| Description |
xxii, 485 pages ; 25 cm |
| Note |
Includes index. |
| Contents |
George Washington -- From his notes for an early biographer "They tehn from every little rising tree, stump, stone, and bust kept up a constant galling fire" ; First Inaugural Address (1789) "I was summoned by my country" ; Farewell Address (1796) "The baneful effects of the spirit of party". John Adams -- From his autobiography "My children may be assured that no illegitimate brother or sister exists" ; From "A dissertation on the Canon and teh Feudal Law" (1765) "Liberty myst at all hazards be supported. We have a right to it, derived from our Maker". Thomas Jefferson -- From his autobiography, including his draft of the Declaration of Independence "When in the course of human events" ; From notes on the State of Virginia "to justify a general conclusion requires many observations" ; First Inaugural Address (1801) "We are all Republicans; we are all Federalists" ; From his State of the Union (1801) "the states themselves have principal care of our persons, our property, and our reputation". James Madison -- From his notes on the Constitutional Convention "Pickney was for a vigorous executive" ; From an essay on Benjamin Franklin "I never passed half an hour in his company without hearing some observation or anecdote worth remembering" ; From the Federalist Papers "Ambition must be made to counteract ambition". James Monroe -- From his autobiography "Shot down by a musket ball which passed through his breast" ; From his State of the Union (1823) "We should consider any attempt on their part to extend their system to any portion of this hemisphere as dangerous to our peace and safety". John Quincy Adams -- From his diary, along with three of his poems "My ambition would have been by some great work of literature to have done honor to my age". Andrew Jackson -- From The Life of Andrew Jackson "To escape was impossible" ; From his State of the Union (1830) "The executive feels it has a right to expect cooperation of Congress". Martin Van Buren -- From Inquiry into the Origin and Course of Political Parties "Few had better opportunities for knowing the state of feeling which prevailed at the presidential mansion, while this matter was in progress, than myself". James Polk -- From his diary "The people of the United States have no idea of the extent to which the presidents time...is occupied by the voracious and often unprincipled persons". Millard Fillmore -- From his autobiography "In spite of myself, I burst out crying". Abraham Lincoln -- From the Ottawa Debate with Stephen Douglas (1858) "There is no reason in teh world why the negro is not entitled to all he natural rights enumerated in the Declaration of Independence" ; From his lecture on discoveries and inventions "to emancipate the mind...is the great task which printing came into the world to perform" ; An autobiographical sketch (1859) "There is not much of it, for the reason, I suppose, that there is not much of me" ; Remarks at Independence Hall (1861) "If this country cannot be saved without giving up that principle, I was about to say I would rather be assassinated on this spot than to surrender it" ; First Inaugural Address (1861) "The better angels of our nature" ; Emancipation Proclamation (1863) "I do order and declare that all persons held as slaves...are, and henceforward shall be, free" ; Gettysburg Address (1863) "Four score and seven years ago" ; Second Inaugural Address (1865) "With malice toward none". Ulysses S. Grant -- From Personal Memoirs "the sight was more unendurable than encountering the enemy's fire, and I returned to my tree in the rain" ; Statement on teh Ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment (1870) "A measure of grander importance than any other one act". James Garfield -- From his "Notes for the benefit of the biographers" "Pound the damn fool to death, Jim!". Chester Arthur -- From his State of the Union (1881) "There are very many characteristics which go to make a model civil servant". Grover Cleveland -- Address at the Statue of Liberty (1886) "A stream of light shall pierce the darkness of ignorance". Benjamin Harrison -- From this country of ours "The White House...is an office and a home combined-an evil combination". William McKinley -- From his address at the Pan-American Exposition (1901) "Isolation is no longer possible or desireable". |
| Summary |
"A sweeping, groundbreaking, and comprehensive treasury of the most essential presidential writings, featuring a richly varied 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 nation's 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, America's 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 Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation and Franklin D. Roosevelt's Infamy speech, but also the words of young politicians claiming their place in our history, including excerpts from Woodrow Wilson's Congressional Government and Obama's career-making convention speech, and the words of mature leaders reflecting on their legacies, including John Adam's autobiography and Harry S. Truman's Memoirs. We even see hidden sides of the presidents that the public rarely glimpses: noted outdoorsman Teddy Roosevelt's great passion for literature or sunny Ronald Reagan's piercing childhood memories of escorting home his alcoholic father. Encompassing notable favorites like Lincoln's Gettysburg Address and John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Address as well as lesser-known texts like Thomas Jefferson's Notes on the State of Virginia and James Polk's candid White House diary, The Best Presidential Writing showcases America's 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. What is America? Who is America for? What will America become? Since our nation's founding, different presidents have offered different answers. In their writings, we see frontiers expand, ideals transform, and novel ideas take root. 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." -- Description provided by publisher. |
| Subject |
Presidents' writings, American.
|
|
Presidents -- United States -- Biography.
|
| Added Author |
Fehrman, Craig, editor.
|
|
Washington, George, 1732-1799.
Notes for an early biographer. Selections.
|
|
Washington, George, 1732-1799.
First inaugural address.
|
|
Washington, George, 1732-1799.
Farewell address.
|
|
Adams, John, 1735-1826.
Biography. Selections.
|
|
Adams, John, 1735-1826.
Dissertation on the canon and the feudal law. Selections.
|
|
Jefferson, Thomas, 1743-1826.
Autobiography. Selections.
|
|
Jefferson, Thomas, 1743-1826.
Notes on the state of Virginia. Selections.
|
|
Jefferson, Thomas, 1743-1826.
First inaugural address.
|
|
Jefferson, Thomas, 1743-1826.
State of the Union. Selections.
|
|
Madison, James, 1751-1836.
Notes on the Constitutional Convention. Selections.
|
| ISBN |
9781476788531 (hardcover) |
|
1476788537 (hardcover) |
|
More Resources