WHAT have you finished reading recently? Bosom Friends, a book examining the alliance between James Buchanan and William Rufus King, and Zachary Taylor, a biography of President Zachary Taylor. Also, Millard Fillmore by the aptly named Finkleman. I will not review it save for copy-pasting my Goodreads dismissal.

WHAT are you reading now? Arguing until Doomsday, a study of Stephen Douglas’ and Jefferson Davis’ respective roles in the increasing sectional crisis of the 1840s and ’50s. I am also listening to the new full-cast Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and enjoying it.

WHAT are you reading next? Possibly biographies of Tyler and Polk. I’d considered The Rise and Fall of the Whig Party, but it’s 1300 pages and I don’t think even I am that interested in the Whigs at this moment, even if there’s probably more useful info on Fillmore than in the biography I just finished and washed my hands of. I can’t say I’d expected that the early 19th century presidents would dominate my Hail to the Chief reading, but that’s the joy and peril of being a mood reader.

I will not be reviewing or even short-rounding Finkelman’s biography of Millard Fillmore, who was so shabbily abused by the book that I’m almost compelled to defend him despite his faults. To quote my goodreads review:

This is not a biography, it is character assassination by an alleged biographer. Finkelman opens the book by declaring his intention is to bury Fillmore in the bottom five of American presidents, and everything he writes is to that end. He finds a way to hang a black hat on Fillmore for everything — from his poor upbringing to the fact that Commodore Perry’s fleet arrived in Japan after Fillmore was out of office. The author’s declared bias made me suspicious of his use of evidence & such, and his declaration that Fillmore had refused to assist in the annexation of Hawaii finalized my judgement: the author’s wording makes one think that he is writing about Grover Cleveland decades later, whereas as far as I can tell from background research Fillmore was trying to throw a wrench in France’s attempts to claim Hawaii as theirs. Finkelman is an untrustworthy author, this book is a stain on this entire series, and Schlesinger should be ashamed for having signed off on it.

It looks like December will be history and…mm, pretty much nothing else. I generally begin the year with a variety kickoff, though, so let not your hearts be troubled. Speaking of — this is scheduled to post at midnight on Christmas Eve, and as I did last year I will probably take a break from reading and posting in the days around Christmas. So, Merry Christmas one and all!