Daniel’s Comments (group member since Feb 01, 2017)

Daniel’s comments from the Challenges group.

I’m slowly making my way in order. Currently on Zachery Taylor. It’s interesting seeing the lead up to the civil war. Harrison and Taylor have similar frontiersmen stories so the variety of backgrounds between the biographies gives different points of view as the biographies overlap themselves chronologically. Cool stroll through American history and culture.

I’m way back on Zachary Taylor and going in order, but I’m hoping to find an honest and detailed account of Bill Clinton’ life and presidency. He was sort of a mixed bag in so many ways.

That exploding cannon was a national tragedy at the time. Pretty much unknown to the public as a whole. In part this presidential challenge is interesting in what fades over time to the public as a whole.

I’m way back in the gray beards taking my time apparently. Great way to appreciate the country’s history.

I went with The Man Who Transformed the Presidency and America by Walter R. Borneman. It was well written and comprehensive. Polk was kind of an architect of the westward expansion, which was fraught with tragedy amongst the Native Americans and contentious stances on slavery. Oddly, Polk was kind of a boring politician with sort of a status quo approach to slavery and more aloof to the consequences of westward expansion in general. A good historical perspective all the same, but sort of a dry read in many ways. Cheers!

A President Without a Party
by Christopher J. Leahy

I got stalled on my presidential challenge on this one. Overall it’s a well written book and very interesting in describing the history of the time and the political challenges of John Tyler. Since I’m mostly reading this as a curious way to delve into American history, I did find the depth of detail around John Tyler’s family life a little boring. It also seems that there was a lot going on from his presidency to the Civil War, where in it seems likely that he was more involved, but the available history was concerning his family so that is where the biography predominantly went. So I was busy and put the book down for a long while. During which time I read the biography of Fredric Douglas (which I am including in my presidential challenge reading as nearly presidential persons on the times along with Hamilton and Franklin). So much crazy stuff happening leading up to the Civil War. Anyway, the ending was both interesting and crazy. John Tyler joining Jefferson Davis’ Confederation is an act of betrayal beyond measure. Kind of a crazy part about reading history if that the assholes of history do make for more interesting reads that the boring stay the course politicians. Thankfully there are those that do good and lead that also make for interesting and a more uplifting view of the building of our sometimes great sometimes morally bankrupt empire.

I went with Old Tippecanoe as well. I found it to be more of a long slog then the previous biographies I’ve read. One point all make is that reading Presidential biographies tells a story of American as the pressing events of the times unfold. I found that this biography covered a different aspect as much of Harrison’s life was on the frontier and a precursor to the Westward Expansion. That said it was a slog for me and we’ll see how Taylor pans out next! Cheers!

Good to hear that MVB was the most boring. I’m a little way into Old Tippecannoe (William Henry Harrison) by Cleaves and so far it is much more interesting. I didn’t know that there was a thing about the bearded presidents, but I’m sure I’ll endure!

Oops, yes.... Niven was my long slog....

Okay, so I went with Nevin and this book was sort of a long slog. I took on the challenge of reading a biography on each president and was cranking through then until Martin VanBuren. I’ll start by saying that though notable in many ways he just wasn’t nearly as interesting. A big part of that was that he came after Andrew Jackson who was more or less a sociopath. In reading history the story about the half cocked guy breaking stuff is always more interesting than the story about stabilizing the status quo. Anyway, this book was thick and delved heavily into the early formation of party politics. Though only 612 pages, it was data thick and had small type print so read much longer. One of the things that was frustrating was that VanBuren seemed to be neither for or against slavery. He would criticize the institution while opposing measures to end it. He was exemplary of the person who would protect the status quo to avoid civil war at all cost. When New Mexico’s people chose not to be a slave state below the Mason Dixon Line. VanBuren fretted. The Dred Scott verdict bothered him, not because it disenfranchised free black men, but because the judges opinion might be viewed as incendiary. It was a side of extremely poor moral character for the leaders of this country in noting the moral degradation that came with slavery, but bending over backwards to protect it for fear of a fight. There was not much in the story about VanBuren’s relationship with John Quincy Adams who spent so much time in congress during this period fighting for the abolition of slavery. My guess is that VanBuren chose to steer clear.

Anyway, I’m happy that my book on Harrison is not nearly as thick though reviews say is comprehensive as well. More to come! Cheers!

After reading a bunch of reviews I'm biting the bullet and going either Nevin, the verbose.

Okay read Meacham's American Lion. Entertaining enough and covers the main points of Jackson's life. It did come off as a Jackson justification arguement and fell a little short on making a case. The Jackson presidency ranges primarily between divisive and cruel. His failures are so overwhelming that attempting to make the case that expanded liberty via white male suffrage somehow justifies his greater shortcomings is preposterous. But that said the good and bad where all accounted for and the story was entertaining and Meacham obviously is not black or Native American so perhaps it is a little easier for him to make light of the nastiness. Cheers!

Okay, I'm hoping the group can help me on this one. Martin Van Buren is not building up like and interesting or pinochle presidential read. So Widmer, Cole or Nevin? Widmer seems a little like cheating due to lack of depth. Niven seems like a lot of verbiage/depth than I'm looking for. So by default I'm leaning towards Cole. Anyone have a strong opinion on any of these books?

Van Buren? I haven't even looked that far ahead. Ive got Andrew Jackson next who sounds like a sociopath so should be an interesting read!

Here's my list thus far...

Washington a Life by Ron Chernow
John Adams by David McCullough
Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meacham
James Madison by Richard Brookiser
The Last Founding Father: James Monroe and a Nation's call to Greatness by Harlow Unger
Benjamin Franklin: An American Life by Walter Isaacson
Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
John Quincy Adams by Harlow Unger

Got a ways to go!

I'm just finishing John Quincy Adams (#6). A while back I thought it would be cool to read a book on each president. Anyway, I saw this group and joined. I'm going pretty mainstream with my selections, but appreciate any selections. Found the first 5 presidential reads very interesting. Had to drift off and read Ben Franklin and Hamilton just because reading a book on each president is somehow incomplete without them. Will do American Lion for Andrew Jackson next. Cheers!