The Best Presidential Writing: From 1789 to the Present

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A sweeping and groundbreaking treasury of the most essential presidential writings, featuring a mix of the beloved and the little-known, from stirring speeches and shrewd remarks to behind-the-scenes drafts and unpublished autobiographies.

From the early years of our nations history, when George Washington wrote his humble yet powerful Farewell Address, to our current age, when Barack Obama delivered his moving speech on the fiftieth anniversary of the Selma-to-Montgomery marches, Americas presidents have upheld a tradition of exceptional writing. Now, for the first time, the greatest presidential writings in history are united in one monumental treasury: the very best campaign orations, early autobiographies, presidential speeches, postpresidential reflections, and much more.

In these pages, we see not only the words that shaped our nation, like Abraham Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation and Franklin D. Roosevelts Infamy speech, but also the words of young politicians claiming their place in our history, including excerpts from Woodrow Wilsons Congressional Government and Obamas career-making convention speech, and the words of mature leaders reflecting on their legacies, including John Adamss autobiography and Harry S. Trumans Memoirs. We even see hidden sides of the presidents that the public rarely glimpses: noted outdoorsman Teddy Roosevelts great passion for literature or sunny Ronald Reagans piercing childhood memories of escorting home his alcoholic father.

Encompassing notable favorites like Lincolns Gettysburg Address and John F. Kennedys Inaugural Address as well as lesser-known texts like Thomas Jeffersons Notes on the State of Virginia and James Polks candid White House diary, The Best Presidential Writing showcases Americas presidents as thinkers, citizens, and leaders.

More than simply a curation of must-read presidential writings, this unique collection presents the story of America itself, told by its highest leaders. Even the most famous speeches find new meanings or fresh connections when read in this sweeping context, making The Best Presidential Writing a trove full of insight and an essential historical document.

Author Bio

Craig Fehrman, a journalist and historian, spent more than a decade immersed in the presidents writings to produce his first book, Author in Chief, which was described by Thomas Mallon in The Wall Street Journal as one of the best books on the American presidency to appear in recent years. Fehrman lives in Indiana with his wife and children.