge’s actively worked at being inactive! The fallacy of this line of thinking surprisingly emerges from Sobel’s book. While the President did little, he had at least two highly active Cabinet members. Both the Secretary of the Treasury, Andrew Mellon, and the Secretary of Commerce, Herbert Hoover were capable men of action. Plenty happened during the Coolidge administration; it’s just that Coolidge didn’t do it himself. His management style was to sit back and let it happen.
Sobel’s biography of Coolidge is uneven. There are entire chapters that are engaging and insightful. Unfortunately, there are other sections that simply should have been edited out. About midway, he descends into a four page rant about Arthur Schlesinger. The point of this digression is a valid one; Sobel believes that Schlesinger (and other historians) have dismissed Coolidge as a lightweight simpleton. However, rather than stating that opinion and backing it up with examples of why he believes Schlesinger is mistaken, the author heads off into a personal attack capped off with the words, “This is wholly consistent with Schlesinger’s cynical interpretation of history.” The way Sobel handles this says a lot more about the author’s political leaning than it does about Coolidge.
As he enters the final chapters of Coolidge’s life, the author takes another detour as he discusses whether Coolidge should have seen the Depression coming and, if he could have done anything to prevent or moderated its depth. Again, a vital and valid topic. However, Sobel chooses to head into a lengthy discussion of the U.S. economy in 1997-1998. It should be noted that the book was published in 1998. As far as I can tell, the point of this particular divergence is to make sure that Bill Clinton, Alan Greenspan, and Clintonomics don’t get undue credit for a healthy economy. Again, too little to do with the subject of the biography. Part of all of this is explained by the fact that Sobel was a “business historian.” I don’t doubt that he knew his stuff and makes some valid points, but he wanders too far off topic to the detriment of the flow of the narrative.
All of that said, this book has its strong points. The mystery that was Calvin Coolidge wasn’t created by liberal biographers years after Coolidge’s death. Many contemporaries close to the President were as puzzled by the man as were the historians who have since tried to unravel the enigma. What occurs to many is that Coolidge was a really odd fit as a President during the” Roaring Twenties;” a time we associate with speakeasies, flappers, Jazz, Lindbergh, and fancy automobiles. In fact, I think that this is the easiest part to figure out. Most Americans were looking for a reassuring stillpoint at a time of great social change. Coolidge’s sparse and conservative approach was reassuring in a time of turmoil. The part that I find hard to fathom is what a man who guarded his inner thoughts vigorously was really like. We get humanizing glimpses of humanity and sensitivity at times of loss. It’s clear that the death of family members, especially his son Calvin Jr., had a tremendous impact on him.
It’s well known that Coolidge was one of Ronald Reagan’s personal heroes. Silent Cal’s embrace of small government and his vision that he governs best who governs least attitude helps explain a much later President. The parallels between Coolidge’s handling of the Boston police strike and Reagan’s actions with the Air Traffic Controllers action are significant.
Sobel rightly asserts that Coolidge can’t be neatly summed up with the phrase most closely associated with the 30th President. “The chief business of the American people is business” often gets misquoted as “the business of America is business,” and misses the fact that Coolidge truly did have a soft spot in his heart for the poor and those facing challenges not of their own making.
The problem with Coolidge was not that he was a heartless tool of big business. The idea that because he did little to tip the scales either in favor of business interests or the needy meant that things were simply left to pursue their own course is misleading. Sobel and some conservatives see Cal’s inactivity as a good thing and point out that Coolidge’s actively worked at being inactive! The fallacy of this line of thinking surprisingly emerges from Sobel’s book. While the President did little, he had at least two highly active Cabinet members. Both the Secretary of the Treasury, Andrew Mellon, and the Secretary of Commerce, Herbert Hoover were capable men of action. Plenty happened during the Coolidge administration; it’s just that Coolidge didn’t do it himself. His management style was to sit back and let it happen.
August 21, 2021
“We do not need more material development, we need more spiritual development. We do not need more intellectual power, we need more moral power. We do not need more knowledge, we need more character. We do not need more government, we need more culture. We do not need more law, we need more religion. We do not need more of the things that are seen, we need more of the things that are unseen… The success or failure of liberal education, the justification of its protection and encouragement by the government, and of its support by society, will be measured by its ability to minister to this great cause, to perform the necessary sacrifices, to make the required redeeming sacrifices.” - Coolidge addressing Wheaton College
This biography of Calvin Coolidge does a good job and covers most of the bases. Sobel correctly identifies that Coolidge is remembered by both of the political aisle in a somewhat incorrect light. By the left he is remembered for his pro-business attitude than can be summed up in the often quoted with out context quote of “the business of America is business.” And by the right he is remembered as a small government guy. And while he may have been smaller government than his predecessors he took a more balanced approach.
Coolidge was a principled man, but it’s the John Roberts sort of principled. Where he rests upon honor and fidelity towards institutions instead of honor and fidelity towards what is right. I found myself being constantly annoyed with Coolidge’s refusal to call out bad behavior in his superiors. Undoubtedly this was partly for political reasons. After all you can’t badmouth your boss or party and expect a promotion, but he would continually just be a Sphinx into the presidency which was frustrating, as it was frustrating for many of his fellow Republicans. It also is somewhat of a bad look historically because he, like his predecessor, believed in racial equality but refused to speak about it in any significant manner. That was basically Coolidge on every issue.
When it comes to his relationship with business Sobel did a good job of pointing out that Coolidge believed that the government should be there for business when it needed it and that business should be there for the government when the government needed help. This was a friendlier tone towards business that cuts against the previous four administrations, but not the laissez-faire fever dream that Republican memories will conjure up. It reminded me a lot of the Japanese government’s relationship both past and present with the zaibatsu there. There’s understanding that without business, government cannot thrive and vice-versa. Coolidge did a good job balancing these two forces and it led to the roaring twenties. Sobel identified, and I agree with him, that there is no way that Coolidge could have predicted the Great Depression so it is foolish to put the blame on him.
While this book was good what kept it from ascending to the next level was partly two thing. It’s is pretty dryly written and lacks the language and narrative that better biographies have. Though it isn’t obtuse, Sobel actually did a better job describing the teapot some scandal in this than the biography I read on Harding which should have been much better. This biography was missing significant time spent on the private areas. For instance, Sobel makes many remarks about how Coolidge carried his Bible with him everywhere. His frequent attendance at church, and his reference to faith in his speeches but never talks about it. Even his name should cause this interest to be piqued. It’s possible that Sobel was out of his depth in this area, but it was pretty clearly a significant part of Coolidge’s life and most likely affected his decision making but we hear nothing. Though I did like hearing about his early marriage to Grace and how mean and snobbish he was toward her just because she didn’t like reading.
Overall good stuff, not a super interesting guy, but interesting enough to read a biography on and this is a good single volume one.
This biography of Calvin Coolidge does a good job and covers most of the bases. Sobel correctly identifies that Coolidge is remembered by both of the political aisle in a somewhat incorrect light. By the left he is remembered for his pro-business attitude than can be summed up in the often quoted with out context quote of “the business of America is business.” And by the right he is remembered as a small government guy. And while he may have been smaller government than his predecessors he took a more balanced approach.
Coolidge was a principled man, but it’s the John Roberts sort of principled. Where he rests upon honor and fidelity towards institutions instead of honor and fidelity towards what is right. I found myself being constantly annoyed with Coolidge’s refusal to call out bad behavior in his superiors. Undoubtedly this was partly for political reasons. After all you can’t badmouth your boss or party and expect a promotion, but he would continually just be a Sphinx into the presidency which was frustrating, as it was frustrating for many of his fellow Republicans. It also is somewhat of a bad look historically because he, like his predecessor, believed in racial equality but refused to speak about it in any significant manner. That was basically Coolidge on every issue.
When it comes to his relationship with business Sobel did a good job of pointing out that Coolidge believed that the government should be there for business when it needed it and that business should be there for the government when the government needed help. This was a friendlier tone towards business that cuts against the previous four administrations, but not the laissez-faire fever dream that Republican memories will conjure up. It reminded me a lot of the Japanese government’s relationship both past and present with the zaibatsu there. There’s understanding that without business, government cannot thrive and vice-versa. Coolidge did a good job balancing these two forces and it led to the roaring twenties. Sobel identified, and I agree with him, that there is no way that Coolidge could have predicted the Great Depression so it is foolish to put the blame on him.
While this book was good what kept it from ascending to the next level was partly two thing. It’s is pretty dryly written and lacks the language and narrative that better biographies have. Though it isn’t obtuse, Sobel actually did a better job describing the teapot some scandal in this than the biography I read on Harding which should have been much better. This biography was missing significant time spent on the private areas. For instance, Sobel makes many remarks about how Coolidge carried his Bible with him everywhere. His frequent attendance at church, and his reference to faith in his speeches but never talks about it. Even his name should cause this interest to be piqued. It’s possible that Sobel was out of his depth in this area, but it was pretty clearly a significant part of Coolidge’s life and most likely affected his decision making but we hear nothing. Though I did like hearing about his early marriage to Grace and how mean and snobbish he was toward her just because she didn’t like reading.
Overall good stuff, not a super interesting guy, but interesting enough to read a biography on and this is a good single volume one.
May 7, 2017
I thoroughly enjoyed most of this book, about a president who is unknown to most of us. My interest in Coolidge piqued because he was a hero of Reagan's and is generally rated pretty low in a lot of rankings. Reagan was also an enigma, so I was intrigued to read about an enigma's enigma hero :)
I love this Coolidge quote, "The words of the president have an enormous weight and ought not to be used indiscriminately...".
Coolidge's uniqueness lies primarily in his quiet and terse communication style. I wish more people spoke only when adding value. He also did something many effective leaders do; surrounded himself with trusted subordinates and empowered them to make decisions. At times, he was too hands-off, but he was generally respected by his subordinates and well-liked by the public.
Coolidge rarely had uniform support of his own political party because his decisions were mostly driven by personal beliefs rather than appeasement of his party.
He was the rare politician who did not resort to mud slinging and negative campaigning. How refreshing it must have been to the general public to have been spared all of the election year verbal pollution.
He presided over an economy recovering from a recession and a war. Instead of interjecting unnecessary policies he let the economy organically prosper.
His M.O was to let government legislate and let bad laws be popularly opposed, rather than unilaterally creating legislation. This can be construed as passivity, but Coolidge believes that even bad laws had to be enforced (Prohibition) because ignoring law set a precedent that laws don't matter and therefore, governmwnt doesn't matter either.
Overall, I believe he did a great job leading the country during his tenure. Below are some raw notes/bullet points about his time in public office, before and during his presidency.
*As Mass Governor, during Boston police strike 1919 did nothing to help, leaving resolution to Mayor and Police Commissioner, but got a lot of credit. Refused to allow Boston police to unionize which led to strike. Then declined mayor's request to mobilize State Guard, saying police commissioner could handle it. He did refuse to allow strikers back into police force, discouraging future anarchy.
*McNary-Haigen Act, vetoed.
US Govt would have had to buy surplus crops and sell them overseas, creating atmosphere of price-fixing and inflation.
*Spoke out repeatedly against racism, but passed no laws. Even gave commencement speech at Howard U and allocated funds for education.
*Thoughtful, composed, measured. Only spoke when adding value
*No negative campaigning
*His decisions often were against wishes of his own party
*Used tariffs to pay down debt
*Infrastructure building
*Aviation investment
*Opposed large scale Naval expansion, uncharacteristic of GOP...good or bad??
*Wanted to sell Muscle Shoals to pay debts
*Avoided war with Mexico, returning seized nationalized assets, improved relations
*Misogynistic attitude toward wife, especially regarding her education. Not uncommon in those days, but still a douche bag mentality
*Federal building construction in DC, cheaper to own than lease
*Cut spending, 3.1B to 3.0B
*Reduced debt 22.3B to 17.6B
I love this Coolidge quote, "The words of the president have an enormous weight and ought not to be used indiscriminately...".
Coolidge's uniqueness lies primarily in his quiet and terse communication style. I wish more people spoke only when adding value. He also did something many effective leaders do; surrounded himself with trusted subordinates and empowered them to make decisions. At times, he was too hands-off, but he was generally respected by his subordinates and well-liked by the public.
Coolidge rarely had uniform support of his own political party because his decisions were mostly driven by personal beliefs rather than appeasement of his party.
He was the rare politician who did not resort to mud slinging and negative campaigning. How refreshing it must have been to the general public to have been spared all of the election year verbal pollution.
He presided over an economy recovering from a recession and a war. Instead of interjecting unnecessary policies he let the economy organically prosper.
His M.O was to let government legislate and let bad laws be popularly opposed, rather than unilaterally creating legislation. This can be construed as passivity, but Coolidge believes that even bad laws had to be enforced (Prohibition) because ignoring law set a precedent that laws don't matter and therefore, governmwnt doesn't matter either.
Overall, I believe he did a great job leading the country during his tenure. Below are some raw notes/bullet points about his time in public office, before and during his presidency.
*As Mass Governor, during Boston police strike 1919 did nothing to help, leaving resolution to Mayor and Police Commissioner, but got a lot of credit. Refused to allow Boston police to unionize which led to strike. Then declined mayor's request to mobilize State Guard, saying police commissioner could handle it. He did refuse to allow strikers back into police force, discouraging future anarchy.
*McNary-Haigen Act, vetoed.
US Govt would have had to buy surplus crops and sell them overseas, creating atmosphere of price-fixing and inflation.
*Spoke out repeatedly against racism, but passed no laws. Even gave commencement speech at Howard U and allocated funds for education.
*Thoughtful, composed, measured. Only spoke when adding value
*No negative campaigning
*His decisions often were against wishes of his own party
*Used tariffs to pay down debt
*Infrastructure building
*Aviation investment
*Opposed large scale Naval expansion, uncharacteristic of GOP...good or bad??
*Wanted to sell Muscle Shoals to pay debts
*Avoided war with Mexico, returning seized nationalized assets, improved relations
*Misogynistic attitude toward wife, especially regarding her education. Not uncommon in those days, but still a douche bag mentality
*Federal building construction in DC, cheaper to own than lease
*Cut spending, 3.1B to 3.0B
*Reduced debt 22.3B to 17.6B
March 17, 2020
The apocryphal stories of Coolidge's silence lend credence to Sobel's characterization of him as an enigma. It's a wonder that he was able to ascend (and win election) to the presidency without the usual trappings of charisma, military pedigree, or career ambitions that have characterized so many of the other biographies that I've read. And Coolidge himself doesn't leave a lot for the historian to pore over: the sections of his Autobiography that Sobel quotes at length are often dry, matter of fact, and not deeply illuminating. So despite Sobel's attempts to ascribe a greater degree of appreciation to the Coolidge presidency, the end result remains about as inscrutable as the subject was himself.
Sobel is quick to try and draw policy connections between Coolidge and a much more charismatic president: Ronald Reagan (who admired Coolidge's tax cuts and policy of non-intervention). But they are two different generations of politician, and Coolidge's governing style has much more in common with Zachary Taylor than the Gipper. Coolidge doesn't have a flashy story; rather, he grinds his way through life not taking big risks, and doing just what is expected of him. And as president, he recommended (but did not actively push for) policy initiatives and programs for the country. After Harding's death, Coolidge took on the role of caretaker president, ensuring continuity between administrations. He oversaw great prosperity in the country, and his hands off approach allowed Americans to fully experience the post-war boom. I do think the unexpected loss of his son dulled his vigor to be an activist president, but Coolidge was a manager first and a visionary second.
Sobel's writing tends more towards chronicling than analyzing. He frequently drops huge block quotes into the text, and at most, provides short analysis of what is presented. It's a shame because I enjoyed his writing style, and the text moved quickly for a 400 page book. There is also very little to a holistic conclusion: Coolidge dies, and then Sobel is done. For someone who exhaustively chronicles the movement of the stock market in the final year of Coolidge's presidency in an attempt to minimize Coolidge's culpability in the 1929 crash, Sobel could have done more to assess his enigma. Similarly, the block quotes could have been reduced: it was almost as if Sobel was unsure of what to cut for fear of losing something important.
In the end, it was a stronger book than I expected given the subject matter, but ultimately falls short of cracking the nut of Coolidge's character.
Sobel is quick to try and draw policy connections between Coolidge and a much more charismatic president: Ronald Reagan (who admired Coolidge's tax cuts and policy of non-intervention). But they are two different generations of politician, and Coolidge's governing style has much more in common with Zachary Taylor than the Gipper. Coolidge doesn't have a flashy story; rather, he grinds his way through life not taking big risks, and doing just what is expected of him. And as president, he recommended (but did not actively push for) policy initiatives and programs for the country. After Harding's death, Coolidge took on the role of caretaker president, ensuring continuity between administrations. He oversaw great prosperity in the country, and his hands off approach allowed Americans to fully experience the post-war boom. I do think the unexpected loss of his son dulled his vigor to be an activist president, but Coolidge was a manager first and a visionary second.
Sobel's writing tends more towards chronicling than analyzing. He frequently drops huge block quotes into the text, and at most, provides short analysis of what is presented. It's a shame because I enjoyed his writing style, and the text moved quickly for a 400 page book. There is also very little to a holistic conclusion: Coolidge dies, and then Sobel is done. For someone who exhaustively chronicles the movement of the stock market in the final year of Coolidge's presidency in an attempt to minimize Coolidge's culpability in the 1929 crash, Sobel could have done more to assess his enigma. Similarly, the block quotes could have been reduced: it was almost as if Sobel was unsure of what to cut for fear of losing something important.
In the end, it was a stronger book than I expected given the subject matter, but ultimately falls short of cracking the nut of Coolidge's character.
January 1, 2022
I found this book to be a really enjoyable read. Robert Sobel has a nice, easy style that guides the reader peacefully bobbling along like on a raft on a sunny day. At the beginning of the book, Sobel essentially says that he doesn't make any major attempts at new archival research or any grand claims about his subject. The book heavily draws from Coolidge's autobiography, which Sobel liberally quotes from throughout the narrative. This book is mainly just a tidy, review of the life and times of Calvin Coolidge. This is not to take anything away from the book or Sobel's overall style. He clearly has a lot of admiration for his subject, but he never lets respect for Coolidge get carried away. As for the subject himself, Sobel writes that Coolidge can be seen as the last President of the "Nineteenth Century". He means this in that Coolidge was a party-man, of an older time. Even his time many of his contemporaries saw him as something of a fossil; however, Sobel takes great care to point out how Coolidge was much keener on his "image" than his own contemporaries or later historians have given him credit. This book shows how Coolidge knew his homespun, quiet, New England manner was a major selling point and he sold this character to the masses. Even as someone who was out of time with the "roaring twenties" Coolidge knew how to reach out to voters and was an able speaker. Yet it is true that Coolidge did not have the magnetism that leaps from the pages like one of the Roosevelts or Wilson even. He came from a different time and place and this book shows.
Overall I'd highly recommend this book. It's not perfect and I don't think it would change your mind One way or another. But, if you're searching for a solid biography on Calvin Coolidge then look no further.
Overall I'd highly recommend this book. It's not perfect and I don't think it would change your mind One way or another. But, if you're searching for a solid biography on Calvin Coolidge then look no further.
February 3, 2022
Robert Sobel appears to be a credentialed historian, though one that primarily focuses on business history, which might explain some things about this book. For instance Sobel lists the closing price of the Dow Jones industrial average many more times than he mentions Grace Coolidge.
There is just not much about Coolidge as a person; his family or even his political machinations beyond formal writings expressing his political philosophy. Here Coolidge seems more a mouthpiece Sobel uses to promote the conservative ideas that FDR buried only to be resurrected by Reagan.
Sobel comes across in this book as a complete Coolidge stan. He occasionally brings up mild criticism, only to wave it away as petty or flat wrong. He also tries to present Coolidge as making good on all these visionary conservative policies that Harding started which didn't really fit with what I had read on Harding.
Some of that may just be Coolidge though, the many excerpts of his writings and his autobiography in this book seemed to present a prim little man more prone to sermonizing and listing accomplishments than sharing anything candid or personal
Coolidge was also president at a time when there wasn't a lot going on. The country was in a post war boom, and all he seemed to do was cut taxes and stay out of the way.
There is just not much about Coolidge as a person; his family or even his political machinations beyond formal writings expressing his political philosophy. Here Coolidge seems more a mouthpiece Sobel uses to promote the conservative ideas that FDR buried only to be resurrected by Reagan.
Sobel comes across in this book as a complete Coolidge stan. He occasionally brings up mild criticism, only to wave it away as petty or flat wrong. He also tries to present Coolidge as making good on all these visionary conservative policies that Harding started which didn't really fit with what I had read on Harding.
Some of that may just be Coolidge though, the many excerpts of his writings and his autobiography in this book seemed to present a prim little man more prone to sermonizing and listing accomplishments than sharing anything candid or personal
Coolidge was also president at a time when there wasn't a lot going on. The country was in a post war boom, and all he seemed to do was cut taxes and stay out of the way.
March 16, 2021
The term Enigma is quite apt in describing Coolidge. You just can’t quite figure him out. Perhaps because there wasn’t that much to figure out. An honest man with simple values which he never compromised. Intelligent, clever, and risk averse.
He wouldn’t fit in this era, as the author pointed out. That’s our loss.
The author struck the right balance in giving sufficient ( but not exhaustive) details of his life, and how they fit in context with the times. It was an easy and enjoyable read.
There’s an old Greek saying that ‘A man’s character is his fate’. Fits Coolidge perfectly.
He wouldn’t fit in this era, as the author pointed out. That’s our loss.
The author struck the right balance in giving sufficient ( but not exhaustive) details of his life, and how they fit in context with the times. It was an easy and enjoyable read.
There’s an old Greek saying that ‘A man’s character is his fate’. Fits Coolidge perfectly.
May 21, 2021
Audiobook. First, the reader was okay but not great. The book itself was not as good as say some of McCulloughs bios. It got into uninteresting tangents. Coolidge himself? He gets high marks from conservatives, and I suppose I understand why. But he is an enigma. He made his way to President by divine intervention. No doubt. But the man himself... tough call. That kind of focus is almost autistic. He could have done more on foreign policy. Threats were rising. We could have prepared more. Tough time and hindsight is 20/20. Was he great or just a solid wall in history? I dunno.
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