Rating: 
Summary: Outstanding book, disappointing revision
Review: I am writing based on the 2001 hardcover edition.This is an fascinating, very readable book. The research is excellent. The biographical facts about each president are fleshed out with narratives about their early lives, marriages, children, religious beliefs, careers, retirements, and more. The political matters likewise get excellent treatment, with narratives about each president's nomination, campaign, election, and achivements. Each Cabinet member and most Supreme Court nominees get at least a short paragraph. There are also quotes by and about each president, including both praise and criticism. Far more than a dry series of lists and facts, the human touch makes this book very worthwhile for anyone fascinated by American history in general and the presidents in particular. The book, originally published in 1983, is revised at least every four years. This edition covers events up to early 2001, so it includes the 2000 election, the Clinton pardons, and Bush Jr's initial appointments, but not September 11. The Clinton chapter from the previous edition has been completely rewritten and discusses that turbulent presidency at length. Unfortunately, DeGregorio did not revise the pre-Clinton chapters, leaving them embarrassingly dated. The Bush Sr. chapter mentions nothing about his son becoming President, not even referring us to the Bush Jr. chapter especially added for this edition. Jackie Kennedy and Richard Nixon both died in 1994. Neither relevant chapter mentions these most basic facts, even though the book was revised in both 1997 and 2001. This book is so detailed - where else can you find descriptions of John Tyler's (14!) children, James Garfield's extramarital affair, Andrew Johnson's religious views, and Calvin Coolidge's academic record - that I am amazed at this neglect. The 1993 edition (which I recently replaced) gets five stars. The 2001 edition retains and adds to the excellent work from the previous editions - but the major omissions limit it to four stars.
Rating: 
Summary: Not what it seemed it would be
Review: I bought this book thinking that is was a book with stories and anecdotes of the lives of the presidents or at least a biographical work of prose about the presidents. However, this book is more of a detailed resume with so extra details, such as cabinet members. Basically it is a hard bound list of presidential lives and careers.
Rating:
Summary: Not what it seemed it would be
Review: I bought this book thinking that is was a book with stories and anecdotes of the lives of the presidents or at least a biographical work of prose about the presidents. However, this book is more of a detailed resume with so extra details, such as cabinet members. Basically it is a hard bound list of presidential lives and careers.
Rating: 
Summary: A look at american as well as world history.
Review: I got this book for Christmas and I love it. It's a well written look at history. You'll find everything about a President's life including what they did for fun and information on each familly of the President's As far as when they were President you'll find out about the legislation each was most famous for, their cabinets, previous jobs, persidental campaigns, opponets, major national and world events that happend during ther terms, states added, ammedments added to the constitution, detailed infomation on their deaths, Supreme Court appointments, quotes both for and against each President, and books about each President in case you want to know a bit more about them. You won't regret buying it.
Rating:
Summary: The Definitive Presidential Encyclopedia
Review: I have read this book as if it were my bible since I first bought it in '93. I was just a kid at the time. Now, thanks to mr. Degregorio, I have enhanced my knowledge of these 41 men infinitely. There is no competition to this book. To say that it is "complete" is a horrible understatement.
Rating:
Summary: Not Just a Reference on U.S. Presidents, but on U.S. History
Review: I was a history major in college and did some student teaching at the high school level. Whether I was working on an essay or preparing a lecture, this book was one of my favorite references. Not only does it offer well organized information on the Presidents (birth, childhood, family, education, etc.), it offers tons of information on the people, legislation, and events of their administrations. It describes cabinet members, laws that were passed, foreign relations, domestic issues, you name it. It saved me a lot of time in my research. The sections on the physical descriptions, personality traits and, in some cases, pre and extramarital affairs on each of the presidents was very interesting and offered info you normally do not find in other books. I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent summary of the presidents
Review: I've used this book in teaching my US History classes and it hasn't failed in both entertaining and educating students. Half the fun was learning about the various personal quirks that each of the presidents had. Read about President Clinton's most memorable childhood experience, it is guarenteed to make people laugh. This is a good book to use in any classroom.
Rating:
Summary: Great book for reference and for writing reports
Review: I've used this book on numerous occasions to write school reports about presidents. This book helped me, and it gives ample information to write a paper. It is a great reference source.
Rating:
Summary: A great guide to the former presidents
Review: If you are anything like myself you may enjoy reading about the love lives of former presidents or maybe what was George Washington like when he was younger. Or perhaps what profession did James Madison pursue before becoming president. If you do enjoy reading or learning about things such as these about the former presidents then you will love this book. This book has facts from the president's religion to their accomplishments in office then to their marriage lives and former lovers. It has criticisms and praises on their terms in office as well as whom they appointed to their staff. It has the ranked every president with the exception of Bill Clinton since he was still in office at the time the book was written and George W. Bush since he had yet to be elected. In simpler terms this book basically has every detail you may want to know about the former Presidents. This should be a definite pick up if you enjoy reading about the history and personal lives of the former presidents.
Rating:
Summary: A Thorough Research Guide and More
Review: In addition to being a thorough research guide, this work combines the thoroughness of subject matter of an encyclopedia along with a purposeful series of biographies. There is much about the presidents individually from Washington to the present while presenting historians and research enthusiasts alike with an opportunity to zero in on a particular president and his era and learn much more. There are thorough listings of cabinet members, detailed informations on vice-presidents, and lists of books available on the leaders and the periods of which they were a part for those who wish to do additional research on presidents and their eras. One of my favorite parts of the book was the section dealing with presidential campaigns. One can easily get a feel for an era and its leaders by reading about the campaigns, learning about the major issues involved, and analyzing the critical problems facing the nation at those points, whether it be slavery and the Civil War or the Depression of the thirties. Comprehensive election results are also available, whereby interested readers can discern just where the country stood at a given point in time in terms of the voting power strengths of the parties regionally. Trends become clearly discernible through careful analysis. I also like the way that comments regarding presidents, both pro and con, appear, done in an objective way. Patterns become discernible as to which major political forces backed and opposed certain presidents as well as why.
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