Reading Series
Commanders-in-Chief
The presidency through the people who held it.
The Presidents gives the overview. The individual biographies begin with Washington and currently run through Obama.
12 booksThere’s no required order. Start wherever you want.
In this series
Browse all books- 01The PresidentsA witty, irreverent tour through American presidential history that treats each commander-in-chief as a flawed human rather than a marble monument.1 hr 38 min read
- 02GeorgeA myth-busting biography of George Washington that strips away the cherry tree legends to reveal the complex planter, soldier, and reluctant ruler behind the marble monument.21 min read
- 03JEFFERSONThe messy, contradictory life of Thomas Jefferson—from writing the Declaration of Independence to the brutal election of 1800 that would define American democracy.31 min read
- 04
Andrew JacksonAndrew Jackson built his reputation through violence, war, and populist theater. This biography follows the victories he celebrated, the people he destroyed, and the legacy still printed on the twenty-dollar bill.30 min read - 05
LINCOLNThe story of Abraham Lincoln navigating America's deadliest crisis, from the election that split the nation to the battles and words that barely held it together.24 min read - 06
The Rough RiderHow a sickly kid turned himself into America's most legendary president through sheer force of will, war, and myth-making.21 min read - 07
FDRHow Franklin Delano Roosevelt weaponized federal power and reshaped America through the New Deal despite fierce resistance from the Supreme Court and political enemies.45 min read - 08
JFKA candid look at JFK's messy presidency—from the Bay of Pigs disaster to the Cuban Missile Crisis to his reluctant embrace of civil rights—cutting through the Camelot mythology to reveal the calculating politician behind the charm.36 min read - 09
NIXONThe story of Richard Nixon's rise, fall, and the moment he unilaterally ended the gold standard and changed global economics forever.34 min read - 10
REAGANA critical examination of Ronald Reagan's presidency as deliberate demolition of the New Deal and Great Society through trickle-down economics that never trickled.27 min read - 11
George W. BushThe presidency of George W. Bush, from 9/11 and the War on Terror to the 2008 financial crisis.Short book - 12
OBAMAHow Barack Obama mastered the political game to become America's first Black president, rewriting the rules while playing by them.51 min read