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Tag Archives: Hail to the Chief
James “I Didn’t Start the Fire” Buchanan
What do I know about Mr. James Buchanan? Well, he’s our only bachelor president, leaning on his niece to be his hostess at White House functions; he was very chummy with the founder of my hometown, William Rufus King, and … Continue reading
Posted in history, Reviews
Tagged biography, Hail to the Chief, history, James Buchanan, politics, the impending crisis
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1858
1858 is a history of the second year of James Buchanan’s administration, a year notable less for what Buchanan did than for what he refused to do while the slavery debate burned white-hot. He maintained that slavery was no longer … Continue reading
The Expatriation of Franklin Pierce
Continuing in the tragedy of Franklin Pierce, I chose to follow a short biography of him with this, a more focused look Pierce’s exit from the presidency, when he found himself wholly isolated. Four years ago, he had earned a … Continue reading
Posted in history, Reviews
Tagged 1850s, 1860s, American Civil War, biography, Franklin Pierce, Garry Boulard, Hail to the Chief, history, Jefferson Davis, the impending crisis
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From Hero to Zero: Franklin Pierce
Franklin Pierce wasn’t high on my interest list of presidents to read about for this America @ 250 project until I learned that he was intimate friends with Jefferson Davis and his wife Varina. Pierce and Davis served together in … Continue reading
Posted in General, history, Reviews
Tagged 1840s, 1850s, biography, Franklin Pierce, Hail to the Chief, history, Michael F Holt, the impending crisis
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Martin Van Buren
Who is Martin Van Buren? When I cast the name into the pool of my imagination, I can see his face reflected there, framed by wild sideburns and seeded by a guide to the US Presidents I read cover to … Continue reading
Posted in history, Reviews
Tagged 1820s, 1830s, 1840s, 1850s, biography, Hail to the Chief, history, Martin Van Buren, the impending crisis
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Man of Iron
Grover Cleveland may have lost his claim to fame in being the only president to be elected to two nonconsecutive terms, but he is nevertheless a striking and memorable figure. Hailed as ‘the last Jeffersonian’ by another biography, his two … Continue reading
Posted in history, Reviews
Tagged 1870s, 1880s, biography, Grover Cleveland, Hail to the Chief, history
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The Last Jeffersonian
My political biography began during the War on Terror, when I developed strong feelings about foreign intervention and the military-police surveillance state. While reading Howard Zinn in my college years, I was astonished and delighted to learn of a … Continue reading
Friends Divided
When I first read Gordon S. Wood, his Revolutionary Characters annoyed me in its short shrift given John Adams. Adams was one of the earliest voices inveighing against Parliament’s abuses of the American colonies, and I was flabbergasted that he … Continue reading
The Presidents and the Pastime
On October 30th, 2001, President George W. Bush threw out the ceremonial first pitch of Game 3 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium. It was a powerful moment, a symbolic step forward in recovering from the trauma of … Continue reading
Alice, the White Rabbit, and Nixon: Short rounds, audio edition
That is not a “Go Ask Alice” reference, though I suppose it could. I’m kicking this week off with an audiobook short round. First up is The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland, read by Scarlett Johansson . I reviewed the … Continue reading
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