To the Best of My Ability

With the focus on presidential style, Joseph J. Ellis examines the ironies in Thomas Jefferson's ideals and actions, as well as his inveterate shyness (imagine a modern-day president who only spoke at his inauguration and presented all legislative proposals in writing). Robert Dallek discusses Lyndon B. Johnson's contradictions as evidenced in his significant domestic achievements and the terrible failure of the Vietnam War. And in the pieces on also-rans like Grant and Coolidge and the disgraced such as Nixon, these historians often use the benefit of hindsight and scholarship to focus on the more redeeming features of each man. The most recent president covered does not get off so lightly, however, as Evan Thomas devotes an inordinate amount of space to Bill Clinton's philandering and slams him with such adjectives as "calculating, shrewd and slovenly."

The book is packed with photographs, illustrations, inaugural addresses, and memorable quotes ("When Theodore attends a wedding, he wants to be the bride, and when he attends a funeral, he wants to be the corpse"). A light sense of humor is even displayed, as in a photograph of William Howard Taft's mammoth bathtub, specially built after the 355-pound man got stuck in an ordinary tub, and the story of the Kennedy-Nixon campaign captured in two campaign photos--one of a sexy, bare-chested JFK in his PT-109 and the other of a stiff Nixon in his Navy dress blues. It's also a treasure trove of presidential trivia--which presidents proposed to their wives on the first date? Who were the only three vice presidents to be successfully promoted by election? This is a terrific reference book--an informative, revealing, and fun way to learn about America's chosen few. --Lesley Reed

Book Description
From Allen Weinsten's essay on how Theodore Roosevelt tested the limits of the presidency to a new essay by James Chase on the George W. Bush administration, this book delivers thoughtful analyses of the men who have led this country.

"What a wonderful way to learn about our American presidents. This handsomely illustrated volume - with essays by our nations finest historians - brims with fresh anecdotes, stylish prose, and sharp analysis. A treasure!"
-Stephen E. Ambrose, author of Band of Brothers

"To the Best of My Ability" has similarities with other Presidential reference works I've read, but it also has some particularly notable new features which I believe set it apart as the most outstanding work in its genre. The first 306 pages are devoted to short historical essays of each President and his administration . Each essay is written by a renowned Presidential scholar, biographer, or historian, and are without peer for writing quality and scholarship. The essays are lively, interesting, and offer a brief and completely objective appraisal of each President's time in the nation's highest office.

After the Presidential essays section, there is another intriguing segment that has short articles describing each President's election campaign(s). The complete text of each Chief Executive's inauguration speech(es) is also included. I found this area of the book to be fascinating. I especially enjoyed reading the two Inaugural addresses of Abraham Lincoln, who is my favorite President. There I was able to compare his first Inaugural, a long, pedantic justification for beginning the Civil War, with his second address, his so very brief and powerfully eloquent appeal for the American people to "...bind up the nation's wounds."

In addition to being a well written, meticulously researched, and superbly edited, "To the Best of My Ability" is a irresistibly beautiful volume. It is lavishly illustrated throughout with paintings, lithographs, and photographs both familiar and unfamiliar. (I was especially captivated by the daguerreotypes of such early Presidents as John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren, and James K. Polk.) The book is printed on heavy gloss paper, with a binding that is of an outstanding and obviously very durable quality.

"To the Best of My Ability" is simply a magnificent volume in every way! For readers of American history, and especially those interested in the American Presidents, it's a book that should not be missed.


Nice Reference Book.   October 3, 2000
Rheumor (New Orelans)
27 out of 30 found this review helpful

This is not a story, but rather a collection of very short stories on each of the American presidents. Every author is a member of the Society of American Historians, and each chapter is written by a different author. These micro-bios average only 5 pages. The second half of the book is filled with transcripts of important speeches, including Inaugural Addresses, and much is devoted to campaign memorabilia. The book then is more of a handy (albeit limited) reference work, most suited to coffee-table duty.


Quips with political bias in an election year!   August 27, 2000
21 out of 29 found this review helpful

I read it all, and loved it! The short biographies were meaty and tasty, albeit very biased in one direction or the other. Kennedy and Clinton are dismissed for having done very little, while George Bush is a saint who organized the world against Saddam. Go figure. The electorate has really been missing something! But don't we always? Loved the Daguerrotypes, but found the omission of Quincy Adams' closing argument in the Amistad case disappointing (it really was an incredible argument off the top of his head, and for such an old man). Jefferson's African-American descendents are given their rightly due, and the fad surrounding our first President begins the long history of fads in the U.S.

When I was very young, perhaps 6 or 7, I wrote a song about the Presidents, really just an upbeat ditty to remember them in order. I had forgotten that ditty until this book, which brought back wonderful childhood memories. As a 40-year old now, it's fun to rehash what I thought I had understood once.

Great book (and heavy, too)!


Resourceful book!   August 24, 2000
Erin Esposito (Rochester, New York)
15 out of 15 found this review helpful

This is a very resourceful book, with rare pictures of campaign memorabilia and of the presidents, as well as nice brief chapters on each of the presidents. I was particularly pleased with this book because it included all the inauguration speeches by all 41 presidents. Most books have either one or the other (the biography of the president or the speech), but this book is a gem because it contains both! Though the text is a bit small to read, it could be enlarged a bit (this is with me using reading glasses, by the way).

A very resourceful book to have, and well worth the price.


An Anthology of Exceptional Importance   June 5, 2001
Robert Morris (Dallas, Texas)
15 out of 15 found this review helpful

I join with countless others in praise of this magnificent collection of essays which discuss all but one of the Presidents of the United States. The author of each essay is a distinguished historian who is especially well-qualified to comment on the given subject. James M. McPherson serves as general editor and provides an Introduction which, by itself, is worth the price of the book. He also provides the analysis of Abraham Lincoln. David Rubel assists McPherson in the capacity of editor. Each of us has a special interest in certain Presidents and therefore is inclined to proceed to those essays which discuss them. Fair enough. What I found of special interest and value is the information and analysis provided concerning Presidents in which I had little (if any) prior interest, such as Van Buren, both Harrisons, Polk, Fillmore, and Buchanan. The essays are supplemented by a wealth of illustrations as well as what I view as "historical nuggets." For example, during the administration of John Adams, we learn that on August 28, 1797, "In order to end costly pirate attacks on American merchant shipping in the Mediterranean Sea, the United States signs a treaty with the Barbary Coast state of Tunis. The agreement, ratified by the Senate in January 1800, requires the United States to pay tribute to Tunis." These brief but informative items supplement each essay. The reader is also provided with detailed information about various Presidential campaigns as well as the inaugural addresses of winning candidates, from George Washington (April 30, 789) until Bill Clinton (January 20, 1997). If a higher rating were available, I would give it to this unique volume.