Old Tippecanoe: William Henry Harrison and His Time by Freeman Cleaves

President #9, C-SPAN Historians Ranking #39 Let Me Be Brief… If you mention the name William Henry Harrison to most people, the initial reaction will be “I don’t know anyone by that name.” So, after you get past the people who are completely ignorant of the man, you might get the reaction of “Oh, the [...]

Woodrow Wilson by H.W. Brands

President #28, C-SPAN Historians Ranking #9 Take Princeton and give Fourteen Points I. Introduction Woodrow Wilson was a President so full of promise to many in America, that it seemed shocking how dismally his eight years in office ended. The United States went from being a Great Power to being the Greatest Power while he [...]

George Washington by James MacGregor Burns and Susan Dunn

President #1, C-SPAN historians ranking #2 You Never Forget Your First Time The face of George Washington is well known to Americans. He stares at us on dollar bills. His profile is on the quarter. His portrait used to be a fixture in school classrooms. The capital city of the nation is named for him. [...]

Zachary Taylor by John S. D. Eisenhower

President #12, C-SPAN Historians ranking #29 He’s Tanned, Rough, and Ready What can be said about a man who was President for just 16 months? What can be said about a President who never held any other political office in his life? What can be said about a man who likely never voted in his [...]

Thomas Jefferson by Joyce Appleby

President #3, C-SPAN Historians ranking #7 Embargo! O grab me! In this biography of the Third President, UCLA professor Joyce Appleby begins the seventh chapter of the book with this sentence: “Americans’ most pressing history assignment is coming to terms with Thomas Jefferson.” And speaking as someone who was taught by Professor Appleby at UCLA, [...]