Thank you for this! I may do a presidential biography project at some point. I have a few biographies to start with. I like the perspective they give me on current campaign rhetoric and scandals; there really is nothing new under the sun. Thank you for sharing the resources you used to select biographies, and I look forward to your specific videos coming up!
I'm so glad you did this video and will be having a whole series on your project! I was struck by your comment that you prefer biographies that get at the Presidents as people, and how you prefer that over when the books focus on the institutions and systems (like the political party system) that the Presidents lived and operated within. Maybe that's why readers get frustrated with books on history. Historians have to present their historical evidence as they examine institutions and systems, and that can be dry stuff! The biographies are a complementary way to see history, but with the focus on people. Thanks for prompting me to think about this, and it will certainly affect how I think about my own reading projects.
I have been interested in your Presidential Challenge since your first video about it! I love following your progress. I am thinking about starting it next year. I am currently 2/3 of the way through the Edmund Morris Teddy Roosevelt trilogy. I have been enjoying it so much! He is such an interesting human. Thanks for making more videos about this challenge. I will watch them all 😊
Thank-you - this was a fun video. You might enjoy seeing the play about John Quincy Adams called JQA. I saw it performed just last Sunday and it was truly an interesting play. In one scene - JQA has a conversation with Frederick Douglas - and I found it to be powerful. There are also scenes where he talks with George Washington, his father, and Abraham Lincoln. Truly worth seeing if you have the opportunity.
I am glad you are going to do the presidential book videos. I started my reading journey with the Ron chernow book on George Washington. I’m living it so far. I am so interested in seeing your book choices. Thank you for sharing the websites.
Such a fantastic project, Heidi! I’ve read some Presidential biographies, but not in order or for a specific purpose. I love your idea to read them in order, and really look forward to your video series.
Thank you! I find that reading them in order allows me to build upon information in a way that increases my overall knowledge of US history. Like I am building a strong foundation as I go.
I really enjoyed this video, Heidi! Looking forward to hearing more with your forthcoming series of videos! Kudos for you enlightening us about American history!
Loved this video and can’t for your series on this project! You’ve definitely sparked my attention back to my own Presidential Biography journey and I hope to get back into. Can’t wait for the videos!
I enjoyed this video. I have read biographies of about 15 presidents so far, though I have not read them in order. About Andrew Johnson: I read The Impeachers by Brenda Wineapple. However, it was not an easy read for me; I skipped and skimmed some sections. I will look forward to your recommendations.
I just finished Henry Adams _History of the United States._ It features the presidencies of Jefferson and Madison. The focus was not on the men, but Jefferson came off surprisingly sympathetic to me, in the end, with all his hopes falling apart. But Madison. He was like The Man Who Wasn’t There in his administration: no personality, and when he did something (or more frequently refused to act) he left an odious impression. Only at the sack of Washington, DC, when everything went against him, he seemed briefly heroic, but otherwise, what a thorough incompetent as an administrator. So were I to ask a question, it would be: Was your impression of Madison anywise as negative as mine? Footnote: I love JQA, having read his _Diaries_ in the two-volume Library of America set. And agree with how you characterized him. But a funny mention in the Adams history, after the Treaty of Ghent, one of his co-negotiators - I think it was Bayard(?) - commented that he wasn’t too bright or words to that effect. I love JQA so much that I want to at least read the Penguin volume of his parents’ letters.
I did have a negative impression of Madison but also, he has not stuck in my memory at all! After the men who came before him, he was decidedly uninspiring, and his wife Dolly was WAY more interesting! LOL I need to look into the JQA diaries from LoA. That seems like something I would like to read. I would also like to read the letters between his parents. Their relationship was super interesting!
Is it weird that when you held up the Jefferson biography I was surprised to see he didn't look like Daveed Diggs? How's that for the power of Hamilton? I recall from reading Team of Rivals Grant seemed and interesting person. I may check out the biography of him.
LOL! I have never seen Hamilton so I don't have that image in my head. Hamilton certainly made the founding fathers popular again. I have not yet read Team of Rivals.
As @audreyh7892 stated, the song is the "Battle of New Orleans" by Johnny Horton. My father did the same thing 🤣 Jackson always stands out for me because his mother died in Charleston SC in 1781 and is thought to be buried by the College of Charleston library. I passed that marker many a time! I have the Truman book by McCullough but haven't started it yet. It's on my list for 2025!
Every time I mention that song folks remind me it's Battle of New Orleans but I cannot for the life of me keep that in my brain! It's funny the connections we make with historical figures.
I've been collecting a TBR list on First Lady biographies and other assorted books. It's not fully complete because I wasn't planning on reading a book for every single one of them, and for some, there isn't a book. Should I make a video?
Thank you for this! I may do a presidential biography project at some point. I have a few biographies to start with. I like the perspective they give me on current campaign rhetoric and scandals; there really is nothing new under the sun. Thank you for sharing the resources you used to select biographies, and I look forward to your specific videos coming up!
Cokie Roberts' book Founding Mothers is fantastic
I think that is the one I read. I have read a couple by her and they were both good.
The Robert Caro books on LBJ are fantastic. Hopefully volume 5 comes out soon.
Oh wow! I did not know there was going to be a fifth in that series! LOL
I have the four but haven't read them yet super stoked 😊
Thank you, Heidi! ♥️🤍💙
Thanks for watching!
I’m excited for your series! Thanks for the tip on the Andrew Johnson bio. American Woman is on my tbr list.
Thank you! I hope you enjoy American Woman as much as I did.
Battle of New Orleans by Johnny Horton.
Why can't I keep the name of this song in my head? I need to tattoo it on my arm or something! LOL
I am really looking forward to the new series!
Thank you! I hope it doesn't disappoint!
I never clicked a thumbnail so fast! So ecstatic for this video and you did not disappoint! Excited for the new series. Thank you! 😊
Awwww. Thanks so much! I am glad you find these videos interesting.
I'm so glad you did this video and will be having a whole series on your project! I was struck by your comment that you prefer biographies that get at the Presidents as people, and how you prefer that over when the books focus on the institutions and systems (like the political party system) that the Presidents lived and operated within. Maybe that's why readers get frustrated with books on history. Historians have to present their historical evidence as they examine institutions and systems, and that can be dry stuff! The biographies are a complementary way to see history, but with the focus on people. Thanks for prompting me to think about this, and it will certainly affect how I think about my own reading projects.
Thanks for your thoughtful comment. I think you articulated my exact feeling about biographies better than I could!
Thank you so much Heidi, I enjoyed this so much. Can't wait for the next one
Thanks for watching! I am glad you enjoyed the video.
I have been interested in your Presidential Challenge since your first video about it! I love following your progress. I am thinking about starting it next year. I am currently 2/3 of the way through the Edmund Morris Teddy Roosevelt trilogy. I have been enjoying it so much! He is such an interesting human. Thanks for making more videos about this challenge. I will watch them all 😊
Thanks for watching and for your interest in this project! I really enjoyed the Morris trilogy about Teddy R. He was larger than life!
Such a big reading challenge!! Thanks for sharing more info
It is a long term project for sure but it has really been rewarding!
This was a cool overview. Looking forward to your series.
Thanks very much! I hope to be able to make at least one video a month on this topic.
Really enjoyed this, looking forward to your series. Your description of the U. S. Grant bio has me particularly intrigued.
Thank you! Check out the Grant bio by Ron Chernow. It is excellent.
Yay! I’m so excited for this series! I’ll have my notebook at the ready for your recommendations ❤
Thanks so much! I hope the upcoming videos provide you with some options.
Thank-you - this was a fun video. You might enjoy seeing the play about John Quincy Adams called JQA. I saw it performed just last Sunday and it was truly an interesting play. In one scene - JQA has a conversation with Frederick Douglas - and I found it to be powerful. There are also scenes where he talks with George Washington, his father, and Abraham Lincoln. Truly worth seeing if you have the opportunity.
That sounds amazing! I had no idea there was a play about JQA. I would love to see it someday.
I am glad you are going to do the presidential book videos. I started my reading journey with the Ron chernow book on George Washington. I’m living it so far. I am so interested in seeing your book choices. Thank you for sharing the websites.
Thank you! I hope the presidents series doesn't disappoint!
Such a fantastic project, Heidi! I’ve read some Presidential biographies, but not in order or for a specific purpose. I love your idea to read them in order, and really look forward to your video series.
Thank you! I find that reading them in order allows me to build upon information in a way that increases my overall knowledge of US history. Like I am building a strong foundation as I go.
I really enjoyed this video, Heidi! Looking forward to hearing more with your forthcoming series of videos! Kudos for you enlightening us about American history!
Thank you so much! I appreciate the support!
Loved this video and can’t for your series on this project! You’ve definitely sparked my attention back to my own Presidential Biography journey and I hope to get back into. Can’t wait for the videos!
Thanks so much! I hope you can work a presidential biography into all of your other reading!
Really enjoyed this video. What a project!! I will be reading some presidential biographies but not in order. 😊
I hope you find some presidential biographies you really like. Thanks for watching!
I enjoyed this video. I have read biographies of about 15 presidents so far, though I have not read them in order. About Andrew Johnson: I read The Impeachers by Brenda Wineapple. However, it was not an easy read for me; I skipped and skimmed some sections. I will look forward to your recommendations.
Some biographies are painfully dry and slow. But the good ones really suck me in and make me glad I am sticking with the project.
Great video! I need to hear why Grant made you cry.
I was so touched by his end of life story. I found it really emotional.
I just finished Henry Adams _History of the United States._ It features the presidencies of Jefferson and Madison. The focus was not on the men, but Jefferson came off surprisingly sympathetic to me, in the end, with all his hopes falling apart. But Madison. He was like The Man Who Wasn’t There in his administration: no personality, and when he did something (or more frequently refused to act) he left an odious impression. Only at the sack of Washington, DC, when everything went against him, he seemed briefly heroic, but otherwise, what a thorough incompetent as an administrator. So were I to ask a question, it would be: Was your impression of Madison anywise as negative as mine?
Footnote: I love JQA, having read his _Diaries_ in the two-volume Library of America set. And agree with how you characterized him. But a funny mention in the Adams history, after the Treaty of Ghent, one of his co-negotiators - I think it was Bayard(?) - commented that he wasn’t too bright or words to that effect. I love JQA so much that I want to at least read the Penguin volume of his parents’ letters.
I did have a negative impression of Madison but also, he has not stuck in my memory at all! After the men who came before him, he was decidedly uninspiring, and his wife Dolly was WAY more interesting! LOL
I need to look into the JQA diaries from LoA. That seems like something I would like to read. I would also like to read the letters between his parents. Their relationship was super interesting!
Can you tell us the title of the Grant book that made you cry?
I’m also doing a presidential challenge. I was so was so happy to find your channel.
It was Grant by Ron Chernow. Excellent biography!
Is it weird that when you held up the Jefferson biography I was surprised to see he didn't look like Daveed Diggs? How's that for the power of Hamilton?
I recall from reading Team of Rivals Grant seemed and interesting person. I may check out the biography of him.
LOL! I have never seen Hamilton so I don't have that image in my head. Hamilton certainly made the founding fathers popular again. I have not yet read Team of Rivals.
As @audreyh7892 stated, the song is the "Battle of New Orleans" by Johnny Horton. My father did the same thing 🤣 Jackson always stands out for me because his mother died in Charleston SC in 1781 and is thought to be buried by the College of Charleston library. I passed that marker many a time! I have the Truman book by McCullough but haven't started it yet. It's on my list for 2025!
Every time I mention that song folks remind me it's Battle of New Orleans but I cannot for the life of me keep that in my brain! It's funny the connections we make with historical figures.
I've been collecting a TBR list on First Lady biographies and other assorted books. It's not fully complete because I wasn't planning on reading a book for every single one of them, and for some, there isn't a book. Should I make a video?
I would love to see a video about that! Let me know if you do post one.