Research Catalog

Title

Accidental presidents : eight men who changed America / Jared Cohen.

Author

Cohen, Jared, 1981-

Publication

• New York : Simon & Schuster, 2019.
• ©2019

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Description

xii, 509 pages : illustrations; 24 cm

Summary

"The strength and prestige of the American presidency has waxed and waned since George Washington. Accidental Presidents looks at eight men who came to the office without being elected to it. It demonstrates how the character of the man in that powerful seat affects the nation and world. Eight men have succeeded to the presidency when the incumbent died in office. In one way or another they vastly changed our history. Only Theodore Roosevelt would have been elected in his own right. Only TR, Truman, and LBJ were re-elected. John Tyler succeeded William Henry Harrison who died 30 days into his term. He was kicked out of his party and became the first president threatened with impeachment. Millard Fillmore succeeded esteemed General Zachary Taylor. He immediately sacked the entire cabinet and delayed an inevitable Civil War by standing with Henry Clay's compromise of 1850. Chester Arthur, the embodiment of the spoils system, was so reviled as James Garfield's successor that he had to defend himself against plotting Garfield's assassination; but he reformed the civil service. Andrew Johnson, who succeeded our greatest president, sided with remnants of the Confederacy in Reconstruction. Theodore Roosevelt broke up the trusts. Calvin Coolidge silently cooled down the Harding scandals and preserved the White House for the Republican Herbert Hoover and the Great Depression. Truman surprised everybody when he succeeded the great FDR and proved an able and accomplished president. Lyndon B. Johnson was named to deliver Texas electorally. He led the nation forward on Civil Rights but failed on Vietnam. Accidental Presidents adds immeasurably to our understanding of the power and limits of the American presidency in critical times"--

Subjects

• Presidents > Succession
• Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919
• Case studies
• Johnson, Lyndon B (Lyndon Baines), 1908-1973
• History
• Biographies
• Presidents > United States > Biography
• Biography
• Coolidge, Calvin, 1872-1933
• United States
• Presidents > Succession > United States > History > Case studies
• Fillmore, Millard, 1800-1874
• Truman, Harry S., 1884-1972
• Johnson, Andrew, 1808-1875
• Arthur, Chester Alan, 1829-1886
• Tyler, John, 1790-1862

Genre/Form

• Case studies.
• Biographies.
• Biography.
• History.

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references (pages 471-488) and index.

Contents

First to die -- Over my dead body -- Lincoln's choice -- Prince Arthur -- A most ambitious man -- Averting scandal -- "That damn mule!" -- "Give 'em hell Harry!" -- The last time -- Close calls.

Call Number

JFE 19-6748

ISBN

• 9781501109829
• 1501109820
• 9781501109836
• 1501109839
• 9781501109843 (canceled/invalid)

LCCN

2018043445

OCLC

1039375326

Author

Cohen, Jared, 1981- author.

Title

Accidental presidents : eight men who changed America / Jared Cohen.

Publisher

New York : Simon & Schuster, 2019.

Copyright Date

©2019

Edition

First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition.

Type of Content

text

still image

Type of Medium

unmediated

Type of Carrier

volume

Bibliography

Includes bibliographical references (pages 471-488) and index.

Other Form:

Online version: Cohen, Jared, 1981- author. Accidental presidents New York : Simon & Schuster, 2019 9781501109843 (DLC) 2018045250

Research Call Number

JFE 19-6748