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Character Above All: Ten Presidents from FDR to George Bush
Essays on ten United States presidents include Doris Kearns Goodwin on FDR, David McCullough on Truman, Stephen Ambrose on Eisenhower, Richard Reeves on Kennedy, and Peggy Noonan on Reagan. 35,000 first printing.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1995
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1012 people want to read
About the author
Robert A. Wilson
130 books7 followersRobert A. Wilson was proprietor of the famous Phoenix Bookshop in New York City. He was a passionate writer and author of bibliographies of Gertrude Stein, Gregory Corso, and Denise Levertov. Wilson specialized in rare books and manuscripts.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
January 21, 2021
When asked by reporters which President they liked working for the most the staff at the White House, some who have been working there over fifty years, said almost to a person, Harry Truman. And why was that, because President Truman knew every staff member by name, asked about their families, and took a personal interest in their welfare.
He complained about them playing, "Hail to the Chief," everywhere he went. He understood that he was no better than anyone else. After taking over as President after the great FDR's death, he turned to Eisenhower, who was one of his advisers and said, "In 1948 you should run for President and I will be your Vice President."
President Truman grew up on a farm his father owned and every morning, despite the weather they got up at 5:30 am and went to work. His father and mother stressed that the work he did at the farm was no more important than what the employees who worked for his father did, or for that matter the work his father did.
He is the only modern President not to attend college; yet he was an avid reader of history. At the age of 37 he joined the army and fought in major battles during the end of World War I. He should never have been accepted into the army, his eyesight was terrible, but he memorized the eye chart before he took the exam.
As President, he surrounded himself with some of the greatest Chief of Staffs, Secretaries of State and Defense. He knew that if he was to succeed he needed great men around him. He was the most loyal of all men, even when it was not a politically popular choice.
Today, he is considered by most historians as one of the three greatest Presidents of the 20th century... Alongside FDR and President Teddy Roosevelt. He brought an end to World War II, his administration recognized Israel at a time when it was not a popular choice. He put into motion the Marshal plan that helped save Europe from Starvation after the war. He helped put together NATO, and encouraged work with the United Nations. He desegregated the military.
President Truman, as much as anybody, in this wonderful collection of articles written by ten famous historians on the ten Presidents from FDR to George Bush is the definition of CHARACTER.
"Character Above All," follows the pattern that I laid out for President Truman written by the great David McCullough. Each article starts out telling the reader something about the way they grew up, where one could argue 'character' is first developed and continues on through their Presidencies.
My favorites, besides the one on Truman, were the ones on Presidents FDR, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and Gerald Ford. My least favorite was the one about George H.W. Bush.
He complained about them playing, "Hail to the Chief," everywhere he went. He understood that he was no better than anyone else. After taking over as President after the great FDR's death, he turned to Eisenhower, who was one of his advisers and said, "In 1948 you should run for President and I will be your Vice President."
President Truman grew up on a farm his father owned and every morning, despite the weather they got up at 5:30 am and went to work. His father and mother stressed that the work he did at the farm was no more important than what the employees who worked for his father did, or for that matter the work his father did.
He is the only modern President not to attend college; yet he was an avid reader of history. At the age of 37 he joined the army and fought in major battles during the end of World War I. He should never have been accepted into the army, his eyesight was terrible, but he memorized the eye chart before he took the exam.
As President, he surrounded himself with some of the greatest Chief of Staffs, Secretaries of State and Defense. He knew that if he was to succeed he needed great men around him. He was the most loyal of all men, even when it was not a politically popular choice.
Today, he is considered by most historians as one of the three greatest Presidents of the 20th century... Alongside FDR and President Teddy Roosevelt. He brought an end to World War II, his administration recognized Israel at a time when it was not a popular choice. He put into motion the Marshal plan that helped save Europe from Starvation after the war. He helped put together NATO, and encouraged work with the United Nations. He desegregated the military.
President Truman, as much as anybody, in this wonderful collection of articles written by ten famous historians on the ten Presidents from FDR to George Bush is the definition of CHARACTER.
"Character Above All," follows the pattern that I laid out for President Truman written by the great David McCullough. Each article starts out telling the reader something about the way they grew up, where one could argue 'character' is first developed and continues on through their Presidencies.
My favorites, besides the one on Truman, were the ones on Presidents FDR, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and Gerald Ford. My least favorite was the one about George H.W. Bush.
September 21, 2018
So my younger boys and I finished this last night.
I’ve said many times, I’m not exactly happy with the curriculum of history in their classes so I make up for a lot of it by reaching for some of our most epic biographies and authors. Doris Kearns Goodwin, Stephen Ambrose, David MacCullough, etc.
Each President got a wonderful essay and I surprisingly found Reagan and Fords to be most interesting. While reading over the last couple weeks, we’d jump around, google, debate, interact.
I recently just watched my oldest march off to the marines. Not an easy thing to do, but reading about Presidents and how they handled conflict is extremely interesting and comforting in some strange way. Especially those chosen here. I was also dissapointed by how very little they had learned about The Cold War. So, that’s going to be my next pick up. There is no 1980s without it.
Recommend as a starting point, however my kids did say Teddy Roosevelt is still the best bada** we’ve had, lol.
I’ve said many times, I’m not exactly happy with the curriculum of history in their classes so I make up for a lot of it by reaching for some of our most epic biographies and authors. Doris Kearns Goodwin, Stephen Ambrose, David MacCullough, etc.
Each President got a wonderful essay and I surprisingly found Reagan and Fords to be most interesting. While reading over the last couple weeks, we’d jump around, google, debate, interact.
I recently just watched my oldest march off to the marines. Not an easy thing to do, but reading about Presidents and how they handled conflict is extremely interesting and comforting in some strange way. Especially those chosen here. I was also dissapointed by how very little they had learned about The Cold War. So, that’s going to be my next pick up. There is no 1980s without it.
Recommend as a starting point, however my kids did say Teddy Roosevelt is still the best bada** we’ve had, lol.
June 29, 2012
This book uses 10 authors to write about ten presidents. Even though it is suppose to be about the character of the presidents some of the authors do not focus on that topic. My favorite of the writings was by James Cannon who wrote on President Gerald Ford Cannon seemed to give an honest assessment of Ford and his writing was easy to read, follow and was very interesting. Of course, I love Ronald Reagan and Peggy Noonan (the author who wrote about him). Noonan did a good job but I did not find any new info about Reagan. This may be because I have read so much on Reagan. If you enjoy learning more about our American Presidents I would recommend this book!
May 22, 2018
This book has its ups and downs in regards to each of the essays. Reagan’s and Ford’s were by far my favorites but each one of the essays came with if not newfound information, very interesting perspectives. This books is totally worth reading, it inspires and it teaches. A book about great men painting them in the color scheme of character and strength. They don’t make em like Ronnie or Ike anymore but this book proves that maybe they should.
March 11, 2019
Bought this to see Peggy Noonan's take on Reagan. Discovered a great deal of political and character insights on the 10 presidents, all of which had many redeeming characters as well as flaws. It is a quick read and not just interesting, but it puts together the pieces for me of the why in some of the political decisions that were made and election strategies. Probably the most intriguing political resume that I have ever come across.
August 4, 2024
A mixed bag. Some of the essays delved deeply into the character of a president. The reader came away with new (at least to me) insights about the president. Other essays were dry and dull, and did little to add to the reader's understanding of the character of the president. Historical biographical essays should be more than reading a textbook.
When the essay was good, it was very, very good, but when it was bad, it was terrible.
When the essay was good, it was very, very good, but when it was bad, it was terrible.
April 13, 2013
Fascinating! Informative!
As the title implies, Character Above All: Ten Presidents from FDR to George Bush is a collection of biographial essays on each of the 10 presidents from FDR to George H.W. Bush (Bush 41) by 10 different authors who are either expert historians or knew the President while in office. The thing that ties them all together is that each essay is supposed to look at each man as president and find that one part of his character that made him the type of president he was. Each essay is about 30 pages and it makes for interesting reading.
A good sample would come from Doris Kearns Goodwin's look at Franklin Delano Roosevelt. She asserts that the most valuable component of his personality was his self-confidence. I thought this quote from FDR makes the point wonderfully: "I'll tell you...at night when I lay my head on my pilow, and it is often pretty late, and I think of the things that have come before me during the day and the decisions that I have made, I say to myself - well, I have done the best that I could, and turn over and go to sleep."
The essays are wonderful - some inspiring, such as Gerald Ford's, some disturbing such as JFK's. However, all are well-written and this is a fantastic collection.
As the title implies, Character Above All: Ten Presidents from FDR to George Bush is a collection of biographial essays on each of the 10 presidents from FDR to George H.W. Bush (Bush 41) by 10 different authors who are either expert historians or knew the President while in office. The thing that ties them all together is that each essay is supposed to look at each man as president and find that one part of his character that made him the type of president he was. Each essay is about 30 pages and it makes for interesting reading.
A good sample would come from Doris Kearns Goodwin's look at Franklin Delano Roosevelt. She asserts that the most valuable component of his personality was his self-confidence. I thought this quote from FDR makes the point wonderfully: "I'll tell you...at night when I lay my head on my pilow, and it is often pretty late, and I think of the things that have come before me during the day and the decisions that I have made, I say to myself - well, I have done the best that I could, and turn over and go to sleep."
The essays are wonderful - some inspiring, such as Gerald Ford's, some disturbing such as JFK's. However, all are well-written and this is a fantastic collection.
November 14, 2009
This book doesn't live up to the promise of its premise: have 10 noted historians/writers examine how the Administrations of FDR through Bush I were above all shaped by each President's character.
Several of the historians included in this book (Goodwin, Reeves, Dallek, McCollough) had already produced full-blown books on the Presidents they address again here. Not surprisingly, these brief essays don't provide new information or insight on their subjects. Also, each essay stands alone. Although they ostensibly are linked by a common theme, each author's approach is different and no attempt is made to compare or contrast any of the Presidents with another or tie the essays themselves together.
Still, it's a quick, breezy though superficial read that would be of interest to those seeking a drive-by assessment of the personal qualities of these 10 Presidents. Not worth the time for those already familiar with the subjects, especially via the biographies produced by the same authors.
Several of the historians included in this book (Goodwin, Reeves, Dallek, McCollough) had already produced full-blown books on the Presidents they address again here. Not surprisingly, these brief essays don't provide new information or insight on their subjects. Also, each essay stands alone. Although they ostensibly are linked by a common theme, each author's approach is different and no attempt is made to compare or contrast any of the Presidents with another or tie the essays themselves together.
Still, it's a quick, breezy though superficial read that would be of interest to those seeking a drive-by assessment of the personal qualities of these 10 Presidents. Not worth the time for those already familiar with the subjects, especially via the biographies produced by the same authors.
January 20, 2009
If I could, I'd rate this about 3.5. This is a book of essays by 10 different authors -- one for each of the presidents FDR through GHWB. Most of the essays are about 20 pages long, some a bit longer. I have done quite a lot of reading about US Presidents, so not much of this was new to me. It provides a good overview, set in historical context, for people who might not be greatly invested in the topic but want a basic framework. It was written in 1995, so there are a few places where it's a bit dated(particularly in discussing the later presidents).
February 1, 2013
In every collection of essays or short stories, there are highs and lows. Each essay is actually quite interesting, but only a few shed any new light or make you think about a president in a new way. James Cannon's essay on Gerald Ford was one of these, as was Hendrik Hertzberg's essay on Jimmy Carter. Goodwin and McCullough both write good essays, but are essentially just very boiled down versions of their much longer, better books. Peggy Noonan's essay on Reagan is laughably laudatory; I think we'll all be dead and gone before a truly unbiased portrait of Ronald Reagan emerges.
May 26, 2010
I read 7 of the 10 essays in this book, skipping essays on the 3 presidents that least interest me. (I'll let you decide which ones those were for yourselves.) I never felt like I was reading a history book or a series of writings about leadership, in the ways that those genres can seem tired and overdone. The essays were full of insightful stories and commentary that made the book easy to pick up but not so riveting that I couldn't put it down.
December 29, 2008
I "borrowed" this book from my mother. It is a fine summary of the character of some of the recent presidents by contemporary historians. Check it out from the library - a quick, enlightening volume.
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December 24, 2008J-Ref1
Want to read
November 23, 2009Listened to her speak at a conference about 10 years ago - she's incredibly gifted and I can't wait to read more from her!
Want to read
December 4, 2011Doris Kearns Goodwin, David McCullough, Stephen E. Ambrose - what a great group of historian storytellers. (Sorry, I don't much about Richard Reeves and Peggy Noonan and the others.)
January 3, 2015
Some essays contained good analysis while others were very partisan. Quick read through 50 years of history. The concept could have been better executed.
February 27, 2016
Includes 20 page essay on each of these presidents. Reader should be aware, however, of who each other author is and how that may influence their assessment. Very engaging, with new insights.
October 10, 2016
Good book that is a quick overview of ten presidents. Recommend.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews