Many Presidents have not just been readers but also authors, before and after their terms. Theodore Roosevelt had a widely varied bibliography ranging from works of history to those of public policy. Ulysses S. Grant wrote his memoirs at the same time as he was dying from cancer. Jimmy Carter even wrote a novel about the American Revolution, in addition to the standard memoir and political theory books all of them seem to have produced in some form or another.
Even the current President has his name listed as an author on some books, although the degree to which he was actually personally responsible for the content is debatable...
As a Hemingway scholar/aficionado, I would be remiss if I didn't shout-out JFK's appreciation and acknowledgment of the author as well as the fact that his papers are held at the JFK Library in Boston (is there another example of an author's papers being held at a presidential library like that?). Also, though he was not an unproblematic figure, I always appreciated John McCain's appreciation for Hemingway too if we broaden things to presidential candidates/nominees.
I remember reading in a blog, probably Substack, from George Saunders about how Joe Biden approached him to talk about his novel Lincoln In the Bardo. I think it was before Biden became president. Still pretty cool.
Ah! I was dead beat yesterday and slept 13 hours(!) last night, which meant I had no time to work on today's post—a planned review of Peco Gaskovski's newest, which will now run Saturday—so I recycled a post and apparently didn't read it closely enough (bad on me). When I reuse a post I usually update them; I added the bonus material at the end on this one, but should have read the post a little closer. Thanks for catching that.
Not having read that much about Washington before, I found Kevin Hayes’ book a revelation. I don’t think I had ever read about his love of Addison’s “Cato” before.
I agree that Thomas Ricks’s book, “First Principles”, is excellent and worth anyone’s time and attention.
One item I would add to anyone’s reading list is “The Adams-Jefferson Letters”, edited by Lester Cappon. Two men of prodigious intellect explaining themselves to each other. A master class in civil discourse. I can’t imagine anything like it today. Sorry to say.
Many Presidents have not just been readers but also authors, before and after their terms. Theodore Roosevelt had a widely varied bibliography ranging from works of history to those of public policy. Ulysses S. Grant wrote his memoirs at the same time as he was dying from cancer. Jimmy Carter even wrote a novel about the American Revolution, in addition to the standard memoir and political theory books all of them seem to have produced in some form or another.
Even the current President has his name listed as an author on some books, although the degree to which he was actually personally responsible for the content is debatable...
I’ve got several books by Teddy Roosevelt on the shelf behind me! I should have included that.
Interesting that the current president reads when there is a lot of damage being done to the public library system by the current administration.
I don't know how much he reads; I suspect it's not much.
Possibly the Dow Jones!
Agreed. I don't think any administration has been as representative of the anti-intellectual movement as the current one.
Agreed.
As a Hemingway scholar/aficionado, I would be remiss if I didn't shout-out JFK's appreciation and acknowledgment of the author as well as the fact that his papers are held at the JFK Library in Boston (is there another example of an author's papers being held at a presidential library like that?). Also, though he was not an unproblematic figure, I always appreciated John McCain's appreciation for Hemingway too if we broaden things to presidential candidates/nominees.
That's great. I didn't know about JFK or McCain's appreciation of Hemingway. I'm not surprised, but I am delighted to hear it.
I remember reading in a blog, probably Substack, from George Saunders about how Joe Biden approached him to talk about his novel Lincoln In the Bardo. I think it was before Biden became president. Still pretty cool.
That is cool. It’s easy to forget these people are just like us—with the world’s weirdest job.
Hey Joel, Love your Substack. Quick question: Why did you say The Idea Machine was "upcoming"?
Ah! I was dead beat yesterday and slept 13 hours(!) last night, which meant I had no time to work on today's post—a planned review of Peco Gaskovski's newest, which will now run Saturday—so I recycled a post and apparently didn't read it closely enough (bad on me). When I reuse a post I usually update them; I added the bonus material at the end on this one, but should have read the post a little closer. Thanks for catching that.
Not having read that much about Washington before, I found Kevin Hayes’ book a revelation. I don’t think I had ever read about his love of Addison’s “Cato” before.
I agree that Thomas Ricks’s book, “First Principles”, is excellent and worth anyone’s time and attention.
One item I would add to anyone’s reading list is “The Adams-Jefferson Letters”, edited by Lester Cappon. Two men of prodigious intellect explaining themselves to each other. A master class in civil discourse. I can’t imagine anything like it today. Sorry to say.
Great suggestion. Thanks for making it!