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What kind of education is necessary for a person to
become president of the United States? Virtually any kind, it turns out.
Unsurprisingly, many were scholastic achievers, including Clinton, Nixon,
Carter, and George H. W. Bush. FDR received a “gentleman’s C.” John Adams
and Lyndon Johnson were truants, and neither George Washington nor Harry S.
Truman attended any college. This anthology of essays, one for each
president, offers contributions by a variety of historians, and the result
is a compelling and informative book. Among other things, it’s a useful
tonic to the lofty manner in which we usually regard the founding fathers,
who struggled, scraped and worried just like the rest of us. One of the
book’s most charming features is the wealth of pictures. Most fascinating
are the class photos (for example, readers can try to guess which
fresh-faced member of the basketball team one day became president) and
report cards (not uniformly promising, especially JFK’s). The essays are
lively and focused….The book will impart the unavoidable lesson that good
grades are only one road among many that lead to a successful career in
electoral politics.
—Publishers Weekly
“Taught to Lead is a groundbreaking study of the education of the American
presidents. It provides fascinating insights into how formal and informal
instruction contributed to presidential understanding of the domestic and
international circumstances they faced during their time in office. This is
essential reading for anyone interested in the presidency.”
—Robert Dallek, Boston University, author of An Unfinished Life: John F.
Kennedy, 1917–1963
“The story of forty-two men (no women so far, alas) with diverse educational
preparations for the presidency is compelling in its variety and its drama.
And a word should be said about the vivid and imaginative illustrations that
accompany and enhance the text.”
—Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.
Price $34.95 Hard Back Special Sale Price
$19.95 First 5 Orders at $14.95
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WASHINGTON HISTORY
George Washington brought the colonies through the Revolutionary War
to create a republic dedicated to justice and equality. His leadership
inspired American rebels to triumph against the British in the
Revolutionary War. After the War, He longed to return to his life at Mount
Vernon, but at age 57 was called to lead the American people's great
experiment in democratic government. Setting key precedents that would by
followed succeeding presidents. He named a Cabinet and considered
himself the representative of all the people. He would die before the
Capital City was finished.
George Washington was
- The only President inaugurated in two cities---New York and
Philadelphia
- The only president unanimously elected, receiving all
69electoral votes cast
- The only president who did not live in Washington, D.C.
- The only president to be offered and to reject being made
King
- One of our wealthiest presidents, leaving an estate valued
in 1799 at more than $500,000
- Was one of our tallest Presidents standing a lanky
six-foot-two
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